Dustin Johnson, second from right, is presented with his trophy and winner’s jacket after winning the St. Jude Classic golf tournament Sunday, June 10, 2018, in Memphis, Tenn.Jim Weber/The Associated Press
Dustin Johnson emphatically reclaimed the No. 1 ranking Sunday, holing out for eagle from 170 yards on the final hole for a six-stroke victory in the St. Jude Classic.
“What a cool way to end the day,” Johnson said.
Johnson shot a four-under 66 for his second PGA Tour victory this year and 18th of his career to take back the No. 1 ranking he held for 64 straight weeks before dropping down a month ago. He won the event for the second time, finishing with the eagle, three birdies and a bogey for a 19-under 261 total.
Andrew Putnam started the final round with a share of the lead for the first time in his career. He shot 72 and finished at 13 under.
Preparing for the U.S. Open, Johnson took the lead to himself with a par on No. 1, while Putnam double-bogeyed, and cruised to the US$1.18-million winner’s cheque. Johnson turned in the lowest score under par by a winner here since David Toms won at 20 under in 2003, and that was before the course was redesigned with par dropped from 71 to 70 after the 2004 tournament.
Johnson, who won the U.S. Open in 2016, heads to Shinnecock Hills after stringing together four straight rounds in the 60s. He went 67, 63 and 65 before wrapping up a final round that felt almost like a practice round with the only question remaining how low Johnson would go.
At least until his dramatic walk-off eagle. Johnson was in the intermediate rough to the right of the fairway, and the ball bounced twice before rolling into the cup to bring fans to their feet.
J.B. Holmes (67) was at nine under. Stewart Cink (72) and Richy Werenski (71) tied at eight under. Brandt Snedeker (70) and Retief Goosen (66) tied four others at seven under.
Phil Mickelson had a 65 and was at six under.
The top Canadian was Nick Taylor, who finished tied for 30th at 277, three under.
Putnam, a two-time winner on the Web.com Tour, had only one bogey through his first three rounds. He pushed his opening tee shot into the right rough and his approach in the rough left of the green. He wound up three-putting for double bogey. Johnson rolled in a four-footer for par and a two-stroke lead at 15 under on a sizzling day with the temperature feeling like 37C.
Annie Park wins ShopRite Classic for first LPGA Tour title
GALLOWAY, N.J. — Annie Park won the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her first LPGA Tour victory, closing with an eight-under 63 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Sakura Yokomine.
The 23-year-old Park, from Levittown, N.Y., had an eagle and six birdies on a cloudy day over the Bay Course at Stockton Seaview to complete 54 holes at 16-under 197, a stroke off the tournament record.
Yokomine, the winner of 23 events on the Japan LPGA Tour, flirted with a 59 but parred the par-five 18th for a 61 to tie the course record.
New Jersey native Marina Alex was third at 14 under after a 64. She made a hole-in-one at the par-three 17th. Sei Young Kim, who broke the course record Sunday morning when she finished her second round with back-to-back birdies for a 61, had a 70 to finish fourth at 13 under.
Park earned $262,500, topping her total of $261,096 for her first 49 LPGA Tour events. She won the 2013 NCAA individual title as a freshman at Southern California and helped the Trojans take the team crown.
Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished tied for 28th with a six-under 207.
The Associated Press