Johnson gets back to business after US Open collapse

DUSTIN Johnson will aim to put his US Open collapse behind him as he takes on the AT&T National at the Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square, Pennsylvania.

Johnson had been in contention for the top prize but a three-hole collapse early in the final round left the way open for Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell to take the honours at Pebble Beach by one stroke from France's Gregory Havret.

Johnson has received kind words from both Tiger Woods and Greg Norman and has no qualms about returning to Pebble Beach in the future.

Johnson told the PGA Tour website: "I still love the golf course. Any time I can play a tournament there, I'll play it. All you can do is put yourself in a situation to win a US Open, and I still finished in the top 10 so it's not like I had a terrible week or anything.

"I've got to take out the positives that I can from that week. But it was just one of those days where I was just a little bit off and it just got magnified."

Johnson will be playing the first two rounds at the AT&T with Woods, who has expressed his sympathy over his US Open troubles.

Woods said: "Well, it happens. And just because it happened doesn't mean that you can't ever win again. If he has the talent and the game to give himself that type of lead at a US Open, there's no reason why he can't do that again and finish it off.

"It's just a matter of picking yourself up and doing it all over again."

One phone call Johnson took which meant as much to him as any other was from Greg Norman, who suffered his own last-round agony at the 1996 Masters.

"He's been in my situation a few times (so it was) nice to get a call from him," admitted Johnson.

A triple-bogey on the second hole set the tone for Johnson and he believes that had it gone the other way he could have been heading into the AT&T celebrating a US Open win. He said: "I think that hole kind of sets the tone for the tournament. If I hit a good shot in there and have a decent look at birdie, I think it's a totally different golf tournament."

The main thing Johnson hopes to take out of his US Open disappointment is a positive outlook and he aims to put that to good use in Pennsylvania, with the encouraging words of his peers at the forefront of his thoughts.