Adam Scott’s reaction to a made 10-footer for birdie on the 17th green said it all. It was a colossal putt that finally granted the Aussie some breathing room atop a leaderboard packed with golf’s best players. He pumped his first on the way to the hole then proceeded to laser a drive down the par-4 18th on his way to a closing par and the rest is history.
Scott had begun the day tied with early-week leader Matt Kuchar and World No. 1 Rory McIlroy. After some early jostling, Scott emerged as the strongest player. Even two bogeys and a double couldn’t derail his Sunday, though granted, no other player made a strong push to take the title from him.
Scott, who had said after the third round that he felt comfortable on Riviera’s tricky greens and that it gave him an advantage, fired a final-round 70 to finish at 11 under.
By the end of the day, Sung Kang, Scott Brown and Kuchar were Scott’s biggest challengers. All three men tied for second at 9 under.
A four-man tie for fifth included Hideki Matsuyama, Bryson DeChambeau, Max Homa and Joel Dahmen.
Riviera’s history is deep, having hosted everything from a U.S. Open to the PGA Championship to the NCAA Championship. Scott adds his name to a long list of distinguished champions.
For the 39-year-old, the Genesis Invitational amounted to PGA Tour title No. 14 and his first since winning the 2016 WGC-Cadillac Championship.
