The Punter / Steven Rawlings / 12 March 2012 /

Bubba collapses, Rose holds firm and Woods limps out...again. Read Steve's final thoughts on last week's golf here...

On an action-packed final day at Doral, where we witnessed a calamitous start from Bubba Watson, yet another strong title challenge from Rory McIlroy and a new injury for Tiger Woods, pre-event [65.0] shot, Justin Rose, finished on top of the pile to claim the WGC Cadillac Championship - his biggest title to date.

In the week's other event, George McNeill birdied the last three holes to win the Puerto Rico Open.

My Bets
It just wasn't my week again this week. My main pick, Charl Schwartzel put in a late charge before narrowly missing birdie efforts on the 16th and 17th when he might just have had a chance had they dropped, and my final tiny in-play bets before round three, Zach Johnson and Johnson Wagner, both failed to break par.

Player to swerve
Although he very nearly redeemed his disastrous start with an incredible approach shot on the 72nd hole, Bubba Watson has to be this week's player to swerve.

Justin Rose appeared to be celebrating prematurely after he'd shot his final round 70, given a Bubba birdie would have meant a playoff, and when Watson hit his second shot from the rough to within nine feet, extra holes became a distinct possibility but it wasn't to be. The mercurial left-hander never threatened the hole with his birdie attempt and that was that.

As there so often is, there were plenty of Sunday nerves on display yesterday and Keegan Bradley's back-nine collapse was fairly spectacular but Bubba's final round alerted me more.

He'd lost his way quite dramatically at last year's Arnold Palmer Invitational and this was just as bad. He needed a couple of 20 foot plus putts early on just to stay anywhere near in-contention yesterday but he still bogeyed three in-a-row from the 3rd. Self-taught Bubba hits every shot either left to right or right to left. It's fantastic to watch and he's an incredibly gifted and brilliant player but he hasn't got a go-to safe shot. Last week we witnessed Rory winning the Honda Classic, using the old Tiger weapon - the Stinger with a number of tee-shots. Bubba just hasn't anything like that in his armoury and when the heat is on and the nerves are wracked his swing is definitely vulnerable. His tee-shots were very wild and his game only settled down again when it looked like his chance had gone.

Player to watch
Rory McIlroy was a mile back after day one here but after winning last week to move to the top of the world rankings that hung-over performance was entirely understandable. He rallied superbly however and it's testament to his immense talent that he could have won the event from day one's position impossible had it not been for a late stumble.

Incredibly, he's has now finished outside the top five just once in his last 13 starts. The hype's been there for years but he's now fulfilling it and you have to wonder whether his management switch has anything to do with it? Eyebrows were raised, mine included, when he left Chubby Chandler's ISM stable but the results speak for themselves I guess and he hasn't looked back since joining Graeme McDowell at Horizon.

Player to cross your fingers for!
I don't know about anyone else but I for one was sad to see Tiger Woods struck by yet another injury, this time to the Achilles. The game has had a definite buzz about it over the last few weeks with Woods starting to show some of his old magic and it would be a shame if he needs a substantial length of time out again

What have we leant for next year?
This week is all about the Sunshine State. Floridians have a great record in the WGC Cadillac Championship - Rose is a Florida resident and Bubba was born there but the link is even stronger when you look at the week's other event - the Puerto Rico Open.

SBI is a site that's always worth looking at for golf tips, where Ian puts the hours in to come up with gems like George McNeill. Take a look at his blog entry dated March 7th at 20.27 and make a note for next year. It's Floridians all the way!

And I banged on enough about it in my in-play Blog and event preview, but you really do need to be up with the pace from the get-go at Doral. Rose was just three off the lead after day one.

I'll be back at some point tomorrow or Wednesday with previews for next week's two events, the Open de Andalucía and the Transitions Championship.

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