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It’s a familiar end to round one of another Major this year. Dustin Johnson is leading with six under at Whistling Straits. It’s another great start to what has turned into a long weekends of golf for DJ. Thursday’s ending of the first round of the PGA Championship gave DJ his third consecutive time that he has been on top of the leaderboard in the last three major tournaments. DJ also just added to his resume, the first player in the Masters era to shoot 66 or better in the opening round of three majors in a single season.
It’s pretty impressive for a golfer who hasn’t won his first major, yet. Stay focused, stay patient. The world of golf has watched DJ beat himself on Saturday & Sunday (Monday at St. Andrews). The fall from the leaderboard is often the only story the fans and media remember. But those of us that went to college with DJ know that when he stays focused and stays patient he will get that major win and he will continue to add major titles to his resume.
Does the world of golf remember that Phil Mickelson started playing major tournaments in 1990 and didn’t win his first major title until the Masters in 2004?
Let me break that down; Mickelson went 0-46 during major tournaments (he did not play in ten of them) from 1990-2004. Mickelson now has five major wins on his resume, but it took time to get that first one. DJ is going into the PGA Championship as 0-27 with only eight years of majors on his resume.
It’s hard to win a major. Zach Johnson went 0-28 in between his first major (2007 Masters) and his second major (2015 The Open). Tiger Woods was the world’s number one golf for 281 consecutive weeks and a total of 683 times. Now, he has fallen to 278th, is 0-23 in majors and playing golf as well as Charles Barkley. It’s not pretty.
What I love about DJ is that even when the world has watched him breakdown, he comes back relentless. In 2010, on this same Whistling Straits course, DJ grounded his club illegally on the 18th hole and it cost him a two-shot penalty that eliminated him from the PGA Championship playoff. On Thursday, DJ went out and shot a 66.
It’s not DJ’s past that haunts him. It’s his own mind and he’s beginning to understand that he is his biggest competitor. He knows that to beat him at his own game, he must stay focused, stay patient.
Round opened with Jordan Speith, Rory Mcllroy and Zach Johnson, the last four majors winners, all grouped together. Combined, they shot +1.
There’s still a lot of golf left and l am always rooting for DJ!