Dustin Johnson closes strong to win in Mexico
Dustin Johnson didn’t flinch when a challenge arrived out of nowhere Sunday, playing mistake-free over the final five holes to win the Mexico Championship in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world.
MEXICO CITY >> Dustin Johnson didn’t flinch when a challenge arrived out of nowhere Sunday, playing mistake-free over the final five holes to win the Mexico Championship in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world.
Johnson’s four-shot lead going to the back nine turned into a oneshot deficit when Spanish rookie Jon Rahm ran off an eagle and two birdies at Chapultepec Golf Club. Johnson caught him with a birdie on the par-5 15th, and closed with three solid pars for a 3-under 68.
Rahm had gone 59 holes without a threeputt until taking two in a row at the worst time to fall back.
Johnson was steady right to the end to capture his 14th career victory on the PGA Tour, and his second straight. He reached No. 1 in the world two weeks ago with a five-shot victory at Riviera.
Johnson’s last test was from a fairway bunker on the 18th, and he blasted that out to the middle of the green for a two-putt par and a one-shot victory over Tommy Fleetwood of England.
Johnson became the fifth player to win in his first tournament as No. 1 in the world. His fourth World Golf Championship title is second on the career list behind Tiger Woods at 18.
It was quite the consolation prize for the 26-yearold Fleetwood.
His 40-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 66 put him alone in second and secured a spot in the Masters for the first time. He moves to No. 35 in the world and is certain to stay in the top 50 over the next three weeks before the cutoff to get an invitation to Augusta National.
Rahm’s two late bogeys gave him a 68 and a tie for third with Ross Fisher (65).
Justin Thomas, who had a one-shot lead going into the final round in pursuit of his fourth PGA Tour victory this season, fell back with a double bogey from the water on the par-3 seventh and a bogey on the next hole from a bunker. He closed with a 72 and tied for fifth.
HSBC WOMEN’S CHAMPIONS
SINGAPORE >> Inbee Park used self-described “amazing” putting to win the HSBC Women’s Champions by one stroke at Sentosa Golf Club.
The South Korean closed with an 8-under 64, making a bogey on the final hole to finish at 19-under 269. Playing partner Ariya Jutanugarn was second after a 66.
Sung Hyun Park (68) was third at 16 under, and third-round leader Michelle Wie (72) was 14 under with 2016 winner Ha Na Jang (69) and Brooke Henderson (66).
Park won in only her second start since the winning at the Rio Olympics. She took the long break to recover from thumb and back problems. Park has 18 LPGA Tour titles, winning for the first time since the 2015 Lorena Ochoa Invitational.
TSHWANE OPEN
PRETORIA, SOUTH AFRICA >> South Africa’s Dean Burmester won the Tshwane Open for his first European Tour title, closing with a 6-under 66 for a three-stroke victory.
Burmester finished at 18-under-par 266 at Pretoria Country Club.
Finland’s Mikko Korhonen (67) and Spain’s Jorge Campillo (68) tied for second. American Peter Uihlein (66) was another stroke back.