Johnson still has mark of a champion

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ron jenkins / fort-worth star-telegram Zach Johnson (right) celebrates a special win with caddie Damon Green, whose father had died 10 days earlier. (TRIBUNE MEDIA MCT)

FORT WORTH, Texas -- Zach Johnson was so caught up in the emotion of another Colonial title and a victory in honour of his caddie's late father that he forgot to properly remark his ball before his final putt.

Even with a two-stroke penalty, Johnson won by one over Jason Dufner and got to slip on the plaid jacket Sunday for his first victory since also winning at Hogan's Alley two years ago.

"There's a number of adjectives I'm calling myself right now. And lucky would be the biggest one," Johnson said. "Blessed would be another one, humbled would be another one. It's an honour to put this jacket on once. ... I'm in shock I got it twice."

Johnson moved his original ball mark out of the line of Dufner's putt on the 18th green. But he never moved it back before his final 5-foot putt.

The penalty was assessed before he signed his scorecard, and Johnson's 12-under 268 total was enough to edge Dufner, who finally faltered and closed with a 74.

Johnson had already shared celebratory hugs and kisses with his two young sons and done a winner's television interview before caddie Damon Green, prompted by a rules official, asked the 2007 Masters champion if he had put his ball back in its original spot.

"First time it crossed my mind," Johnson said. "It's not going to be the last time."

The victory came 10 days after Green's 88-year old father died from stomach cancer. After Johnson's runner-up finish at The Players Championship two weeks ago, the caddie drove to Pensacola, Fla., to see his father. But Damon Green was ready to get back on the course this week.

"He wanted to be here, he felt like his dad wanted him to be here," Johnson about his caddie of 10 years. "I think he's the one that deserves this one more than I do. His courage and certainly his strength to get through last week and then work, and work well this week, to stay focused somehow. That's really commendable."

It is the eighth PGA Tour victory for Johnson, who won $1,152,000 even as his record streak of 15 consecutive under-par rounds at Colonial ended.

Tommy Gainey was a distant third at 7 under after a 67, a stroke better than Jim Furyk.

In what was essentially a match-play final round, Johnson took command at the 414-yard 15th hole. Dufner's approach hit the left side of that green then rolled into a ditch, leading to a triple bogey that put him four strokes back after Johnson's par.

Dufner's only two PGA Tour victories came in the previous four weeks, a stretch when he also got married.

After winning last week at the Byron Nelson Championship, he was trying to match Ben Hogan, his hero, as the only players to win both PGA Tour events in the Dallas-Fort Worth area in the same year. Hogan did it in 1946, when the tournaments weren't played in consecutive weeks.

"Pretty good run, today obviously a little disappointing to play that poorly and not kind of a chance there at the end," said Dufner, insisting fatigue didn't come into play. "I feel pretty good actually. ... I just played really poorly today."

Johnson was impressed nonetheless. "What (Dufner) has done the last month is beyond impressive," he said.

"I kind of feel like I somewhat unseated a king to me because he has been on top for four weeks."

-- The Associated Press

Republished from the Winnipeg Free Press print edition May 28, 2012 C4