In an age of hark-at-me exhibitionists, Dustin Johnson tends to remain as placid as the painting of The Hay Wain, writes Nick Rodger.
Holing out from 171 yards for an eagle on the 18th to complete a six shot procession at the PGA Tour’s St Jude Classic in Memphis on Sunday was greeted with his usual sauntering nonchalance.
Since surrendering the world No 1 spot to Justin Thomas, this was quite a way to seize it back. It’s not that Johnson had been doing much wrong to lose that lofty perch, mind you.
Sunday’s success may have been his first win since January, but it was the seventh top-10 finish in his last 10 strokeplay events. Since missing the cut in last year’s US Open, he has only finished outside the top-20 on two occasions.
With another US Open looming this week, the 33-year-old’s game is in fine fettle. His stride may be languid but once he gets in that stride, Johnson can be a tough one to beat.
An 18th PGA Tour victory of his career is certainly timely ahead of the second men’s major of the campaign and many will have his name at the top of the list of contenders at Shinnecock Hills.
“Winning, I think, is a bigger confidence booster than being No 1 in the world,” said Johnson. “For me, playing the way I did all week, and on Sunday knowing everything that was on the line, gives me a lot of confidence. It was a big win, it was a big statement.”
The US Open has provided plenty of moments to get even laid back Johnson’s heart beating.
He surrendered a three shot lead on the final day of the 2010 event with a crippling closing 80 and then three-putted the last at Chambers Bay in 2015 to lose by a shot.
Even when he won the title the following year, a rules decision – or indecision to be more precise – left Johnson and everybody else unsure what his actual score was with seven holes to play. That he casually shrugged off the palaver spoke volumes for his calm demeanour.
The USGA, the governing body which runs the championship, can ill-afford another week mired in controversy and withering claims of incompetence.
The last time their showpiece occasion was staged at Shinnecock Hills in 2004, play had to be suspended during the final round to water the seventh green, which had already been described as “unplayable” be Ernie Els a day earlier.
Els trudged in with a closing 80 and still finished in the top-10. Indeed, 28 of the 66 players on the final day failed to break 80.
US Opens have always had the kind of grim, attritional features of trench warfare as the USGA gush on about their championship being the toughest of them all. But 2004, like others that would follow, was farcical.
Let’s hope Johnson and the players get more focus than officialdom this week.
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