Dustin Johnson wins The Masters

Only once the last putt dropped and the scar tissue dissolved did Dustin Johnson finally allow a smile, and later a few tears, to crack his stone-like expression. For this record-breaking Masters victory, on a day where his commanding lead almost vanished in an early twist, was not just affirmation of his status as the world’s best player but an exorcism of the past. The chastening surrenders - imploding at Pebble Beach; choking at Chambers Bay; the more recent US Open and PGA Championships where the trophy melted through his fingers - when Johnson hid his disappointment behind a deadpan gaze. His dominant career, in spite of such immense success, and even with a sole major victory in 2016, had always been caveated by those four occasions where he squandered a 54-hole lead.