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Max Homa’s chip from the rough near the green on the 18th hole was in line to go down in the cup.
But instead of falling to put pressure on leader Jon Rahm, he bounced over the hole, much to the dismay of both Homa and the gallery.
It meant Rahm was able to post a final round 69 to win the Genesis Invitational at -17 by two strokes over home favorite Homa.
Rahm continues his magical run to start the PGA Tour season, having won five of his last nine starts this campaign. The Spaniard now also surpasses his compatriot Seve Ballesteros in all-time wins, with Rahm now entering the double digits with ten.
This tournament also marked the return to the PGA Tour of Tiger Woods, whose foundation organizes this event. After barely making the cut, he finished Sunday shooting +2, shooting a 73 to finish T-45 for the event.
Jon Rahm didn’t cave under pressure: He birdied two of his last five holes to win
After the victory was completed, Rahm seized the moment and the
“Pretty amazing,” Rahm said. “(Winning) on a golf course with this legacy, this history, and hosted by Tiger Woods, is a great honor.”
Patrick Cantlay fell within a shot on the back nine down to two bogeys. He had a 67 to finish only third, moving him to world No. 4.
Woods had four bogeys over an eight-hole stretch, leading him to that 73 score.
“Unfortunately, my streak continues,” Woods said with a smile, alluding to his 12 Riviera appearances as a professional without ever winning.
His success was measured in progress. It was the first time he had played 72 holes since the Masters last April. Woods has only played twice more since then as he tries to deal with leg and back injuries that will make PGA Tour appearances rare. He didn’t know if he would play the Masters again.
Woods still had the biggest gallery to the finish, thousands of fans thronging the hill above the 18th green to see him close out in a pair in that familiar red jersey under a black vest.
And then viewers turned their attention to a tremendous duel between Rahm and Homa, each with two PGA Tour wins this season.
Max Homa’s birdie chip on the 18th hole has just bounced off the cup, bringing him to his knees.
Rahm scored crucial birdies on 14 and 16 to move away from Homa and Patrick Cantlay and win
Homa, who won at Riviera two years ago, started the final round three shots back.
He quickly closed within a shot, only for the Spaniard to come within inches of holed out from the fairway at No. 8 for a birdie, while Homa bogeyed from behind the green to slip three shots behind again.
And then it changed rapidly.
After Homa birdied the ninth from 15 feet, he drove to the far edge of the 10th green and went down in two for birdie. Rahm went well to the left.
His pitch was short and rolled to the bottom of the green, behind a bunker. She shot into, then over, the green into another bunker, and had to make a 6-foot bogey.
Two holes later, Homa took the lead for the first time when Rahm bogeyed three putts, only for Homa to bogey him back from a poor tee shot.
Par 3s were won by Rahm, with his putter and full swing. He finished with a 17-under 267 and won $3.6 million of the $20 million purse, the second straight grand event on the PGA Tour.
Rahm has won his third event in five starts, convincingly claiming the World No. 1 title.
Rahm has now earned just over $9.4 million in the past two months on the PGA Tour: wins at Kapalua and the California desert and at the classic Riviera course on legendary Sunset Boulevard.
He finished third at Phoenix and tied for seventh at Torrey Pines in his other two starts this year.
This is the fifth time that Rahm has been No. 1 in the world, and from the way he is playing, it looks like he will stay there for some time.
Rory McIlroy, who started the year at No. 1 and won his first event of the year in Dubai on the European tour, was not a factor for the second week in a row. McIlroy had a 73-71 weekend and tied for 29th.