DJ CALLS THE TUNE IN HAWAII

Dustin Johnson confirmed his status as the best player in the world after coasting to an eight-shot victory at the Sentry Tournament of Champions in Hawaii.

Johnson opened up with rounds of 69, 68 and 66 at Kapalua to begin the final day with a two-shot lead over playing partner Brian Harman, and the world No.1 matched the low round of the week, a seven-under 65, to give him a winning score of 24 under par.

Johnson took control of the tournament with three birdies in four holes from the third, before completing a flawless outward 32 with another birdie at the ninth.

He suffered his only falter at the 11th hole, where he bunkered his tee shot and failed to get up and down, but his response on the next tee was astonishing, as he came within six inches of making an albatross hole-in-one with a pure 433-yard drive with his new TaylorMade M4 driver. The resulting tap-in for eagle was followed by a run of three consecutive birdies from the 14th, although a 12-foot putt at the last hole for his eighth birdie of the round slid past the target.

It was Johnson’s second victory in the tournament, which comprised a field of 34 players, following his 2013 triumph, while Jon Rahm won the race for second as he closed with a 69 to finish on 16 under.

The Spaniard recovered from an opening bogey with three birdies over the next five holes and made gains at 14, 15 and 17 to pip Harman for outright second.

Harman took himself out of contention with three bogeys over a scrappy outward 37, and the left-hander did well to cut out the mistakes after the turn while picking up shots at 15 and 16 to salvage a 72, which ensured outright third ahead of Rickie Fowler, Hideki Matsuyama and Pat Perez.

Halfway leader Marc Leishman’s final round 67 lifted him back into a tie for seventh on 13 under alongside Jhonattan Vegas, while Open champion Jordan Spieth fired a closing 69 to finish one stroke further adrift.