Can it really be 21 years since Tiger Woods made his RBC Canadian Open debut in only his second start as a PGA TOUR pro?

In 1996, at the age of 20, the man who would galvanize the sport came to Glen Abbey in his fifth start that season. Despite coming off a missed cut at The Masters, a T82 at the U.S. Open, a T22 at The Open Championship and a T60 at the Greater Milwaukee Open where he turned pro, expectations were off the chart.

He would finish 11th at Glen Abbey and use that as a springboard to win twice that season.

Maybe “springboard” is an understatement. It was more like a rocket launcher that would revolutionize the sport.

Tiger blew up golf. He did so unabashedly and to some, arrogantly. Remember “Hello, world,” his announcement when he turned pro at the Greater Milwaukee Open? But if there is an instance where arrogance can be justified, that was it.

In 1997, less than a year after turning pro, he was the world’s top-ranked golfer, an honour he regained multiple times, including five-year spans from 1999 to 2004 and then 2005 to 2010. He has been the PGA Player of the Year a record 11 times, won 14 majors and 79 PGA TOUR events.

Yes, Tiger Woods galvanized and revolutionized golf, immeasurably raising the profile of the game and expanding its horizons.

But, as his career progressed, he also polarized it.

Mention his name to a group of golfers and you will get a cacophony of opinions. Yes, he is, arguably, the best the game has ever seen. No, he’s always thought he was about more than the game, he’s a serial adulterer, he’s a pill-popping shadow of the icon he once was.

As the 41-year-old prepares to make his return this week to competitive golf in an elite 18-man field at the Hero World Challenge in the Bahamas, those opinions are being voiced even louder.

Many will watch for the same reason viewers tune into a NASCAR race, less for the competition than in anticipation of the inevitable fiery crash.

Those folks should be reminded of one of the many admirable attributes of sport: its redemptive power.

Multiple knee and back surgeries, plus other ailments, not only hobbled Tiger and crippled his game, but made him susceptible to a reliance on prescription medications. His public humiliation in 2009 that led to his divorce plus his recent arrest for reckless driving have given the naysayers more negative ammunition. (For a comprehensive list, click here)

But, on the upside, he says he is pain-free for the first time in years and swinging well, although that swing now is a shadow of him at his pinnacle. Having said that, many knowledgeable observers feel it may be good enough to win again on TOUR. As he once said, he can win, even with his “C” game. There has been much money lost betting against Tiger.

Love him or hate him, no one can deny Tiger Woods was a golf god. But, as the Bible says, gods have heads of gold but feet of clay, an inevitable weakness that reveals their human vulnerability. Tiger, now ranked 1,193rd in the world, is but the latest evidence of that.

Given that undeniable truth, as we prepare to witness “Hello World 2.0”, let’s focus less on the clay and more on the gold.

And, perhaps, we will have the opportunity to watch him relive his golden moments at Glen Abbey at the 2018 RBC Canadian Open. Not only would it revive memories of the 1996 bedlam that accompanied him but also that unforgettable 6-iron out of the bunker on 18 that won him the 2000 RBC Canadian Open.

Redemption?

Stay tuned.

The Two Yard Fairway ?️ pic.twitter.com/DjsW8oWv0z

— The European Tour (@EuropeanTour) November 17, 2017

Watch four European Tour pros take on the toughest driving test of their career in the Dubai desert.

NAPLES, Fla. – Lexi Thompson won $1 million for the CME Race to the Globe and left so much more behind Sunday in the LPGA Tour’s final event.

Thompson was poised to win the CME Group Tour Championship and LPGA player of the year until she jabbed at a 2-foot par putt and missed it on the 18th hole at Tiburon Golf Club. That paved the way for Ariya Jutanugarn, who birdied her last two holes for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot victory.

It was a wild ending to the LPGA Tour season and sent four players home with a trophy of some variety.

Although she lost the tournament, Thompson still won the CME Race to the Globe and the $1 million bonus. She also won the Vare Trophy for having the lowest adjusted scoring average.

Thompson had to win the tournament to be player of the year. Instead, the points-based LPGA player of the year was a tie between a pair of major champions from South Korea, So Yeon Ryu and LPGA rookie Sung Hyun Park. It was the first time the award was shared since it began in 1966.

