Dustin Johnson cemented his position at the top of the world rankings as he held off a strong European challenge to claim a one-shot victory at the WGC-Mexico Championship.
The US Open champion was four shots clear of the field early on the back nine at Club de Golf Chapultepec following an outward 31, before bogeys at 12 and 13 opened the door for the likes of Spain’s Jon Rahm, and the English duo of Tommy Fleetwood and Ross Fisher to mount a challenge, but the American held his nerve down the stretch to collect his fourth World Golf Championship title.
Fleetwood holed a 30-foot putt for birdie on the final green to secure outright second, while Rahm three-putted the 16th and 17th greens to slip to 12 under alongside Fisher, who fired a best-of-the-day 65, which included nine birdies.
Further down the leaderboard, Thomas Pieters birdied three of the opening four holes to get in the mix, but he could not maintain his challenge over the closing holes, and a bogey at the last saw him slip to 11 under with overnight leader Justin Thomas, whose hopes effectively ended when he dropped three shots before the turn.
Rory McIlroy, rusty following a five-week injury lay off, month, finished with a disappointing 71 to finish four shots off the pace, while Lee Westwood, who was only one behind the leaders starting the final round, crashed down the leaderboard into a tie for 28th following four double-bogeys in a six-hole stretch around the turn.
Buckinghamshire’s Tyrrell Hatton continued his fine run of form in America with a closing 70, which him earned him another top-10 finish on nine under.