No one looks more ready for Augusta National than Dustin Johnson.
He’s on a crazy roll, three straight wins and the start before that was a third at Pebble Beach.
That match play stuff last week was a grind, two matches on Saturday, two matches on Sunday, so you’ve got a regular PGA Tour event in two days. Granted, he didn’t play 36 on Saturday but he did on Sunday.
So it comes as no surprise that D.J.’s people called the Houston Open people and told them that their guy needs a little rest before tackling the first major of the season next week.
Besides, even without D.J., Houston’s got Jordan Spieth, Henrik Stenson, Adam Scott, Rickie Fowler, John Rahm and Phil Mickelson. That’s plenty of star power, especially the week before a major.
Johnson doesn’t need to fine tune anything, another four rounds simply isn’t necessary. Can you say “ready to go?”
This major championship stuff is tricky at best. There’s no scientific way to peak four times a season. That’s what Jack Nicklaus lived for and Tiger Woods was pretty darn good at it himself.
Fact is today as it has always been is that you better bring your game to a major. Odds are you won’t find it at one of the four big ones.
The great thing about major championships is that they can be predictably unpredictable.
Sure, Dustin Johnson’s a huge favorite at 5/1. Pretty strong but as it so often turns out, the obvious can be obviously wrong.
There’s nothing in Johnson’s game that says he won’t win next week but there were those moments in the match play. Johnson had some trouble with the par three 11th at Austin Country Club. He hit a really poor shot against Alex Noren and found the water. That sort of mistake at the 12th at Augusta can lose you a Green Jacket. Just ask Jordan Spieth.
The best thing about Johnson is that he has no obvious weaknesses. He’s learned to eliminate the left side of the golf course and hit a power fade. There’s a guy who had some pretty good success at The Masters with that shot shape. He won six times and his last name is Nicklaus.
Johnson’s length can put a lot of short irons in his hands at Augusta National, which puts his success back on the putter. Putting is everything next week, which explains Spieth’s prowess on that golf course.
The most important thing, however, is to come in refreshed and ready to go.
If Johnson had played in Houston this week, you’d have to wonder if he might be a bit fatigued.
Augusta National is a hike, lots of elevation changes, not the easiest course in the world to walk. A week off to relax and work on some short game stuff may be just what Johnson needs.
He finished tied for fourth last year with Paul Casey and J.B. Holmes. D.J. shot rounds of 73-71-72-71, one-under par and just four behind Danny Willett.
This 2017 version of Dustin Johnson looks a LOT better than last year’s. His game is so much more complete and his confidence has to be at an all time high right now.
He’s No. 1 and the overwhelming favorite. Don’t think that will bother him, he just needs to do what he does best.
That Green Jacket is his to win or lose.
