Two weeks ago, Dustin Johnson blew a one-shot lead going into the final round of the PGA Championship, the fourth time he failed to convert a 54-hole lead at a major.
It was another near-miss for the American, his third runner-up in his last eight major starts, along with a T3 at the 2018 US Open.
However, as Johnson knows well, they don’t hand out trophies for almost winning.
The Florida man is the most bullet-proof golfer around. He has a knack for being able to dust himself off after a litany of disappointments. He doesn’t worry, just bounces back.
Claude Harmon likened DJ to an NFL cornerback. He could get burnt for a touchdown on one play and then make a vital interception to turn the game around from the next.
He bounces all over the map, always thinking he is the best, irrespective of the final overall result.
Last Sunday, though, he showed exactly why he is one of the best in world golf, becoming only the third player in PGA Tour history to finish at 30-under par or better.
It was, statistically, the most dominant performance since Phil Mickelson won by 13 strokes at the TPC Sugarloaf in 2006.
The 36-year-old won for the 22nd time in his career, and he never made it look easier.
Johnson said his game felt as sharp as the spring of 2017, when he secured three straight triumphs – Riviera and two World Golf Championships – to first reach number one.
While he carded a final round 63 to finish on his sizzling overall score in Boston, a special note of condolence to runner-up Harris English.
English went 19 under for the weekend and finished 11 shots back.
Johnson’s final three rounds of 60-64-63 were seriously impressive, hitting every green in regulation on Sunday and missing only three over his last 54 holes.
The 2016 US Open winner’s success at the Northern Trust moves him back to world number one for the sixth time.
He is now the fifth man to hold the top spot in 2020, the most in a single calendar year since 1986.
And if you saw how he played on Friday you would have thought that was a no-brainer. He was 11-under through 11 holes, playing the best golf of his career.
It’s part of what makes him something of an enigma.
When Johnson is on form, there is no one better in the sport. Nobody can catch him.
Most of his victories are against an elite field. He’s not doing it against a C level field like other recent multiple winners.
The only issue with Johnson is that some golfers can pair their brilliance with consistency. With DJ, you never know what you’ll get.
After finishing second at the 2019 PGA Championship, Johnson recorded just two top-10 finishes in his next 14 PGA Tour starts.
He seemed to fade the conversation of being best in the world, until he popped up out of nowhere, after a missed cut at the Charles Schwab Challenge and T17 at RBC Heritage, to win the Travelers in June.
He missed a cut at the Memorial and withdrew from the 3M Open citing a back injury, but followed it up with a T12 at the St. Jude and T2 at recent PGA Championship.
Johnson has the most wins on Tour than any other player since 2008. But for a man with only one major sitting on his mantlepiece, he has underachieved for his ability.
Nevertheless, his consistency has been immense, averaging at least one top-10 in a major every year – bar 2017 – dating back to 2009.
One could argue that he should have more titles, however, the only thing that matters is taking home the trophy itself. Nobody remembers second or third place.
He will still go down as one of the all-time greats in terms of pure skill, even if his major haul is well below those he dominates in regular Tour events.
Johnson’s 21 PGA Tour wins and one major is more than a player like Jordan Spieth who has eight PGA Tour wins but three majors.
It is even more than Brooks Koepka, one of the biggest names in the game, who has three PGA Tour triumphs and four majors.
The sport is judged on majors, that’s just the nature of it. Similarly, with tennis, nobody remembers the player who won 20 ATP or WTA tournaments but no grand slams.
When you only have four chances to win every season, capitalising on even one of them every few years is an incredible achievement.
Johnson is a serious talent, has the potential to clinch more majors and tournament victories over the coming years.
Even though he’s as good as we’ve seen in the modern era, he may not finish his career with the stellar CV to prove it.
