J.B Holmes celebrates after winning at Riviera.

Pacific Palisades, California - The Genesis Open was mired with inclement

weather all week, and Sunday was no different in Southern California

with temps in the low 40's and winds of 30+ mph. Many of the game's

best struggled, but J.B Holmes wasn't one of those that did, finishing with

rounds of 63-69-68-70 (-14 - 270 total) to win by one stroke over Justin

Thomas at famed Riviera Country Club.

Thomas seemed to have it all under control as his third round 65 came

to a conclusion early on Sunday. When round 4 began in the afternoon

it was a different story, his four-stroke lead to begin the final round

evaporated quickly when he bogeyed the 2nd, 4th, 5th, 10th, doubled

the 13th and made another bogey on 14 en route to a 75. "I really

struggled putting in that wind out there," JT said. "It's something that

I've needed to get better at and it unfortunately just kind of showed

a flaw in my game."

For Holmes, putting had the opposite result - coming into Riviera his

Strokes Gained Putting rank was a paltry 202nd, and after some work

on the Poa greens with coach Matt Killen he finished the week ranked

1st at +2.043 strokes gained. "I putted for several hours throughout the

week - we changed our routine and we had a string and a mirror and

just made sure that everything was dialed in, and then I could trust it

and go out there and make confident strokes."

The West Coast swing concluded with its share of weather issues. The

WMPO endured a rainy final round, while Pebble Beach suffered from

several weather delays, during the entire week at Riviera it seemed

highly unlikely that 72 holes could be completed by Sunday.

Jordan Spieth struggled the most in the tough conditions, shooting a

final round 81 that included a double, triple and quadruple bogey.

Scores:

https://www.pgatour.com/competition/2019/genesis-open/leaderboard.html

Phil Mickelson celebrates his 44th career PGA Tour victory after a Monday finish.

Monterey, California - It took an extra day. Just the evening earlier, Phil Mickelson

wanted to finish it off in the dark, but challenger Paul Casey was having none of it.

Casey decided to stop play with 4 feet remaining for par on sixteenth. Lefty was

outwardly agitated by the decision to put off the finish until Monday morning, he

was in the zone and insistent on trying to get it in. For Mickelson it all worked out,

just 14 hours later he did indeed finish it off, getting his 44th career title and 5th

win at Pebble Beach.

Before play on the final two holes commenced, he needed to make sure he

righted the situation. "I apologized to Paul Casey this morning because I realized

that I wasn't seeing the big picture," Mickelson said. "Paul was protecting both

of us, and the field - he did the right thing by having us finish this morning."

Starting Monday three shots clear, Mickelson and Casey both safely hit the

par 3 - 17th leaving makeable birdie putts. Each player missed their attempts

and walked to the famous tee at the par 5 finisher on Pebble Beach with no

blood being drawn. With the result likely no longer in doubt, Mickelson hit iron

off the tee, while Casey took the aggressive approach. Phil layed up to wedge

range, and from 245 out Casey nearly reached the front left edge of the green.

Phil wedged to 7 feet and Casey got up and down for his birdie, securing solo

second at 16 under par (71). Lefty rolled in his putt for a final round 65, and

the exclamation on win No.44 (and his 5th at Pebble Beach - tying the record

previously set by Mark O'meara).

So does the new "Prince of Pebble" see this win as a springboard to winning

the long coveted U.S Open at Pebble in June? "No, it's a totally different golf

course, the greens will be firm, the rough will be high - here I'm trying to hit

the ball as far as I can, not worry too much about the rough. The ball's are

plugging and we're able to clean it and so there's really no carryover," Phil

said." Other than that, I just really enjoy this place and seem to play some

of my best golf here and that's probably about it."

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html

Langer Keeps Rolling, Wins Oasis Championship at Broken Sound

Bernhard Langer celebrates after winning his home town event in Boca Raton.

Boca Raton, Florida - Bernhard Langer came out and blitzed the field at

the Old Course at Broken sound Sunday, making five birdies in the first

seven holes enroute to a final round 65 - romping to a five shot victory

at the Oasis Championship.

Langer set the tournament record with a three round total of 197 - 19

under par. The Boca Raton resident (The Langer's live 3 miles away at

Woodfield Country Club) was thrilled after his 39th career PGA Tour

Champions victory (just six shy of Hale Irwin's record 45 wins on the

senior circuit), "It was an amazing start, one of my best starts ever,"

Langer said. "In these conditions, as windy as it was today, it was very,

very good, especially my shortgame. I made the putts I had to make, and

didn't put myself into any great trouble."

Langer's daughter Jackie finally nabbed a win as caddie for her father,

after two near wins last season, this one was sweet for both father and

daughter. "It means a great deal to win in front of family and friends,"

Langer said. "Winning at home is always special."

Marco Dawson finished strong, birdieing the final two holes to finish solo

second at 14 under par (202 total).

Scores:

https://www.pgatour.com/champions/tournaments/oasis-championship/leaderboard.html

Rickie Fowler celebrates after notching his fifth career PGA Tour title

Scottsdale, Arizona - For Rickie Fowler, the Waste Management Phoenix

Open has been the one that has gotten away. He finished runner up in

2010 & 2016, led after 54 holes last year and once again found himself

atop the leaderboard to start a cold and wet Super Bowl Sunday at TPC

Scottsdale.

After opening rounds of 64-65-64, Fowler's lead was five after 54 holes,

but after making double bogey on the par 4 - fifth things began to unravel.

He righted the ship briefly with a birdie at the tenth, but sloppy execution

met with a horrific break on the eleventh (after Fowler's chip ran over the

green into the hazard, he then took a drop. With the ball at rest on the lake

bank, he strolled up to the green to take a look at what he was facing. Forces

of nature somehow released the ball back down into the water) leading to

triple bogey 7. At the same time one group ahead, Branden Grace was

making a 50 ft bomb for birdie on the par 3 - twelfth, taking the lead.

Fowler's malaise continued on the twelfth, where he made another bogey.

Never losing composure, Fowler settled down with pars on the next two. He

then went to work at the par 5 fifteenth. Rickie's tee shot found the shortgrass,

and from 252 yards he hit his best approach of the day on to the center of the

green. An easy two-putt for birdie got him back to 16 under par. A clutch up &

down inside the stadium that is known as the 16th at TPC Scottsdale proceeded

his best tee shot on Sunday. The fan favorite piped his drive onto the center of

the putting surface at the seventeenth, he two-putted for birdie to seize control.

Just moments before, Branden Grace rinsed his tee shot on the drivable par 4

ending any real hopes of winning. Fowler saved par at the home hole to shoot 74

(-17) to win by two and finally capture the one that has eluded him since he turned

professional nearly a decade ago.

"It really wasn't fun there for a couple of holes," Fowler said. "I had to find a way

to get it done, it was a learning experience. I made some good swings down the

stretch to give myself a chance to get it done."

Branden Grace finished solo second after a final round 69. Justin Thomas was

third at 14 under par after his 72 on Sunday,

Scores: https://www.pgatour.com/leaderboard.html