Park, the U.S. Women’s Open champion, was trying to become the first rookie since Nancy Lopez in 1978 to sweep the major awards. She already had won rookie of the year. She had to settle for a tie for player of the year, and her 75 in the third round damaged her chances of winning the Vare Trophy.

Brooke Henderson (72) of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 25th at 6 under and Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (69) tied for 46th at 1 under.

What stood out on another sunny afternoon was the sterling performance of Jutanugarn, who won for the second time this year.

She was three shots behind Thompson with six holes to play when her putter saved the day.

Jutanugarn was at 13 under on the par-5 17th when she hit a hybrid for her second shot into the bunker and blasted out to about 18 feet. Ahead of her on the 18th green, Thompson was at 15 under and lagged a 50-foot birdie attempt beautifully down the slope on the 18th to 2 feet left of the cup.

Jutanugarn made birdie. Thompson missed her par putt, and there was a three-way tie for the lead at 14 under that included Jessica Korda, who was playing with Thompson and had left her 25-foot birdie attempt well short.

Thompson and Korda each closed with a 67.

Jutanugarn hit her approach about 18 feet above the hole and made it for winning birdie. She finished at 15-under 273 and earned $500,000.

“I had no expectation at all,” Jutanugarn said. “I really did not think about the outcome.”

Jutanugarn was part of a four-way tie for the lead going into the final round, and the CME Group Tour Championship was up for grabs most of the day until Thompson seemingly seized control with 32 on the front nine, a 10-foot birdie on the 13th and then a superb pitch from left of the 17th green that set up a 3-foot birdie.

Pernilla Lindberg had reason to believe she needed birdie from long range on the 18th to have a chance. She ran that 7 feet by the hole and three-putted for a bogey and a 68. She wound up finishing two shots behind, along with Eun-Hee Ji (67).

Michelle Wie, trying to win for the first time since the U.S. Women’s Open in 2014, had a share of the lead until she hit near the edge of a bunker and made double bogey on No. 9, and then dropped two more shots on the back nine. Even with seven birdies, Wie still only managed a 70. She tied for sixth with Park, who closed with a 69. Park was at 13 under through 35 holes and played 1 over the final 37 holes.

Ryu was coping with a shoulder injury and was happy to squeeze in 72 holes. She wound up a part-winner of LPGA player of the year.

Thompson was on the putting green when she heard the cheer for Jutanugarn’s final birdie.

It was the second time this year that Thompson appeared to be in control and was stunned to not win. She had a four-shot lead in the final round of the ANA Inspiration when she was penalized four shots – two for incorrectly marking her golf ball on the green in the third round, and two more shots because the infraction wasn’t discovered by a viewer until the next day, and so she signed an incorrect scorecard in the third round.

She wound up losing to Ryu in a playoff, though Thompson said this week it made her a stronger person.

This will be another wound from which to recover, though she at least takes $1 million home with her as a consolation.

ST. SIMONS ISLAND, Ga. _ Austin Cook was chased by proven PGA Tour winners all day at the RSM Classic.

Now the Arkansas player is one of them.

The PGA Tour rookie held off veterans Brian Gay, Chris Kirk, Kevin Kisner and Brian Harman on Sunday at the chilly, windy Sea Island Club’s Seaside Course.

Cook closed with a 3-under 67 for a four-stroke victory over J.J. Spaun. The victory in the final PGA Tour event of the calendar year gave Cook a spot in the Masters next year.

“It was definitely exciting … real brutal with the wind,” Cook said. “I got off to a slow start but I was able to keep my head level and know there was a lot of golf to be played. With the wind and those conditions, a lot could happen.”

Cook birdied three of his last four holes after the three-shot lead he began the day with slipped to one over Spaun. Cook made a 14-foot birdie putt at No. 18 to finish at 21-under 261.

Spaun shot a 66.

Gay, the oldest contender of the week at 45, eagled the par-4 18th hole from 161 yards with a 9-iron to break out of a five-way tie for third and finish at 16 under. He shot 68.

Kirk (71) and Kisner (68), past winners of the tournament, St. Simons Island resident Brian Harman (65) and Andrew Landry (67) tied for fourth at 14 under.

Cook, the 26-year-old from Little Rock, earned $1,116,000 and improved to third on the FedEx Cup points list.

It’s the second year in a row that a rookie won the RSM Classic. Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., survived a five-way playoff to capture the title last year in a Monday finish, but missed this year’s cut.

