Bubba Watson wins PGA Tour event at Torrey Pines

Bubba Watson watches his tee shot on the second hole during the final round of the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines South Coursein La Jolla, California. Source: AFP

Watson earned his second Tour victory by firing a final round 67 and holding off fellow American Phil Mickelson and popular Venezuelan rookie Jhonattan Vegas down the stretch.

Finishing at 16-under-par 272 the power-hitting Watson collected a winner's cheque for $US1,044,000.

San Diego native Mickelson (69) was outright second at 15-under while Vegas (68) and fast-finishing American Dustin Johnson (68) tied third at 13-under-par.

PGA DETAILS

Mark Leishman was the leading Australian, rallying to finish tied for ninth, seven shots off the pace.

Leishman shot a three-under-par 69 on the final day to grab the sixth top-10 finish of his PGA Tour career.

The 27-year-old from Warrnambool in Victoria birdied all four par fives on Sunday on the longest course on the tour and added a further birdie on the par four 10th to ensure a healthy payday of $US150,800.

Having finished runner up at the event in 2010, Leishman was left to lament an inaccurate driver, particularly over the middle two days.

He hit just 41 per cent of fairways all week to be ranked 59th in the field in that category and with the rough at US Open style length he performed brilliantly just to be in contention.

"It's great to get another top 10, particularly how I played this week," Leishman said.

"It was good to finally get the driver working a bit today and this gives me some confidence and momentum going forward."

Matt Jones and Stuart Appleby were the next best Australians finishing in a tie for 51st at even par 288.

Tiger Woods remains winless since the 2009 Australian Masters after fading badly on the final days on a course where he used to reign supreme.

Woods followed a two-over-par 74 on Saturday with five bogeys and a 75 on Sunday to drop into a tie for 44th at one-under 287.

With his tough 2010 season marred by sex scandal and divorce behind him, early morning risers hoped for an old-fashioned Torrey Pines tornado from a revitalised Woods and when he stuck his approach shot to six-feet on the opening hole the stage was set.

With six titles at this event plus a US Open title on the difficult venue the true believers were ready for history.

But rather than put the hammer down as he has so often in the past Woods missed the makeable birdie putt by pushing the ball right and then repeated the dose with an eight-footer a hole later.

When he three-putted the fourth for bogey his run was done.

"Today was nice starting out. I hit it just as pure as can be and then it progressively got worse as the day went on," Woods said.

CASEY WINS INAUGURAL VOLVO CHAMPIONS

In RAFFA, Bahrain, Paul Casey won the European Tour's inaugural Volvo Golf Champions tournament to claim his first title since 2009.

The Englishman won by one stroke from Peter Hanson and Miguel Angel Jimenez after a closing 68 for a 20-under total of 268.

Casey was involved in a man-to-man fight for the title with Sweden's Hanson on the Royal Golf Club course designed by Europe's winning Ryder Cup captain Colin Montgomerie.

Casey was not considered by Montgomerie for a spot in the Ryder Cup at Celtic Manor last year - a decision which came in for severe criticism at that time.

EUROPEAN TOUR

Although he did not comment when asked whether winning on a Montgomerie-designed course gave him some extra satisfaction, his smile said it all.

However, he did mention that he might ask for the same hotel room - 666 - when he comes back to defend his title next year.

"I would like that room next year if it's available and if we stay at the same hotel. Although, I'm not superstitious. I always mark my ball with a Queen's head facing up, but I'm not superstitious," said the Briton.

"As for the win, I'm ecstatic with that. I found a very difficult golf course in the end after the wind picked up. It was just Peter and I coming down the last. He opened the door slightly and I still had a very difficult up and down. I'm just happy I had that opportunity and I took it.

"It really doesn't feel like 20 months (since his last win) because I had the six months of injury, and even after coming back, I was sort of rebuilding.

Both Casey and Hanson traded birdies and the lead before it all boiled down to the final hole.

They duo reached the 18th tee tied for the lead at 20-under par.

Hanson drove the ball into the rough where the fairway runs out and muscled out a second shot only to find the greenside bunker.

Casey, who moments earlier had saved a stunning par after hitting his tee shot way left into the oil pipes, leaked his second shot right and into the thick rough.

From a tricky lie, Hanson hit it almost 10 feet past the pin and then failed to get his up-and-down for par. Casey, on the other hand, chipped past the pin, and made the all-important putt from five feet.

Casey finally ended with a four-under par 68 - his worst round of the tournament - to aggregate 20-under-par 268.

The win was worth E283,330 ($A392,600) and he moves up to the third place in the Race to Dubai list. It also secures him a place in the limited-field Volvo World Matchplay in Finca Cortesin in May.

Spain's Miguel Angel Jimenez (67) made a birdie on the final hole to set the clubhouse target of 19-under par, which secured him a share of second place with Hanson (69).

Richard Green closed with a 66 to be the best of the Australians, seven stroks back in a tie for 12th place.