Bubba Watson had an extra obstacle to overcome on his way to victory in the Northern Trust Open: a kidney stone.
Watson said after the win Sunday at Riviera Country Club that he passed a kidney stone on Monday after seeing blood in his urine the day before.
“I’m already a head case, so my thoughts of seeing red liquids coming out … I thought I was dying, basically, without pain,” Watson said.
He said he experienced the passing of a kidney stone five years ago, and this time his family called tournament officials and asked if they could see a doctor when they arrived in L.A. on Monday. Watson underwent a CAT scan, and before he could receive the results he said he passed the stone without pain.
“My baby came out, I guess,” he said.
Later, Watson joked, “I’ve got it if y’all want to see it. It’s in my pocket.”
He said he never considered withdrawing from the tournament.
McIlroy’s bad finish
Rory McIlroy’s start and finish in the fourth round could not have been much better. All that came in between was a nightmare for the third-ranked player in the world.
McIlroy eagled the first hole, putted from off the green to make birdie at No. 18, but in a terrible stretch similar to Jordan Spieth’s undoing on Thursday, the Northern Irishman stumbled with seven bogeys from the fourth through 16th holes.
McIlroy shot four-over 75 and finished tied for 20th at six under.
Moore makes ace
Ryan Moore scored the second ace of the week when he got a very lucky bounce on the 163-yard, par-three 16th hole.
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Bubba Watson cradles the winner’s trophy on the 18th green after rallying for a victory in the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Sunday.
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Dakota Watson, who is 18 months old, romps on the 18th green as father Bubba Watson accepts the winner’s trophy for the Northern Trust Open.
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Bubba Watson waves to fans after hitting his approach at the 18th hole on Sunday during the final round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Bubba Watson walks ahead of Jason Kokrak toward the 18th fairway.
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Bubba Watson waves to fans after making a birdie on the 17th hole that put him in the lead of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday at Riviera Country Club.
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Bubba Watson slams a long drive during a round of 68 on Sunday to win the Northern Trust Open at the Riviera Country Club. He finished four rounds at 15 under par.
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Jason Kokrak falls to the ground after missing a birdie putt on the 18th hole that would’ve put him in a tie for the lead.
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Adam Scott hits from the trees surrounding the green on the 10th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open. Scott saved par on the hole.
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Fans receive high-fives from K.J. Choi as he walks to the 15th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday at Riviera Country Club.
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Jason Kokrak blasts out of a greenside bunker at No. 16, helping him save par during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Steve Stricker hits out of a fairway trap on the eighth hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
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Dustin Johnson hits a shot out of the rough at No. 8 during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
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K.J. Choi watches his drive on the par-three 14th hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open on Sunday.
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Adam Scott watches his drive land on the green while on his way to a biridie at the sixth hole during the final round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Rory McIlroy puts at No. 1 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday at Riviera Country Club.
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Dustin Johnson lines up a putt on the eighth hole during the third orund of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday at Riviera Country Club.
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Bubba Watson tees off on the fourth hole Saturday during the third round of Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Chez Reavie hits from a bunker to the third green during the third round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Troy Merritt drives from the second tee during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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Hideki Matsuyama lines up a putt on the first hole during round the third round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Kevin Chappell tees off at No. 2 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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K.J. Choi reacts after sinking a putt at No. 3 during the third round of the Northern Trust open on Saturday.
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Charl Schwartzel hits around a tree from the rough along the first fairway at Riviera Country Club on Saturday.
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Rory McIlroywatches his tee shot at No. 2 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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Jason Kokrak takes his shot out of a fairway bunker on the seventh hole during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
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Bubba Watson acknowledges the crowd after finishing the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday at Riviera Country Club.
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Spectators lean over the rope to watch Rory McIlroy hit out of the rough along the 18th fairway at Riviera Country Club on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Jason Kokrak acknowledges the crowd Friday after finishing the 18th hole at Riviera Country Club. Kokrak leads the Northern Trust Open at 10 under par after a seven-under 64 on Friday.