Ben Silverman (66) of Thornhill, Ont., was the low Canadian, jumping up five spots and tying for eighth at 13 under. David Hearn (65) of Brantford, Ont., was 11 under and Corey Conners (69) of Listowel, Ont., was 7 under.

From @MacHughesGolf to @austincookgolf.

Another rookie winner at @TheRSMClassic. pic.twitter.com/v9K5EP4fa5

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 20, 2017

Spaun, a stocky former University of San Diego player, made the biggest move of the day and twice cut Cook’s lead to one shot _ the last time on an 8-foot birdie putt at the par-4 16th.

However, Spaun bogeyed No. 17 when he failed to get up-and-down from a greenside bunker, and Cook birdied No. 15 with a 4-footer and No. 17 with a 15-footer to seal the victory.

Spaun’s birdie at No. 16 could have put him into a tie for the lead but he missed a 4-foot birdie attempt on the previous hole.

“That (Spaun’s miss at No. 15) was big,” said Cook, who said he’s an obsessive leaderboard-watcher and knew exactly when Spaun had come within a shot.

Cook, who has Gay’s former caddie, Kip Henley, carrying his bag, never slipped after a bogey at the second hole, just his second of the week. He missed only two fairways in the final round and made par after four of his five missed greens. He led the field in scrambling, converting 11 of 12 pars after missing greens, and tied for fourth by hitting 48 of 56 fairways.

“With Kip on the bag, he was able to keep me in the moment and keep me pressing instead of playing conservative,” Cook said. “There was a lot of stuff going on, mostly up here (tapping his head). My ball-striking was great and for the most part, my putting was great. Holding the nerves down, playing a good round in these conditions. … I’m so happy.”

CALGARY — Canadians made a major mark on the fifth anniversary of Calgary’s Shaw Charity Classic by chipping in to raise a record $8,391,413 for 159 youth-based charities across Alberta.

The fifth straight record-setting donation for any event on the PGA TOUR Champions now brings the award-winning tournament’s fundraising totals to more than $22.1 million.

“We began our five-year celebrations by encouraging the public to find a small way to make their mark on this powerful event in Alberta that is having a lasting impact on communities throughout the province. This donation proves Albertans have made their mark in a major way,” said Clay Riddell, Tournament Chairman, Shaw Charity Classic. “More than 2,400 generous donors from around the world played a key role in helping us achieve our goals through their unbelievably generous donations that will help positively impact the lives of more than 480,000 children.”

The tournament’s title sponsor, Shaw Communications, teed off the tournament’s 2017 fundraising efforts with a total $1 million contribution split between the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation and the RESOLVE campaign, two of the Shaw Charity Classic’s charitable partners.

“Five years ago, we wanted to help bring to our city a world class event that would benefit charities, children, and families across Alberta,” said Brad Shaw, CEO, Shaw Communications. “Since then, the Shaw Charity Classic has become a cornerstone of our community, supporting hundreds of charitable organizations that are making meaningful impacts to families and kids across the province. We are sincerely grateful to the Patron Group, PGA TOUR Champions, the hundreds of volunteers, and most importantly, the thousands of fans who have made this event one of the biggest in Calgary.”

Shaw Communications launched two new initiatives this year to further the charitable giving. Birdies for Charity saw $500 donated for each birdie made on the 18th hole during the tournament. There were 83 birdies made over the three-round event, which raised $41,500. However, the company bumped it up to a $50,000 donation at the trophy ceremony. Additionally, Shaw donated $100,000 for Make Your Mark Day held on August 6, which saw thousands of local golfers attempt to make a birdie on a designated hole at one of 20 participating golf courses across the city.

Building on the leadership of its title partner, the tournament’s Birdies for Kids program once again played a critical role in helping to smash the tournament’s previous annual fundraising totals.

Thanks to the support of Birdies for Kids presenting partner, AltaLink, individuals and corporations have the opportunity to make a one-time donation directed to the children’s charity of their choice. Those donations were further leveraged through a tiered matching program that saw a percentage of the first $250,000 donated to each charity. This year, Birdies for Kids expanded its reach to include more donors who helped provide a positive impact on more charities.

“We’re incredibly proud of the impact the Birdies for Kids program is making on charities across Alberta dedicated to bettering the lives of children,” said Scott Thon, President and CEO of AltaLink. “This year marks another record-breaking year for the tournament overall and the Birdies for Kids program, and it’s possible only because of the generosity and can-do spirit of the people of this province.”

