The name on the trophy might not be a surprise, but the margin of victory certainly is. Here’s how things ended up at the Sentry Tournament of Champions, where Dustin Johnson turned a 54-hole lead into a whopping eight-shot win:
Leaderboard: Dustin Johnson (-24), Jon Rahm (-16), Brian Harman (-15), Hideki Matsuyama (-14), Pat Perez (-14), Rickie Fowler (-14)
What it means: Johnson lost a six-shot lead in the final round of his last official start in China during the fall, but he wasn’t about to author a second straight collapse. Johnson blistered the Plantation Course at Kapalua during the final round, combining a fast start and a sizzling finish to lap the field. It’s Johnson’s fifth win since February, his second in Maui and he has now won at least one event in 11 straight PGA Tour seasons.
Round of the day: Johnson wasted little time in putting the trophy out of reach, with birdies on four of his first nine holes. After dropping his lone shot on No. 11, he played his next five holes in 5 under en route to an 8-under 65. It was the lowest round of the week for the world No. 1, who managed to crack 70 for four straight days on the par-73 layout.
Best of the rest: Matsuyama made a surge with a final-round 66, his first sub-70 round and one that moved him from outside the top 10 into a tie for fourth. Like Johnson, Matsuyama closed in style by playing his final seven holes in five under, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 15th after sticking his 233-yard approach to 10 feet.
Biggest disappointment: Harman was the closest to Johnson entering the final round, two strokes back, but he stumbled out of the gates and never factored. While Johnson piled up birdies, Harman played his first eight holes in 2 over par. The southpaw bounced back from that point, but a 1-under 72 still left him nine shots behind his playing partner.
Shot of the day: Johnson got over his lone bogey of the day by hitting perhaps the shot of the tournament. Standing on the tee of the 433-yard 12th hole, he blasted a drive that nearly went in for an ace and instead rolled up to within inches for a tap-in eagle.
Quote of the day: “I hit it a little thin.” – Johnson, describing his near-albatross on the 12th hole.
Source: Internet
