Zach Johnson wants to prove himself as more than just a one-off Masters champion. And the 2007 Augusta winner is going about it the right way by simply winning tournaments.
Johnson fired a five-under-par 65 in the final round to total 15-under 265 and win the Sony Open in Honolulu, Hawaii by two strokes over Australian Adam Scott and David Toms.
While many remember Johnson for his Masters victory almost two years ago, results show that he’s a consistent winner with at least one PGA Tour triumph a year for the past three years.
His Sony win was his fifth title and second in his past six starts. After tying for sixth at the previous week’s Mercedes-Benz Championship, Johnson is now top of the FedExCup standings for 2009.
However, he is refusing to take anything for granted, vowing to keep working hard and picking up as many victories as he can. He said on the PGA Tour website:
“I feel very fortunate to get a W at any point in time, and obviously this one is sweet, the sweetest one I’ve had, because it’s right now. I think this game is getting harder and harder. I’m playing golf for a living, so it’s my job and I’m going to treat my job as any other job. I’m going to work hard at it and I’m going to practice.â€
Scott closed with a 64 – the lower round of any golfer in the top 10, but his opening 71 meant he was always trailing. Toms finished with a 66 to tie for second.
Charles Howell III finished alone in fourth place on 268 after his closing 66 while Kevin Na and Brian Gay shared fifth on 369.
On the European Tour, England’s Paul Casey turned back a late fightback from defending champion Martin Kaymer and Louis Oosthuizen to win the Abu Dhabi Championship by one stroke.
Putting problems saw Casey’s six-shot lead at the turn dwindle and, eventually, he needed to keep his nerve and two-putt from 12 feet at the 18th to seal the title.
His final round of 70 was enough for a 12-under-par total of 267 as Kaymer and Oosthuizen finished on 268 for joint second.
Germany’s Kaymer shot a 67 in the fourth round while South African Oosthuizen ended strongly with 64, though he fell just short.
For Casey it was his second Abu Dhabi crown and first victory on the tour since he won the same Gulf tournament in 2007.
Casey will be hoping to return to the Middle East at the end of the year for the Dubai World Championship. His victory can play a big part as it put him in the top 10 of the money-spinning Race to Dubai.
The Dubai World Championship is a $20 million event in which the winner walks away with a cool $10million. The Race to Dubai is the European money list and replaces the previous Order of Merit.
