Johnson Wagner lifted his third PGA Tour title on Sunday after securing a two-shot victory at the Sony Open at Hawaii’s Waialae Country Club.
The 31-year-old Texan carded a final round 67 to finish on 13-under-par, leaving Sweden’s Carl Pettersson – who had been in contention all weekend long – and American trio Sean O’Hair, Harrison Frazar and Charles Howell III all in a share of second place at -11.
Wagner’s three-under-par round saw him come good on his pre-season proclamation that he would grab an early win in the year and go on to play in the Masters. And the player, who has been donning a fine moustache since thanksgiving, says that that confidence helped him go all the way in Hawaii as he now sets his sights even higher for the rest of 2012.
"I was definitely telling people to expect something early this year, which is a nice feeling," Wagner was quoted as saying by the official PGA Tour website. "Usually, my confidence is low. I'm kind of shy in a little shell. And for some reason, I just had way more energy and confidence going into this year.
"I love being out here, there's so many great players. But why are they any better? Why are the people in the top 50 better than me? I've always struggled a little bit with believing in myself."
On his newly-acquired facial hair, the Sony winner added: “(I) kind of made a deal with myself in December that if I was to get into the Masters, then I was going to keep the moustache for at least this year. Everybody said, `Oh, is it a Movember moustache? Well, it's December, time to shave it.' I said, Look, this is not a one-month moustache. This is potentially a 10-year moustache.'
"So I think it's going to be around for a while."
Wagner’s final round saw him suffer two bogeys at the first and the sixth, but both were immediately cancelled on the next hole and he went into the turn one-under for the day after saving a shot at the ninth. Two more successes at ten and 15, as he went bogey-free from seven on, then proved the difference and allowed the man from Texas to lift his trophy surrounded by a bevy of local beauties.
Pettersson, who was recently declared a US citizen, Frazar and Howell all emulated Wagner’s 67 on the final day but that was not enough for them. Nor was O’Hair’s 68, while Matt Every, a leader of the event earlier in the week, DA Points, Michael Thompson and Brian Gay all shared sixth place on ten-under.