Dustin Johnson
Dustin Johnson poses with the trophy during the final round at the Genesis Open at Riviera Country Club

Dustin Johnson became golf's top-ranked player for the very first time in his career on Sunday (19 February). The American, whose first major success came at least year's US Open at Oakmont, triumphed at the Genesis Open in Los Angeles to end Jason Day's 47-week spell as world number one.

It was a dominant performance from Johnson, who opened the competition at a foggy and stormy Riviera Country Club with successive rounds of five-under 66 to race out to a score of 10-under-par. He set up victory yesterday morning with a 7-under 64 and eventually finished five strokes ahead of Thomas Pieters and Scott Brown after ending proceedings with a 71. Needing to at least tie for third place in order to maintain that top billing, Day finished level with Peter Malnati and Anirban Lahiri in 64th.

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"It sounds good," Johnson, who held a nine-shot lead at one stage during that final round and ended the tournament at 17-under 267, said of his new ranking.

"It gives me a lot of confidence. It's going to push me to work even harder and try to get even better."

The 32-year-old added: "It's been a long journey. Growing up as a kid playing golf, the dream is to play on the PGA Tour.

"I never really thought about being number one on the world. Once I got up in the top 10 in the world I knew it was definitely do-able and here I am."

Gracious in defeat, 2015 PGA Championship winner Day said: "He deserves it because he's been playing great golf."

In addition to helping him reach the summit, victory for Johnson in California also ensured that he continued his impressive streak of winning at least one tournament in every single season since joining the PGA Tour back in 2008. According to the Golf Channel, only Tiger Woods and Phil Mickelson have extended that feat beyond a decade. Indeed, only Woods and Rory McIlroy can boast more than Johnson's 12 tour wins over the past nine years.

Johnson, who took time out from golf in 2014 to deal with personal issues, has now claimed four victories since June 2016. The three-time Ryder Cup participant is currently expecting a second child with fiance Paulina Gretzky, daughter of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.