Dustin Johnson Profile

Name Dustin Johnson
Short Name DJ
Born Jun 22, 1984
Age 37 years
Birthplace Columbia, South Carolina, United States
Height 6ft 3ins

Dustin Johnson is without question a very modern golfer - a supreme athlete whose long-hitting and improved wedge game has allowed to him to become a two-time Major Champion and top the world rankings

Dustin Johnson has established himself as one of the PGA Tour's most consistent performers, the consequence of a strong driving game that is not only long but possesses huge carry.

Johnson moved past $70million in career earnings on Tour when he won his second major at the rescheduled 2020 US Masters, played in November. He won his first major at Oakmont Country Club, carding a 4-under-par score of 276 to win the 2016 US Open.

Johnson is the first man to win all four World Golf Championship events and his overall tally of six WGC titles is second only to that of Tiger Woods.

When he won the 2020 Travelers Championship, Johnson became just the third golfer in history to claim a Tour win in each of his first 13 seasons.

In October 2020, he also became only the fourth man to hold the number one spot in golf's Official World Rankings for over 100 weeks.

Johnson has been number one in six separate stretches. He first reached the summit in February 2017 and stayed there for 64 weeks - the fifth-longest reign as rankings king.

He has been among the top 10 earners on the PGA Tour for the last six consecutive seasons.

Amateur career

After graduating from Dutch Fork High School as the 19th ranked junior golfer in the United States, Johnson attended Coastal Carolina University in his native South Carolina.

He averaged 75.60 strokes per round in his freshman year, representing the Chanticleers in 10 events. He earned All-Big South honors for his efforts at the Big South Conference Championship in the 2003-04 season.

In his sophomore year, Johnson was awarded the Player of the Year award in the Big South Conference and earned All-American honors from the Golf Coaches Association of America.

His junior and senior years at CCU were replete with success, and he won the Monroe Invitational and the Northeast Amateur in his final year at the university.

His senior year also saw him represent the United States in the 2007 Walker Cup and also the Palmer Cup, helping his country to victory in both.

Turning pro

Johnson turned professional immediately after leaving CCU, graduating from the 2007 qualifying school to earn his tour card for the 2008 PGA Tour season.

He wasn't made to wait long for his first professional title, winning the Turning Stone Resort Championship in his rookie campaign. He added a second early into his second season, taking the 2009 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am after inclement weather forced the cancellation of the final round.

Weeks later he grabbed the attention of the golfing world, making back-to-back eagles at the 13th and 14th, during the final round of his debut in the Masters at Augusta National.

By the end of the 2015 season, Johnson had nine tour titles to his name but was lacking the Major success that would solidify him as a golfing force. However, he had twice finished in a tie for second (at the 2011 British Open and the 2015 US Open).

In his early Majors, Johnson was hunted down by the rest of the world's elite.

Major near-misses

The period from 2010 to 2016, when he completed his Major Championship breakthrough, witnessed multiple examples of Johnson losing out at the top table.

In 2010 he led the US Open at Pebble Beach by three shots with 18 holes to play, but could only manage a final round 82 to squander a golden opportunity.

Later that same year he led the PGA Championship with one hole to play, but grounded his club in sand and was penalized.

It was an extraordinary incident, one he happily admitted to, but what he believed to be wasteland was deemed by officials to be a bunker.

Five years later he faced a 12-foot putt on the 72nd hole of the US Open.

Had he holed it for an eagle-3 he would have won, a two-putt would have earned a playoff, but Johnson three-putted to finish second behind Jordan Spieth.

US Open victory

Johnson worked hard on his wedge game and continued to make steady progress in the rankings as well as the money lists as the 2016 season got underway, yet the lack of a Major triumph continued to rankle heading into June's US Open at Oakmont Country Club.

Weather played havoc with the opening rounds of the tournament and, going into the final day, Johnson trailed leader Shane Lowry by four strokes.

There was controversy during the final round as Johnson was handed a one stroke penalty when his ball moved as he prepared to address it for a birdie putt at the fifth. He had initially been cleared of wrongdoing.

However, Johnson showed nerves of steel as Lowry capitulated, and when the lead group made the turn, the American had assumed the lead. Even after being docked a stroke, much to the chagrin of several notable professionals, Johnson claimed his first major win by three shots.

This saw him move up to third in the world rankings and he finished the season as the leading money winner on the PGA Tour. He won the Arnold Palmer and Byron Nelson awards, the Vardon Trophy, and was named both the PGA Player of the Year and PGA Tour Player of the Year for 2016.

Becoming world number one

Johnson had made winning on the PGA Tour a habit by now and his 13th triumph saw him top the world rankings.

His first stretch as world number one started in February 2017 after he won the Genesis Open and he closed out the year still at the top with a further three tournament wins in the bag.

Johnson endured disappointment at the majors in 2017 though, missing the cut in defense of his US Open crown and being forced to withdraw from the Masters due to an injury sustained when falling down a staircase in the Augusta home he was renting.

Despite the injury, Johnson had his most successful year on the PGA Tour in terms of tournament wins and his success at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play completed his collection of all four World Golf Championships events - a feat he is alone in achieving.

Johnson won three further PGA Tour events in 2018 before weathering a mini-slump in 2019, winning just once at the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Lighting up 2020

Shortly after the resumption of the 2020 season, Johnson laid down a marker by winning the Travelers Championship, a success that featured his career-lowest round of 61 (9-under-par) on the PGA Tour.

In August, he became world number one for the sixth time after winning The Northern Trust at TPC Boston by 11 strokes. This came two weeks after he surrendered a 54-hole lead at the PGA Championship, where he finished tied-second.

Johnson won his first Tour Championship title at East Lake Golf Club in September, securing the $15million FedExCup purse in the process.

With the calendar ravaged by the coronavirus pandemic, the Masters was shifted to November and Johnson started as one of the favorites. He set a new tournament record score of 20-under on his way to claiming his first Masters title and second Major Championship. In doing so, 2020 became his most successful year to date.

He opened 2021 in similar form, winning for a second time in Sauid Arabia, but then lost form and even failed to make the cut on his defence of the Green Jacket.

In September 2021, Dustin Johnson became the first American to secure five points at a Ryder Cup since Larry Nelson in 1979 when Team USA triumphed over Team Europe at Whistling Straits. He formed a formidable partnership with Collin Morikawa as they won three matches together. 

Dustin Johnson's personal life

While Johnson seems to owe his start in golf to his father being a former club professional, he claims to have largely been self-taught. The Johnson family is close-knit, with his brother Austin serving as his caddie since 2013.

That same year he announced his engagement to the daughter of ice hockey legend Wayne Gretzky, Paulina, and the couple has celebrated the birth of two sons; Tatum Gretzky Johnson, who was born on January 19, 2015, and River Jones Johnson, who came into the world on June 12, 2017.

Dustin Johnson's net worth

Johnson's net worth has been estimated at around $50million, thanks largely to his incredible PGA Tour winnings and lucrative endorsement deals.

The six-time world number one has massive multi-year deals with Adidas and TaylorMade. He also has marketing partnerships with NetJets, BodyArmor, New Era and Hublot.

Johnson is known to be a snappy dresser, with over 30 designer suits from the likes of Prada and Dolce & Gabbana in his wardrobe. Thanks to his 2020 exploits, he is likely to add a few more to go with the Green Jacket he collected at Augusta.

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