Dustin Johnson takes five-shot lead at WGC-HSBC Champions

WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS, SECOND ROUND

-12: D Johnson (US) 

-7: R McIlroy (NI), B Weekley (US), B Watson (US) 

-6: T Fleetwood (Eng), G McDowell (NI), I Poulter (Eng), E Els (SA), S Garcia (Spa), G Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 

Selected others: -5: J Rose (Eng), P Mickelson (US) 

-3: L Donald (Eng), J Donaldson (Wal) 

-2: P Casey (Eng), G McDowell (NI) 

E: L Westwood (Eng), M Kaymer (Ger)

Dustin Johnson equalled the course record with a 63 to move five shots clear after round two of the World Golf Championships event in Shanghai.

The American made 10 birdies to surge clear of the field in China. After shooting seven under par on the opening day, the progress of Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy's stalled with an even-par round of 72. McIlroy has a share of second place with Americans Bubba Watson and Boo Weekley heading into the weekend. Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Ian Poulter and Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell are in the group tied for fifth at six under. Johnson picked up birdies at six of the opening seven holes and, after dropping a shot at the 10th, he secured a fourth birdie of the back nine on the 18th to card nine under par for his second round. After his fine effort on Thursday, McIlroy, who started the second day with a two-shot lead, began with three birdies on the front nine. But he struggled on the back nine, dropping two shots before finding the water as he tried to reach the par-five 18th in two - resulting in another bogey.

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Simon Dyson: European Tour to consider Tour Expulsion

Simon Dyson could be banned from the European Tour after signing an incorrect scorecard at last week's Shanghai Masters.

The Englishman, 35, was disqualified from the tournament after failing to add a two-shot penalty to his card. After marking his ball on the eighth green during his second round, Dyson touched the ground in his putting line. Dyson denies deliberately fixing a spike mark in the line of a putt, calling it an "accidental mistake". The offence went unnoticed until television viewers alerted European chief referee John Paramor. Expulsion is the most severe punishment that officials could impose on the six-time Tour winner. A review found Dyson had violated rule 16-1a, which forbids a player from touching the ground in the line of a putt. Senior European Tour officials concluded that an investigation into an alleged "serious breach" of the Tour's code of behaviour was required. The disciplinary procedure states: "If, at the conclusion of an investigation into an alleged breach of the code by a member, it is evident that a serious breach of the code may have occurred, then a disciplinary hearing shall take place before an independent disciplinary panel." Under European Tour regulations, the three-person panel would comprise an independent lawyer, an ex-member of the European Tour or current player on the European Senior Tour and an experienced sports administrator. "I have never deliberately broken the rules, either on this occasion or in the past," said Dyson. "It was only after I was shown the replay of my action after marking the ball on the eighth green during the second round that I realised what I had done and that I was in breach. "I immediately accepted that I should be disqualified. "My action was in no way a deliberate act with the intention of breaking the rules. It was simply an accidental mistake."

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Rory McIlroy takes lead at World Golf Championships



WGC-HSBC CHAMPIONS, FIRST ROUND

-7: R McIlroy (NI) 

-5: J Donaldson (Wal), G Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 

-4: J Spieth (US), J Rose (Eng), B Watson (US), T Fleetwood (Eng) 

-3: P Casey (Eng), K Aphibarnrat (Tha), G Bhullar (Ind), S Hend (Aus), E Els (SA), D Johnson (US), G McDowell (NI) 

Selected others: -2: S Garcia (Spa), L Donald (Eng) 

-1: P Mickelson (US), L Westwood (Eng)

Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy shot a seven-under-par 65 to take a two-shot lead in the first round of the World Golf Championships event in Shanghai.

McIlroy, 24, has struggled for form in 2013, failing to win a tournament. He said: "It felt good to be out there and be in control of my golf ball. It's a great start, but it's only 18 holes."

Open champion Phil Mickelson birdied his 16th hole to share the lead but a quadruple-bogey nine at the next and a bogey at the last left him one under.

