Johnson wins, returns to No. 1
MEMPHIS — Dustin Johnson is back in his spot as the world’s top-ranked golfer thanks to a dominant victory capped by an absolutely amazing hole-out for eagle.
“What a cool way to end the day,” Johnson said.
Johnson shot a 4-underpar 66 Sunday at TPC Southwind, making the St. Jude Classic 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 falling to No. 2 behind Justin Thomas a month ago.
Johnson won the event for the second time, finishing with the eagle, three birdies and a bogey in the final round for a 19-under 261 total and a six-shot win.
“It means a lot,” Johnson said of returning to No. 1. “It was a long way to get there, and I held it for a long time, and obviously J.T. took it from me for a little while. It was nice to finish like that and get it back.”
Runner-up Andrew Putnam started the final round with a share of the lead for the first time in his career. He shot a 72.
“I feel like I steadied the ship a little bit after a rough start,” said Putnam, who secured his PGA Tour card for the year with his best finish yet.
Preparing for the U.S. Open that starts Thursday, Johnson took sole possession of the lead with a par on No. 1, which Putnam doublebogeyed, and cruised to the $1.18 million winner’s check. Johnson turned in the lowest score under par by a winner at the tournament since David Toms at 20 under in 2003 — before the course was redesigned, dropping par from 71 to 70 after the 2004 tournament.
Johnson, who won the U.S. Open in 2016, heads to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Long Island 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 until his final dramatic shot.
Nobody has ever won on the PGA Tour and followed by winning the U.S. Open. The way Johnson’s playing, he sees no reason why he couldn’t be the first.
“I know what it takes,” Johnson said. “I’m going to have to play a lot like I did this week if I want to win next week.”
Topping his walk-off eagle won’t be easy. In the intermediate rough to the right of the fairway, Johnson hit a 9-iron and watched as the ball bounced twice before rolling into the cup to bring fans to their feet.
J.B. Holmes (67) finished third at 9 under, with Stewart Cink (72) and Richy Werenski (71) sharing fourth at 8 under, a shot ahead of six who tied for sixth.
Baylor School graduate Keith Mitchell (69) tied for 37th at 2 under, while fellow former Red Raiders standout Luke List (72) shared 56th at 2 over.
Park’s first title
GALLOWAY, N.J. — Annie Park won the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her first victory on the tour, closing with an 8-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Sakura Yokomine.
The 23-year-old Park, from Levittown, New York, 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-5 18th for a 61 to tie the course record.
New Jersey native Marina Alex was third at 14 under after a 64 that included a hole-in-one at the par-3 17th. Sei Young Kim, who broke the course record Sunday morning when she finished her second round with backto-back birdies for a 61, had a 70 to finish fourth at 13 under.
Rain interferes
DES MOINES, Iowa — Tom Lehman won the Principal Charity Classic when the PGA Tour Champions tournament’s final round was washed out.
Tournament officials delayed the start of the third round at Wakonda Club by nearly five hours because of bands of light but persistent rain before calling the event.
Lehman, 59, shot a 7-under 65 Saturday to reach 13 under and take a two-shot lead over Woody Austin, Glen Day Bernhard Langer and Scott Parel after 36 holes. It was Lehman’s 11th victory on the 50-and-older tour.
Breakthrough win
MUNDELEIN, Ill. — Chase Wright won the Rust-Oleum Championship for his first Web.com Tour victory, beating Alex Prugh with a birdie on the second extra hole.
Wright, 28, won a week after losing a playoff in a U.S. Open qualifier. He closed with his third straight 4-under 68 to match Prugh (67) at 17-under 281 at Ivanhoe Club.
Wright hit a 7-iron shot from 170 yards to five feet from the hole to set up his winning putt.
Christian Brand (70) came within a stroke of making the playoff.
Tide star rolls
SCARSDALE, N.Y. — Kristen Gillman led a U.S. singles sweep Sunday in the biggest blowout in Curtis Cup history.
Gillman, a 20-year-old University of Alabama standout from Austin, Texas, beat 16-year-old Annabell Fuller 5 and 4 to cap a perfect weekend at Quaker Ridge Golf Club in the amateur women’s competition pitting the Americans against Britain and Ireland’s best.
The United States won 17-3, breaking the record for margin of victory of 11 set in a 14 1/2-3 1/2 victory at Denver Country Club in 1982. The Americans improved to 29-8-3 in the series, rebounding from a loss in 2016 at Dun Laoghaire in Ireland.
Perfect timing
ATZENBRUGG, Austria — Finland’s Mikko Korhonen won the inaugural Shot Clock Masters by six strokes for his first European Tour title.
Korhonen closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 16 under. Scotland’s Connor Syme, who turned professional this past September, holed a 60-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 69 to finish second.
The event was the first on the tour with a 40-second shot clock for most strokes.