Dustin Johnson awes the field in Scotland

When it came to creating a narrative that could define the future of professional golf, the men in blazers at the 144^th British Open Championship nailed it.

For Thursday’s first round (and Friday’s second) at St. Andrews’ Old Course, they fashioned a pairing – no, make that THE pairing – that golf fans wanted to see, given the absence of world No. 1 and favorite Rory McIlroy, home nursing his injured ankle while awaiting a call-up from Manchester United.

The 17^th threesome teeing off on Thursday had Jordan Spieth, halfway to an unpredented calendar Grand Slam, and the man most recently victimized by that quest, Columbia native Dustin Johnson. The Royal & Ancient, with no regard to bruised feelings (Johnson’s) or bad karma (Spieth’s), thus made a pairing of what one day might be remembered as the next round in a classic rivalry.

Talk about inspired.

By day’s end, Johnson held the first-round lead with a bogey-free 7-under par 65. Two shots back at 5-under 67, thanks to a closing birdie, was Spieth, all concerns about jet lag (he flew directly from his win at the John Deere Classic in Illinois on Sunday) and lack of links experience long forgotten.

Speaking of forgotten: Sorry, Hideki Matsuyama (even-par 72). Someone had to fill out the threesome.

Also forgotten, it seemed, was Johnson’s disappointment at the ending of the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay a month ago, when his three-putt 72nd green handed the trophy to Spieth. The lanky 31-year-old wore a huge grin entering his post-round press conference, talking to fiancee Paulina Gretzky on his cell.

“You know, nothing bad happened at Chambers Bay,” he said, echoing his post-U.S. Open talking points. “There (are) really no bad feelings from that, only good.” He backed off only slightly from that: “It was a little disappointing not to get in the playoff at least, but ... I really don’t dwell on the past too much.”

Whether he used the past for motivation Thursday was an unanswered question. Certainly, being paired with his recent tormentor didn’t dull Johnson’s competitiveness.

Nor was that a surprise to Spieth. “I expected him to continue playing well because he really doesn’t play badly ever,” Spieth said. “I certainly expect him to be a guy to beat every single time you play.”

The duo engaged in a day of can-you-top-this shots, Spieth forging ahead through four holes before Johnson’s big drive and “perfect 7-iron” approach from 195 yards at the par-5 fifth hole resulted in a 10-foot eagle putt, putting him ahead at 4-under. The two were tied at 6-under after 11 holes, but Spieth’s bogey at 13 and another Johnson birdie at 14 was a two-shot swing that wound up the difference.

“We both just played really well,” Johnson said. “We’re good buddies, and we like playing with each other. We had a lot of fun out there today. It’s special when you’re playing well.”

And Johnson has a history of doing that at the Open, with five straight top-15 finishes. “I enjoy it,” he said. With typical St. Andrews Open weather – rain and wind – forecast Friday and Saturday, he figures to be in his element. “Golf is going to be interesting, but I enjoy the challenge,” he said.

Johnson already enjoyed a big edge in the length-off-the-tee department, outdriving the 21-year-old Texan by some 40 yards on at least one hole. “My strength is my driver,” he said. “I played aggressive off the tee when it was called for.”

That said ... it was a Thursday. Sunday, as both know, is different.

“You’re kind of rooting for each other to get into contention” in the first round, Spieth said. “On Sunday, you’re just rooting for yourself to outplay” the other guy.

And so, it seems, the dynamics are set: Johnson the big bomber, Spieth the short-game wizard and all-around ace. Not very much alike – and yet perfect halves of an intriguing storyline for the future.

Palmer-Nicklaus (and Player); Watson and Jack; Ballesteros and Langer . . . Spieth and Johnson and McIlroy?

“Rory is No. 1, but Spieth has two majors back-to-back,” ESPN analyst Paul Azinger said this week. “So there is going to be a rivalry there, because somebody will be No. 1 and somebody will be No. 2. (And) Dustin Johnson could come in and replace them both. Who knows what he’s capable of?”

To qualify for an it-matters rivalry requires two (or three) players among the top two or three in the world, in head-to-head battles that result in exciting victories. There have been precious few such showdowns at The Open.

The standard by which others are measured was 1977’s “Duel in the Sun,” when No. 1 Jack Nicklaus and heir apparent Tom Watson separated themselves from the field, before Watson’s winning final-hole birdie on top of Nicklaus’ long birdie putt moments before. Nothing since has come close, though a few have shown promise.

In 1984, Seve Ballesteros won by two at St. Andrews over Watson (and Bernhard Langer), shooting 69 on Sunday to Langer’s 71 and Watson’s disappointing 73. In 1993, Greg Norman won by two over Nick Faldo at Royal St. George’s. And in 2007, Padraig Harrington out-battled Sergio Garcia in a playoff at Carnoustie, Garcia missing a putt to win in regulation.

Most recently, there was Adam Scott’s four-hole collapse to hand the Claret Jug to a stunned Ernie Els in 2012. That one, though, hardly qualified as historically game-changing.

Johnson-Spieth? Three days from now, we might be saying we witnessed the beginning of the next great rivalry, with a healthy McIlroy waiting in the wings. It could be wonderful to behold for, oh, the next decade or so.

Would Johnson enjoy being part of that? The grin on his unshaven face Thursday said it all.

“Yeah,” he said. “Why not?”

We’ll see. Still ... why not, indeed?

This story was originally published July 16, 2015 at 4:46 PM.