Pacific Palisades, US: Dustin Johnson powered to a five-shot victory in the Genesis Open on Sunday, his long-sought first win at Riviera Country Club propelling him to number one in the world.
Pulling double duty in the weather-disrupted US PGA Tour event, Johnson used his formidable length off the tee and a sure putting stroke to build a big lead and held on down the stretch.
On a marathon final day he produced a third-round 64 and a final round of even par 71 for a 17-under par total of 267.
He led by as many as nine strokes before a few late miscues, but with the win will end Australian Jason Day’s 47-week reign atop the rankings.
“I believe in myself, I think I’m a great player,” Johnson said. “The best in the world – until now I probably wouldn’t have said I was the best in the world, but now I can say it.”
Birdies
Day could have maintained his position by finishing at least tied for third but closed with rounds of 75 and 71 to finish equal 64th on two-over 286.
With number one on the line, Johnson made a blistering start on Sunday piling up seven birdies in his third round.
That included three straight birdies to cap the round – a streak he continued when he returned less than 20 minutes later to open his final round with back-to-back birdies.
A birdie at the sixth moved him to 20-under for the tournament – on pace to tie or break the 72-hole tournament record of 20-under 264 set by Lanny Wadkins in 1985.
But Johnson’s run of 49 holes without a bogey ended at the ninth, and back-to-back bogeys at 15 and 16 saw his lead shrink further, although in the end that meant nothing.