Johnson becomes world's No. 1 golfer
LOS ANGELES — Dustin Johnson’s raw talent and a trophy case that keeps growing allowed him to believe he was the best player in golf.
Now he can say it.
Even if he doesn’t understand the math involved with being No. 1.
Johnson extended a remarkable run, which began with his first major at the U.S. Open last summer, with a five-shot victory in the Genesis Open that was never in doubt Sunday. That elevated the 32-year-old American to No. 1 in the world for the first time.
Johnson doesn’t spend a lot of time crunching numbers, especially the computations for the world ranking. But he said he would look at it first thing in the morning.
“I don’t really understand it,” he said. “But I can read 1-2-3. I guess that’s all that matters.”
In a 36-hole Sunday brought on by weather delays at Riviera, all it took was five holes to put Johnson in charge. He finished the third round in the morning with three straight birdies for a 7-under 64 to build a five-shot lead. He started the final round with two straight birdies and eventually stretched his lead to nine shots.
He went 49 straight holes without a bogey.
Johnson didn’t know he was in range of the 72-hole scoring record at Riviera that dates to 1985, the longest standing on the PGA Tour schedule. He wasn’t thinking about reaching No. 1 in the world. All he cared about was winning at Riviera, one of his favorite courses where he had four chances to win in the last five years.
“Winning the golf tournament ... that’s what I was here to do,” he said.
Johnson, who made three meaningless bogeys over the last 10 holes for an even-par 71, became the 20th player to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986. He ended Jason Day’s 47-week stay at the top.
“He deserves it because he’s been playing great golf,” Day said.
Johnson won for the fourth time against some of golf’s strongest fields in the last eight months — the U.S. Open at Oakmont, a World Golf Championship at Firestone, a FedEx Cup playoff event at Crooked Stick and the best field so far this year at Riviera. He has finished no worse than third in eight of his last 16 tournaments.
“No surprise to us players, and I don’t think too much surprise to many others,” Jordan Spieth said.
And it’s not a surprise to Johnson.
Asked if he ever looked at himself as the best in the world even without the No. 1 ranking, Johnson smiled and said, “All the time.”
“I mean, I think I’m a good player,” he said. “Everybody has their own opinion. I believe in myself. I think I’m a great player. The best in the world? I mean, until now I probably wouldn’t have said I was the best in the world. But now I can say it.”
He heard it, too, as the gallery on the hill surrounding the 18th green began chanting, “No. 1.”
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