Dustin Johnson recovers from triple-bogey to win LIV Golf Tulsa in play-off

Dustin Johnson showed nerves of steel to birdie the 18th in the play-off and win in Tulsa; he will next play in the PGA Championship this week; watch the PGA Championship from Oak Hill exclusively live on Sky Sports Golf from Thursday at 1pm

Image: Dustin Johnson recovered well on Sunday to take home his first LIV Golf win of 2023

Dustin Johnson recovered from a triple-bogey before birdieing the first play-off hole to beat Cameron Smith and Branden Grace and win the inaugural LIV Tulsa title in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma.

The victory was Johnson's second since he joined LIV Golf a year ago and it required some clutch shots on the closing hole at rain-soaked Cedar Ridge.

Johnson, who closed with a three-under 67, was trailing Smith (61) and Grace (65) by one shot when he hit his drive into the left rough on the 18th, partially blocked by a tree. But he then hit a sand wedge over the corner of the tree to about 12 feet and made the birdie.

Smith was on the range waiting, having already birdied the 18th for his 61, tying the LIV record that Grace set in the opening round.

Image: Cameron Smith could not birdie his putt from a similar range as Johnson as the American claimed the victory

Grace two-putted from 35 feet on the final hole, which put him in the play-off and assured his South African team Stinger their first team win of the year.

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In the play-off, all three players were roughly on the same line, with Grace putting from the fringe. Grace missed to the left, Johnson holed his putt from 15 feet and Smith missed from 12 feet to the right of the hole.

All of this was made possible by Johnson making a mess of the par-three 10th hole. He had a shot bounce down a path into the water, a muddy lie and missed a four-foot putt. It added to a triple-bogey, allowing Grace to take the lead.

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"Everything I could do wrong, I did wrong on the hole," Johnson said. "To fight back and birdie 18 two times in a row when I had to, I'm really happy with that."

He was equally happy to see a good result heading into the second major of the year. The PGA Championship starts on Thursday at Oak Hill.

Until Sunday, Johnson had not finished closer than within five shots of the winner in five LIV Golf events. He was never a factor at The Masters. Now he feels as though his game is ready.

"I'm really playing well," Johnson said.

Talor Gooch, coming off two straight LIV Golf victories, played before a home state crowd in Oklahoma and finished in a tie for 36th.

Lee Westwood withdrew before the final round, saying he injured his left leg during a lengthy run on the treadmill. He is not in the PGA Championship next week and expects to be ready for the next LIV event at Trump National outside Washington.

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