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Chez Reavie reacts after sinking a birdie putt at No. 18 to finish the second round with a four-under-par 67. He’s in second place after two rounds of the Northern Trust Open at nine under.
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Bubba Watson hits a chip shot from the rough on the 17th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Justin Rose hits out of a sand trap at No. 9 on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Rory McIlroy hits his tee shot at No. 11 on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club. McElroy is tied with seven others for seventh at six under.
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Bubba Watson tosses his putter after missing a birdie putt on the 12th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday. Watson is tied for third at eight under after two rounds.
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Jason Kokrak hits his approach shot into the 18th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
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As afternoon shadows lengthen across Riviera Country Club, leader Jason Kokrak follows through on his approach shot into the 18th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday.
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The kikuyu grass flies as Rory McIlroy hits out of the rough along the 12th fairway Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Ernie Els hits out of a greenside bunker at the 10th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
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Jason Kokrak hits a chip shot onto the 17th green during the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday.
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Justin Rose hits from under the branches of a tree at No. 10 on Friday during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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Rory McIlroy hits from the rough at No. 10 during the second round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Friday.
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James Hahn, the Northern Trust Open winner last year, hits out of a sand trap at the 10th hole during the second round of the Northern Trust Open on Friday. Hahn missed the cut at four over.
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An aerial view of Riviera Country Club, site of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament, taken from the MetLife blimp on Friday.
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Camilo Villegas tees off on the ninth hole during first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Camilo Villegas reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the eighth hole during the first round of Northern Trust Open.
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Jordan Spieth prepares to tee off during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Jordan Spieth chips onto a green during the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Rory McIlroy doffs his cap after finishing the first round of the Northern Trust Open golf tournament on Thursday at Riviera Country Club.
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Justin Thomas and his caddie line up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Justin Thomas reacts after missing a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
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Fred Couples tees off during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday.
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Fred Couples fist-bumps Justin Thomas after both sank long birdie putts at the fifth hole during the first round of the Northern Trust Open.
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Bubba Watson tees off at No. 9 during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
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James Hahn, the 2015 winner, lines up a putt during the first round of Northern Trust Open on Thursday at Riviera Country Club.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) 54/54
Justin Rose lines up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times) Moore’s tee shot flew just over the bunker fronting the green, took a good bounce out of the rough and rolled straight toward the pin, smoothly dropping in the hole like a putt.
“It was great,” Moore said. “It was a tough little hole location there, and man, of all the shots. … It landed in the rough and got a great kick. I couldn’t see it but we had a good crowd around there that all kind of jumped in the air.”
It was the fourth ace in Moore’s tour career.
“It doesn’t happen very often, so any time it happens, it’s kind of like the first-time type of thing,” he said.
Qualifier has big week
South Korean Sung Kang capped an eventful two weeks with a final round of 69 to finish tied for eighth.
Kang shot 60 at Monterey Peninsula Country Club in the second round in the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, but when he closed Sunday with a 77 he didn’t automatically qualify for the Northern Trust Open.
He entered the Monday qualifier, which ran over to Tuesday, and Kang avoided a playoff by making birdie on his last hole.
On Sunday at Riviera, Kang scored his third eagle of the week at the par-five 17th, nearly holing out for an albatross from 202 yards. He made eagle from two feet.
Trojans vs. Bruins
Former NCAA national champions from USC and UCLA had very different final rounds.
Jamie Lovemark, winner of the NCAA title as a Trojans freshman in 2007, shot two-under 69 and tied for 20th — his fifth top-20 finish of this season.
UCLA’s Kevin Chappell, the NCAA champion in 2008, was tied for fifth after three rounds, but made double bogey at the 10th and 14th holes, carded 76 and tied for 26th.
Notable
Charlie Danielson, the amateur who won the College Showcase and opened with a 67, scored 77 and tied for 72nd at five over. … Charles Howell III did not birdie the par-four 10th hole this week, extending a streak of 22 rounds without a birdie there. ... Steve Stricker tied for 11th, just missing out on his first top-10 tour finish since the 2014 PGA Championship.
tod.leonard@sduniontribune
