Dustin Johnson Wins 2020 Masters in Record Fashion

Woods, the defending champion, began Sunday 11 strokes behind Johnson, but never mounted a run at the lead. At the par-3 12th hole, he hit three balls into the creek protecting the green and registered a score of 10, his highest score on any hole in his PGA Tour career.

Woods then birdied five of his last six holes to finish one under par for the tournament and tied for 38th.

Johnson’s victory also concluded a bizarrely atypical Masters, which was postponed to November from its customary spot in early April because of the coronavirus pandemic. An event known for its traditions, the 84th Masters was contested for the first time without fans, who are normally an essential part of the visual and auditory experience. Augusta National was so quiet that only the chatter between player and caddie rose above the chirping birds. The final round, a theatric staple of the worldwide sporting calendar, was held four hours earlier than its standard time to account for the diminished amount of sunlight in the fall.

Finally, Johnson was presented with the green jacket that goes with his victory less than five months before he will have to defend his title in April 2021.

That is a circumstance that did not vex Johnson, the world’s top-ranked player.

“I know 2020 has been a really strange year,” said Johnson, who contracted the coronavirus last month and quarantined for roughly two weeks with mild symptoms. “But it’s been good to me.”

Johnson’s victory was his first after holding the 54-hole lead in a major championship. He had failed to win in four such instances, including in August when he tied for second at the P.G.A. Championship. Johnson conceded that not being able to close out the lead in a major had begun to weigh on him.