Dustin Johnson finally clinched an elusive second major title with a five-stroke victory at the Masters, overcoming a shaky start to his final round to end with a tournament-record low score at Augusta National. Johnson led throughout the final round, though only by one stroke early, and did not drop a shot in the final 13 holes on his way to a four-under-par 68 and an unprecedented 20-under-par 268 total. Tiger Woods added to the achievement by placing the green jacket on Johnson’s back. ’Obviously having Tiger put it on was awesome and unbelievable, but any guy could put it on me and I’d be just fine,’ Johnson said, laughing. Australian Cameron Smith and South Korean Im Sung-jae kept Johnson honest, both shooting 69 to tie for second on 15-under, but in the end they had no answer to the champion.
Unstoppable Dustin Johnson cruises to record-breaking first Masters victory
His career and status enter fresh territory, with the 36-year-old becoming a multiple major champion only 75 miles from where he grew up in South Carolina. Johnson has no reason to care less about a final day painfully lacking in drama. His approach was that of a cold-blooded champion.
Johnson won by five shots, at 20 under par, and it was every bit as comfortable as the figures suggest. That aggregate is a Masters scoring record, beating the previous best of minus 18. There is a legitimate debate to be had regarding whether Johnson’s figures require an asterisk, given the forgiving nature of Augusta National in November, but an increase in wind during the closing stretch of his victory march meant nothing could be straightforward. Johnson played like the No 1 player in the world, his position heading into this major.
“The Masters to me is the biggest tournament and the one I wanted to win the most,” Johnson said. “I was nervous all day. I’m very proud of the way I handled myself and finished off the golf tournament. This is a dream come true.”
Johnson, normally so emotionless, was reduced to tears during his post-round media duties.
Tiger Woods, who added to this sense of achievement by placing the Green Jacket on Johnson’s back, led the praise. “He’s an amazing athlete,” said Woods. “He’s one of the first guys to ever bring athleticism to our sport. DJ has just an amazing ability to stay calm in tough moments.”
Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. He has won two major championships, the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a 4-under-par score of 276 and the 2020 Masters Tournament with a record score of 268, 20-under-par. He had previously finished in a tie for second at both the 2011 Open Championship and the 2015 U.S. Open. He has six World Golf Championships victories, with only Tiger Woods having won more, and he is the first player to win each of the four World Golf Championship events.
By virtue of his 2020 Travelers Championship win, Johnson became the third player in Tour history to win a Tour title in each of his first 13 seasons, joining Jack Nicklaus (17) and Tiger Woods (14).[2] Johnson is one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour, having been ranked in the top ten annually in driving distance from 2008 to 2020, and leading in 2015.
In February 2017 Johnson became the world number 1-ranked golfer and remained there for 64 consecutive weeks, the 5th longest run as number 1. He returned to the number 1 position in 2018, 2019 and 2020 and has been at number 1 for a total of over 100 weeks.
