BOLTON, Mass. — Dustin Johnson gave LIV Golf its first massive second on Sunday when he made a 35-foot eagle putt on the primary gap of a sudden-death playoff to win the LIV Golf Invitational-Boston for his first victory in 19 months.
Johnson’s putt on the par-5 18th was going so quick, it may need rolled some 6 toes previous the opening. However it hit the again of the cup and dropped down close to the entrance of the cup to beat Joaquin Niemann and Anirban Lahiri.
Johnson raised his arm and dropped it for a slow-motion uppercut, as an alternative slapping fingers with Austin Johnson, his brother and caddie. The win was value $4 million for Dustin Johnson. Together with his group successful once more, he now has made $9,962,500 in 4 occasions.
“It was going a bit of quick, nevertheless it was an excellent line,” Johnson stated with an enormous smile. “I bought some unfortunate breaks [on No. 18] the primary time round. It owed me one, and I bought it.”
The primary playoff in 4 LIV Golf occasions capped an in any other case sloppy end by so many others who had an opportunity.
Johnson, who closed with a 5-under 65, wanted a birdie on the par-5 18th. His drive bounced into the correct tough, his iron to put up went into the timber nicely to the left and he needed to scramble for par to hitch Lahiri (64) and Niemann (66) at 15-under 265.
Lahiri hit a fairway steel to five toes on the 18th in regulation, and his eagle putt that will have gained it rolled round the correct fringe of the cup.
Lee Westwood completed one shot out of a playoff after a 62 that included bogeys on two of his final three holes. He was poised to win when he bounced again from a bogey on No. 1 within the shotgun begin with a brief birdie on the par-3 second.
He completed on No. 3 — a 352-yard gap and an excellent birdie alternative. Westwood hit a lob wedge that was so fats, it got here up some 40 toes in need of the pin and right into a bunker. He blasted out weakly and missed the 18-foot par putt.
“The lob wedge was a bit of fats,” Westwood stated. “Make 3 and I win the event, and I make 5. It is a sickening technique to end.”
British Open champion Cameron Smith, amongst six gamers who just lately signed with the Saudi-funded league, had a 63. He additionally was tied for the lead till hitting his tee shot into the timber on No. 1, his seventeenth gap, and having to pitch out sideways. He made bogey.
Smith tied for fourth with Westwood. Every made simply over $1 million.
Johnson had not gained because the Saudi Worldwide on Feb. 7, 2021, when it was a part of the European tour schedule. The participant who has been No. 1 longer than anybody since Tiger Woods slipped out of the highest 15 on the planet when he signed with LIV Golf.
Johnson was a part of the rival league from the beginning in early June exterior London, and he has completed within the prime 10 in all of them.
“I’ve had an opportunity to win each one,” he stated. “That is three in a row for the group, and for me to get my first, I am feeling good.”
He walked off the 18th inexperienced holding a cellphone in a video name to his two sons.
Lahiri and Niemann every made simply over $1.8 million for shedding within the playoff. They had been amongst six gamers who signed with LIV Golf after the PGA Tour season ended.
The subsequent LIV Golf Invitational sequence will happen in two weeks within the Chicago suburbs at Wealthy Harvest Farms, greatest identified for internet hosting the Solheim Cup in 2009.
