Johnson Wagner worked so hard in the offseason that he told friends he was going to win early in the year, and he hardly wasted any time.
Wagner played bogey-free over the last 12 holes, a winning recipe on a tough day at Waialae, and closed with a 3-under 67 to pull away from a half-dozen contenders and win the Sony Open on Sunday in Honolulu.
As for that mustache getting so much attention? It’s going to stay for at least another week, and maybe until he gets to Augusta National in April. The third win of his career earned him an invitation to the Masters.
Wagner was among six players who had a share of the lead at some point in the final round. He was the only guy to stay there, and wound up with a 2-shot win over Carl Pettersson, Sean O’Hair, Harrison Frazar and Charles Howell III.
Coming into the year, Wagner had only seven top 10s in 139 starts on tour, including two wins. He opened the year at Kapalua with a tie for ninth, and then rallied from a 2-shot deficit to win the Sony Open.
Frazar had the best chance. He had the outright lead briefly after a birdie at No. 10, then made pars the rest of the way for a 67. Pettersson overcame a double bogey on the second hole and finished with four birdies on the last six holes, also for a 67.
European Tour
South Africa’s Branden Grace won his first European Tour title Sunday with a par 72 for a 1-shot victory at the Joburg Open in Johannesburg.
Grace had a bogey and birdie on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to edge Englishman Jamie Elson, finishing at 17-under 270.
Grace, 23, had his 3-shot, third-round lead cut to 1 when Elson made a 30-foot putt for eagle on No. 18 to finish with a 63. Elson had seven birdies along with his eagle, including six in his first eight holes.
But Grace, one of 27 players to complete his third round in the morning because of rain delays, held on with nine straight pars coming home for his second professional win after a 2010 victory on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour.
Scottish pair David Drysdale (67) and Marc Warren (68) were part of a six-way tie for third. Retief Goosen had a 73 and finished 16th, 7 shots behind the leader.
