Dustin Johnson has played 13 seasons on the PGA Tour and now has won a least one tournament in all of them.
The 36-year-old Johnson survived a late weather delay and two bogeys on the back nine to shoot 3-under-par 67 for his 21st career title, winning the Travelers Championship by one stroke over Kevin Streelman at TPC River Highlands in Cromwell, Conn.
“Obviously, it’s great to have that streak and keep it going,” said Johnson, who had knee surgery late last year and won for the first time since the WGC-Mexico Championship some 16 months ago. “It’s been a long time, but to win here is nice and now I’m looking forward to the next one.
“I putted nicely but didn’t hit the ball as well as I did yesterday (when he shot 61). I hit the ball well but had trouble hitting the fairway, and you have to do that here to give yourself a chance for birdies. But I figured out a way to get it done.”
Johnson, formerly the No. 1 player in the world who started this week at No. 6, held a three-stroke lead after making five birdies in seven holes through No. 10. Then he overcame a drive out of bounds and another shot that nearly found the water on the back nine en route to a winning score of 19-under 261.
Streelman, whose victory in the 2014 Travelers is one of his two PGA Tour victories, also closed with a 67 but finished with five straight pars when he needed only one birdie to pull even with Johnson.
“I guess it was just not meant to be,” said Streelman, who played bogey-free in the final round. “I felt really good coming off two straight missed cuts and solo second is nice. I’ll take a lot of positives out of this, but it’s still a little disappointing.
“I love this golf course because it’s like some of the courses I play at home near Chicago. It’s always in great shape and it fits my eye.”
Will Gordon, 23, the 2019 Southeastern Conference Player of the Year while at Vanderbilt, earned temporary membership on the PGA Tour in his eighth event by carding a 64 to finish two shots back in a tie for third with Mackenzie Hughes of Canada.
Hughes, who led after shooting 60 in round one, closed with a 67 by sinking birdies putts of more than 40 feet on the last two holes.
Kevin Na of Diamond Bar finished another stroke down in solo fifth after a 67, while Bryson DeChambeau of Clovis totaled 68 and wound up four down in a tie for sixth with Brendan Steele (66) of Idyllwild and UC Riverside, Ryan Armour (64), Patton Kizzire (67) and Scott Stallings (67).
Top-ranked Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland shot 67 and finished in a tie for 11th that included ninth-ranked Patrick Cantlay of Los Alamitos and UCLA, who had a 65, while
10th-ranked Xander Schauffele of La Jolla and San Diego closed with a 67 to tie for 20th.
Phil Mickelson, a two-time winner at TPC River Highlands who held the 36-hole lead, carded a second straight 71 to finish in a tie for 24th that included seventh-ranked Patrick Reed, who posted a 64, while second-ranked Jon Rahm of Spain totaled 71 to tie for 37th, and defending champion Chez Reavie tied for 46th with a 69.
This was the third straight PGA Tour event played without fans because of social distancing guidelines after a three-month shutdown because of the Coronavirus pandemic.
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