Dustin Johnson has simple plan in bid for US Open glory

World No1 looking to stay on a roll as he heads into season’s second major

Dustin Johnson plays a tee shot during a practice round prior to the US Open at Winged Foot. Picture: Jamie Squire/Getty

Dustin Johnson is hoping his “caveman golf” style of play – see ball, hit ball, pick ball up and repeat – can help him cap a blistering run of form with a second US Open victory.

The 2016 winner is heading into the season’s second major at Winged Foot in confident mood after winning two of the three play-off events – he lost in extra holes to Jon Rahm in the other one – to claim the FedEx Cup for the first time.

On the back of that success, Johnson, below, has just been named the PGA Tour’s Player of the Year and now the world No 1 is hoping he can stay on a roll for at least one more week.

“I’ve just put in a lot of good work,” said Johnson on his hot form, having been 30-under in winning the Northern Trust in Boston then 21-under as he added the Tour Championship in Atlanta.

“I spent a lot of time with Claude [Harmon, his coach] and my brother working on the putting and everything just seems to be clicking right now. The game is good, and it feels good, so I’m very pleased with it.”

Johnson’s win in this event came at Oakmont and he is relishing another tough test this week. “So far it seems very, very hard, one of the harder ones I’ve ever played,” he said of Winged Foot. “But it’s fair. There’s nothing real tricky about it. You’ve just got to hit good shots. The rough is not super deep, but you just can’t play out of it.

“I’ve been fortunate to play two really difficult golf courses the last couple weeks – Olympia Fields and East Lake. They’re both golf courses where you have to drive it in the fairway and, even then, it’s not that easy to get it close to the hole.

“We’ve been playing courses like that, so I’m kind of used to it. For me, it’s just pick whatever club I can get it in the fairway with and go with that and then go find it and hit it again.”

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