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Tied with Kuchar and Rory McIlroy entering the final round, Scott shot 1-under-par 70 to finish at 11-under 273. It was his second victory at Riviera but the first official one because his 2005 Nissan Open triumph occurred in a tournament shortened to 36 holes due to weather.
It was Scott's 14th PGA Tour victory but his first since 2016, and it was projected to vault him back into the top 10 in the world ranking.
At a spot Scott calls his favorite course on tour, he was playing his first tournament since the Presidents Cup in December. Scott and his family stayed in his native Australia until late January, when he returned to the Bahamas and began preparing for his 2020 debut.
“I like to starve myself a little bit of competition and make sure that I’m ready to come back out here,” said Scott, 39.
It didn’t take Scott long to knock the rust off his game, and his experience showed in the final round. While playing partners Kuchar and McIlroy struggled at times – McIlroy made a triple bogey at the par-4 fifth and was left to play catch-up the rest of the day – Scott methodically made his way around Riviera.
A bogey at the par-4 15th could have been costly but a birdie at the par-5 17th essentially sealed the victory.
“It’s amazing. I’ve loved this place from Day 1 and it was tough out there,” Scott said. “I’m stoked for this.”
After struggling with various strokes and putters after the anchoring ban went into effect in 2016, Scott settled on a method last year. And after two near misses at Riviera in recent two years, he won decisively on Sunday.
“It’s a big step. Whatever point in my career I’m at I hadn’t won for three years. This feels very special,” Scott said.
Kuchar closed with a 72, while McIlroy shot 73 and finished in a five-way tie for fifth, three strokes behind Scott.
RESULTS | MONEY LIST
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