Johnson doesn’t dwell on past
Dustin Johnson is moving past missed cut
Dustin Johnson forgot to pack his best game last week and missed the cut in the British Open.
Not that he brooded about it. Next to his driver, the world No. 1’s best weapon is his memory, or lack thereof. Oh, sure, he’s bothered from time to time about his poor play, but those thoughts don’t last long. And he certainly isn’t thinking about his missed cut as he prepares for Thursday’s opening round of the RBC Canadian Open in Oakville, Ontario.
Johnson seeks win No. 3 this year and to maintain his hold on the No. 1 ranking.
He wasn’t making any mental adjustments to his game this week because he doesn’t think he played poorly in the British Open, where he shot 76-72 at Carnoustie. It was the first time Johnson missed a cut in 13 events this season and the first time in 21 tournaments dating to June 2017.
“Coming in here, I just work on the same things I’ve been working on,” Johnson said Wednesday. “I feel like I’m swinging well; I’m hitting it well. Spent a little bit of time working on the putting, which is something that’s been kind of hot and cold this year, but I feel like I’ve got a pretty good beat on it.”
Wearing a No. 99 Edmonton Oilers jersey, Johnson paid homage to his future father-in-law, Wayne Gretzky, during Wednesday’s pro-am. He feels comfortable at Glen Abbey Golf Club, a course designed by Jack Nicklaus, where Johnson tied for eighth last year and has two second-place finishes.
With eight top-10 results this season and victories in the Sentry Tournament of Champions and FedEx St. Jude Classic, Johnson is also No. 1 in the FedExCup standings. After the Wyndham Championship, the top 125 players and ties advance to the playoffs, which begin in three weeks with the Northern Trust.
Winning the FedExCup championship and the $10 million bonus that goes with it is one thing Johnson has not accomplished yet in a career that includes the 2016 U.S. Open title and 18 other PGA Tour victories. Last year he was fourth in the FedExCup behind champion Justin Thomas, Jordan Spieth and Xander Schauffele.
“Right now being No. 1 is good, but you just kind of want to be in that topfive position going into Atlanta, The Tour Championship,” Johnson said. “I need to continue to play well the rest of the year. We’ve got a lot of big events coming up, this one, Akron next week, and then the PGA the week after that.”
Brooks Koepka, who tied for 39th in the British Open, also has an eye on the FedExCup and feels pressure to play well the next few weeks. He’s 13th in the standings after missing several weeks early in the season due to a left wrist injury.
“I’m having to play a lot right now to play some events because I missed so much time,” Koepka said.
“You fall back in that FedExCup. I remember just looking at it every once in a while. You just keep going backwards and backwards and backwards. Missing a major isn’t fun. That’s a good place to really jump.
“So just trying to play as much as I can right now and trying to get to that No. 1.”