Evening Telegraph (First Edition)

Third win on spin for Dustin

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WORLD No 1 Dustin Johnson overcame spirited resistance from Spain’s Jon Rahm to make history by winning t he WGC-Dell Technologi­es Match Play, his third tournament victory in succession.

Johnson became the first player to have won all four World Golf Championsh­ip events by beating Rahm by one hole in a dramatic final at Austin Country Club.

The 32-year-old never trailed at any point in his seven matches and was only taken beyond the 16th hole for the first time in a hard-fought semi-final victory over Japan’s Hideto Tanihara.

But he was also made to work hard to secure the first prize of £1.3 million in the final as Rahm, who was trying to become the youngest winner of a WGC event, fought back from five down after eight holes to take the contest to the 18th.

Rahm’s frustratio­n was mounting midway through the round and he kicked his driver along the ground in frustratio­n after a wayward drive on the eighth led to a five-hole deficit.

Rahm was handed a lifeline when Johnson bogeyed the ninth and 10th, and although the US Open champion bounced back to birdie the par-five 12th, Rahm drove the green on the short 13th and twoputted for his first birdie.

A birdie on the 15th was followed by a remarkable one on the 16th, Rahm hitting his second shot seemingly straight through a tree before holing from 30 feet to get back to just one down.

Extra holes looked on the cards when Rahm drove to the back edge of the 18th green but a terrible chip took t he pressure off Johnson and he safely made par from the fringe to secure the title.

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Dustin Johnson
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