The Masters: Dustin Johnson Controlled His Nerves and Ignored Leaderboards at Augusta | Golf news

Masters Champion Dustin Johnson: “I didn’t look at the leaderboard probably from seventh onwards. I tried not to. I just tried to play my game. I assumed I had the advantage going up 18, but I didn’t know by how many.”

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84th Masters winner Dustin Johnson receives his first green jacket

Masters champion Dustin Johnson was unsure of his position on the leaderboard as he made his way down the final fairway with a five-shot lead.

Johnson “assumed” he was in the lead after three consecutive birdies from the 13th hole that gave him a comfortable cushion over his closest rivals, Cam Smith and Sungjae Im, who had cut the American’s lead from four to one after five. holes of the last round.

Im’s birdies in the second and third put pressure on a nervous Johnson, who bogeyed a four-and-five before hitting back with an invaluable two in the sixth after a superb eight-iron to six feet.

Johnson decided to avoid the leaderboards in the final round

Johnson was proud of the way he controlled his nerves, emotions and his golf ball thereafter, adding another birdie to the eight to be two ahead of the curve before turning away from the chasing group down the stretch, posting a 68 to establish a new Augusta score. record at 20 under par.

“I assumed I had the advantage, but I didn’t know how many,” Johnson said as he reflected on his victory in the last step. “That was my goal. I looked at the leaderboard a little bit earlier, and then I said to myself, ‘Don’t worry about what everyone else is doing, just play the best you can.’

“So I didn’t look at the leaderboard probably from seventh onwards. I tried not to. I just tried to play my game. When I was comfortable with the wind and the number I had, I played aggressive.”

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Dustin Johnson put on another high-quality performance on the final day at Augusta National to claim a record victory at the 84th Masters.

“If not, I would try to play only on the thickest side of the green, and pairs are a good score on a lot of these holes, especially when you’re at 9-12. You’d take par all day on those holes, especially with the wind, as it was blowing today.

“I was nervous all day, but I felt like I controlled myself very well and controlled the golf ball very well in difficult conditions. I felt like the wind was really tricky and the greens were a little bit faster. I felt like you.” I really had to be careful around here today.

How DJ won the Masters

Relive a record-breaking exhibition by Dustin Johnson at Augusta National.

“But I knew that if I played well, especially from eight to home, I was going to put myself in a good position and have a chance to win. I just didn’t want anything to affect the way I play. I took what the field gave me and I hit the shots that I felt I could make. “

Although 2020 has been a disruptive year for most, Johnson can look back on the last six months with some pride in having secured his first FedExCup title in September, reclaiming the number one world rankings and making his Masters dream come true with some style.

“Winning the FedExCup was huge,” Johnson said. “It was something I really wanted to do in my career. And then obviously coming here and winning Augusta is at the top of the list for sure. I know 2020 has been a really strange year, but it has been good for me and I have. played good golf.

“I can’t thank Augusta enough for having the Masters. Obviously, when it was canceled in April, none of us knew if we were going to be able to play in it.

“I was happy to be here playing, and it worked out well for me.”