Roundup: Dustin Johnson Wins The Masters
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Here goes, though I’ll be blunt, this is a nice win by a nice guy but by no means does this one write itself. But hey, Tiger made 10 and still shot 76 before placing the green jacket on Dustin Johnson who posted a tournament record 268 for his second major title.
Dateline Augusta, GA, starting with USA Today’s Steve DiMeglio:
AUGUSTA, Ga. – Just a month ago, Dustin Johnson was holed up in a Las Vegas hotel room self-quarantining for 11 days after testing positive for COVID-19.
Now, after a week of record-setting brilliance in the Masters, he can head to the exclusive Champions Locker Room at Augusta National for the rest of his life.
The Augusta Chronicle managed to bring back David Westin after laying off everyone who writes golf (good job Morris geniuses!) and he penned this:
Dustin Johnson knows what the top of the golf world looks like now.
It’s quite a view for the man who grew up in Irmo, South Carolina – an hour’s drive from Augusta – and dreamed of one day winning the Masters Tournament and slipping on the green jacket that goes to the champion.
Johnson, the first native South Carolinian to win the Masters, on Sunday donned the famed jacket (42 long to be exact) after breaking the tournament scoring record that had stood for 23 years, winning by five shots.
AP’s Doug Ferguson with this lede:
Nothing ever comes easily for Dustin Johnson in the majors, except for slipping into that Masters green jacket.
Johnson overcame a jittery start that conjured memories of past majors he failed to finish off. He turned that into a command performance, making sure this one-of-a-kind Masters with no fans also had no drama.
Not even close.
Golf.com’s Michael Bamberger started his gamer this way:
The soul of the famous seasonal club here is more Southern than anything else, so in that sense, and in every sense, its newest unofficial member, Mr. Dustin, should feel right at home, here at the Augusta National, as the Texas golf legend Ben Hogan liked to call the place.
The New York Times’ Bill Pennington:
For 10 years, Dustin Johnson’s chase for career-defining, major championship titles was tinged with ruthless angst, misfortune and calamitous setbacks.
He grounded a club in an unobserved bunker at the 2010 P.G.A. Championship to earn a heartless penalty that bounced him from a playoff for the victory. Five years later, at the United States Open, a three-putt on the final hole cost him another major championship playoff berth. Riding a hot streak that made him the prohibitive favorite at the Masters three years ago, Johnson slipped on the stairs at his rental house on the tournament’s eve and withdrew with a back injury.
Even as he won the 2016 U.S. Open, he was saddled with the ignominy of a penalty assessed after his celebration on the final hole.
But on Sunday, with verve and nerve, Johnson comfortably secured the validating breakthrough achievement he has long sought with a runaway, five-stroke victory at the 2020 Masters.
Golf.com’s Alan Shipnuck on the Johnson journey to Masters glory:
Nine years ago, while piloting his boat down Florida’s Intercoastal Waterway, Dustin Johnson was asked not about the destination but what even back then seemed like his destiny: winning a green jacket. He had to raise his voice to be heard over the Southern rock booming out of the boat’s many speakers: “It’s gonna happen, bro.”
Bill Fields at Masters.com zeroed in on the shot that ended Sunday’s drama: an 8-iron at the suddenly breezy 12th.
The final group arrived at the 12th tee at Augusta National at 1 p.m. Sunday, lunch time for the leader at a normal Masters Tournament but crunch time in this one.
It had been calm all week on the softened course, but by the time Dustin Johnson got to the famous water-fronted par 3, there was some wind, and on No. 12, where Rae’s Creek drowned a few dreams in 2019, some wind is enough.
“It’s all over the place,” Tiger Woods said later of the fickle breeze, an accomplice in the five-time champion’s shocking score of 10 on the 12th hole not too long before Johnson arrived there.
Johnson did not dawdle before hitting an 8-iron. His ball and three-stroke lead carried safely to the green, 21 feet left of the flagstick. There was a deep breath followed by a half-smile and a pivotal par, with three consecutive birdies after that, assuring this big one wasn’t going to get away from Johnson as a handful of others had.
Bob Harig at ESPN.com focused on Johnson’s partnership with his brother, Austin.
The first hug afterward went to Austin, who has come of age just as his brother has in recent years, forming a partnership that is now quite formidable, as Johnson has a remarkable 24 PGA Tour wins at age 36.
"When I started, I was more of a buddy, someone for him to hang out with,'' Austin said beside the Augusta National putting green before the green-jacket ceremony. "I'm a decent player. I know the game. But being a top caddie? Not even close.
