The Tournament of Champions has been on the PGA Tour schedule since 1953. Only two other players have won by more than Dustin Johnson’s eight-shot romp in 2018: Gene Littler won by 13 in 1955 and David Duval by nine in 1999.
DJ torched Kapalua to the tune of 69-68-66-65 to not only win by eight, but to beat third place by nine and fourth place by 10. His near ace Sunday at the 430-yard par-4 sixth was one of his all-time great shots. That’s saying something for a two-time major champion and 24-time PGA Tour winner.
Speaking of majors, Johnson just snagged one recently. Albeit at a soft, November Augusta National, the South Carolinian set the Masters scoring record by reaching 20-under and cruising to victory.
DJ already got the major championship monkey off his back by winning the 2016 U.S. Open, but a player of his stature would have been disappointed to end his career with just one. Not that Johnson’s the type to get too wrapped up about these things, but I think getting that green jacket could free him up even more.
The world No. 1 has created plenty of separation in the rankings. When you win thrice in a year (Travelers, Northern Trust), that’s bound to happen.
He should be plenty rested coming into the week after over a month off. There may be some rust to shake off, though playing a course he’s very familiar with will help. DJ is making his 12th Tournament of Champions appearance.
He also won in a rain-shortened 2013 event (69-66-68) and has never fared worse than T-16th. He finished top 10 in his last eight trips, including T-7th (72-71-71-69) in 2020.