Dustin Johnson nearly hits hole-in-one on par-4 (Video)

Dustin Johnson started the 2018 calendar year on a high note in mostly unremarkable fashion, but his drive on a par-4 during Sunday’s final round will be memorable.

As cold temps and “bomb cyclone” snowstorms descend on parts of the United States, watching golf in Hawaii is a welcome January respite. The Sentry Tournament of Champions took place over the weekend, at Kapalua on Maui, and Dustin Johnson won by eight shots after a closing 65 on Sunday. Just five other golfers finished within 10 shots of Mr. Paulina Gretzky.

Among the world’s best golfers that don’t struggle to hit the ball as far as they want to off the tee, Johnson is a noted big hitter. He finished second in average driving distance on the PGA Tour last season, and the conditions in Hawaii are generally conducive to low-scoring and big drives.

But Johnson’s display of distance in the 433-yard, par-4 12th hole during Sunday’s final round was something to be beheld.

A combination of an absolutely perfect line, a wind to help, a big bounce which did not stray off-line at all and pure power led to Johnson nearly hitting an ace on a 400-plus yard par-4. He completed the formality of an eagle after his monstrous drive, his second eagle on No. 12 at Kapalua in as many days on his way to lapping the rest of the 34-player field. Yet, somehow, he immediately suggested he didn’t hit it as well as he could have.

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“I missed it a little?” “I hit it a little thin…came up a little short?” Really? As improbable as that all seems, you don’t become great at golf without some feel for what a pure, well-struck shot feels like or without recognizing an imperfection after hitting a shot that looks essentially perfect otherwise. If this performance is any indication, Johnson is in for a big year in 2018.