DJ brings big drive — and driver

Just over five weeks ago, Dustin Johnson was like many players in the U.S. Open field, still searching for his first major championship.

Now, he’s favored to secure his second.

Entering the PGA Championship at Baltusrol with six straight top-10 finishes, Johnson is considered the favorite (15-2) to leave as champion, slotted ahead of Rory McIlroy (9-1), Jason Day (10-1), Jordan Spieth (14-1), Henrik Stenson (16-1) and Phil Mickelson (18-1), according to vegasinsider.com.

With another major title — following June’s U.S. Open triumph — the 32-year-old would likely become the No. 1 ranked player in the world, the only player in position to pass Day.

“If at the end of the week, if I’m on top of the leaderboard and I get to No. 1, obviously that would be great and a big accomplishment,” Johnson said Wednesday. “It won’t be on my mind. I’m going to go out and try to focus on what I’ve got to do and playing golf. The rest of the stuff, I don’t worry about it.”

For the second time in two weeks, Johnson will approach the first tee as a major champion, a feeling he admitted was “a little bit different.” The mindset, he said, has shifted slightly. The motivation has remained the same.

“That doesn’t change,” Johnson said. “I want to win. I want to win every major. Maybe even more of a desire to get a second one.”

On Tuesday, Johnson played the 7,428-yard course for the first time, leaving the long driver with the feeling that Baltusrol’s length gives him an excellent chance at capturing another championship.

“I feel like it sets up well for me,” Johnson said. “I mean, it’s pretty long. You’ve got to drive it straight. It’s definitely a premium on hitting the fairways. The rough’s pretty deep and thick, but I like the shape to the holes, the big greens with a lot of slope on them. This is a golf course I like.”

With the way he has played at majors recently, the course can only make so much of an impact. Johnson, who cites improved wedge play for his leap this year, has finished in the top 10 in six of his past seven majors, also reaching the top 10 in four of his past six PGA Championships.

“I’m feeling good. I’ve got a lot of confidence in the game,” Johnson said. “I feel like I’ve been playing really consistent all year. I feel like every week I’ve gone out, I’ve had a chance to win. Right now, I feel like everything is going pretty well.”