Things were looking quite bleak for rookie Dustin Johnson in terms of his golfing career.
He had cooled off from a bright start to the season, his ranking on the PGA Tour money list had dropped to 128, which meant he was in danger of losing his card for next season, and his game was falling apart.
But the 24-year-old gave himself a valuable career lifeline over the weekend when he triumphed at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, New York.
Firing a 69 in the final round, Johnson’s $1.08 million in prize money boosted him to 41st on the money list to go with the first title of his career.
He was one of six golfers in with a chance of their maiden first title going into the final round. In the end, his total of nine-under 279 was good for a one-stroke victory over Australian Robert Allenby, who closed with two-under-par 70.
There was a seven-way tie for third at seven-under 281 involving Ryuji Imada, Mathew Goggin, Steve Allan, Woody Austin, Robert Garrigus, Davis Love III and Charles Howell III.
All but Love (70) and Howell (73) scored 69s in their final rounds.
Johnson began the year with two top 10 finishes followed by nine missed cuts. He withdrew from two other events before deciding to fix his game. He said in an AP article:
“I started off the year really well and then I don’t really know what happened. Me and my coach sat down about a month ago and set some goals. I practised hard and tried to get my game back. It’s kind of hard to explain. I haven’t grasped everything yet. I’ll probably have to sit down and re-evaluate my goals.â€
On the European Tour, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson won for the second time within the space of a month when he triumphed at the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship at St Andrews.
The victory took him to the top of the tour’s Order of Merit as he defeated Ross Fisher and Martin Kaymer in a three-way play-off.
After shooting 65 at The Old Course for a total of 10-under-par 278, Karlsson birdied the first extra hole to claim the title, just weeks after winning the Mercedez-Benz Championship in September.
Karlsson birdied three of the first four holes during his final round and found more birdies on the 10th, 11th and 14th, allowing him to jump over Lee Westwood and double major winner Padraig Harrington at the top of the money list.
Overnight leader Kaymer closed with a decent 68 but his sole bogey on the 17 meant he was forced into the play-off.
Fisher also scored seven-under-par 65 on the last day, shooting five birdies on the front nine. He picked up another shot on the 10th before a bogey on the 12th set him back. Despite an eagle on the 14th, he was unable to avoid the play-off.
Meanwhile, Paula Creamer won the Samsung World Championship on the LPGA Tour with a one-stroke victory over Kim Song-hee.
Creamer shot 69 in the final round for a total of nine-under 279. Kim’s 68 was good enough for 280 while world number one Lorena Ochoa, Juli Inkster, Suzann Pettersen and Angela Stanford finished in a four-way tie for third at seven-under 281.
