Pro Golf Now
Fansided

2021 US Open: Top 10 power rankings at Torrey Pines

By Mike Randleman

Jan 30, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; A detailed view of the south course map adjacent to the first tee during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 30, 2021; San Diego, California, USA; A detailed view of the south course map adjacent to the first tee during the third round of the Farmers Insurance Open golf tournament at Torrey Pines Municipal Golf Course. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
5 of 11
Next
Jun 13, 2021; Ridgeland, South Carolina, USA; Dustin Johnson studies the green during the final round of the Palmetto Championship at Congaree golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 13, 2021; Ridgeland, South Carolina, USA; Dustin Johnson studies the green during the final round of the Palmetto Championship at Congaree golf tournament. Mandatory Credit: David Yeazell-USA TODAY Sports /

Dustin Johnson will try to forget that triple bogey late Sunday at the Palmetto Championship. Besides that, there was a lot to like about his performance last week.

A slumping DJ arrived to Congaree without a top-10 in his last seven starts. There were concerns about his health or otherwise. It was reminiscent of a slump in 2020 that preceded a stellar run culminating in the Masters victory.

Could the 2016 U.S. Open champ be ready to break out yet again?

Johnson finished T-10th last week and three off Garrick Higgo’s winning pace. A 65 on Thursday shows us he can still heat up and take it low. Perhaps playing a new course like Congaree flummoxed him a bit, but he’ll be much more familiar this week.

He’s coming to La Jolla for the 11th time. It will be his first, however, since 2017 as he’s preferred to play early in the year in the Middle East.

It’s a rare venue he’s played more than five times and has never won at. Johnson does have seven made cuts, including T-3rd in 2011. He finished T-48th at the 2008 U.S. Open at age 23.

Johnson’s still chugging along at age 36 with 24 PGA Tour wins. A lofty goal for any player is to post a sub-70 season scoring goal. He’s on pace for that at 69.864 (2nd).

He ranks 20th on the PGA Tour in strokes gained off the tee (.505). Distance is no issue at 314.4 yards a pop to rank sixth.

You could make a case that it’s becoming the Masters, but I say the U.S. Open has been his best major. Johnson’s made 11 of 13 cuts, 10 of which were inside the top 40. Six were top-10s and four top-fives.

It was stunning to see DJ miss consecutive major cuts for the first time in his career to begin 2021.

I’m not convinced he’s the favorite this week. There are too many guys playing great golf right now to forgive all of DJ’s sins the last couple months.

At the same time, would you be surprised if he runs away and wins by four? I won’t.

Home/Golf News