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PGA Tour: Dustin Johnson’s greatness vastly underappreciated

By Tim Letcher

CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 28: Dustin Johnson of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 28, 2020 in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images)
CROMWELL, CONNECTICUT - JUNE 28: Dustin Johnson of the United States poses with the trophy after winning the Travelers Championship at TPC River Highlands on June 28, 2020 in Cromwell, Connecticut. (Photo by Rob Carr/Getty Images) /
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He has 21 wins on the PGA Tour, yet Dustin Johnson continues to be underappreciated. Why is he not treated the same as others with equal accomplishments?

Dustin Johnson may be the most underappreciated player on the PGA Tour. On Sunday, Johnson proved again that he’s not only one of the best players currently on tour, but one of the best players who has ever played on tour, by winning the Travelers Championship.

OK, granted, Johnson is not Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus or Arnold Palmer. That’s not what we’re saying here. But we are saying that, in the era of Woods, Phil Mickelson and others, DJ is vastly overlooked.

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Take a look at the numbers. Johnson’s win on Sunday was the 21st in his PGA Tour career. That ties him with players like Davis Love III and Lanny Wadkins, a pair of very accomplished players on tour. It allows him to pass Hall of Famers Hale Irwin and Greg Norman on the PGA Tour wins list.

Sunday’s win also put DJ into some elite company when it comes to consistency. Johnson has now won in 13 consecutive years on tour. Many players would just like to win 13 times, let alone 13 years in a row.

So, just how good is that streak?

It’s nearly unmatched. Only three players have had longer streaks in their careers. Nicklaus and Palmer each won at least once in 17 straight seasons, while Woods won an event in 14 consecutive years. That’s elite company for DJ.

Johnson did have one major brain cramp on Sunday. After taking a three-shot lead on the 12th hole, Johnson yanked his driver left on the 13th hole, a ball that ended up out of bounds. Johnson was likely trying to eagle or birdie to put the event away at that point, but he easily could have hit a hybrid or an iron and turned the par-5 into a three-shot hole.

DJ would make a bogey after that mistake and his lead was cut to one over Kevin Streelman. However, Johnson bounced right back with a birdie on the 14th hole to increase his lead back to two shots. He would hold on to win by one.

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Perhaps Johnson does not get the respect or admiration he deserves because he has only won one major championship. Or perhaps it’s because he has blown a couple of other chances to win major championships. Whatever the reason, it seems that Johnson’s accomplishments are vastly underrated.

Johnson, who turned 36 this year, still has some good golf ahead of him. He was ranked sixth in the world heading into this week, a number that should soon be rising. Perhaps if he keeps winning, he will be appreciated much more for the great player he is.

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