The American, who started on the 10th hole, twice found water on the par-five seventh, the second time after watching his ball land on the green and spin back more than 30 yards. He then hit his approach to the ninth into a greenside lake as he ended with a 71. Jamie Donaldson, of Wales, and Spain's Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano shared second place on five under par. England's Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood, and America's Bubba Watson and Jordan Spieth are tied in fourth at four under par. McIlroy, who sank eight birdies, is 62nd on the European Tour's Race to Dubai and needs to move into the top 60 this week to have a chance of qualifying for the DP World Tour Championship in November. But his form has improved coming into this tournament and he beat Tiger Woods in an exhibition match earlier this week. He added: "It's only one round of golf, but it's definitely the way I wanted, and needed, to start this week, keeping in mind that I obviously want to play myself into Dubai and try to pick up my first win of the season, as well. "It's one of the best rounds I've played this season. "I shot 64 at Boston, so that was a good round of golf. But this is probably better just because it was a little trickier conditions. There was a bit of breeze and you've got to play good golf to shoot seven under around this place." The two-times major winner is just £3,400 behind Garth Mulroy in 60th place on the money list and victory in Shanghai would earn him £856,000. Meanwhile, Tiger Woods's decision to miss the Shanghai event but accept a £1.25m appearance fee to play an exhibition match against McIlroy earlier this week has been criticised. Giles Morgan, the global head of sponsorship at HSBC bank, the tournament sponsors, expressed his disappointment that Woods had missed the event for the second year in a row. "For a meaningless game in China to take place only a few days before is disappointing. This tournament has to be bigger than the individual," he said "Ultimately Tiger is a freelance agent, so it is his decision to do as he likes. I just feel that this tournament has an important role to take golf into an entirely different part of the world. "Sponsors of our size deserve a modicum of respect for their investment."

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Paul Lawrie's son, Craig, becomes golf professional

Craig Lawrie, son of 1999 Open champion Paul, has followed in his father's footsteps by turning professional.

The 18-year-old Scot will make his debut in the North-East Alliance tournament, which starts on Thursday in Ellon, near his Aberdeen home. Lawrie said on Twitter: "My wee loon @CraigLawrie95 has turned pro this morning. All the best pal." His eldest son will be attached to the Paul Lawrie Golf Centre and will represent the Aberdeen facility.

It is a change of direction for Craig, who had previously planned to study sports management at Dornoch University in the hope that a golf diploma would lead to the professional ranks. Lawrie Son recently joked that his own return to form had been the result of hard work that followed the realization his son was beating him in practice. "It will be really interesting to see how Craig gets on," the 44-year-old said. "I've always encouraged both of our boys to play the game but never pushed them in one direction or another. "Craig is certainly a better golfer at this stage than I was at 18. "It's well known that I turned pro playing off five. So, looking at it purely on these terms, he's much better than I was when I made the transition." However, Lawrie Son, ranked 79 in the world, said: "There's a huge leap from amateur golf to making a living from the game." As an amateur, Craig won the North East (Scotland) District Youths in 2012. He finished 10th on the 2013 SGU Order of Merit in the same year he became the Junior Champion at his home club, Deside, and plays off a handicap of +1. Craig, who has also caddied for his father, said: "I'm excited to test my game at a new level of competition. "I feel like I've really improved in the last six to 12 months and the experience I've gained playing with dad in practice rounds as well as at his invitational event in September and alongside Peter Baker in the British par three Championships will all help when I tee up in my first event as a professional. "I know how difficult it will be and how high the standard is at the top level, but I am prepared to work hard and see what comes." His schedule will initially consist of a mixture of events on the Euro pro, EPD & Alps Tours.

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Rory McIlroy beats Tiger Woods by one Shot in Exhibition Match

Rory McIlroy has beaten Tiger Woods by one shot in an 18-hole exhibition match in China.

The Northern Ireland golfer shot a six-under par round of 67 on Monday at the Mission Hills course in Hainan Island. It is the second time that McIlroy has edged the lucrative made-for-TV event in China, having also beaten Woods by one shot at Jinsha Lake last year. McIlroy plays in the WGC Champions event in Shanghai this week needing to qualify for the Race to Dubai. McIlroy finished in a tie for 27th at the BMW Masters on Sunday and acknowledged that he "needs a good week" on his return to Shanghai to make the top 60, who qualify for the Race to Dubai finale in two weeks' time. McIlroy won both the tournament and the Order of Merit trophy last year, but his poor form in 2013 has left him currently 62nd in the standings and struggling to make the field. He was happy with his driving at the weekend and says it is his putting that needs to improve. "I feel my game's better than the scores suggest," he said after Sunday's one-over-par closing round of 73 in Shanghai. "I definitely left a few out there on the greens. I'm giving myself plenty of chances and sooner or later they are going to fall."

