He looks every bit the part of the world’s No. 1.
He’s won the last three events he played, including back-to-back WGC championships.
He plowed through most of the field this past week at the WGC Match Play then showed the grit and determination on the final day that it takes to be the best player in the world.
D.J. spent his Sunday getting rid of pesky Hideto Tanihara, who was overjoyed to play well enough to make it into the Masters in two weeks. First rule of match play — beware the guy who has nothing to lose. The Japanese star took D.J. to the limit before bowing to Johnson-san.
The afternoon brought on a classic heavyweight match — one that pitted No. 1 against a kid who looked like 1-B.
D.J. had Jon Rahm on the ropes early. The 22-year-old Spaniard was five down through eight then turned it all around. If it were a heavyweight fight, Rahm would have survived at least two standing eight-counts. Three down with nine to play, Rahm-bo produced birdies at the 10th, 13th, 15th and 16th holes and on 18 tee, Johnson was just one-up.
After watching Rahm drive over the green at 18, D.J. went conservative and left himself just short of the green in two. Rahm found himself in a spot where he couldn’t make birdie, was lucky to make par and watched D.J. hole a nervous three-footer to win.
Tested? You bet.
“A lot,” Johnson quickly pointed out. “I didn’t give him any holes except 10. Jon played really well. I’m playing well. Proud of the way I played. It was a long day, a long weekend,” Johnson said after playing two matches on Saturday then two more on Sunday, seven total for the week.
He dominated most of his opponents, as did Rahm.
The best two guys last week made it to the final.
But there would be no upset of No. 1, even though Rahm never quit, never gave up and showed the kind of shot-making that led NBC analyst Johnny Miller to declare:
“This kid has No. 1 written on his forehead.”
It might be written there, but for now, the ink is invisible. Rahm’s time will come but it is not now. Maybe not that far away, but not yet.
Johnson has the complete game you expect out of No. 1. He has the healthy body that Jason Day doesn’t have. He has the distance that Jordan Spieth doesn’t have and he has the consistency that Rory McIlroy is lacking.
“No weaknesses I can see,” said Miller, who is the first to point out any player’s weakness.
When Johnson gets it going, he drives it long and straight, hits great iron shots and his putting keeps getting better.
Who can stop him when he’s got it going? Perhaps the Ghost of Tiger Woods 2005-2006 but certainly no one who’s hanging around the top 10 these days.
Johnson is a quiet guy. Won’t say much, prefers to let his clubs do the talking and right now they are telling us that he’s gotta be the favorite when the gang makes it up to Augusta National in two weeks.
For Johnson, it’s on to Houston. He’s playing his way to The Masters.
He’s got to be a little weary after seven matches but factor in the fact that he’s also athletically superior to most around him.
He’s got a big toolbox and he knows how to use all the tools.
They tested him to the max in Austin.
He passed with flying colors.
