Putting the key at Northern Trust Open

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A look at recent history would indicate that putting is the key factor in winning at historic Riviera Country Club, site of next week's Northern Trust Open.

While some big hitters have prevailed at Riviera, it wasn't their distance that stood out when they won, it was their putting.

Of the last 15 winners at Riviera (1992-2007), we skipped 1998 since the tournament was held at Valencia Country Club that year), 12 had one of their two best putting weeks of the season in their win.

Seven winners had their best putting week of the season and five others had their second best putting week. One player had his third best, one his sixth and one his eighth.

Here's a look at the last 15 winners at Riviera comparing their Distance and Putting Rank vs. the Field and where their putting average ranked vs. the rest of their season.

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