VERONA, N.Y. -- In his rookie year, former Coastal Carolina University men's golfer Dustin Johnson posted back-to-back birdies on the final two holes for a 1-shot victory at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in Verona, N.Y., Oct. 5. The win was his first on the PGA Tour and gives Johnson a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

Johnson entered the final round tied for seventh at 6-under par and battled through the opening 13 holes and was 7-under heading into the final five holes. After pars on 14, 15 and 16, Johnson posted a birdie on 17 to get into a tie for the lead at 8-under. He followed it up with going over the par-5 18th green in two shots but posted an up-and-down birdie from behind the 18th green, including the 8-foot birdie putt in the heart of the hole, for the victory. Playing in the same group, Robert Allenby had a 12-footer before Johnson to move to 9-under but left it just inches short.

The victory was worth $1.08 million to Johnson, who moved from 128th to 41st on the PGA Tour money list at just over $1.8 million in his first year on tour. The list isn't an issue now for Johnson, as the win earned him a two-year exemption on tour, as well as berths in next year's season-opening Mercedes Championship and three of the four majors (except The Masters). If he remains in the top 70 on the Money List at the end of the year, he will also earn berths in all of the Tour's Invitational events and a top-30 finish on the Money List will earn him an invitation to Augusta.