The Masters: Imperious Johnson storms to historic Augusta triumph

Johnson finished on a record-breaking 20-under for the tournament, five strokes clear of nearest rivals Cameron Smith and Sungjae Im.

The 36-year-old took some time to relocate the imperious form he displayed during Saturday's bogey-free 65, dropping shots at four and five.

That wobble offered a reminder that Johnson had failed to convert on the previous four occasions he had held a 54-hole lead at a major.

However, the 2016 U.S. Open winner stormed clear on the back nine, with an immaculate wedge to six feet on 15 setting up a third consecutive birdie - a successful putt that made him the first player in Masters history to reach 20-under.

Dustin Johnson is the first player in Masters history to reach 20 under par. #themasters pic.twitter.com/6X48I5q1xs

— The Masters (@TheMasters) November 15, 2020

Johnson's phenomenal level across the week was only underlined by a record-breaking feat immediately behind him.

Smith tapped in for par on 18 to become the first player in The Masters’ 84 editions to card all four scores in the 60s, his back-to-back weekend 69s following 67 and 68 on Thursday and Friday.

Still, it was not nearly enough, with the 27-year-old Australian and South Korea's Im having to content themselves with becoming the new owners of the best scores not to win at Augusta, passing Rickie Fowler's mark of 14-under behind victor Patrick Reed in 2018.

Smith came in tied for fifth that year, as did Rory McIlroy. That was the finishing position once again for the Northern Irishman, who was alongside Dylan Frittelli on 11-under, a shot behind Justin Thomas.

McIlroy was left to rue a wretched 75 in the opening round, having played often scintillating golf from that point. Nevertheless, The Masters remains the only one of golf's main prizes to elude him and his six-year wait for a fifth career major goes on.

Johnson will undoubtedly tell his friend such things are worth waiting for having emphatically put a collection of painful near-misses behind him to lift major number two, outstripping Tiger Woods and Jordan Spieth's previous best-winning scores of 18-under at the tournament in the process.

At the 2019 Masters, another more notable delay between major triumphs came to an end in unforgettable fashion when Woods made an emotional return to the winners' enclosure.

His efforts on Sunday, namely on the par-three 12th could not have cut a sharper contrast.

A five-time winner at Augusta, Woods carded a septuple bogey 10 after three visits to Rae's Creek.

Defiantly, the 44-year-old relocated some of his old magic to birdie five of the closing six holes to card a four-over 76 and finish on one-under overall, tied for 38th.

John Rahm was one of a host of players well-placed to challenge Johnson, but an occasionally ragged weekend meant the Spaniard had to settle for tied seventh on 10-under alongside Brooks Koepka and C.T. Pan.