Johnson ready for long game in double bid
ERIN, United States: Dustin Johnson will aim to exploit his big-hitting prowess on the longest course in Major championship history when he tees off at the US Open Thursday, bidding to become the first back-to-back champion in 28 years.
The world number one won his first Major in last year’s US Open at Oakmont, after several near-misses, and is the bookmakers’ favourite at the picturesque Erin Hills course in rural Wisconsin.
Hosting a Major for the first time, the intimidating 7,741 yard, par-72 layout is not for the faint-hearted, promising a physical and mental challenge for the very best.
Many holes feature blind or semi-blind tee-shots, while the course’s mid-section runs on an outward-inward path that will ensure players face variable winds.
Factor in fairways bordered by deep fescue grass that some have already described as unplayable, and it appears likely that the tournament will live up to its billing as the toughest test in golf.
Johnson, however, who missed the Masters in April after a freak accident where he slipped on steps and hurt his back on the eve of the tournament, was adamant the length of Erin Hills would suit his game.
“It’s just a very, very difficult tournament to win,” the 32-year-old said, noting the US Open challenge and the reputation of this year’s venue.
“I like really tough golf courses. I tend to focus more and play better. I like knowing par is a good score for some reason. I don’t know why. I play better when I’m playing for pars.”
If he defends his title, Johnson will be the first man to win back-toback US Opens since Curtis Strange in 1988 and 1989.
Strange, now working as a television analyst, backed Johnson to complete the double. “We’re at a bomber’s paradise, and the best player in the world is the bomber,” Strange said.
World number two Rory McIlroy, who won the event in 2011, has declared himself ready despite a frustrating season dogged by niggling injuries.
The Northern Irish star has played only one event since the Masters after rib and back problems forced him to withdraw from the BMW PGA Championship at Wentworth.
McIlroy arrived in Wisconsin last week to begin surveying a course he believes he can thrive on.
“I don’t think it’s a secret that I feel like my driver is one of the biggest weapons in my bag,” McIlroy said on Tuesday. “If I can get that in my hands more regularly, and I think if the field has to hit driver more, as well, that plays into my hands, too.”
While other players have complained at the tangled acres of fescue grass, McIlroy was dismayed to learn some of the rough had been cut back following the complaints.
“These are the widest fairways we’ve ever played in a US Open,” McIlroy said. Age: 22 World ranking: 10 Major titles: 0 The big-hitting Spaniard has made a smooth transition to the professional game after an amateur career that included a 60-week spell at world number one. He signalled his talent at the US Open at Oakmont last year when he tied for 23rd place while still an amateur. His 2017 season began with a superb victory at the Farmers Insurance Open in January, when he rolled in a 60-foot eagle putt on the last to claim his first PGA Tour win. Finished two behind winner Dustin Johnson at the WGCMexico Championship and also pushed the American all the way in the final of the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play.