The records didn’t stop with the financial side of the tournament in 2017. A star-studded field of PGA TOUR Champions players, including Sir Nick Faldo, Jose Maria Olazabal, Colin Montgomerie, Fred Couples, Billy Andrade and 2017 champion Scott McCarron, played in front of another record number of spectators, with more than 45,000 people lining the fairways of Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club throughout the week.

Shaw Communications originally launched the five-year anniversary celebrations last spring by reinforcing its commitment to bringing world-class golf to Calgary in an effort to raise big money for charities with a commitment to extend its title sponsorship of the event for three more years through to 2020. Officials are already focused on reaching new goals in 2018. Many of the greatest names in golf will once again tee it up at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club from August 27 to September 2, 2018. Corporate packages for the Shaw Charity Classic are available online at www.shawcharityclassic.com.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame revealed the six Athletes, one Team, and two sport “Builders” who will make up the Class of 2017. Induction into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is considered the country’s highest sporting honour and reinforces the incredibly successful athletic careers of the nominees. This year’s Class has broken down barriers, blazed new trails, and served as proud international ambassadors for Canadian values. Each of the inductees selected to join the Class of 2017 have fostered inspiration both on and off the field of play, using sport as a platform to build a better country for their fellow athletes and all Canadians.

In attendance, on behalf of the Government of Canada, the Honourable Carla Qualtrough, Minister of Sport and Persons with Disabilities, officially welcomed the Class of 2017.

“On behalf of our government, I offer my heartfelt congratulations to all the 2017 inductees to Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame. What an amazing group of sport leaders. Thank you for the contributions you have made to sport and for helping build strong, inclusive and active communities for all Canadians, especially our young people.”

“We are thrilled to announce the Class of 2017 – a class that features Canada’s greatest Indigenous, National, Olympic and Paralympic sport heroes who will inspire Canadians in sport and life. This group of people is a great reflection of Canada’s rich 150 year sporting history” said Mario Siciliano, President and CEO, Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame.

We are thrilled to officially welcome our latest Inductees, the Class of 2017, into Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame! ?? #ClassOf2017 @cindy_klassen @MikeWeir @simonwhitfield @CharlesTator @HuynhCarol pic.twitter.com/WoJTbox92r

— Canada’sSportsHall (@CANsportshall) November 9, 2017

Mike Weir, one of Canada’s best golfers, hailing from Sarnia, Ont., was the first Canadian to ever win the prestigious Masters Tournament. Like many young Canadians, Mike first dreamed of playing professional hockey, but his path changed when he held his first golf club.  Golf intrigued Mike because of how challenging the game was and how much hard work it would take to succeed. His determination became clear as a star on the Brigham Young University golf team. This same determination would also help him achieve success in the early years of his professional career on the Canadian Tour where he won Rookie of the Year Honours in 1993 and led the Order of Merit in 1997, before reaching the PGA Tour in 1998.

Mike won his first PGA TOUR title in 1999, the first Canadian to win on native soil since 1954. Mike would go on to win seven more PGA titles including his 2003 Masters victory. Mike has beaten the odds his entire career, with doubters saying he was too small or not powerful enough. He silenced the critics in 2003 when he walked away with the green jacket and became a Canadian hero in the process.

In 2000, Mike became the first Canadian to play in the President’s Cup where he led the international team with a 3-2-0 record.  He was appointed to the President’s Cup team in 2003, 2005, and 2007 where he won the final match play round on Canadian soil.  Mike made his fifth consecutive President’s Cup appearance in 2009.

Mike has distinguished himself not only with his success, but with his quiet, focused, and humble approach, whether winning or losing. Mike demonstrates dignity and grace at all times and has become a role model for youth in Canada contributing to the strength of junior golf in Canada.

Mike has used his success as a professional golfer as a platform for helping families in need with the creation of the Mike Weir Foundation in 2004 to support children in physical, emotional, and financial need. Mike launched a national fundraising program, called the Mike Weir Miracle Golf Drive for Kids, supporting Children’s Miracle Network. On a national level, Mike was appointed a Member of the Order of Canada in 2007 for his contributions to the country through his charitable work.

