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World No. 3 Dustin Johnson is king in Saudi Arabia

By David Salituro

KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 03: Dustin Johnson of The United States celebrates with the trophy after the final round of the Saudi International at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on February 03, 2019 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images)
KING ABDULLAH ECONOMIC CITY, SAUDI ARABIA - FEBRUARY 03: Dustin Johnson of The United States celebrates with the trophy after the final round of the Saudi International at the Royal Greens Golf & Country Club on February 03, 2019 in King Abdullah Economic City, Saudi Arabia. (Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images) /
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Dustin Johnson outlasted playing partner Haotong Li on Sunday to win the Saudi International by two shots.

What began on Thursday as a tournament engulfed in controversy by Sunday turned into a back-and-forth duel between Dustin Johnson and Haotong Li.

It was Johnson, the third-ranked player in the world, who emerged with the two-shot victory at the Saudi International after a final round 67.

The American Johnson and his Chinese playing partner Li came into the final round tied for the lead at 16-under, five shots ahead of their closest challenger. Johnson got off to a slow start, a birdie at the second hole his only one on the front-nine. Li, who chipped in for eagle twice on Saturday, found that form again on the ninth, taking sole possession of the lead with another chip-in birdie.

Johnson, however, recovered by hitting his approach to the par-three 11th to within tap-in range. A birdie on the next hole put him back in front of Li, who bogeyed the 13th and 14th to fall three behind Johnson. Li cut the deficit with a birdie at the 15th and looked poised to get even closer after Johnson hit his tee shot at the par-three 16th into the water. Johnson managed to save bogey and preserve a one-shot lead before making birdie on the final two holes, finishing at 19-under for the tournament and two ahead of Li.

The win is the first of Johnson’s career on the European Tour other than co-sanctioned events and 11th worldwide victory since 2016, most of any player. Johnson, though, admits he didn’t play his best on Sunday.

“It was pretty close all day. I feel like neither one of us had their best stuff out there today,” he told EuropeanTour.com after the tournament. “I felt like I was playing well, but I was just missing the fairways and this golf course is tough if you’re playing out of the rough.”

“I’m pleased, obviously, with the outcome. Not so pleased with the way I played, I feel like I should have played a lot better.”

Even though he came up short, the runner-up finish is a little redemption for Li. A week ago in Dubai, a controversial two-shot penalty on the 72nd hole cost him a top-10 and nearly $100,000 in prize money.

While Johnson and Li got off to slow starts, Tom Lewis was surging. The Englishman, who began the round five shots behind, birdied his first five holes to get within one. He cooled off from there, shooting even-par the rest of the round to finish in third place, three behind Johnson.

Despite international scrutiny of the Middle Eastern kingdom over human rights and the murder of journalist Jamal Khashoggi, the world’s best golfers came to Royal Greens Golf & Country Club this week for the first European Tour event ever held in Saudi Arabia. But Johnson is the only one who will take away good memories of their time here. World No. 1 Justin Rose missed the cut, while No. 2 Brooks Koepka finished in 57th place. Sergio Garcia didn’t even finish the tournament after being disqualified during the third round for damaging the greens.

With all the controversy surrounding the event even before it began, Johnson, who usually seems like nothing bothers him on the golf course, ignored it all and did what he does better than anyone: win golf tournaments.

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