Dustin Johnson completes Grand Slam or Runner-Up Finishes
FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Shortly after he completed his final round at the P.G.A. Sunday night's championship, Dustin Johnson, who has won a major in his career, was asked what it felt like to complete the Grand Slam or runner-up finishes.
"Yay," said Johnson, who became the eighth player to finish second at all four major championships. "I'm so excited."
Johnson, who finished second in the Masters last month, offered a brief smile. After the start of the day seven shots behind the leader, Brooks Koepka, Johnson lost with two blows after bombarding two of his last three holes.
"I certainly gave him a run," Johnson said, "so I was happy with that."
Johnson, 34, settled for the second violin at Koepka, who successfully PGA defended Championship and collected his fourth major title. Eventually Koepka, who was affiliated with Johnson and Xander Schauffele at the Masters, could claim his second Wanamaker Trophy because he closed off his good friend and regular training partner
"He is one of the boys I'm looking for, that I have to beat, "said Johnson. "He is always someone I know."
[Does golf have a new king? Brooks Koepka’s peers aren’t so sure.]
Koepka acknowledged that he kept Johnson the whole round. He was aware that he was getting closer to him.
"DJ played a great round, & Koepka said." That was pretty good. "
Although it wasn't good enough to win, Johnson started his first day, He started the fourth lap 20 minutes ahead of Koepka and drove the ball fast in the howling wind that blew around the Black Course at Bethpage State Park, which was the most wind that players played with all week long. and Johnson adjusted well. While Koepka bogeyed No. 1, Johnson placed three birdies on his front nine.
"If you weren't perfect today, you'd have a hard time," he said.
Johnson bogeyed No. 11, and noted Koepka's position when he looked at the leaderboard at the tee at number 12. Koepka had made up for a bogey at number 1 with a birdie at the fourth hole. Koepka was right at the time for the round and 12 for the tournament, and Johnson then dried an 11-foot birdie well at 15. When he stepped to the tee at number 16, he was aware of the wind.
"The wind was really eating the ball when you hit it," he said.
His tee shot at number 16 went 298 meters to the left fairway. The second shot he took with his 5-iron after considering his 4-iron, sailed 200 meters, or 6 meters too long. It landed above the rough greenery. Johnson called the long fights "criminal", but he saved the lie with a solid chip to the green and a well that satisfied him despite the bogey. After those two shots, he wondered how he failed in less than five.
"I don't know how it flew 200 meters," he said.
The mistakes of Koepka left the way open for Johnson, though. From number 13 to number 17, Koepka posted five straight bogeys. Johnson fans in the crowd chanted, "D. J.! D. J.!" Between Koepka's photos. Yet he also farmed No. 17 and went to the scoring tent, where he saw Koepka drive the ball at number 18 on the tee. It was still a major with an almost championship finish for Johnson.
"The last few holes hit me," he said.
There were enough positive things for Johnson to take away from the week. It was his best finish on a P.G.A. Championship, and he was the only player who could shoot substandard all four rounds. He finished with a total of 274 with four rounds and said his match was in a good place when he rolled his putter better during the weekend.
Johnson's day ended when he parried at number 18. [1945]
Afterwards, Johnson, who said he would carry momentum from the Bethpage experience to the United States Open next month at Pebble Beach, was asked who he believed was the number 1 player in the world now
"I'm pretty sure I'm still the No. 1," he said, "so I'd choose myself."
But that is not how the world ranking goes. Koepka not only guarded Johnson on Bethpage, he also surpassed Johnson for number 1.
It was a second place for Johnson to consider.