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Lydia Ko, 16, cleared to play on LPGA Tour in 2014

New Zealand teenager Lydia Ko has been given full membership of the LPGA Tour for 2014 despite being two years short of the standard minimum age.

Ko, 16, became the youngest winner of an LPGA event at the Canadian Open in 2012 and defended that title this year. Ladies Professional Golf Association rules require tour members to be 18 or above - but players can apply at 15. "It has always been my dream goal to play on the LPGA, and play against the world's best players," Ko said. South Korea-born Ko had been the number one women's amateur player for 130 weeks before deciding to turn professional this month, and is fifth in the women's world rankings. She petitioned LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan earlier this month and plans to compete in her first event as a professional at the LPGA's season-ending CME Group Titleholders in Naples, Florida, from 21-24 November. Whan said: "It is not often the LPGA welcomes a rookie who is already a back-to-back LPGA Tour champion." She earned a spot in the tournament field by retaining her Canadian Women's Open with a five-shot victory at the Royal Mayfair Golf Club, Edmonton in August, following a 15-under-par total. Last year, aged 15 years, four months and two days, she won the tournament by three strokes from four-time major winner Inbee Park. Ko added: "I know that becoming a member is not only about performing well, but dealing with responsibilities very well. "Women's golf is growing day by day and I would love to be able to inspire other girls to take up the game, and go for it. I believe this is only the start to my career and I have many new things to learn along the way."

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The Open Championship: R&A Introduces new Qualifying Series

Open Championship qualifying has been revamped with the introduction of a new international qualifying series, the R&A has announced.

The Open Qualifying Series replaces International Final Qualifying and will use existing global Tour events. Tournaments including the AT&T National and Irish Open will offer qualifying places for next year's Open at Hoylake. R&A chief executive Peter Dawson says the changes will make qualifying "more rigorous" and "more convenient". Dawson told BBC Sport: "It's a win for the players, a win for the Open and a win for the tours as well. "The new move will allow the same range of players to have a go at entering the Open but be more straightforward in terms of their schedules, so they won't have a separate tournament to play in. "More and more it will introduce a 72-hole qualifying event, which is more rigorous than our previous 36-hole International Final Qualifying events." The change will see 10 existing worldwide Tour events offering Open qualification in addition to the four UK-based final qualifying events for those who progress through one of the 13 regional qualifying tournaments. In all, 44 qualification places will be available to players at tournaments spread across the PGA Tour, the European Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Sunshine Tour and the Japan Golf Tour, to fill the Open's 156-man field. Many of the world's top players, including 2012 winner Phil Mickelson,will be exempt from qualifying through a number of criteria including world or domestic tour ranking or previous results at the Open. The Australian Open on 28 November will be the first event in the series, while in the three weeks leading up to the Open in July, the AT&T National, Greenbrier Classic and John Deere Classic will offer qualification places to players on the PGA Tour. The European Tour's Irish, French and Scottish Opens will each offer three qualification places for golf's oldest major championship. Despite winning the Irish Open two weeks before this year's Open Championship, Paul Casey did not qualify for the tournament at Muirfield. The move to 72-hole qualifying is "fairer" for players, according to 1999 Open Champion Paul Lawrie, while two-time Open champion Padraig Harrington also welcomed the new series. "I really do think it will attract more players to the Irish Open, especially those who are not already exempt for the Open Championship, and some quality players will be in that category," said Harrington. "It's a nice boost for the European Tour from the R&A."

