Photo by Ross Kinnaird/Getty Images

Dustin Johnson’s defence of the Saudi International has taken on even more significance as the American looks to embellish a legacy even he agrees could be better

By Kent Gray
As the owner of one of the best records in modern golf, Dustin Johnson’s win in the inaugural Saudi International shocked few.

The then world No.3’s eventual two-stroke victory over Chinese scrapper Haotong Li wasn’t without late drama, something of a trademark with many of Johnson’s 21 worldwide victories and many more near-misses besides.

But ‘DJ’ found a way to win, overcoming a tee shot ditched into the Red Sea on the par-3 16th at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club with a miraculous bogey and a birdie-birdie finish to finally snuff out Li’s gritty challenge.

Johnson went on to capture his sixth WGC title in Mexico a month later before finishing second in the Masters and PGA Championship at Bethpage Black. Sadly, the American was already struggling with his left knee and wouldn’t record a better finish than T-20 after the second major of the year in May.

The former world No.1 shut his season down after the PGA Tour Championship (he finished 29th in the FedEx Cup standings) and underwent arthroscopic surgery on Sept. 5 to repair cartilage damage. He returned to action at the Presidents Cup, coincidently beating Li in the Sunday singles to finish with two of a possible four points in Team USA’s comeback win at Royal Melbourne.

Johnson arrives in King Abdullah Economic City fresh from a 7th place at the season-opening Sentry Tournament of Champions on the PGA Tour and determined to make up for what was, essentially, a lost year. It’s not that his first victory in a regular European Tour event, nor a sixth WGC title are to be sniffed at. But much like his entire career, there was a deep sense of under-achievement for a such a precociously talented player,

Johnson admitted as much on the eve of the Sentry when he was asked if he was surprised he hasn’t won more in his career.

“Surprised? No. … But should I have won more? I think so,” Johnson said. The follow-up question, how much more, was nearly as obvious as Johnson’s reply. “Probably about double.”

For context, Johnson’s win in Mexico was his 20th PGA Tour title, meaning he became just the fifth player in the last 50 years with 20 victories before turning 35, joining Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Tom Watson and Johnny Miller. Johnson also boasts a win in each of his first 12 seasons on Tour, something accomplished by just Woods, Jack Nicklaus and Arnold Palmer.

Remember too that Johnson, 36 in June, was the world’s best golfer for 64 consecutive weeks from Feb. 2017, the 5th longest run as No.1. Still, it doesn’t hide the fact he should have more silverware in his trophy case. It is a verdict derived from a career filled with heartbreaks (2010 PGA, 2015 U.S. Open), collapses (2010 U.S. Open, 2017 WGC-HSBC) and a catalogue of near-misses. Johnson has racked up 22 2nd and 3rd-place finishes during his PGA Tour career, and another 52 4th-to-10th finishes. In the majors, there’s been 17 top-10s and nine top-fives.

Indeed, it’s remarkable that his triumph at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont remains Johnson’s only major win. In a parallel universe, the 35-year-old could easily have won seven bigs and be one of the game’s all-time legends.

All of which leads us back to KAEC and Johnson’s determination to avoid becoming something akin to the Greg Norman of his generation. “I know what I’m capable of and I know what it takes to win out here,” Johnson said. “For me, a successful year would be obviously winning three or four times and competing in all the majors, putting myself in positions to win golf tournaments every week.”

Now world No.5, Johnson can’t wait to get down to business at Royal Greens, hardly surprising given his win last Feb. was ignited by a course record 61 in the opening round.   

“I really enjoyed my trip to Saudi Arabia last year and my game certainly suited the layout at Royal Greens Golf & Country Club,” said Johnson.

“I have very good memories from the week and look forward to defending my title. It’s great to see how Golf Saudi has strengthened its commitment to create a world-class golf event and its plans to grow golf in the region are in full swing. It’s an honour to be a part of it.”

From a country looking to build a similarly lasting legacy in golf, the sentiment is mutual.