The distinguished Class of 2017 inductees includes:

Carol Huynh, two-time Olympic medallist, Wrestling

Cindy Klassen, the most decorated Canadian Winter Olympian in history, Speed Skating

Lanny McDonald, Stanley Cup champion, Ice Hockey

Gaylord Powless, one of Canada’s most outstanding Lacrosse players

Mike Weir, the only Canadian to win the Masters, Golf

Simon Whitfield, two-time Olympic medallist, Triathlon

Dr. Robert W. Jackson, founder of the Paralympic movement in Canada, Builder

Dr. Charles Tator, Scientist and Neurosurgeon with profound impact on the world’s understanding of concussions, Builder

The Edmonton Grads Basketball Team, the best basketball team the world has ever seen

The Class of 2017 will be officially inducted during the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame 2017 Induction Celebrations on Nov. 9, 2017 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Please visit sportshall.ca for more information.

Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame is a national charitable organization established in 1955. Each year, a class of the country’s most influential and inspiring athletes and sport Builders are inducted. They are true Canadian sports heroes with achievements and life lessons that can inspire all Canadians to be the best they can be in all aspects of life.

MURRIETA, Calif. – A pair of Canadians finished inside the top 20 on Friday at the Bear Creek Golf Club to advance to the third and final stage of Web.com Tour Qualifying.

Calgary’s Ryan Yip held a spot for the duration of the tournament after opening with a 3-under 69. He finished the event tied for 15th at 6 under par (69-70-69-74).

Fellow countryman Seann Harlingten of Vancouver punched his ticket with a 3-under 69 in the final round, his best score of the tournament. Harlingten finished in a three-way tie for 20th at 4 under par.

Canadians Riley Wheeldon (Comox, B.C.), Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), and Aaron Cockerill (Gunton, Man.) all fell short of the cut line.

The final stage of qualifying will take place from Dec. 7-10 at the Whirlwind Golf Club in Chandler, Ariz.

Click here for scoring.

MURRIETA, Calif. – Five Canadians are set to tee-it-up in stage II of Web.com Tour Q-School from Oct. 31 – Nov. 3 at Bear Creek Golf in one of five qualifying events held across the United States.

The Canadian contingent is made up by Jared du Toit (Kimberley, B.C.), Riley Wheeldon (Comox, B.C.), Seann Harlingten (Vancouver), Ryan Yip (Calgary) and Aaron Cockerill (Gunton, Man.)

The tournament is a 72-hole stroke play event with no cut – the number of qualifying positions to advance will be announced during the tournament.

Click here for full scoring.

Play it again, Tiger Woods.

For the second straight year, Woods will return from back surgery at his holiday tournament in the Bahamas the week after Thanksgiving.

Woods has not played since he withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 with back spasms. Two months later, he had his fourth back surgery in just over two years.

Woods will be part of the 18-man field at the Hero World Challenge, which starts Nov. 30 at Albany Golf Club. While sponsor exemptions are limited to the top 50 in the world, Woods is exempt as the tournament host.

His latest procedure was a fusion surgery — the previous three were microdiscectomy surgeries — and Woods reported instant relief. He also said just one month ago at the Presidents Cup that he had no idea what his future held.

Doctors gave him clearance to practice without limitations about a week later, and Woods had been posting video on Twitter of a full swing with an iron, a driver and then his signature stinger shot with the driver.

“I am excited to return to competitive golf at the Hero World Challenge,” Woods said in a story on his website. “Albany is the perfect setting and it will be great to join this outstanding field.”

The tournament has no cut.

A year ago, Woods returned after 15 months recovering from two back surgeries. He made 24 birdies, but finished 15th out of 18 players. The tournament is not official on any tour, although it does award world ranking points.

He made his first PGA Tour start at Torrey Pines and missed the cut, and then went to Dubai and didn’t make it past the first round before his back began acting up.

Woods made the announcement just three days after he pleaded guilty to reckless driving in a deal that allows him to avoid jail time if he doesn’t violate terms of his probation.

The deal stems from a Memorial Day arrest on a DUI charge when Woods was found asleep at the wheel of his car, which was still running and parked at an awkward angle about 15 minutes from his home in Florida.

Woods attributed it to a bad combination of prescription medicine.

According to a toxicology report, Woods had the active ingredient for marijuana, two painkillers, the sleep drug Ambien and the anti-anxiety drug Xanax in his system.

He completed a drug treatment program in July.

Woods has 79 PGA Tour victories and 14 majors, both second all-time, though he has not won since the Bridgestone Invitational in August 2013 for his record 18th World Golf Championships title.

