Though the 2017-18 season is already well underway, The Sentry Tournament of Champions, which features a small field of winners from the 2017 season, kicked off the year in Hawaii.
The world’s No. 1 player continued to show his dominance. Dustin Johnson, already the best on the planet, put some new TaylorMade woods in his bag, hit some massive drives, and basically blew away the field at Kapalua, winning by an astounding 8 shots at 24-under par.
Johnson put TaylorMade’s new M4 driver into his bag at Kapalua after extensive testing with both that and the M3. He opted for the M4 due to the flatter flight and felt it was better suited for his trajectory in Kapalua’s winds. Clearly, he was right.
What is everyone talking about
That. Shot.
Yes, the one Johnson hit during the final round on the 12th hole, a 433-yard par 4 that went 432 yards and ended up as a tap in. Johnson was already in a commanding position in the tournament, but the shot really cemented the win.
Is this guy even human?! pic.twitter.com/EQj2EYUWWn
— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) January 8, 2018
“I could see it until it landed, but I knew it was on a good line,” Johnson said after the round. “Obviously you’ve got to get a nice bounce. But I knew it right off the tee. I knew I got a good line there. I knew exactly where I wanted it to come down out of the air and it did. So I knew it was going to be pretty good. I just, obviously, didn’t think I was going to have a tap-in.”
Jon Rahm, one of the breakout stars of 2017, now finds himself ranked third in the world, but chasing Johnson, who holds the top spot. Rahm finished the final round in 4-under par, and 16-under for the tournament, but a long way back of Johnson. He also put TaylorMade’s new M4 driver into play.
“It’s no easy task to catch DJ,” Rahm said following the final round. “He’s an extremely consistent player … I mean when he was 5-under through 11. I think we were all looking forward to finishing in second place. At least that was my battle for the last six holes.”
Canadian watch
Adam Hadwin made his debut in the tournament after winning last year. But Hadwin never appeared comfortable at Kapalua, finishing at 2-over.
New year—new gear
Johnson and Rahm weren’t the only players with new gear.
Rickie Fowler was the best dressed after playing in clothing celebrating his Hawaiian heritage. The apparel, called Aloha, was developed by Puma especially for the tournament and featured a look perfect for the tropical islands. Shop the Aloha collection.
Jason Dufner, who won last year playing Titleist irons, had Mizuno blades in his bag, along with a TaylorMade M4 driver. Brian Harman put a Titleist 8.5-degree 917D2 driver in play for the tournament.