Los Angeles has its distractions for someone with laser focus. That would not be Bubba Watson, who moves, thinks and talks in kinetic bursts.
In that way, all the bright lights and shiny objects might be Watson’s paradise, and he wasn’t going to let being the third-round leader of the Northern Trust Open keep him from his appointed (entertainment) rounds.
Only a few minutes after shooting a four-under-par 67 at Riviera Country Club on Saturday to take a one-stroke advantage over three players, Watson was antsy to get out the door and on the way to Staples Center for the Clippers’ glamorous matchup against the Golden State Warriors.
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He apparently is traffic-phobic. He finished his round at 3 p.m. and the game was starting at 5:30. He was giving himself 2 1/2 hours to go 17 miles.
“Y’all are holding me up from getting there,” Watson said in a brief interview in the clubhouse after he declined to attend a session in the media center.
“I’m friends with a lot of the guys, friends with Steve Ballmer. I don’t know if you know him — he’s the owner of the Clippers. So for me it’s a win-win.”
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Maybe. His first victory was apparently scoring tickets to the game; that second win might be considerably harder to come by.
On the leaderboard at Riviera are as many stars as those who were sitting courtside at Staples on Saturday night. Not many majors have the potential for more high-level drama.
Watson, Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Adam Scott. All are ranked among the top 20 in the world golf rankings. All are separated by one or two shots heading into what figures to be a fascinating final round on a course playing just forgiving enough to entice the contenders into possibly disastrous mistakes.
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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Bubba Watson walks ahead of Jason Kokrak toward the 18th fairway.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Gauthier / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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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.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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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.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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Chez Reavie hits from a bunker to the third green during the third round of the Northern Trust Open.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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Troy Merritt drives from the second tee during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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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.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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Kevin Chappell tees off at No. 2 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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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.
(Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images)
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Charl Schwartzel hits around a tree from the rough along the first fairway at Riviera Country Club on Saturday.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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Rory McIlroywatches his tee shot at No. 2 during the third round of the Northern Trust Open on Saturday.
(Frederic J. Brown / AFP / Getty Images)
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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.
(Robert Laberge / Getty Images)
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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.
(Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Gina Ferazzi / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Camilo Villegas tees off on the ninth hole during first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Camilo Villegas reacts after sinking a birdie putt on the eighth hole during the first round of Northern Trust Open.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Jordan Spieth prepares to tee off during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Jordan Spieth chips onto a green during the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Thomas and his caddie line up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Justin Thomas reacts after missing a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Fred Couples tees off during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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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.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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Bubba Watson tees off at No. 9 during the first round of the Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
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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)
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Justin Rose lines up a putt during the first round of the Northern Trust Open on Thursday.
(Luis Sinco / Los Angeles Times)
Watson, at 12 under, leads by one over Johnson, who shot 68 on Saturday, Jason Kokrak (70) and Chez Reavie (69). Two behind are McIlroy (67), Scott (67), K.J. Choi (67), UCLA alum Kevin Chappell (66), and Marc Leishman (68).
Numerous are the story lines. Watson is trying to win for the second time at Riviera (his first win was in 2014), as is Scott (2005). McIlroy could prevail in his first-ever appearance and move from No. 3 to No. 2 in the world. Johnson is trying to erase two hard-luck finishes here the last two years. A Choi triumph would be his ninth on tour and the second straight at Riviera for a South Korean-born player.
“If you need more incentive to win a golf tournament, then maybe winning at a place like this is something that drives everyone, drives the top guys,” Scott said.
“You’ve covered all the stories. … Everyone has something we are playing for other than just to win. We all know how big a deal it would be to win here at Riviera.”
For the leaders, Riviera has played just soft enough to give them a chance at good scores, but nobody’s gone crazy-low at the top. That could change Sunday.
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“Somebody’s going to shoot low,” Johnson said. “There’s so many great players that are up on the leaderboard that are within a couple shots of the lead. I would guess 17 under, 16 under would get it done.”
Said Scott: “Not everyone’s going to fade away. It’s not the brutal hard and fast stuff where your slight miss is really punished and you can’t get up-and-down. It’s possible.”
Watson proved that in the third round, keeping his one-shot edge with a spectacular finishing par. The left-hander hooked his second shot on the par-four down the hill and across the cart path to a position near a skybox, where he was allowed to take a drop.
Ninety-six feet from the cup, Watson popped a wedge to 2 1/2 feet, the large crowd around 18 roaring its appreciation.
“To win, there’s going to have to be a lot of things go your way,” Watson said. “Like getting up-and-down on 18, something crazy like that. A chip-in; you’re going to have to do something because it’s one bounce one way or the other to win or lose.”
For Johnson, if the round comes down to the par-five 17th hole, whatever he does will be noteworthy. At 590 yards and playing as the third-easiest hole this week, No. 17 should be the long-hitting Johnson’s doormat.
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Yet in the final round last year he bogeyed it with a wedge in his hand for the third shot and fell into a playoff he lost. This year, Johnson doesn’t have a birdie on the hole that has given up 103 of them this week.
“I have no idea,” Johnson said of why No. 17 has been a nemesis. “Any hole out here, it’s easy to miss putts. I think that’s just what it is. Just haven’t made any putts on that hole.”
