DORAL, Fla. — Whether or not Dustin Johnson's six-month hiatus from golf was self-imposed (as he has tried to indicate) or an unannounced PGA Tour suspension (which sources have said it was), there is no question Johnson is back in a big way.
The exclamation point came Sunday at the WGC-Cadillac Championship at Trump Doral, where he posted a final-round 3-under-par 69 to win, finishing on 9-under for the week.
That was good enough to be one shot clear of J.B. Holmes, the 54-hole leader who took a five-shot lead over Johnson into the round, and two shots better than Bubba Watson.
Johnson's 69 was the only sub-70 round shot among the final 19 groups Sunday. Given the pressure of the day and what was at stake, it was as impressive as the 10-under-par 62 Holmes shot in the opening round.
Holmes, who led after the first three rounds, shot 2-over par in his final three rounds — not enough to make that magical opening round stand up by tournament's end.
For Johnson, playing in his fifth tournament since his return to competition, it was validation for the things he said he worked on in his time away "trying to become a better person.''
When asked why he has not been more "forthcoming'' about exactly what issues he was working on while away, Johnson said "Because it's personal and frankly it's not really anybody's business.''
Johnson said he lost 12 pounds during his time away. He also retained a "life coach.'' He and his wife, Paulina Gretzky, had their first child several weeks ago.
Now Johnson, who said he left the game "to address personal challenges,'' has his ninth PGA Tour victory. He has won at least once in each of the last eight seasons, the longest such streak on the PGA Tour.
"Oh man, this means everything,'' Johnson said. "It's been a tough road, but a really good one. A lot of great things came out of it, like my son and my wife, Paulina, and I are doing great. It feels awesome to get that 'W.' I played really great.''
Asked what he learned about himself while away from the game, Johnson said: "I knew I was really good. I just knew there was something missing that could make me great, and I've really been working hard on that and it's showing right now.''
Johnson, who has been in fantastic form since his return, losing in a playoff at the Northern Trust Open in Los Angeles and contending at Pebble Beach, immediately becomes a big favorite at next month's Masters.
After a number of near-misses, he's in search of his first career major championship.
Asked where this win ranks for him, Johnson said, because of the circumstances, "This was definitely, by far, the best one.''
It was perhaps the worst loss on the golf course for Holmes, whose week this seemed to be since Thursday.
Holmes called it "just one of those days,'' but paid homage to Johnson, saying, "Dustin played a great round. I knew it would take a good round to beat me, and 69 out here is pretty freaking good.''
It also was a bad day for Watson, who was the first to overtake the struggling Holmes and looked like he was going to run away with the tournament after shooting a 4-under 32 on the front nine and building a two-shot lead with eight holes to play.
But Watson, who shot 71 Sunday, began to falter with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12 and ended up playing the last eight holes in 3-over.
Johnson was at his best at the end, when he stood on the 18th tee with a one-shot lead needing par to secure the win.
Johnson, erasing from his mind that he'd bogeyed 18 in all three previous rounds, piped his drive over the corner of the water, where you need to carry 315 yards to reach safely.
His approach shot landed in the back right of the green, and he cozied his birdie putt to safe tap-in distance for the win.
Moments later, his wife and son were in his arms and those six months away — self-imposed or suspension — mattered little. His return had been validated.
Who knows for sure whether Johnson is, indeed, the better person he was striving to be, but he sure does look like a better player.
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