The Open Qualifying Series
	Event	Number of Open places available
1	The Australian Open	3
2	The Joburg Open, South Africa	3
3	The Open Qualifying Series - Thailand	4
4	The Mizuno Open, Japan	4
5	The Irish Open	3
6	The French Open	3
7	The Scottish Open	3
8	AT&T National, USA	4
9	The Greenbrier Classic, USA	4
10	John Deere Classic, USA	1
11	Four final qualifying tournaments, UK	3 from each tournament

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Shanghai Masters: Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano wins by a shot

SHANGHAI MASTERS FINAL LEADERBOARD

-11: G Fernandez-Castano (Spa) 

-10: F Molinari (Ita), T Jaidee (Tai) 

-9: L Guthrie (US) 

-8: P Larrazabal (Spa), T Bjorn (Den), P Uihlein (US) 

-7: P Casey (Eng), P Hanson (Swe), S Jamieson (Sco), R Cabrera-Bello (Spa) 

Selected Others: -4: I Poulter (Eng) -2: L Westwood (Eng) -1: R McIlroy (NI) +1: L Donald (Eng) +2: J Donaldson (Wal)

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano shot a final round of 68 to win the Shanghai Masters - his seventh European Tour victory.

The Spaniard, 32, chipped in on 17 to lead by three shots at Lake Malaren, but a double-bogey at the last hole saw him finish one clear of Francesco Molinari and Thongchai Jaidee. Italian Molinari held the clubhouse lead on 10 under, but six birdies in 12 holes gave Fernandez-Castano victory. Paul Casey finished four shots back, while Rory McIlroy was 10 shots adrift. "On the last I tried to play too conservative and it was a fighting double-bogey that's for sure," said Fernandez-Castano, who is moving to Florida this winter and playing mainly on the PGA Tour next season. "The win comes from some good hard work in Valderrama with my coaches last week and it has paid off." Before this victory, Fernando-Castano's most recent win came at last year's Italian Open and he put himself into contention in Shanghai when a five-under-par third round left him one shot adrift of leaders Rafa Cabrera-Bello and Luke Guthrie. American Guthrie eventually finished fourth, while any challenge from Casey disappeared with two bogeys on 12 and 13. McIlroy was plagued by five bogeys as he finished one over on the day and a steady front nine with two birdies from Fernandez-Castano provided the platform for a first win of 2013. Last year's winner Peter Hanson earned the best score of the day with a nine under 63, but a brilliant run of five birdies and an eagle from Molinari set the clubhouse lead at 10-under-par. Thailand's Jaidee levelled with Molinari, only for Fernandez-Castano to take the outright lead on the back nine with birdies on 11 and 13. An eight-feet putt on 15 and a chip in from the fringe of the green on 17 afforded him a three-shot cushion on the 18th and, despite finding two bunkers, he putted from two feet to seal the title. The win moves the two-time Italian Open winner up to fourth place in the race to Dubai standings for next month's World Tour Championship.

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Shanghai Masters: Simon Dyson Disqualified ahead of Round Three

BMW MASTERS ROUND THREE LEADERBOARD

8: L Guthrie (US), R Cabrera-Bello (Spa)
-7: G Fdez-Castano (Spa)
-6: G Bourdy (Fra)
-5: P Casey (Eng), C Lee (Sco), S Jamieson (Sco),
-4: P Larrazabal (Spa), T Jaidee (Tai),
-3 : L Westwood (Eng), B Wiesberger (Aut), M Fraser (Aus)
-2: R McIlroy (NI), P Harrington (Ire), T Bjorn (Den), S Kjeldsen (Den), M Kieffer (Ger), F Molinari (Ita), R Gonzalez (Arg)
Selected others: -1: Ian Poulter (Eng) +2: L Donald (Eng) +4: G McDowell (NI)

England's Simon Dyson could miss out on the Race to Dubai finale after he was disqualified ahead of round three of the Shanghai Masters at Lake Malaren.

