Page 18 - ARUBA TODAY

A18 SPORTS
Monday 6 March 2017

Johnson wins in Mexico in debut as No. 1 player in the world

DOUG FERGUSON those greens and unfortu- and Mickelson each shot
AP Golf Writer nately for me, it happened 71 and tied for seventh.
MEXICO CITY (AP) — The at the end,” Rahm said. McIlroy had a two-shot
only elevation that mat- Johnson became the fifth lead going into the week-
tered at the Mexico Cham- player to win in his first end and shot 70-71.“These
pionship is how much high- tournament as No. 1 in the two rounds were the sort
er Dustin Johnson can go. world. His fourth World Golf of rounds I would have ex-
In his first start since a five- Championship title is sec- pected the first two days,
shot victory at Riviera that ond on the career list be- not the last two,” said Mc-
made him No. 1 in the hind Tiger Woods, who won Ilroy, playing for the first
world, Johnson captured 18 times since the series be- time in seven weeks while
his fourth World Golf Cham- gan in 1999. recovering from a rib in-
pionships title Sunday by It was quite the consola- jury.Johnson was steady
blowing by some of golf’s tion prize for the 26-year- right to the end to capture
biggest names and then old Fleetwood.His 40-foot his 14th career victory on
delivering his best shot at birdie putt on the final hole the PGA Tour, and his sec-
the end to secure a one- for a 66 put him alone in ond straight.The greens of
shot victory over Tommy second and secured a spot Chapultepec gave him fits
Fleetwood of England. in the Masters for the first all week. Johnson missed
He won for the fifth time in time. He moves to No. 35 in eight putts from inside 5
his last 15 starts on the PGA the world and is certain to feet. In the opening round,
Tour, including a major and stay in the top 50 over the he missed six putts from the
two World Golf Champion- next three weeks before 6-foot range or closer. His
ships. the cutoff to get an invita- power and his clean strik-
And at nearly 7,800 tion to Augusta National. ing allowed him to over-
feet above sea level at Rahm’s two late bogeys come that.
Chapultepec Golf Club, gave him a 68 and a tie for The most recent player to
Johnson kept soaring. third with Ross Fisher, who win in his debut at No. 1
He closed with a 3-under closed with three straight was Adam Scott at the Co-
68, and finished this one off birdies for a 65. That assures lonial in 2014.
with one of the most diffi- Fisher a place in the next “It’s a tough spot to be in,”
cult shots in golf. Clinging Dustin Johnson, of the United States, poses with his Mexico WGC event in three week Johnson said. “There’s a lot
to a one-shot lead, his feet Championship trophy at the Chapultepec Golf Club in Mexico at the Dell Match Play. of pressure on you. I came
City, Sunday, March 5, 2017. Johnson won the Mexico Champi-
on the edge of the bunker onship in his debut as the No. 1 player in the world. The great theater among out and played really well.”
and ball below his feet, Associated Press the stars in Mexico City Johnson now takes the
Johnson hit a three-quarter never really materialized. next two weeks off before
shot from 127 yards with his cially kids who called out, Rahm, the dynamic rook- Thomas bounced back playing the Dell Match
54-degree wedge to the “Dee-Jay!” ie from Spain, who made from a 38 on the front nine Play and the Shell Houston
middle of the 18th green Johnson finished at 14-un- an eagle and two birdies and was still in range un- Open ahead of the Mas-
for a two-putt par. der 270. in a five-hole stretch on til closing with three pars ters, where Las Vegas al-
He called it a “dink.” He Justin Thomas had a one- the back nine. That’s right for a 72 to tie for fifth with ready has installed him as
also could have called it shot lead over Johnson, when Johnson had his only Thomas Pieters. McIlroy the favorite.q
clutch. with Rory McIlroy and Phil real struggles, three-putting
“Probably the best shot I hit Mickelson another shot be- from 25 feet for bogey on
all week, especially under hind. It was an All-Star cast No. 12 and taking bogey
the circumstances, was that Johnson turned into a from a bunker on No. 13.
that second shot on 18,” one-man show with a 31 And then he was one shot
he said. “A fantastic shot.” on the front nine to build a behind, but only as long as
It wrapped up a spectac- four-shot lead. it took him to get up-and-
ular week in Mexico City, And just like that, it was down from a bunker on the
which hosted this World gone. par-5 15th for birdie to tie
Golf Championship af- “Around here, anything for the lead. Johnson was
ter it had been at Trump can happen,” Johnson flawless with pars. Rahm,
Doral the last seven years. said.Thomas fell back with who had gone 59 holes
Johnson walked through a double bogey in the wa- without a three-putt, took
the roped corridors with ter on the par-3 seventh. two straight for bogeys that
his arms extended to slap Neither McIlroy nor Mickel- took him out of the game.
hands and bump fists with son got anything going. The “Sometimes you’re going
an energetic crowd, espe- challenge came from Jon to make some bogeys from