Dustin Johnson returns to No. 1
MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Dustin Johnson emphatically reclaimed the No. 1 ranking Sunday, holing out for eagle from 170 yards on the final hole for a sixstroke victory in the St. Jude Classic.
“What a cool way to end the day,” Johnson said.
Johnson shot a 4-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 for himself with a par on No. 1 — which Putnam double-bogeyed — and cruised to the $1.18 million winner’s check.
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.
On 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 9-under. Stewart Cink (72) and Richy Werenski (71) tied at 8-under. Brandt Snedeker (70) and Retief Goosen (66) tied four others at 7-under.
Phil Mickelson had a 65 and was at 6-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 threeputting for double bogey. Johnson rolled in a 4-footer for par and a two-stroke lead at 15-under on a sizzling day with the temperature feeling like 99.
DES MOINES, Iowa — Second-round leader Tom Lehman was declared winner of the PGA Tour Champions event in Iowa after weather washed out Sunday’s final round.
Principal Charity Classic officials had delayed the start of the third round by nearly five hours because of bands of light but persistent rain in central Iowa before calling the event.
Lehman shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday to take a two-shot lead over Bernhard Langer, Glen Day, Woody Austin and Scott Parel.
From neighboring Minnesota, Lehman won for the 11th time on the 50-and-over tour.
GALLOWAY, N.J. — Annie Park won the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her first LPGA Tour victory, closing with an 8-under 63 on Sunday for a one-stroke victory over Sakura Yokomine.