Dustin Johnson

Dustin Johnson, after almost getting knocked out by an errant shot, turned in a three-under 69 on Day 1 at the 2022 Masters.

“Obviously, this golf course, even the holes—obviously you have chances on most of the holes … 13, you've got to hit it in the fairway, and it's not that easy of a second shot either. “No, I was thinking about the next shot I had to hit on 11,” Johnson said about his outlook after moving to four under. This drought included a missed cut in his green jacket defense last spring and another quick exit at the PGA Championship. There had been hope Johnson was on the verge of turning things around, tying the TPC Sawgrass record on the final day weather-wrecked Players, but nearing 38 years old it is totally reasonable to expect the player Johnson has been over the past 17 months is the player he had now become. “It’s fine.” He said it because it’s true and because, down to his bones, he could not care less who he tees it up against. Johnson hasn’t necessarily been bad over the last 17 months—he posted nine worldwide top-10s and became just the fifth player to go 5-0-0 at the Ryder Cup—but he hasn’t lived up to the generational status his performance over the past decade has earned. But Dustin Johnson is a different cat, so instead of dropping expletives or wondering who called in the urethane strike from the 11th fairway to the 12th tee—Jon Rahm being the guilty party—DJ merely looked at the ball, then at his caddie, then back at the ball and laughed.

He was 59th in the field in driving distance (283 yards) and 78th in driving accuracy (57 percent) on Thursday at Augusta National.

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Augusta, Ga. He owns two major golf championships, including a record-shattering performance in the 2020 Masters. He has won 24 PGA Tour tournaments and at ...

“Preparation-wise, I’ll probably spend maybe a little bit more time around the greens hitting some chips and some putts,” he said. Maybe it was a little aggressive on the par-5s and I played those very well, but the rest of it, I just tried to play” what he called “aggressively conservative” shots. “If I look back at 2020, I just drove it well and hit a lot of real quality iron shots to the center of the green,” Johnson said. His goal — “get another (green jacket)” — assures he will be anything but anonymous. “I feel like I’m starting to control the golf ball a little bit better. The swing is starting to feel a lot better. The withdrawal in 2017 came after he slipped an injured his back during tournament week during a period where he had one of his sizzling streaks going. Asked to elaborate, he said: “It’s going to be his first tournament back in a long time. Quality iron shots go a long way around here.” That’s a trend in his history. “Laid back” is a frequent identifier of choice. He is a man of few words.

TWO-TIME major winner Dustin Johnson will look to recreate his 2020 form at Augusta this weekend - but how much is the 37-year-old worth?

This is largely aided by his impressive £53.5m earned in tournament prize money over the course of his career. The 37-year-old previously overcame injuries and problems off the course to become world number one, firstly in February 2017. Fans will be desperate to see the best golfers on the planet face off for the coveted Green Jacket - and Dustin Johnson will certainly be in contention.

AUGUSTA, S.C. — Dustin Johnson appeared loose and relaxed in the tee box on hole one, joking around with Billy Horschel before beginning his 2022 Masters ...

“It was tough to get a beat on it and judge the distance, but it felt like I played really solid and made a lot of quality golf shots in the right spots. That changed heading into the afternoon, when the sun and wind came out to firm up the course. “I hit a lot of 3 woods, just because I didn’t feel comfortable with the driver for some reason, which is unusual for me.” He would finish the day with a 69 for three-under par. A couple of bad tee shots, but other than that, it was really solid all day.” Johnson wasted no time immediately walking the fairway after Colin Morikawa hit his drive.

Paulina Gretzky looked on from Augusta National on Thursday, when Dustin Johnson competed in the first round of the 2022 Masters REUTERS.

Last month, Gretzky appeared to tour the grounds of the venue, where she was joined by mom Janet and her BFF, Kristina Melnichenko. The 2020 Masters champ, Johnson celebrated his first-ever green jacket win in November of that year, when he was joined by Gretzky on the course to celebrate. Paulina Gretzky supported fiancé Dustin Johnson on Thursday during the first round of the 2022 Masters.

In the year's first major, Johnson played nearly flawless golf and fired a three-under, 69 on the day. Following a terrific round of golf, he sits just two ...

Dustin is doing well on and off the course. In the year’s first major, Johnson played nearly flawless golf and fired a three-under, 69 on the day. After giving high-fives to fans for several minutes, DJ met up with his wife, Paulina Gretzky.

At this 2022 Masters, Dustin Johnson has played a surprising role: Augusta National whisperer. Ask Harry Higgs.

Course knowledge is important, but in this instance, the source of that knowledge is a surprise. Hit the ball in the fairway. They’re super confident in it, and a lot of guys just want to show off. The putt, that 35-, 40-footer is way easier from whole high and left than if you were to be aggressive, pull it a hair and rolls down the slope, and then you have that 35-, 40-footer from past the hole.” When you hear folks talk about the importance of course knowledge to Masters veterans like Tiger Woods, they’re talking about details like these. At least when it comes to Augusta National, where Johnson has earned a PhD-level education in course management.