BOLTON, Mass. — Dustin Johnson gave LIV Golf its first big moment Sunday when he made a 35-foot eagle putt on the first hole 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 fast it might have rolled some 6 feet past the hole. But it hit the back of the cup and dropped down near the front of the cup to beat Joaquin Niemann and Anirban Lahiri.
He raised his arm and dropped it for a slow-motion uppercut, instead slapping hands with Austin Johnson, his brother and caddie. The win was worth $4 million for Johnson. With his team winning again, he now has made $9,962,500 in four events.
The first playoff in four LIV Golf events capped an otherwise sloppy finish by so many others who had a chance.
Johnson, who closed with a 5-under 65, needed a birdie on the par-5 18th. His drive bounced into the right rough, his iron to lay up went into the trees well to the left and he had to scramble for par to join Lahiri (64) and Niemann (66) at 15-under 265.
Lahiri hit a fairway metal to 5 feet on the 18th in regulation, and his eagle putt that would have won it rolled around the right edge of the cup.
Lee Westwood finished one shot out of a playoff after a 62 that included bogeys on two of his last three holes.
British Open champion Cameron Smith, among six players who recently signed with the Saudi-funded league, had a 63. He also was tied for the lead until hitting his tee shot into the trees on No. 1, his 17th hole, and having to pitch out sideways. He made bogey. Smith tied for fourth with Westwood. Each made just over $1 million.
Johnson had not won since the Saudi International on Feb. 7, 2021, when it was part of the European tour,
LPGA Tour
SYLVANIA, Ohio — Gaby Lopez rallied from four shots behind and closed with three straight birdies for a 8-under 63 and a one-shot victory in the Dana Open.
Lopez finished her big run with a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th at Highland Meadow, setting off a series of fist pumps, knowing it would keep her one shot ahead of Megan Khang.
The 28-year-old Mexican player picked up her third career LPGA Tour victory, and her first since the Tournament of Champions to start the 2020 season.
Khang, who shot 29 on the front on a rain-softened course, closed with a 64. Caroline Masson birdied her last two holes for a 68 and finished alone in third.
Lucy Li, the 19-year-old Californian who started the final round with a one-shot lead, struggled to make birdies. Her hopes effectively ended when she hit into a fairway bunker on the 16th hole, played well short of the green and missed a 5-foot par putt.
Li birdied the 18th hole for a 70 and tied for fourth. She already has her LPGA Tour card for next season through the Epson Tour. Li tied for ninth in Canada last week to get into the Dana Open, and now she is eligible to play the LPGA event in Cincinnati next week.
Lexi Thompson has gone more than three years without winning and she didn’t make a birdie until the final hole. She closed with a 73 and tied for 16th, seven shots behind.
Korn Ferry Tour
NEWBURGH, Ind. — Justin Suh already had his PGA Tour card locked up and finished the season by closing with a 4-under 68 for a two-shot victory in the Korn Ferry Tour Championship that came with a few extra perks.
Suh finished atop the standings in points from the regular season and the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals, meaning the former University of Southern California star is fully exempt on the PGA Tour next year and earned a spot in the U.S. Open and The Players Championship.
But this was as much about players just trying to earn a PGA Tour card.
Austin Eckroat, who starred at Oklahoma State, needed a big finish to have any chance of getting one of the 25 cards available from the Korn Ferry Tour Finals. He delivered in a big way with a 68 to finish second behind Suh.
Others who made big moves in the final event to secure a PGA Tour card included Eric Cole, whose parents both played on tour (Bobby Cole on the PGA Tour, Laura Baugh on the LPGA Tour); Nicholas Echavarria of Colombia; and Toya Gano of Argentina.
Kyle Westmoreland, who spent five years in the Air Force, got the 25th spot narrowly over Joey Garber, who birdied his last four holes after a double bogey on No. 14.
European tour
FARSO, Denmark — Oliver Wilson of England holed two birdie putts from around 65 feet on the back nine to win the Made in HimmerLand and end a victory drought of almost eight years.
Wilson, ranked No. 745, rolled in the long putts on No. 13 and then on No. 17 to take the outright lead. He held his nerve to par the last hole, hitting his drive off a small mound of turf instead of a tee, to close with a 4-under 67 and finish a shot ahead of Ewen Ferguson of Scotland.
Wilson had not recorded a top-10 finish on the European tour since a tie for fourth in the same event in 2019.
Other tours
Daniela Iacobelli won the Wildhorse Ladies Golf Classic in Pendleton, Oregon, for her fourth career Epson Tour victory. The 34-year-old Iacobelli closed with a 6-under 66 to finish at 18-under 198 — three strokes ahead of Pavarisa Yoktuan (62). She earned $30,000 to jump from 52nd to 15th on the money list. … Noah Goodwin won the Golf BC Championship in Kelowna, British Columbia, for his second PGA Canada victory of the year. Goodwin birdied the final hole for a 7-under 64 and a one-stroke victory. He finished at 23-under 271 at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf Club. … Kaito Onishi closed with a 3-under 68 and won the Fujisankei Classic with a birdie on the first playoff hole with Sang-Hyun Park, who had a 71. Onishi earned his first title in his third year on the Japan Golf Tour. … Alexander Knappe closed with a 4-under 68 to win the B-NL Challenge Trophy in Belgium for his second Challenge Tour win this year, moving him to the top of season points list. … Anne-Charlotte Mora closed with a 4-under 68 and won the Aland 100 Ladies Open in Finland by one shot ver Lisa Pettersson on the Ladies European Tour. … Yuting Seki on China closed with a 6-under 66 and made birdie on the second playoff hole to beat Yuri Yoshida in the Golf5 Ladies on the Japan LPGA. … Jeong Mee Hwang shot 3-under 69 and won the Edaily Ladies Open with a par on the first playoff hole to beat defending champion Su Ji Kim on the Korea LPGA.
