For Dustin Johnson at the Masters, there’s no sliding under the radar

He owns two major golf championships, including a record-shattering performance in the 2020 Masters.

He has won 24 PGA Tour tournaments and at least one for 14 consecutive seasons, the latter territory occupied by guys named Arnie and Jack and Tiger.

He was ranked No. 1 in the Official World Golf Rankings for 135 weeks, a number surpassed only by Tiger Woods and Greg Norman.

Somehow, though, Dustin Johnson and his hall-of-fame credentials seem to get lost in discussions of today’s top golfers. Oh, his name is there, yet his achievements do not always receive their due. Not ignored, but perhaps underappreciated.

Johnson must shoulder some of the blame. He is a man of few words. “Laid back” is a frequent identifier of choice.

Asked at his pre-Masters press conference about Woods’ return to competitive golf overshadowing tournament story lines. DJ said simply, “It’s fine.”

Asked to elaborate, he said: “It’s going to be his first tournament back in a long time. So obviously he’s one of greatest that’s ever played this game and especially in our era, so any time he tees it up, especially after his injuries, he’s going to take a lot of attention, which is OK with me.”

And he added a kicker: “I always like sliding in a little under the radar.”

Well, the merging of factors suggests he won’t get his wish starting Thursday. With the Augusta National Golf Course soaked by early-week rain and his game “definitely trending in the right direction” — his words — the stars are aligning for his winning another green jacket.

Johnson, the Columbia native who grew up in Irmo, starred at Dutch Fork High and made All-American at Coastal Carolina, has compiled a Masters’ record to envy. Starting in 2015, his finishes look like this: T6, T4, withdraw, T10, T2, 1, missed cut.

The withdrawal in 2017 came after he slipped an injured his back during tournament week during a period where he had one of his sizzling streaks going. The missed cut last year is the outlier.

His 2022 performance chart did not look like anything to write home about ... until recently. His final 9-under-par 63 in the weather-plagued Players earned a backdoor top 10, and he placed fourth in the Match Play.

That’s a trend in his history. He came out of the 2020 coronavirus delay with an out-of-nowhere win in the Travelers followed by a missed cut, withdrawal and a tie for 12.

Then, he dominated with these finishes: T2, 1, 2, 1, T6, 2 and 1. Along the way he earned the FedEx Cup title and the last “1” represented his record-breaking Masters.

Now? Finishes at the Players and Match Play suggest he could be setting up for another streak.

“I’m starting to see a lot more consistency with shots,” Johnson said this week. “I feel like I’m starting to control the golf ball a little bit better. The swing is starting to feel a lot better.

“Obviously around here, chipping and putting is a big part of it, but you’ve got to be able to control the golf ball, especially when the course gets firm and fast. Quality iron shots go a long way around here.”

Although the course played differently in his November Masters’ victory, quality iron shots and dominating the par-5s provided the prescription for success.

“If I look back at 2020, I just drove it well and hit a lot of real quality iron shots to the center of the green,” Johnson said. “I didn’t really get overly aggressive. Maybe it was a little aggressive on the par-5s and I played those very well, but the rest of it, I just tried to play” what he called “aggressively conservative” shots.

And getting ready for his 1:30 p.m. tee time Thursday, the short game will receive an extra dose of attention.

“Preparation-wise, I’ll probably spend maybe a little bit more time around the greens hitting some chips and some putts,” he said. “... just spend a little bit more time on short game, putting, just getting your speed dialed in.”

That formula works for him, and — Tiger or no Tiger — there’s “no sliding under the radar” this week. His goal — “get another (green jacket)” — assures he will be anything but anonymous.

This story was originally published April 7, 2022 at 4:44 AM.