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S.C. native Dustin Johnson wins BMW Championship

September 13, 2010 By

Columbia native and Coastal Carolina alum Dustin Johnson won Sunday’s BMW Championship at Cog Hill.  It has to be a great feeling for Johnson to get a victory after coming so close in a few of the Majors earlier this season.

AUDIO: Dustin Johnson on his win

This is the fourth tour win for the 26 year-old Johnson.  That is a significant number because no other American player has won more tournaments than Johnson.  That stat is one of many that prove that Johnson is the biggest rising American star on the PGA Tour.  About a year ago at club pro told me that there are two guys other tour players stop and watch on the practice range: Tiger Woods and Dustin Johnson.   

Johnson can hit the ball as far as anyone on tour and watching the skinny Dutch Fork High graduate pound a ball close to 400 yards is quite a site. 

When people look back on Johnson’s season they are probably going to say it was a nightmare. D.J. was knocking on the door at the U.S. Open this year before a disastrous final round took him out of contention.  The word “choker” was starting to be whispered around the golf world.  You know that word, the same one people used on Phil Mickleson before he broke through and started racking up Major Championships.

Anyway, Johnson’s luck didn’t get any better when he missed his chance to win the PGA championship because he grounded his club in a sand trap.  No one on the course knew it was a bunker, including Johnson and he was penalized two strokes which kept him out of the playoff.  It was a big controversy and a heck of a bad break for Johnson.

Johnson was shut out of the Majors this year, but mark my words, this kid is going to win a Major.  In fact, he is going to win more than one. 

Oh, and while I am at it, word of Tiger Woods’ demise are greatly exaggerated too.  He’ll win at least one Major next year and the FedEx Championship too.  Mark it down.

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Irmo’s Johnson gains his spot in golfing lore

August 16, 2010 By

Dustin Johnson

A two stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker cost Irmo’s Dustin Johnson a spot in a playoff and a chance to win the PGA Championship which was eventually won by German Martin Kaymer who defeated Bubba Watson in the three hole showdown.

However, the story became Johnson who had a one shot lead on the 18th tee until he put his drive into a bunker.  But Johnson didn’t realize he was in an actual bunker because he was surrounded by the gallery and the foot traffic had worn down the grass.

Johnson did ground his club before the shot and eventually bogeyed the hole putting him in the playoff.  But PGA officials immediately called the two stroke penalty and Johnson was left with a 73 instead of a 71 and a chance at his first major title.  Instead of a chance at first, Johnson finished in a tied for fifth. 

As for the playoff, Kaymar and Watson exchanged birdies over the first two holes. But on the third hole Watson hit his approach into the water and made double bogey while Kaymar made a bogey to win his first major championship.

The day wasn’t a total wash for Johnson. He clinched a spot on the Ryder Cup team with his tie for fifth place Sunday.

Her is Johnson’s interview with David Feherty of CBS in the players’ lockerroom moments after he got the word of his two stroke penalty.

dustin johnson david fehrety interview

Despite the disapointment of yesterday and his meltdown in the final round of the US Open where he led after 54 holes, Johnson certainly has proven this season he has major championship talent.  It’s only a matter of time before he joins Lucas Glover as South Carolinians residing among golf’s elite.

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Johnson does it again at Pebble Beach

February 14, 2010 By

Columbia’s Dustin Johnson became the first back to back winner of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 20 years Sunday, and he did so in the most exciting way possible.  Johnson birdied the 72 hole for a one shot victory over JB Holmes and David Duval.  Johnson struggled on the tough Pebble Beach course Sunday finishing with a 74.  That made him 16 under for the tournament, good enough for his third career PGA Tour victory.  The win also boosted Johnson to second in the Ryder Cup standings. 

AUDIO:  Dustin Johnson Sunday post round news conference

dustin johnson 2-14

Final leaderboard

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Lucas Glover off to hot start to PGA season

January 8, 2010 By
Lucas Glover

Lucas Glover

Former Clemson Tiger Lucas Glover is off to a great start at the PGA season opening SBS Championship in Hawaii. The reigning U.S. Open Champion fired a -7 under par 66 to take a one stroke lead heading into today’s second round. Former Dutch Fork and Coastal Carolina standout Dustin Johnson is one stroke back at -6 under.

Glover started his round with a double-bogey but then he heated up his putter to put together a solid round that put in the clubhouse with the lead.

Lucas Glover talks about his opening round at the SBS Championship

Glover1

The second round tees off later this afternoon in Maui. You can keep up with all the action right here.

This tournament has a small field that is made of some of the top players in the world. Well, with the exception of one. Some guy named Tiger Woods couldn’t make it for personal reasons. Glover is disappointed Tiger isn’t playing this weekend and he can’t wait for him to return to the tour.

Glover’s take on Tiger Woods return to golf

Glover2

Lucas is such a classy guy. He is completely honest and genuine and when it comes to Tiger he is absolutely correct. He knows that the tour needs Tiger because Tiger brings in the big television audience and the bigger bucks for the other players. Some of the guys on tour that are using Tigers transgressions to take shots at him and claim that the tour is fine without him are crazy. No one, other than a select group of older white men, cared about golf before Tiger Woods burst onto the scene. The sooner he comes back the better. Will he be viewed the same? Probably not, but once he starts winning all this TMZ, US Weekly fodder will become an afterthought. America loves a comeback and the sooner Tiger makes his, the better. Kudos to Lucas Glover for not only recognizing this but having the gumption to say it.

I’ve noticed most of the guys chatting down Tiger’s absence are guys that can’t or haven’t beat him. They fear Tiger and perhaps see this as their chance to take him down. They can’t do it on the course so maybe they can attack his off the course behavior. Glover has what it takes to beat Tiger. He’s proven that. And I respect the fact he can’t wait for another chance to compete with and against the best player in the world.

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