Dyson was four shots off the lead but was penalised for tapping down a spot on the green directly between his ball and the cup during the second round. The 35-year-old did not add the necessary two-shot penalty to his card. American Luke Guthrie and Spaniard Rafa Cabrera-Bello lead on eight under with Rory McIlroy six shots adrift. Dyson, a winner of six European Tour titles, shot a second-round 70 and shared second place behind Guthrie with five other players ahead of Saturday's play. The offence went unnoticed until television viewers alerted European chief referee John Paramor. A review found Dyson had violated rule 16-1a, which forbids a player from touching the line of the putt. "When the footage was reviewed, Simon was seen to touch the line of his second putt after marking and lifting his ball on the green," said Paramor. "He subsequently failed to add a two-shot penalty to his score when signing his card, and as a result has now been disqualified. "He was bitterly disappointed. He had no way of explaining why or how he came to do what he did. He had no recollection of it until I showed him and even then he said 'I can't even remember doing it.' "It's a very sad thing and unfortunately his event is over." Dyson is ranked 66th on the European Tour with the top 60 qualifying for next month's World Tour Championship in Dubai. The Yorkshireman is not eligible for next week's WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai and will have just the Turkish Open to try to make the season-ending Dubai event. Guthrie looked likely to maintain the lead he held since halfway through the opening round, but dropped shots on 16 and 18 led to a third-round of 72 and allowed Cabrera-Bello to share the lead. Cabrera-Bello's round of 67 was only equalled by fellow Spaniard Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano, who sits one shot off the pace in third. Paul Casey finished one under for the day and is just three shots off the leaders, while bogeys on eight, nine, 17 and 18 hampered Lee Westwood's progress as he finished on three under. McIlroy, who claimed he was getting back to his best earlier in the week, hit four consecutive birdies to start his back nine, but a double-bogey on the last leaves him six shots off the lead going into the final round.

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BMW Masters: Luke Donald backs Joost Luiten's Withdrawal

Luke Donald blamed European Tour rules for Joost Luiten's decision to withdraw after hitting only one shot at the BMW Masters in Shanghai.

Dutchman Luiten injured his shoulder this week but did not pull out because it would affect his chances of playing in the Race to Dubai's final event.

He is 11th in the Race to Dubai standings and must play in two of the three events before November's finale.

"Can't blame Joost - new rule forced his hand," Englishman Donaldtweeted.

"If that rule wasn't in effect then Joost would have withdrawn prior to event and first reserve would have got to play."

South Africa's Justin Walters was the first reserve and the man to miss out, however, he too had sympathy for Luiten.

He wrote on Twitter: "No hard feelings towards Joost Luiten he came and spoke to me about the situation.

"Obviously some changes will be made to the Tour surrounding the Race To Dubai play-offs. It's unfortunate I had to be the guinea pig."

The BMW Masters is the first of four events in the inaugural European Tour Final Series, a $30m (£18m) competition similar to the US PGA Tour's season-ending FedEx Cup.

By teeing off, Luiten, who has not qualified for next week's WGC-HSBC Champions event in Shanghai, was deemed to have taken part in the first tournament.

And if his injury is still troubling him, he could turn up at the following event in Antalya, Turkey and hit one shot again to qualify to play in the World Tour Championship in Dubai.

Only the top 60 players in Europe who have also played two out of the three preceding events will be eligible.

According to playing partner Donald, Luiten, who has won two European Tour events this season, hit his tee shot "120 yards, straight down the middle" before shaking hands and heading back to the Netherlands for a scan.

The rules are designed to ensure high-quality fields at the first three of the Race to Dubai's Final Series events - two in Shanghai and one in Turkey - and not just for the $8m (£4.9m) season-ending tournament in Dubai which carries a $3.75m (£2.3m) bonus pool for the top 10 in the Race To Dubai standings.

Luiten was on the reserve list for this year's Open and was denied the chance to play when Peter Hanson tried to play with a back injury, only for the Swede to pull out after five holes at Muirfield.

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Rory McIlroy: My form is coming back after Korean Open

Rory McIlroy says he is getting back to his best after finishing joint second in the Korean Open.

The 24-year-old Northern Irishman carded five birdies in his final round to finish a shot behind winner Kang Sung-hoon. "Things are definitely on the up," said McIlroy. "I feel like I'm getting back to where I need to be. "I've had to stay patient this season - it hasn't been one of my best - but it's getting there, it definitely is." It was McIlroy's second top-five finish of a difficult year in which he has slipped to sixth in the world rankings. The former world number one was 10 shots off the lead after three rounds in Korea but fired an impressive 67 to finish on five under par. McIlroy will play in the BMW Masters on Thursday before taking part in the HSBC WGC Championships a week later. Both tournaments are in Shanghai. "I'm excited about these next two weeks in China," McIlroy said. "They're a big two weeks for me to get a little bit of momentum for the end of the season and going into 2014. "My putter let me down in the last couple of days [in Korea]. If I can get the putting right, hopefully I'll have a chance."

