Johnson happy despite narrow defeat

Swede Richard Johnson was today reflecting on how close he came to joining the list of golfers who have won on both the European and US Tours.

After a brilliant two-birdie finish the 29-year-old from Stockholm would have lifted the Bank of America Colonial title in Fort Worth, Texas, if American Tim Herron had failed to make par putts of 12 and nine feet on the same two greens.

But Herron did make them and then converted a 10-foot birdie chance at the second play-off hole to end a seven-year wait for his fourth victory.

Johnson, who went into the event ranked 174th in the world, said: “I am really proud of what I did. It didn’t happen for me this time – maybe next time.”

He thought he was out of it when he three-putted the 16th as it left him three adrift of not only Herron, but also Rod Pampling. However, the Australian then double-bogeyed the 15th and Herron failed to get up and down from a bunker at the next.

Johnson’s closing birdie putts of 28 and seven feet gave him a three-under-par 67 and set the target of 12 under. Pampling, needing a birdie to tie, dropped another shot at the last, but Herron clung on to turn round a season which had seen him post just one top-25 finish.

The win earned him over $1m (€785,000), while second place was worth £346,000 (€508,000) and was nearly three times more than Johnson’s previous biggest cheque for third place in the 2003 St Jude Classic.

Victory, though, would have put him right in the thick of the chase for places on the Ryder Cup team. He is eligible thanks to his win in the 2002 ANZ Championship.

Fellow Swede Fredrik Jacobson dropped from ninth to 17th with a 71, while Norway’s Henrik Bjornstad, joint sixth with a round to go, crashed to 40th place with a six over 76. Justin Rose (71) was 45th.