A brutal start for Dustin

Dustin Johnson has had a dream season. But his start to the PGA Championship was a nightmare.

Johnson, No. 2 in the world, finished the first round at Baltusrol tied for 143rd in the 156-player field. He shot a 7-over 77, his worst round since January coming at a horrible time. Johnson finished ahead of just five players, with three of those club pros, and his final hole of the day perfectly encapsulated a frustrating afternoon.

After struggling to find any kind of rhythm, Johnson stepped to the tee on the 18th and plunked his tee shot into the water hazard to the left of the fairway. Johnson had used an iron instead of a wood — presumably to avoid such a fate — but he sent his shot sailing 317 yards and into the drink.

He took a drop behind the water hazard, but sent his third shot bouncing off a tree and into the rough.

He finished with a bogey, his afternoon mercifully over. Johnson walked past the media not once but twice without comment. And frankly, what could be said about an afternoon best put behind him.

Johnson arrived at Baltusrol as arguably the most confident golfer in the game, the 32-year-old finally breaking through for his first major (a three-stroke win at the U.S. Open) and considered a favorite to claim his second straight.

But he hit the ball into the woods for a double-bogey on the third hole, having to chip it between two trees and out just the salvage that. He bogeyed on holes No. 5, 6 and 7 to find himself a daunting 5-over just seven holes in. Johnson never recovered, already a dozen strokes behind leader Jimmy Walker in a surprising performance from a golfer who came in red-hot.

“Yeah, I’m feeling good. I’ve got a lot of confidence in the game. 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,’’ Johnson had said Wednesday. “Right now, I feel like everything is going pretty well.”

Twenty-four hours later, it was going anything but well.