Johnson takes home the green jacket with a record 20-under par in Augusta

by curt berry, staff writer

Well, I hope you like golf, redemption stories and dead silence, because the 2020 Masters gave all of this to you and more. 

What a strange tournament it was in Augusta. Let’s start with the fact that there was a 2.5 hour rain delay on Thursday morning, and the golfers were only able  to play nine holes some days before the sun set

The Masters, usually played in April, was pushed back to November due to COVID-19. The event didn’t hold any fans for the first time in its history. 

This may have affected one of the strongest players in the game including the favorite to win it, Bryson DeChambeau. DeChambeau shot a total of -2 over the tournament and barely made the cut on Saturday morning. 

DeChambeau shot a 74 on Friday, bringing him to even on the round and making it almost impossible for him to comeback. 

His driver was the issue, as he only hit 70% of the fairways. 

Phenom Tiger Woods had a couple solid rounds early on, but a historic collapse on 12 in the fourth round just about ended him. 

Tiger, on a par 3, shot a 10, after sinking a couple shots in the water. This was a career worst for him at the Masters, and it brought him down to +3. Woods finished strong, however, and finished the tournament at -1. Let’s talk about a couple close runner ups as well. Justin Thomas, who shot a -12 on the tournament, shot a phenomenal 66 in the first round as he made his way to the top of the leaderboard. However, a 71 and 70 on Saturday and Sunday couldn’t get it done against Dustin Johnson’s masterful performance, and he fell to fourth place in the tournament. 

I wouldn’t be too upset though; he took home $552,000 going into the holidays. 

Another close finisher who gave it a run at the end was Cameron Smith, who shot below a 70 on all four days at the tournament. However, he struggled hitting the greens in regulation, only getting 64.4% of them on and fell to the champ. 

He was only 2 strokes down with 6 holes to play, but it wasn’t enough. Who did Tiger hand off his green jacket to? 

Well, none other than the number one player in the world, Dustin Johnson. DJ, as his peers call him, shot -20, which included a 65 on Thursday and Saturday. 

He nailed 80% of the fairways and had a green-in-regulation of 82%. He also played bogey free golf on the days he shot a 65. Remarkable, but what could make this better? 

Well, here is where the waterworks come in. Johnson had a four stroke lead with nine holes to go several years ago at the Masters and lost it. This time around, he contained himself and beat Cameron Smith by five strokes after a nearly perfect Sunday. 

It may have been silent in the crowd at Augusta, but the golf world was roaring back at home as DJ took home the green jacket.