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Golf-Johnson holds off Poulter to win first WGC event

American Dustin Johnson pitched in for an eagle two at the 16th hole to set up a three-stroke victory over England's Ian Poulter and win his first World Golf Championship title at the $8.5 million HSBC Champions on Sunday. Johnson carded a closing 66 to finish at 24-under-par 264 at Sheshan International with Poulter also shooting 66 for second place on 21-under. Northern Irishman Graeme McDowell was another shot back in third after also carding 66. "It's the biggest win I've had so far in my career," Johnson told reporters. The 29-year-old American started the final round with a three-shot lead over Poulter but surrendered it after an opening bogey as the Englishman started birdie-birdie. Undeterred, Johnson picked up five birdies and an eagle from the eighth to collect the $1.53 million cheque for his eighth victory on the PGA Tour. "I knew if I stuck to my game plan it would come," Johnson said. "I was swinging well and putting well. "I wasn't having too much fun at the start, especially when Graeme and Ian were birdieing every hole it seemed like. "They put a lot of pressure on me but I'm really proud of the way I handled myself. I thought I controlled my nerves pretty well today." Johnson is renowned for his long hitting but he credited his win to some neat short game played under pressure on the back nine. "The biggest putt I made was on 14 (from 20 feet) when Ian was already in for birdie - and the pitch on 16 was huge," he said. "I was talking to my brother (caddie) right before I hit it. I said 'I think I'm going to make this one. I hit it perfect'. After (that) I was feeling pretty good where I was at." Johnson, who blew a chance to win the 2010 US PGA Championship when he incurred a two-stroke penalty for a rules violation at the final hole, said he hoped the significant victory in Chinawould lead to him winning a major.

CLASSY PLAYER

With his long hitting and deft touch around the greens, the U.S. Masters appears a good bet. "Majors are always the step," he said. "If I play like I did this week I'm going to win one for sure. I really like Augusta. "That would be my favourite one. I grew up right down the street from Augusta and I really love playing that golf course." McDowell only had praise for Johnson, who finished tied 13th at the Masters earlier this year. "He's just a quality, talented, very athletic classy player," the former U.S. Open champion said. "He's got a great wedge game to go with an outrageously good driving game. "Yeah, he makes mistakes, but when you've got a game as good as him, you can get away with a few mistakes." McDowell is second behind Henrik Stenson on the European Tour's Race to Dubai standings, with Poulter moving up to fourth after he put up a brave defence of the title he won last year. Poulter, though, was disappointed that he could not have closed the gap further on Swede Stenson, who finished tied 31st, with only two events remaining in Turkey and Dubai in the European Tour's Final Series. "I guess it was a good defence," the Ryder Cup winner said. "I'm a little disappointed not to put my hands back on the trophy but Dustin kind of finished the job. "I'm in great form. The work I've done leading up this run of tournaments has really worked and I couldn't be hitting it any better right now." Spain's Sergio Garcia fired a brilliant 63 to snatch fourth on 18-under, two ahead of England's Justin Rose (68) in fifth. Former world number one Rory McIlroy was another European Ryder Cup winner in the top 10 after he closed with a 69 to finish tied sixth with Canada's Graham Delaet.

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Johnson Determined to get back on the Team

Dustin Johnson is starting to compile the kind of numbers that are difficult to ignore. Not since Tiger Woods has a player won on the PGA Tour in each of his first seven seasons. To already have eight tour wins before turning 30 puts him in select company that only includes names like Woods, Davis Love III, Phil Mickelson and David Duval over the last 25 years. He hasn't won a major, though getting into serious contention should not be overlooked. Johnson had the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open, a one-shot lead playing the 72nd hole in the PGA Championship and he was closing in on the lead in the final round at the British Open until hitting a 2-iron out-of-bounds on the 14th hole at Royal St. George's. What annoys him is another attribute of great

