Golf featured heroes, villians and locals shining in 2020

No matter the subject, looking back on 2020 can only be done through the lens of coronavirus and its impact on the year. Golf is no exception.

The 2020 season has a huge asterisk next to it, thanks to dozens of tournaments being canceled as professional golf was put on hold for three months in the spring.

Even when it returned, golf was different. Spectators, who play such a vital role in tournament play, were nowhere to be found as safety protocols took priority. It’s a major reason why all the major tours made it through the year without any significant incidents.

Yes, a number of players tested positive throughout the year, including big names like Dustin Johnson and Tony Finau on the PGA Tour and Brittany Lincicome on the LPGA Tour. But missing a few players at tournaments is minor compared with what could have happened.

So as we look back on a very different year, executives, players and tournament directors should be proud of making it to the finish line. And before we look ahead to 2021, let’s reflect on the year that was.

Best Player

There’s been a lot of jockeying for the top spot in golf in recent years, but Dustin Johnson jumped well above the competition to clearly stand as the best player in golf.

He won the Masters with relative ease, the Tour Championship, Travelers Championship and the Northern Trust, where he finished at 30-under for an 11-stroke win. He was second at the PGA Championship, sixth at the U.S. Open and second at the BMW Championship, where a 66-foot birdie putt by Jon Rahm was all that prevented DJ from sweeping all three playoff events.

Best Villain

Sports is at its best when you have somebody to root for and somebody to root against. Bryson DeChambeau made himself the latter for many in 2020, leaving fans in awe of his power while shaking their heads at his attitude.

DeChambeau spent the shutdown bulking up his body and changing the way he plays, becoming the longest hitter golf has seen, averaging 337.8 yards off the tee. He used that skill to dominate the U.S. Open and win the Rocket Mortgage Classic. But he also got caught berating several officials when rulings didn’t go in his favor — even asking for relief from ants near his ball at one point — and is one of the slowest players in the game. His commitment to distance is changing the game. But is that a good thing?

Best shot

Clinging to a lead in the final round of his first PGA Championship, Las Vegan Collin Morikawa stepped up to the 16th tee at Harding Park and hit a shot for the ages. He drove the green on the 294-yard par 4, stopping his ball 7 feet from the cup for an eagle to secure his first major. His 64 was the lowest final round at the PGA in 25 years, and he took down Johnson, Paul Casey, Rory McIlroy and six other players who had a chance to win on the back nine on Sunday.

Best tournament

Three weeks before the Women’s British Open, Sophia Popov was caddying on the LPGA Tour. After four magical days in the drizzle and chill on the Old Course at Troon, she was a major champion. It was drama so thick you could cut it with a knife, waiting for this untested player to feel the weight of the situation. She didn’t break until the final putt fell, completing the feel-good story of the season.

Big year for Las Vegas

The Shriners Hospitals for Children Open provided some thrills at TPC Summerlin, including eventual winner Martin Laird’s remarkable par save on the 71st hole that still defies logic. Laird won the tournament for the second time, beating Matthew Wolff and Austin Cook in a playoff.

But Las Vegas wasn’t done, keeping the spotlight for an extra week with the CJ Cup at Shadow Creek, moved for 2020 from South Korea because of the pandemic. With the biggest names in golf in the field, Jason Kokrak made it his first PGA Tour victory as the curtain was pulled back on Southern Nevada’s most famous course that nobody ever gets to see.

And the city isn’t done with the spotlight. The Korn Ferry Tour — the top minor league of men’s golf — announced it is coming to Las Vegas in 2021, with the Paiute Las Vegas Championship in April.

Locals shine in 2020

From Danielle Kang winning the Vare Trophy for lowest scoring average on the LPGA Tour to Morikawa winning twice on the PGA Tour, Las Vegas was a big part of the professional tours.

But the amateurs stood tall as well. Michael Sarro won the Nevada State Amateur and Morgan Goldstein the Nevada State Women’s Amateur in July at Reflection Bay, and Troy Helseth won the Southern Nevada PGA Chapter Championship in September to secure his second consecutive Player of the Year title.

Greg Robertson is a freelance reporter who covers golf for the Review-Journal. He can be reached at robertsongt@gmail.com