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SPORTSTuesday 9 January 2018

A near ace and a big win for Dustin Johnson at Kapalua

By DOUG FERGUSON Dustin Johnson poses with the champions trophy for photographers after the final round of the won by eight shots in 2016.
AP Golf Writer “On this course, it’s tough
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — Tournament of Champions golf event, Sunday, Jan. 7, 2018, at Kapalua Plantation Course in the way the wind was
Dustin Johnson hit one of blowing today,” said Brian
the best shots he never Kapalua, Hawaii. Johnson shot a 24 under par for the victory. Harman, who played in the
saw. final group with him and
Not all of it, anyway. Associated Press couldn’t keep up, espe-
The Sentry Tournament of cially on the 12th hole. “He
Champions had reached to have a tap-in.” kind of record by losing a 17th victory of his PGA Tour knocks it to a foot on 12 for
that stage where all that eagle, and I’m having to
was left to decide was the When informed how close six-shot lead — by turning career. lay up to 130 yards. I mean
margin by which John- it just, he’s very talented off
son would win. He had a it was by Golf Channel re- the Tournament of Cham- Johnson now has won in 11 the tee and he used that to
two-shot lead to start the his advantage today.”
final round at Kapalua, porter Jim “Bones” Mack- pions into a statement that straight seasons. Jon Rahm made his Ka-
stretched to six shots at the palua debut by closing
turn and was leading by ay, Johnson told him he he has been No. 1 in the “If I can play like that every with a 69 to finish second.
five when he reached the The 23-year-old from Spain
343-yard 12th hole, where caught it a little thin. world the last 11 months for week, I’m going to win a lot moved to No. 3 in the world.
the final 120 yards are The way Johnson was play-
down the a steep hill with He was joking. a reason. of times,” he said. ing, everyone was playing
the Pacific Ocean on the for second.
horizon. The way he played the Playing in the last group, he The eight-shot margin of “It’s no easy task to catch
That’s where Johnson deliv- DJ,” said Rahm, who lost
ered the signature moment Plantation Course, it was produced an 8-under 65 for victory was his largest ever, to Johnson in the final of
in the first PGA Tour event of Match Play a year ago.
the new year. hard to tell. the best round of the tour- and it was one short of Johnson lost a six-shot lead
He knew his drive was good in the final round of the
when he hit it. What he Johnson made up for his nament. He led by at least the tournament record set HSBC Champions in Shang-
missed was the ball catch- hai last fall, his most recent
ing the right bounce to last PGA Tour event — the five shots over the final 11 by David Duval since this PGA Tour start. Johnson has
feed it onto the green, and a short memory, and he
then rolling straight toward HSBC Champions in Shang- holes. He finished at 24-un- event moved to Kapalua never thought about China
the pin until it stopped just until it was mentioned to
inches away from a hole- hai, where he tied the worst der 268 and collected the in 1999. Jordan Spieth also him on Saturday.
in-one. That proved to be only
“I could see it until it land- more fuel for him.
ed, but I knew it was on a “I came out today with a lot
good line,” he said. “I know of focus and I knew I want-
exactly where I want it to ed to play really well and
come down out of the air, not even ... I didn’t want it
and it did. So I knew it was to have to come down to
going to be pretty good. I the last couple holes,” he
just didn’t think I was going said.q

PGA Tour still tax-exempt,

with an assist from Nicklaus

Dustin Johnson plays his shot from the fifth tee during the final ardy late last year under Nicklaus whispered be- was not in the final version
the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. cause he was in a field in of the Senate bill. “It’s pret-
round of the Tournament of Champions golf event, Sunday, Jan. Part of the Senate version upstate New York. He told ty amazing that Jack Nick-
of the bill included a sub- the commissioner he’d get laus and Davis Love III were
7, 2018, at Kapalua Plantation Course in Kapalua, Hawaii. section called, “Repeal of started when he got back reaching out to their con-
Tax-Exempt Status for Pro- to Florida. gressmen and women,”
Associated Press fessional Sports Leagues.” Monahan said Nicklaus Monahan said.
That’s when Monahan de- wrote letters and called If the provision had re-
By DOUG FERGUSON year, he shared how the cided to call Nicklaus at senators. Meanwhile, Davis mained in the bill, it could
his office, but he dialed his Love III went up to Wash- have required the PGA Tour
AP Golf Writer tour turned to Jack Nick- mobile phone. “He whis- ington a week after hav- to change its structure in a
pers, ‘Hello?’” Monahan ing hip surgery and helped way that would reduce tax
KAPALUA, Hawaii (AP) — laus to help protect golf’s said Sunday at the Sentry arrange for meetings with incentives to attract cor-
Tournament of Champions. members of the Senate Fi- porate support that makes
On the day PGA Tour Com- model for raising money. “I said, ‘I need your help.’ nance Committee. Golf Di- charitable giving possible.
I walked him through the gest reported in December All net proceeds from PGA
missioner Jay Monahan an- The tax-exempt status of whole scenario. that PGA of America chief Tour events go to local
I said, ‘I need you to make executive Pete Bevacqua charities, and corporate
nounced more than $180 the PGA Tour and other some phone calls and write said he contacted his politi- support helps pay bills from
some letters. We need to cal contacts. prize money to operational
million given to charities last sports leagues was in jeop- go full bore on this thing.’” Ultimately, the provision costs. q