players - they're part of every team. The Presidents Cup was held a month ago, and Johnson wasn't on it. He was barely part of the conversation when it was time for Fred Couples to make his captain's picks. ''I was mad,'' Johnson said Sunday after his three-shot win in the HSBC Champions, his first World Golf Championship title. ''I wanted to be on that team. I wasn't mad at anyone, but I was mad at myself for not being on the team. I struggled a little bit last year, but I thought I still played well enough to get on the team. I think I finished 12th on the points list. I could have been a pick.'' Couples instead chose 20-year-old Jordan Spieth and Webb Simpson, who had been bumped out of the 10th spot on the final hole of a two-year qualifying process. It would be hard to fault Couples, even though Johnson is one of the most explosive players. Johnson began the year by winning at Kapalua, and then he disappeared for the rest of the season. He really had only one serious chance of winning, when he tied for second in the Canadian Open, although he got into the last group at the Tour Championship. He didn't make a peep in the majors. About the only time he got anyone's attention was when he proposed to Paulina Gretzky, the daughter of the Great One. Four days at Sheshan International was a reminder that the 29-year-old American is still around, still very good and capable of beating the best. Johnson was too busy making birdies to pay attention to the players chasing him Sunday afternoon - Graeme McDowell and Ian Poulter next to him, Sergio Garcia, Justin Rose, Rory McIlroy and Martin Kaymer trying to catch him. That's half of Europe's winning Ryder Cup team at Medinah last year. Johnson made three birdies and an eagle during a pivotal five-hole stretch on the back nine, and what got McDowell's attention was how that streak started on the 13th hole, which bends hard to the right and has water to the right of the green. ''To me it kind of personifies Dustin Johnson,'' McDowell said. ''He trenches one 350 down the middle and has the hands to hit that 70-yard shot to the front pin and make the putt. He's just a quality, talented, very athletic, classy player. Yeah, he makes mistakes. But when you've got a game as good as him, you can get away with a few mistakes.'' McDowell took advantage the one time Johnson's didn't recover from his mistakes. It was the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, where Johnson had a three-shot lead going into the final day, lost in one hole with a triple bogey, quickly pulled driver from the bag and hit a risky tee shot that was never found and eventually signed for an 82. And there were some mistakes on the weekend, mainly a pair of double bogeys on Saturday and a muffed chip on the second hole Sunday that cost him his lead. But when he's driving it straight, is dialed into his wedge game and makes a few putts, the potential is unlimited. McDowell played with Johnson the first two rounds, and it was Friday's 63 that led McDowell to say that ''what's possible for an athlete like him who just rips it, that's not what's possible for the rest of us sometimes.'' ''When he's in the mood and when he's on form, he's pretty prolific,'' he said. That's the catch with Johnson. When he's in the mood. When he's on form. Johnson doesn't always make the best choices. When he won at Kapalua this year, he nearly squandered a three-shot lead on the back nine by hitting driver when it wasn't necessary. He made double bogey to let Steve Stricker back in the game, and then Johnson pulled out driver without hesitation on the next hole, even though it was into a strong wind and the slightest miss could have been lost in waist-high grass. He ripped that so long and straight that he chipped in for eagle. There is a thickness to Johnson that would seem to be his biggest liability - not thinking clearly over shots, or being stubborn. That's actually his strength. Few other players can make a blunder, and hit the next shot like it never happened. He hit his drive into the water right of the 18th fairway on Saturday, and the next tee shot hugged the right side of the fairway until drawing back into the fairway. What can't be overlooked is eight wins at age 29, the most of any player under 30. Johnson won't add to that total this year, for the HSBC was his final official event of 2013. The majors will be the focus for him. He realizes that's the next step. In the meantime, he won $1.4 million, which moves him up to No. 3 in the Ryder Cup standings. He is still smarting from not being at Muirfield Village for the Presidents Cup last month. As for the Ryder Cup? Johnson lifted his head from signing flags and smiled. ''I'm going to be on that Ryder Cup team,'' he said. ''For sure.''

