New year, same result for Dustin Johnson at the PGA Championship.
Johnson entered the final round at TPC Harding Park with a one-shot lead on a crowded leaderboard, eager to improve on last year’s result when he finished runner-up to Brooks Koepka at Bethpage. But changing coasts didn’t prove to be a solution for Johnson, who couldn’t keep pace as nine different players held at least a share of the lead during the final round.
Johnson closed with a 17-foot birdie putt for a 2-under 68, a score that on other days might be enough to close out a win when starting with a lead. Instead it only helped him join Paul Casey at 11 under, tied for second and two shots behind winner Collin Morikawa. Johnson did not speak with reporters following the final round.
Including the 2019 Masters, Johnson now has three runner-up finishes in the last five majors played. He also has five runner-ups in his major career, having finished second at both the 2011 Open and 2015 U.S. Open to go along with his 2016 U.S. Open win at Oakmont. Johnson also had a one-shot lead on the 72nd hole at the 2010 PGA at Whistling Straits before a penalty for grounding his club in a bunker dropped him to a T-5 finish.
PGA Championship: Scores | Full coverage
Johnson won the Travelers Championship in June but had struggled in recent weeks, shooting 80-80 en route to a missed cut at the Memorial and withdrawing from the 3M Open after an opening 78, citing a back injury. He is expected to move to No. 4 in the latest edition of the Official World Golf Rankings, one spot ahead of Morikawa.
