Dustin Johnson breaks scoring record to win green jacket

Smoothly, as sure a march towards the title as the one the old field has produced. Because, in a Masters like no other, with no azaleas and no crowds aside from a handful of privileged members and family members, Dustin Johnson roamed the streets of Augusta National as if it were his personal domain in what was ultimately a fugitive record. victory in this 84th edition of the tournament.

As a child, growing up less than an hour’s drive in South Carolina, an August site visit first fueled a dream of one day having a green jacket slipped over his shoulders, and so it turned out: with Tiger Woods performing tailor duty. – when the world’s No. 1 Johnson shot a final round of 68 for a total of 20 under 268, beating the 72-hole low scoring record previously held by Woods and Jordan Spieth by two.

Johnson was a colossus in assembling his victory. Once he got over a nervous start, he rescued a pair after throwing a pitch into a bunker in the second, then suffered back-to-back bogeys in the fourth and fifth to allow Cameron Smith and Sung-jae Im to hope that Johnson could. it would potentially suffer another collapse in the final round.

But the 2020 Johnson is a far cry from the one who collapsed at the 2010 US Open at Pebble Beach (starting with a three-shot lead just to shoot a final 82), or the one who grounded his club in the PGA. at Whistling Straits to miss a playoff. The modern version of DJ is one that plays his own tunes and the world’s number one confirmed that status with a take-making display and especially a wedge play demo that saw him stand out from the crowd finishing five strokes ahead. by Smith and Im. when he tapped on his last putt.

This was Johnson’s solo show, though Rory McIlroy, who came out at 33 to go to 11 under and within four strokes at the time, admitted to briefly holding off hopes for a charge. “I thought, maybe there is a possibility. . . . It was probably an illusion on my part, ”said the Northern Irishman, who finished with a final round of 69-277, in part of the fifth alongside South African Dylan Fritelli.

On a day when the famous roars were absent, Johnson created his own noise in golf’s finest theater: After those first setbacks, the champion didn’t drop another shot and instead birdied the sixth, eighth, and then a hat-trick. from 13-15 to relentlessly advance to the title, the second Major of his career alongside his success at the 2016 US Open.

Perhaps the greatest example of Johnson’s maturity was demonstrated in his par 5 13 game, where, after finding the fairway, he and his caddy, brother Austin, noticed that the ball had risen a bit of mud. Rather than risk hitting the green, which was within range in two, Johnson opted to lay down. Then, showing off his wedge play, he hit the eight-foot approach and threw a birdie putt that was to be the catalyst for the three in a row. On the 14th, he approached a six foot sand wedge and, at par 5 15, he again opted to lay down and accelerated his approach to six feet.

Johnson’s form since resuming the PGA Tour has been nothing short of spectacular and his results on both sides of a two-week period of forced isolation after contracting Covid-19 have been those of a dominant world number one: 2nd- 1st-2nd-1st-6th -2nd-1st, with this Masters win just showing that brilliance.

“When I was a kid, I dreamed of winning the Masters, that Tiger would put the green jacket on him, it still feels like a dream,” said Johnson excited to realize his ambition. “Obviously, I played incredible golf all week. The field conditions definitely helped the scoring, but I still played very well. . . having the record for scoring, shooting 20 under par, is a great honor. “

McIlroy, who will not play again this season, was undone early on in his efforts to win the Masters and complete his career grand slam after a first round of 75, but responded brilliantly with rounds of 66-67- 69. turn to move up to a part of the fifth, although all nine drifting punches from Johnson, he left a golden seal in his victory.

“Dustin has been knocking on the door for so long and since he came out of the lockdown in June, he has been by far the best player in the world. He’s won a few times (three), had a shot (at the US PGA) at Harding Park and I think this validates what he did at Oakmont (at the 2016 US Open). He has had so many opportunities and has not been able to close the deal, but his resume speaks for itself, how many times he has won the PGA Tour (24), how consistent he has been, “acknowledged McIlroy.

Shane Lowry finished 73 of 284, finishing tied for 25th. While McIlroy plans to save the clubs, Lowry will end his PGA Tour season at this week’s RSM Classic at Sea Island.