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Golf-WGC-Champions Tournament scores

Scores from the WGC-Champions Tournament at the par-72 course on Sunday in Shanghai

264 Dustin Johnson (U.S.)                     69 63 66 66

267 Ian Poulter (Britain)                          71 67 63 66

268 Graeme McDowell (Britain)             69 69 64 66

270 Sergio Garcia (Spain)                      70 68 69 63

272 Justin Rose (Britain)                        68 71 65 68

273 Rory McIlroy (Britain)                       65 72 67 69

Graham DeLaet (Canada)                     71 68 65 69

274 Jamie Donaldson (Britain)               67 74 66 67

Bubba Watson (U.S.)                             68 69 69 68

Martin Kaymer (Germany)                     70 74 62 68

275 Ernie Els (South Africa)                   69 69 71 66

Keegan Bradley (U.S.)                            71 68 68 68

Boo Weekley (U.S.)                                70 67 69 69

276 Phil Mickelson (U.S.)                        71 68 72 65

277 Liang Wenchong (China)                 72 67 72 66

Louis Oosthuizen (South Africa)             70 70 70 67

278 Jordan Spieth (U.S.)                         68 71 70 69

279 Jeong Jin (South Korea)                   70 69 71 69

Tommy Fleetwood (Britain)                     68 70 69 72

280 Paul Casey (Britain)                          69 73 69 69

281 Scott Piercy (U.S.)                            72 73 68 68

Jaco Van Zyl (South Africa)                     72 73 68 68

Bill Haas (U.S.)                                        72 72 69 68

Mikko Ilonen (Finland)                              72 69 72 68

Peter Hanson (Sweden)                          70 73 70 68

Matteo Manassero (Italy)                          72 70 70 69

Francesco Molinari (Italy)                         72 69 70 70

Gregory Bourdy (France)                         75 68 67 71

Bo Van Pelt (U.S.)                                    77 67 66 71

Scott Hend (Australia)                              69 74 66 72

282 Nick Watney (U.S.)                            75 74 67 66

Luke Donald (Britain)                               70 71 70 71

Henrik Stenson (Sweden)                        74 76 67 65

283 Huang Wenyi (China)                        70 74 69 70

Billy Horschel (U.S.)                                 71 69 72 71

Mark Brown (New Zealand)                      72 69 72 71

Kevin Streelman (U.S.)                            70 73 72 68

Jason Dufner (U.S.)                                 73 67 71 72

284 Branden Grace (South Africa)          77 72 67 69

David Lynn (Britain)                                 74 70 69 71

Chris Wood (Britain)                               71 71 73 69

Thomas Bjorn (Denmark)                       74 72 70 68

Li Haotong (China)                                  72 71 74 67

Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (Spain)     67 71 70 76

Richard Sterne (South Africa)                74 73 74 63

285 Jimmy Walker (U.S.)                       73 73 69 70

Thongchai Jaidee (Thailand)                  76 68 68 73

Ken Duke (U.S.)                                     70 72 73 70

Brian Gay (U.S.)                                     71 72 72 70

286 Hiroyuki Fujita (Japan)                     75 70 68 73

Michael Thompson (U.S.)                       74 72 68 72

Ryan Moore (U.S.)                                  70 74 69 73

Masahiro Kawamura (Japan)                  73 72 70 71

Michael Hendry (New Zealand)                72 73 73 68

287 Rickie Fowler (U.S.)                          74 70 70 73

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (Thailand)              69 78 68 72

Lee Westwood (Britain)                           71 73 68 75

John Merrick (U.S.)                                  72 75 69 71

Brandt Snedeker (U.S.)                           73 74 70 70

Peter Uihlein (U.S.)                                  71 73 73 70

288 Derek Ernst (U.S.)                            71 72 73 72

Darren Fichardt (South Africa)                70 74 75 69

289 Gaganjeet Bhullar (India)                  69 71 75 74

Stephen Gallacher (Britain)                     73 73 72 71

Jonas Blixt (Sweden)                              70 75 74 70

290 Daniel Popovic (Australia)                77 71 69 73

Ryo Ishikawa (Japan)                              81 72 68 69

291 D.A. Points (U.S.)                            72 74 70 75

Wu Ashun (China)                                  74 75 70 72

292 David Howell (Britain)                       72 75 73 72

293 Baek Seuk-Hyun (South Korea)       81 68 69 75

295 Miguel Angel Jimenez (Spain)          75 76 70 74

296 Raphael Jacquelin (France)             81 70 71 74

297 George Coetzee (South Africa)        75 77 74 71

299 Hu Mu (China)                                  76 75 73 75

303 Brett Rumford (Australia)                 75 77 79 72

323 Huang Mingjie (China)                      83 77 80 83

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