SHANGHAI – Justin Rose posed with the trophy from the balcony high above the 18th green at Sheshan International, a moment that didn’t seem possible.

He started the final round eight shots behind Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world.

“The beginning of the day, I was playing for second,” Rose said.

The HSBC Champions turned into a shocker in Shanghai when Johnson went into the PGA Tour record books for all the wrong reasons.

Instead of becoming the first player to win three World Golf Championships in one year, he tied a record for losing the largest lead in the final round. Six shots clear of the field, Johnson didn’t make a single birdie on a wild, wind-blown Sunday for a collapse that even Rose didn’t see coming.

Only when he saw a leaderboard behind the 14th green and realized he was three shots behind did Rose think he might have a chance. He got up-and-down with a tough bunker shot for birdie. He made a 10-foot par save at the 15th to stay in the game. He birdied the next two holes.

As Rose was signing for a 5-under 67, he looked up and saw Johnson’s last hope for eagle on the 18th tumble off the side of the green and into the water.

“It’s the kind of day you certainly don’t expect,” Rose said after his two-shot victory. “It’s the kind of a day you hope for – dream for – but a lot of things need to go your way in order for a day like today to happen, coming from eight shots behind, especially going against a player like DJ.”

He overcame an EIGHT-shot deficit for his 8th win on the PGA TOUR! ?@JustinRose99 claims the WGC-HSBC Champions! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/eo32mFc7OB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 29, 2017

Johnson certainly did his part. He shot 77, his highest final round with the lead since an 82 at Pebble Beach in the 2010 U.S. Open.

“I just could never get anything going and didn’t hole any putts,” Johnson said. “It was pretty simple.”

It was simply stunning.

Johnson matched the record for losing a six-shot lead, most recently by Sergio Garcia at Quail Hollow in 2005, most famously by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters.

The one-man show turned into a four-man race in the final hour, and Rose seized on it with a 31 on the back nine. He finished at 14-under 274. Johnson tied for second with Henrik Stenson (70) and Brooks Koepka (71), who also had their chances.

Only two other players in PGA Tour history have come from more than eight shots behind on the final day to win – Paul Lawrie (10 shots) in the 1999 British Open and Stewart Cink (nine shots) at Hilton Head in 2004.

“It was the perfect type of weather conditions to make a comeback,” Rose said. “This is the type of day when you are playing with a lead, every hole seems difficult. Obviously, someone is still capable of playing a special round of golf. And my back nine was just amazing today.”

The signature shot was a 5-iron he purposely threw up into the wind on the par-3 17th and watched it land some 3 feet behind the hole. That gave him the lead over Stenson, and no one caught him.

Stenson, who tied for the lead with a two-putt birdie from just short of the 16th green, ballooned his tee shot on the 17th and was well short and to the right, leading to a bogey. Koepka was within one shot of the lead until the wind switched on him at the 15th and deposited his shot into a plugged lie in the bunker. He blasted out to the fringe and took three putts from 30 feet for double bogey.

Rose won for the first time since capturing the gold medal at the Olympics last summer in Rio de Janeiro. He now has won every year since 2010.

The HSBC Champions sure didn’t look like a tournament where he would keep that streak going, not when he was eight shots behind going into the final round against Johnson, who has been No. 1 in the world since running off three straight victories against strong fields in the spring.

Nothing went right for Johnson.

He made bogey on No. 1. He drove into the water on the par-5 second and had to scramble for bogey. Still, he made the turn at 15 under and had a three-shot lead, and he was driving it down the middle and long on every shot. He fell apart on the par-5 14th, when he chunked a short iron for his second shot and had to get up-and-down for par, bogeyed the 15th from the bunker, and then hooked an iron into deep rough on the 16th.

His flop shot was a yard short of being perfect. Instead, it went into a bunker and he made another bogey.

“That wind was blowing hard,” Stenson said. “On this golf course, if you hit the wrong shot at the wrong time, it’s going to penalize you. Certainly it penalized DJ a number of times today. That’s why he came back to the rest of us. I played pretty strong, and then I hit one bad shot with possible the wrong club on 17. That kind of ended my chances to win the golf tournament.”

Rose won his second World Golf Championships title – the other was at Doral in 2012 – and moved to No. 6 in the world. Johnson gets a month off to consider one that got away from him in an ugly manner.