"But I was a sponge. If I got close to [Jim] Bones Mackay [Phil Mickelson's former longtime caddie], I wouldn't leave his side. I'd ask him everything I could. John Wood [another longtime caddie]. At these team events. I just learned. And earned [Dustin's] trust. And it's gotten to where now he's leaned on me pretty heavily out there. I'm just glad it has worked out the way it has.''
Every shot of Dustin Johnson’s final round courtesy of Masters.com.
The final leaderboard.
After the Green Jacket Ceremony—a painful tradition unlike any other—that included quite a few glances over Jim Nantz’s shoulder (Ghost of Clifford Roberts? Cue Cards?), here is the “will it fit” moment:
There was an outdoor ceremony of sorts, and the tears kicked in for someone who has flirted with Masters wins, heartbreak and showing emotion:
With conditions soft, swirling winds taking a vacation and Johnson so impressively in command, the early final day was largely uneventful after a couple of early bogies not seen while CBS eased into the final round telecast.
However, caught on camera was defending champion Tiger Woods making his first double-digit score as a pro and still managing a final round 76. Luke Kerr-Dineen broke down all ten shots at Golf.com.
The most tragic part of the 10? Woods appeared to hit stellar shots with more backspin because of soft conditions.
Joe LaCava confirmed as much in this story by Golf.com’s Dylan Dethier.
“It’s not like he clanked it out there,” LaCava said afterwards. “He was 10 feet from being okay.”
Ten feet and a world away. Two water-balls and eight strokes later, Woods admitted that he felt suddenly alone. “This sport is awfully lonely sometimes,” he said. “You have to fight it. No one is going to bring you off the mound or call in a sub. You have to fight through it.”
Possibly heard after the Butler Cabin ceremony, “uh Fred how about a bit more sand in the back bunkers by April, please?”
Meanwhile, besides Dustin Johnson’s record-setting 20-under-par winning total, co-runner up Cameron Smith became the first Masters participant to post four rounds in the 60s.
From Ben Everill at PGATour.com:
Not by Tiger Woods, nor Jack Nicklaus. Not by Arnold Palmer or Phil Mickelson. Or Gary Player. Not Bobby Jones or Gene Sarazen. No one.
But despite the feat, Smith was not heading to Butler Cabin to get a new Green Jacket. Not even close. He had run into a buzzsaw. FedExCup champion Dustin Johnson was five shots clear at the top.
"That's pretty harsh to get that record and not win,” three-time Masters winner Nick Faldo said of Smith’s achievement.
The Savannah Morning News’ Brian Mull on the other runner-up, 15-under-par posting Sungjae Im.
Im, 22, led the field in par-4 birdie percentage, converting 9 of 40 for 22.5 percent. He was fifth in the field in putts per greens in regulation (1.64).
“Leading up to this week, I struggled with my putting a little bit,” he said. “So I made a change with my putter, and this week, just I putted so well, and that's what made the difference.”
Im, who entered the week ranked 25th in the world, turned pro in 2015 and was the Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year in 2018, earning PGA Tour status. Since the beginning of the 2018-19 season, he’s played in 67 tournaments, rarely taking a week off and simply renting a hotel room on the rare occasion when he did. He’s in the process of buying a house at TPC Sugarloaf near Atlanta.
Also of note: Rory McIlroy overcame a rough first round to finish T5 in this career Grand Slam quest. Adam Schupak at Golfweek writes:
McIlroy’s winless drought in majors stretches to 22 since winning his fourth at the 2014 PGA Championship. He only has to wait five months for his next shot at Augusta National.
“I hope the course is much different in April than it is now. It’s very soft,” McIlroy said. “I feel like there’s a lot of shots I hit this week where I hit my number and it would spin back off a green or it just wouldn’t do what you expect it to do, so I’d love to get another shot at it in April and have the course play maybe more what we’re accustomed to.”
On the imagery front…
Golf Digest’s photos by JD Cuban and Ben Walton.
The Masters.com gallery of 54 images.
The Augusta Chronicle’s photo galleries were broke up by topic. Starting in reverse order with the Green Jacket ceremony.
Kohjiro Kinno tried a different approach to scene-setting imagery with this gallery posted at Masters.com.
But maybe the best image of the week, photographer not credited.
There was also a bunch of gratuitous Paulina content and yes, I’m passing.
Six-time Masters Champion Jack Nicklaus issued a congratulatory series of Tweets to Johnson and as usually the case, the replies focused on the Golden Bear’s endorsement of Donald Trump.
Speaking of the 45th President and friend of Johnson, Donald Trump has not issued a congratulatory Tweet as of this posting during a busy day of post-Sunday golf missives.
