How Dustin Johnson failed to turn 54-hole major leads into wins before getting it right at Augusta
Dustin Johnson landed a second major title and his first when holding a share of the 54-hole lead or better in a major; Johnson converted a four-shot lead into a five-shot win at The Masters.
Sunday 15 November 2020 23:39, UK
Dustin Johnson ended an unwanted major record after taking a commanding lead into the final round of The Masters.
The world No 1 pulled clear of the field with a bogey-free 65 on day three at Augusta National, posting an eagle and five birdies to get to 16 under and equal the lowest 54-hole score in Masters history.
Johnson took a four-shot advantage into the final day, and a composed final-round 68 earned him a five-shot win as he finally managed to turn a 54-hole advantage into a win at the fifth attempt.
We look back at the previous occasions where Johnson had held a share of the lead or better going into the final round of a major…
2010 US Open
Johnson arrived at Pebble Beach as the form horse around the California course, having won back-to-back editions of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Ams at the same venue, with the-then 25-year-old adding a third-round 66 to rounds of 70 and 71 to take a three-shot lead into the final day.
After a two-putt par on the opening hole on Sunday, Johnson's hopes quickly unravelled as he dropped six shots over his next three holes, with a triple-bogey at the second and double-bogey at the next followed with a bogey at the fourth to blow the tournament wide open.
Johnson continued to fall further out of contention as he failed to register a single birdie on the final day, with an 11-over 82 seeing him end the week tied-eighth and five strokes behind eventual winner Graeme McDowell.
2015 US Open
Four players were tied for the lead heading into a dramatic final day at Chambers Bay, with Johnson alongside Jason Day, Branden Grace and the-then Masters champion Jordan Spieth.
Johnson briefly moved into a two-stroke advantage during the final day but then registered three bogeys in a four-hole stretch during his back-nine, before a penultimate-hole birdie left him needing to eagle the par-five last to register a maiden major title.
After finding the par-five green in two, Johnson ran his 12-foot eagle try some three and a half feet past the hole and seemed destined for a closing birdie to force an 18-hole play-off, only to miss the putt coming back and hand Spieth a second successive major victory.
2018 US Open
Johnson was four ahead at the halfway stage and seemed destined to win the US Open for a second time in three years, only for the world No 1 to have a weekend to forget on the greens at Shinnecock Hills.
The Masters - Live
Most of the field criticised the course set-up during the third day, where Johnson needed 38 putts on his way to a seven-over 77 and slipped into a four-way tie for the lead going into Sunday, with the American continuing to experience a cold putter on the final day.
Johnson missed four putts from inside eight feet and took 35 blows of the flat stick during a frustrating level-par 70, with a final-hole birdie only enough to finish third and two strokes adrift of Brooks Koepka.
2020 PGA Championship
Johnson was one ahead of a congested leaderboard in the opening men's major of the year and briefly extended his cushion by birdieing the opening hole of the final day, before recovering a three-put bogey at the third by picking up a shot at the next.
A run of nine straight pars saw Johnson lose his lead and a bogey at the 14th put him further behind, as Collin Morikawa eagled the driveable 16th hole on his way to a maiden major victory.
Johnson chipped in for birdie at the 16th and signed off his week by holing a 15-foot birdie at the lead, which was enough to finish two behind Morikawa and in a share of second with Paul Casey.
Can Dustin Johnson end his unwanted record in majors and win The Masters? Watch the final round live on Sky Sports. Live coverage beings on Sunday from 3pm on Sky Sports The Masters.
