Justin Rose Overcomes 8-shot Deficit To Beat Dustin Johnson In China And I'm A Little Concerned About DJ
Look, a lot of awesome sports going on so golf in China in late October not likely to capture your attention. And it probably shouldn’t — it’s a no-cut, payment guaranteed event, so honestly it’s nothing to get hyped about. If you’re all jacked up to watch this coverage you might be a loser.
This dude, for example, didn’t even show up Saturday and made $43,000.
And Yi Cao finished +23, 37 shots behind Justin Rose, and made $43,500.
However, despite all of these reasons not to care, we still had some fun. Dustin Johnson held a SIX SHOT lead entering the final round and blew it. Lost. Justin Rose posted a 67 against DJ’s 77 to overcome an 8-shot deficit, the third largest comeback in Tour history.
The leaderboard after the third round.
The leaderboard after the final round.
Here are some Sunday highlights.
So my question is, wtf DJ? Is he a choke artist? It’s bizarre because he’s not the type to earn the label. Other guys we’ve enjoyed pinning this on — like Sergio, Phil, Norman, Montie — are all visibly passionate thinkers out there. They’re all blatantly susceptible to mindfucking themselves once it gets going in the wrong direction. That same fiery intelligence that helps them win also compounds to produce some epic losses.
Advertisement
Let us just say Dustin Johnson isn’t oft looked at the same way.
He’s such a carefree, go-through-the-motions kinda guy that he gets largely overlooked as one who chokes. But I mean, he collapsed at Pebble, blowing a 3-shot lead on Sunday; he blew it with the bunker/non-bunker situation at Whistling Straits the same year; he hit one OB on the 14th at Royal St. George’s to blow it at the 2011 Open; he three-jacked the 72nd at Chambers Bay in 2015.
And now a 6-shot collapse in China? Obviously the WGC-HSBC-Whatever-The-Fuck Championship in Shanghai ain’t a major. But I’m just a little worried about my guy DJ. Blowing a 6-shot lead is some weird shit. He’s supposed to be mature now. Got a major championship, 16 wins, 2 kids, is 33 years old, the no. 1-ranked player in the world, and hasn’t been suspended for coke in YEARS. Would’ve bet my life he’d seal this deal. Thought he’d win by 10 not negative 2.
Weird shit and I’m concerned. He’s easily the most awe-inspiring American to watch this side of Big Dick Eldrick. Yeah we’ve got Spieth and JT and I love those guys but when DJ is on and roasting the ball incomprehensible distances, shooting crazy low scores, and playing fast as hell in a time when guys play 6-hour rounds, he simply does something for me the other guys don’t.
It’s almost like DJ randomly falling down the stairs and fucking up his back the day before the Masters after winning 3 tourneys in a row and trouncing his way to no. 1 in the world was a bad thing that affected his future.
I want this man to be okay.