For Johnson, time to go to work
PEBBLE BEACH — Dustin Johnson saunters around Pebble Beach’s emerald-green fairways as if they were his personal playground. He fistbumps father-in-law Wayne Gretzky, chuckles with country music singer Jake Owen, chats up Jordan Spieth.
And why wouldn’t Johnson savor the experience? He’s the world’s No. 1 golfer, playing in a tournament he has won twice,
on a picturesque course where he feels supremely comfortable.
But the low-key, good-buddy vibes figure to subside Sunday, and not only because Johnson’s three friends will not accompany him around the storied links. Now it’s time for the final round of the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, with a winner’s share of $1.332 million at stake.
Johnson will begin play Sunday tied for the lead at 14-under par, after his pedestrian 70 at Pebble on Saturday. Ted Potter Jr. also stands at 14-under, after a scorching 62 at Monterey Peninsula. Jason Day
(69) and Troy Merritt (69) lurk at 12-under, two strokes back.
Most players in the field embrace the pro-am element; otherwise, they would follow Tiger Woods’ lead and habitually avoid this tournament. Johnson especially enjoys his customary group the first three days, because of his familial connection to Gretzky and his friendships with Spieth and Owen.
“There’s a really cool camaraderie between the four of us — we laugh and joke all the time,” Owen said after Saturday’s round. “I asked Jordan about that, and he says he loves playing this tournament because of that camaraderie.
“These guys are saddling it up every week (on tour), playing against each other, grinding. It’s not so friendly. They’re buddies, but it’s every man for himself when it’s time to tee it up.”
That also tends to happen on Sundays at the AT&T, at least for those players with a chance to win. They set aside the easy conversation of ThursdayFriday-Saturday to chase a coveted, all-important victory.
Or, as Owen put it in describing how the mind-set of his tour-pro pals shifts, it’s “game on” come Sunday.
“I saw it with Jordan last year, when he won,” Owen said. “He was pretty lackadaisical the first three days. Then when he realized he was in contention to win the tournament, he kind of went in his own world. It was really interesting to watch him zone
in.”
Johnson will attempt to duplicate Spieth’s feat, on the eve of his one-year anniversary as the No. 1 player in the world ranking. He took over the top spot on Feb. 20, 2017, the day after he won the PGA Tour event at Riviera Country Club in Los Angeles.
Next week, when Feb. 20 arrives, Johnson will become only the fifth player to hold the No. 1 ranking for a full, uninterrupted year — joining Greg Norman, Nick Faldo, Woods and Rory McIlroy.
But don’t assume Johnson is a lock to seal the deal, just because of his AT&T history. Worth pointing out here: Rain washed out the final round when he won here in 2009, and he won despite a wobbly, closing 74 in 2010.
Johnson has gone low on Sundays only when he realistically was too far back to win. So he still hasn’t proved he can produce a clutch final round to raise the trophy at Pebble Beach.
“I’m in a good position,” Johnson said, “but I’m still going to have to go out and play really well if I want a chance to win.”
Johnson is giving himself a chance to win by crushing the par-5 holes in this tournament. He played the par-5s in 11under the past three days at Spyglass Hill, Monterey Peninsula and Pebble Beach, including one eagle (on No. 2) and two birdies (on Nos. 6 and 18) on Saturday at Pebble.
Of course, Johnson also made four bogeys at Pebble, on Nos. 3, 10, 12 and 17. That prevented him from seizing sole possession of the lead heading into Sunday’s final round.
He still finds confidence in his comfort level in the AT&T, with four top-five finishes in the past six years.
“I just like all the golf courses,” Johnson said. “I think they set up well for me. I enjoy being out here and playing them, no matter if it’s sunny and nice like it is this week or if the weather’s bad. I like this format, and I’ve got a good group of guys to play with.”
Johnson and Gretzky easily made the cut in the pro-am competition, but Gretzky withdrew, citing a back injury. He also has a previous commitment: The NHL is honoring the 1984-85 Edmonton Oilers on Sunday night in Edmonton.
So Johnson will return to Pebble without his father-inlaw, seeking another trophy to add to his collection.
Dustin Johnson, who’s tied for the lead at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am with Ted Potter Jr. “I’m in a good position, but I’m still going to have to go out and play really well if I want a chance to win.”