Sports

Watson claims title

Watson claims title

By Agence France Presse

Bubba Watson, right holds his son Caleb, as he stands next to Hero Motorcycle Co. executive Pawan Munjal, left, as they pose behind the Hero World Challenge trophy in Nassau, Bahamas, Sunday, Dec. 6, 2015. Watson, the winner by 3 shots, was never seriously challenged at Albany Golf Club and sailed home to a 6-under 66 for a three-shot victory over Patrick Reed. (AP Photo/Kevin Taylor)

Miami, December 7 Two- time Masters champion Bubba Watson fired a six-under 66 on Sunday to win the Hero World Challenge invitational event in the Bahamas by three strokes. The 37-year-old American, who won at Augusta in 2012 and 2014, captured the 18-man event hosted by Tiger Woods with a 72-hole total of 25-under 263 at the Albany resort. Fellow American Patrick Reed was second on 266 after a 66 of his own with countryman Rickie Fowler shooting at 64 to stand fourth on 267, one stroke better than 2014 winner Jordan Spieth, the reigning Masters and US Open champion. England’s Paul Casey, who played in the final pairing alongside Watson, fired 70 to share fifth with American Bill Haas. Watson had back-to-back birdies three different times on Sunday, at the par-3 second and par-5 third, the par-5 sixth and par-4 seventh and on the first two holes of the back nine. He birdied the par-4 14th and a bogey at the last only shrank the final victory margin. England’s Justin Rose fired a course-record 10-under 62, breaking the day-old mark shared by Casey and Watson. Rose, the 2013 US Open champion, birdied the third and fourth holes, fired three in a row starting at the par-5 sixth, began the back nine with his sixth birdie and then fired four more in a row capped by a two at the par-3 17th. He finished on 275 overall.