Advertisement

Red-hot Johnson withdraws from Houston Open: report

Mar 26, 2017; Austin, TX, USA; Dustin Johnson of the United States plays against Jon Rahm of Spain during the final round of the World Golf Classic - Dell Match Play golf tournament at Austin Country Club. Mandatory Credit: Erich Schlegel-USA TODAY Sports (Reuters)

(Reuters) - World number one Dustin Johnson, fresh off his third consecutive victory and content that his form is ready for the Masters, has withdrawn from this week's Shell Houston Open, according to a Golf Channel report on Monday. Johnson, whose win at the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin on Sunday marked his third victory in as many events, was expected to headline the final tuneup ahead of the April 6-9 Masters. His decision to withdraw from Houston, where he finished third in 2016, means he will arrive at the year's first major as the clear favorite. Johnson never trailed in any of his seven matches at the Austin Country Club where he capped a dominant week with a 1-up victory over Spain's Jon Rahm. At Augusta National, reigning U.S. Open champion Johnson will be seeking the second major title of his career. (Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto. Editing by Steve Keating.)