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A16 sports
Tuesday 17 November 2020
Dustin Johnson paints a by-the-numbers Masters-piece

By JIM LITKE the final day to win. On
AP Sports Writer four other occasions, John-
Breaking the scoring record son had at least a share of
was on his mind, because, the lead after 54 holes and
of course it was. Dustin failed to cash in. Though
Johnson wanted it, too. He you wouldn't have known
just hadn't bothered to look by watching him play — at
the number up. least after those early bo-
"It was 19 (under) before?" geys — the suspense was
Johnson asked a Masters taking its toll on him, too.
official to his right in the in- "I proved to myself that I
terview room late Sunday do have it, " Johnson be-
afternoon. They had on gan, "because I'm sure a
identical green jackets. lot of y'all think ..." and then
Told it was 18 under (shared paused. "Like, when am I
by Tiger Woods and Jordan going to have the lead and
Spieth), Johnson flashed finish off the golf tourna-
a shy grin. His expression ment or finish off a major?"
rarely gives much away; Johnson saved the real sur-
his answers seem designed prise, as it turned out, for
to deflect attention. A mo- afterward. In a post-match
ment later, Johnson admit- interview for CBS, Amanda
ted that he hadn't looked Balionis tried several times
at a scoreboard all day, ei- Masters golf champion Dustin Johnson shows off his green jacket after his victory Sunday, Nov. 15, to get Johnson to explain
ther. Not after shaky back- 2020, in Augusta, Ga. Associated Press what finally slipping on the
to-back bogeys at Nos. 4 green jacket meant. Every
and 5 peeled his four-shot where he stood. Johnson completed the spotlight focused on Tiger time he tried to answer,
lead back to one; nor af- "I told him he had a five- climb to No. 1 in the world Woods' chances of repris- Johnson choked up, fight-
ter three straight birdies on shot lead," Austin recalled. the first time in 2017 and ing his improbable 2019 ing back tears.
the back nine left Camer- "I could kick it in from there. stayed there for the bet- win, and bulked-up Bryson "I'm sorry," he said apolo-
on Smith and Sungjae Im, He had no clue." ter part of the three years DeChambeau's grand gizing more than once. "It's
Johnson's last two pursuers, Two putts later, he had a since. He'd won twice al- plan to carve up Augusta hard to talk. I've never this
in the dust. He didn't see the 4-under 68 and the Masters ready this year and still held National the way he sliced much trouble gathering
need to complicate things. record at 20-under 268. that lofty spot when he ar- and diced Winged Foot at myself."
"I didn't want it to affect Johnson's distaste for dra- rived at Augusta, having the U.S. Open. Predictably Not on a golf course, per-
the way I played," Johnson ma is often mistaken for already spent nearly two perhaps, both were old haps, because inside
said. "I just didn't look at it. I indifference. He came out weeks in quarantine af- news by the time Johnson the ropes, Johnson knew
took what the course gave on tour in 2007 looking to all ter testing positive for the stretched out to a four-shot where he was headed. But
me and hit the shots I felt I the world like he was born coronavirus to boot. If any- lead heading into the final at age 36, he again faced
could hit." to play golf — long arms, a one had a storyline that round. That move brought the question of whether
Coming down 18, though, slow heartbeat and a syr- ran straight through this Johnson's haunting past all that talent would be
he finally gave in. Johnson upy swing that belies its raw strange, pandemic-disrupt- at the majors back to the enough when it mattered
turned to his brother Austin, power — then won early ed season, it was Johnson. fore. In his lone triumph, the most, and finally answered
who conveniently doubles and, with the exception of Yet nobody was happier 2016 U.S. Open, he came it by proving how much it
as his caddie, and asked the majors, often. when the pre-tournament from four shots behind on mattered to him.q

Djokovic beats Schwartzman again to start ATP Finals

na on Monday. The top- "It felt like a practice ses- TV, so that was me sharing
ranked Djokovic has won sion in a way," Djokovic that emotion with them."
the tournament five times said. "This has been one of Schwartzman, without a
— one short of Roger Fe- the most exciting arenas title this year and making
derer's record. Schwartz- to play for a tennis play- his debut at the ATP Fi-
man broke Djokovic for 2-1 er. The atmosphere was nals, reached the French
in the first set, but the Ar- always electric and the Open semifinals and two
gentine immediately gave crowd was always loud finals, including at the Ital-
it back as he struggled and really into matches." ian Open, where he lost to
with his first serve. After the match, Djokovic Djokovic.
At 3-3, Djokovic won five gestured to each section "That start of the match he
straight games to lead by of the stands as if to say was not playing his best,"
a set and 2-0. thanks. Schwartzman said. "I took
Djokovic hasn't lost an "Why I celebrated? Be- the chance at the begin-
opening ATP Finals match cause that's my celebra- ning, but then that break
Novak Djokovic of Serbia serves to Diego Schwartzman of since 2007 against David tion and that's also my back from him ... I did too
Argentina during their singles tennis match at the ATP World Ferrer. The Serb has never gratitude to the court and many mistakes."
Finals tennis tournament at the O2 arena in London, Monday,
Nov. 16, 2020. lost to Schwartzman in six to this opportunity to be Schwartzman is the first
Associated Press matches. able to compete," he said. South American to play
There are no fans inside "Even though there was singles at the ATP Finals
LONDON (AP) — Novak Schwartzman 6-3, 6-2 at the 20,000-capacity O2 no crowd in the stands, I since 2013 and another
Djokovic overcame an the season-ending ATP Fi- Arena due to the corona- know that there was a lot Argentine, Juan Martin del
early break to beat Diego nals in an empty O2 Are- virus pandemic. of people watching it on Potro.q