Golf Asia - February 2018

GOLF ASIA 39

Finally, for the first time in a career full of stops, starts and question marks, Dustin

Johnson ascends to top spot in the world rankings after destroying a star-studded field

at the first WGC of the year, the Genesis Open. DJ’s ascent owes something to the

ongoing struggles of dethroned world number one Jason Day, who drops out with a

double ear infection and flu, but more to a run of form that has seen him play 23 official

tour events over the past 12 months, winning four of them, including the US Open, and

adding 12 top fives and 16 top 10s. Equally impressive, DJ becomes only the third

PGA Tour player in history to win at least one event in each of his first 10 seasons, after

Jack and Tiger. Was he impressed by his lofty position? “I don’t really understand it,”

he shrugs. “But I can read 1-2-3. I guess that’s all that matters.”

“When Dustin Johnson goes to the first tee he’s got to take

his balls in a wheelbarrow; he’s not afraid of anything”

Butch Harmon throws a troubling mental image into our minds

J U N

PAIN AND PATIENCE

Jordan Spieth breaks free from his

supposed slump (no wins in 10, three

of them MCs) by

winning the Travelers

Championship, improbably

holing out from a bunker and

engaging in a strange butt-bump

celebration with caddie Michael

Greller. Jason Dufner wins the

Memorial, burying a 32-footer on 18

to secure victory, while Daniel Berger

takes the FedEx St Jude Classic for

the second consecutive year thanks

to a pair of weekend 66s. Padraig

Harrington might have

challenged, but was

forced to withdraw

injured after being hit

on the elbow by an

amateur he was

coaching. On the

European Tour, 6ft 3in

Italian bomber

Renato Paratore

holds off Matt Fitzpatrick and

Chris Wood to win the Nordea

Masters. Ariya Jutanugarn beats Lexi

Thompson and In Gee Chun to win the

Manulife Classic and top the Rolex

Rankings. Phil and Bones divorce

after 25 years together, this after Lefty

skips the US Open and puts his

pursuit of the career grand slam on

hold to attend his daughter’s

graduation. Tiger Woods reveals he’s

“receiving professional help” for

dealing with pain medications. And

President Trump drives a golf cart all

over one of his greens, just because.

£2,000,000

With Koepka’s

US Open win,

punter Jordan

Baker is halfway

to winning a

gambling grand

slam. If Rickie

Fowler wins the

Open and Justin

Thomas the PGA

Championship,

Baker will

trouser £2m for

his £2 bet. Go

Rickie!

WINNERS
& LOSERS