Bird is the last word for Dustin Johnson at Pebble Beach

Dustin Johnson delicately swept in a three-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Pebble Beach. In the background were crashing white waves, and standing on the fringe was a gray-haired man in a blue mood.

Johnson won his second consecutive AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am title Sunday and a check for $1,080,000. His final-round score was an unspectacular two-over-par 74, but his four-day total of 270 was 16 under par.

In June, the U.S. Open will be played on this course. The circumstances will be different, different weather, different conditions, so the 25-year-old Johnson isn’t overconfident.

“It’s a totally different golf course then,” he said. “But hopefully it will be firm and fast.”

That’s how Johnson’s handle on this tournament was -- firm and fast. He led almost from start to finish.

Except for the part of the final round when Johnson dropped a shot behind playing partner Paul Goydos, a fun-loving 45-year-old from Long Beach, the man with that salt-and-pepper mane.

But on the 14th hole, a nasty par five, Goydos’ round went chaotic as he chipped off the green twice and finished with a quadruple-bogey nine. Goydos ended up shooting a six-over 78 and finished tied for fifth.

“What can I say?” was all a downcast Goydos could say on his way off the course.

Finishing a shot behind in second were former No. 1 player David Duval and J.B. Holmes.

Duval had a final-round 69 and the sense that his golf fortunes are on the rise, after his ranking had plunged into the 800s.

Holmes closed with 71 and a missed 13-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that could have forced a playoff.

“I played great,” Duval said. “I hit the ball well. I putted well. I’m pleased to get out of my golf game over the course of four days what I feel like I should be getting out of it. I feel very comfortable and confident in what I’m doing. In a strange way it makes me proud.”

Johnson’s 74 was the highest final-round number posted by the winner here since Johnny Miller won with a 74 in 1994, but that didn’t matter to the big hitter from Myrtle Beach, S.C. It was only what he did on the sparkling par-five 18th hole, so famously beautiful with the roiling sea and deep green pine trees.

Even though Goydos had fallen out of contention, there was still pressure on Johnson, who had bogeyed the 17th.

Duval, ranked No. 1 in the world a decade ago but needing the kindness of sponsors and their exemptions to get into fields now as his ranking had cratered because of back problems, was hunkered down on the practice green as Johnson teed up at 18.

Duval had already posted his score and was trying to keep loose for a possible playoff. Also only a shot behind was Holmes.

But Johnson banged out a tee shot that whizzed through the brisk ocean wind.

His approach landed in a front bunker, but the ball sat up, inviting Johnson to go for the hole. He did with a deep grunt, and the sand shot landed within three feet of the cup. His final stroke was certain and the birdie putt rolled straight in.

“I hit two good shots on 18,” Johnson said. “I pushed my second shot a little bit, but it was in the right front bunker, which me and my caddie talked about. It wasn’t going to be a bad spot to be. Got up and down, got the victory. Can’t beat that.”

Johnson said he hit a three-iron off the tee, a bit of a safety-first thing. “It’s one of the toughest tee balls on the whole course,” Johnson said. “I had a good wind today. So it was just hit a draw off the trees and get it in the fairway.”

But the major drama was at the 14th hole. Goydos and Johnson had to wait in the fairway as Bryce Molder muddled his way to a nine.

And then, just as Molder had done, Goydos’ third shot landed short of the green. His tricky chip shot, which had to travel over a bunker, ran through the green. His fifth shot didn’t stay on the putting surface either. And it took Goydos three putts to finish off the disaster.

Johnson said all he was thinking as he watched Goydos was, “Hope my hole is a little easier.”

It was. He parred the 14th. Just good enough.

diane.pucin@latimes.com

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