In the six years I’ve extensively seen Dustin Johnson play golf, since his sophomore year at Coastal Carolina, I’ve never seen him behave or perform the way he did Sunday in the final round of the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Golf Links. He genuinely seemed rattled, and little on a golf course has ever rattled him.
Johnson played so well and assuredly Saturday when he shot a 66 to take a three-shot lead into the final round, but nerves certainly got the better of him Sunday. He was shaky from the start, pushing an iron off the tee into the rough. He missed the green badly from 165 yards in the fairway on the second hole, which is probably a 9-iron for Johnson. His drive on the third hole was pulled so far it was lost in thick vegetation adjacent to the 16th green, and his drive on the fourth hole went over a cliff.
Knowing Johnson, he’s anxious to get back in the same situation to make amends for Sunday’s shaky performance. In the end, it will be a learning experience. A tough one to take for now, but he’ll likely handle the situation better the next time he is in it.
With his talent, Johnson won’t be down long. Course management is probably the one thing Johnson needs to improve, and there were examples of that when he got frustrated early. Everything else is in place. “Sometimes he chooses a shot that is not as conservative as needed at the time,” said Johnson’s college coach, Allen Terrell. “That’s just a youth thing. He’s getting better with that.”
