Buick Invitational: Native Californian Nick Watney Captures Win

California native Nick Watney birdied the 72^nd hole on Sunday afternoon to edge out John Rollins and capture his second career PGA Tour victory.

John Rollins, who began the day with a two-stroke lead, started his final round with back-to-back bogeys on the first two holes before settling down and playing steady golf for the remainder of the front-nine.

After a bogey on the par-four 12th, Rollins appeared to have taken a major step towards closing out the tournament with an eagle on the 13^th, which give him a two stroke lead with just five holes to play.

But bogeys on the 14^th and 16^thopened the door for those in hot pursuit, and Nick Watney did not let that opportunity pass him by. Watney birdied the par-three 16^th to move into a tie with Rollins with just two holes to play.

After pars by each player at the 17^th, Watney and Rollins both found the fairway off the tee on the very birdie-able par-five 18^th. Watney hit a five-wood to the back of the green leaving him a long, lightning quick downhill birdie but to a front-right pin location.

However, Watney had the upper hand after Rollins sent his second shot into the large bunker lining the left side of the green, leaving him short-sided.

Rollins played his bunker shot as well as could have been expected, leaving him about eight feet for birdie. Watney rolled a superb lag putt from the back of the green down the steep slope, leaving him three feet left for birdie.

After Villegas’s eagle putt just slid past the hole, Rollins pushed his birdie putt and tapped in for par, making him the clubhouse leader for all of two minutes before Watney calmly rolled his birdie putt into the center of the hole for the win.

Although Camilo Villegas was in the hunt all weekend, he found himself in that position due in large part to his opening round 63 on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines.

Villegas’ opening round 63 landing him at nine-under-par, which is where he finished after playing the South Course at even par over his final three rounds. 

Even par on the extremely difficult South Course at Torrey Pines is by no means a poor performance.  However, more often than not, three rounds of even par golf on the PGA Tour is typically not good enough to hold even the largest 18-hole lead, no matter what course you are playing on.

Watney, who hails from Sacramento, California, became the ninth native Californian in the past decade to win the Buick Invitation.

A PGA Tour win is always thrilling in it’s own right, however, for Watney, who finished 121^ston the 2008 PGA Tour money list, what’s even more thrilling has to be the fact that he no longer needs to worry about his status on the PGA Tour for at least two years. 

In just four days, Watney has surpassed his earnings for the whole of 2008 and has also earned himself a trip to the Masters in April.