2021 PGA Championship: Top 10 power rankings at Kiawah Island

It’s tough for the world No. 1 to fly under the radar going into a major championship. Especially if he just won one in the last seven months. That’s the precarious case we find Dustin Johnson in heading to Kiawah Island.

The two-time major champ is absent a top-10 in his last six starts spanning the previous three months. His Masters defense ended in a disappointing missed cut.

DJ bounced back for T-13th the next week at the RBC Heritage and was T-48th in his last event at the Wells Fargo Championship. Curiosity about the state of his game was only stoked when he withdrew from last week’s AT&T Byron Nelson citing a knee issue.

It’s possible he just wanted an extra week of practice and needed a reason to pull out, but it’s a bit worrisome either way.

Need us not forget he was slumping last summer before turning it around to play some of the best golf of his career. Johnson won The Northern Trust by 11 shots and collected 11 top-12s in a row.

The PGA Championship has treated him well despite no wins. DJ has made nine of 11 cuts with two runner-ups in 2019 and 2020 and T-5th in 2010 where he was a misstep in a waste bunker away from a playoff.

Johnson will be teeing it up in his home state of South Carolina this week. The former Coastal Carolina Chanticleer earned T-48th (71-79-72-71) at the 2012 PGA at Kiawah Island.

The 36-year-old owns 38 made cuts in 46 major starts. He’s got five top-sixes in the last eight.

Johnson has the length to be just fine at a big ballpark like the Ocean course. He’s 26th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee (.442) and ninth in driving distance (311.6).

It’s not all bomb and gouge to get it done at a Pete Dye course. Johnson’s iron play will need to come into play to give himself makeable birdies. He’s 21st in SG approach (.559).

There’s great value to be had in DJ this week if you believe a turn around is coming. It always does with him eventually.