Golf: Mattiace wins after tense finish

Len Mattiace claimed his first victory on the PGA Tour after getting the better of Scott McCarron at the final hole of the Nissan Open in California.

Mattiace and McCarron arrived at the 18th of the Riviera Country Club tied at 15-under-par.

Both players drove the fairway, but Mattiace’s approach found the back of the green while McCarron’s landed in the secondary fringe to the left of the cup.

McCarron, who uses the unconventional elongated putter, had a layer of grass between his ball and the green.

The shot seemed to call for a pitch and run, but McCarron used the putter and paid for it as the grass slowed his putt to the left of the hole, five feet short.

Mattiace left a 20-foot birdie attempt about 18 inches short and awaited McCarron’s par putt, which rolled past the hole. He tapped in for bogey.

Mattiace spent little time over his putt, knocking it in for his first win in 220 tournaments.

‘‘I’m just so happy that I hung in there on the back nine, made a few birdies and gave myself a chance,’’ Mattiace said.

McCarron finished in a three-way tie for second with South Africa’s Rory Sabbatini and Brad Faxon.

Toru Taniguchi was alone in fifth, after finishing with a four-round total of 13-under 271.

The ‘Japanese Tiger’ was one shot better off than Per-Ulrik Johansson, Chris DiMarco and Charles Howell III.