Johnson's '11-Stroke Victory'... "Sweeps PO 1st Place + World Ranking 1st"

'PO Round 1' The Northern Trust Final Day 8 Under Par, Woods Tied 58th "See You in Round 2", Lee Kyoung-hoon Tied 29th

Dustin Johnson is cheering while lifting the trophy immediately after winning the 'PO Round 1' The Northern Trust. Norton, Massachusetts, USA = Getty Images / Multivitz Photo by Multivitz

[Asia Economy Kim Hyun-jun, Golf Specialist Reporter] "4-under par → 11-under par → 7-under par → 8-under par."

This is Dustin Johnson's (USA) 'storm of shots.' On the 24th (Korean time) at Boston TPC in Norton, Massachusetts (par 71, 7,342 yards), the final day of the PGA Tour 'Playoffs (PO) Round 1' The Northern Trust (total prize money $9.5 million), he added an 8-under par to achieve a huge 11-stroke victory (30-under par 254 strokes). This is his second win of the season and 22nd career victory in two months since the Travelers Championship in June, with a winner's prize of $1.71 million (20.3 billion KRW).

▲ Johnson: "Did you see that long drive power?" = The second round was the highlight. He collected two eagles and seven birdies. On the 5th hole (par 5), he made '2 on 1 putt,' and on the 4th hole (par 4), he succeeded in '1 on' with a '1-putt eagle.' He reduced 11 strokes over 12 holes but parred the remaining 7 holes, falling short of the 'dream 59 strokes,' which was rather regrettable. After a 7-under par the previous day, he recorded another 8-under par with one eagle and six birdies on this day.

Johnson is known as a long hitter on the PGA Tour. He has boasted the status of the 'Big 5' every year, including being the longest hitter in 2015 (317.7 yards). With his Travelers win, he has won at least once every year since 2008, demonstrating consistency with '13 consecutive seasons with a win.' He is especially strong in high-profile matches. He is a 'WGC slammer,' having won all four different World Golf Championships (WGC) series: the 2013 HSBC Champions, 2015 Mexico Championship, 2016 Bridgestone, and March 2017 Dell Match Play.

This tournament is also his third win, including in 2011 and 2017. Johnson instantly rose to first place in the PO and secured the world No. 1 ranking to be announced that afternoon. The PO features a 'survival game' with the second round BMW Championship (70 players) and the final third round Tour Championship (30 players). The No. 1 seed starts with a 10-under par 'stroke bonus,' and the final champion hits the '15 million dollar (17.88 billion KRW) jackpot.' Johnson has secured a favorable position.

Tiger Woods is reading the putting line on the 8th hole during the final day of The Northern Trust. Norton, Massachusetts, USA = Getty Images / Multibits Photo by Multibits

▲ 'Revived' Woods: "See you in Round 2" = Harris English finished second (19-under par 265 strokes), and Daniel Berger (both USA) was third (18-under par 266 strokes). World No. 1 Jon Rahm (Spain) remained tied for 6th (16-under par 268 strokes). Webb Simpson (USA) joined this group, maintaining third place in the PO, while Justin Thomas (USA) faltered with an even par, dropping to tied 49th (7-under par 277 strokes), yielding first place to Johnson and falling to second.

Locally, the spotlight was on the 'resurrected golf emperor' Tiger Woods (USA) in 'revival mode.' He climbed to tied 58th (6-under par 278 strokes) with a 5-under par. Above all, his 'needle-like iron shots' with an 88.89% greens in regulation rate stood out. Currently ranked 57th in the PO, securing a ticket to the third round, which only 30 players enter, is urgent for Round 2. He said, "My shot feel has improved a lot," and vowed, "I will work more on my putting."

Korea's Lee Kyoung-hoon (29) was tied 29th (10-under par 274 strokes), and Kim Si-woo (25) tied 39th (9-under par 275 strokes). However, both players ranked 97th and 81st in the PO, respectively, failing to advance to Round 2. Kang Sung-hoon (33) dropped from 61st to 72nd in the PO with a 'cut off,' causing frustration. The 'Korean squad' now has two players left. Im Sung-jae (22, CJ Logistics) is 8th in the PO, likely advancing to Round 3. An Byeong-hun (29, also CJ Logistics) is 35th, making his Round 2 performance crucial.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.