A Single Hole Cost Dustin Johnson a Real Shot to Win the U.S. Open But He Still Tied an Impressive Tiger Woods Major Championship Record
Coming into the 2023 U.S. Open, Dustin Johnson was easily one of the favorites on the lengthy layout at Los Angeles Country Club.
And, overall, the LIV Golf superstar played well, shooting 3-under for the week to finish in a tie for 10th, marking his 23rd top-10 in 56 major championship starts.
What makes Johnson’s finish even more impressive is the fact that he carded a quadruple bogey eight during Friday’s second round, the highest single-hole score in the entire U.S. Open field up to that point.
Playing the 490-yard, par-4 second, the 24-time PGA Tour winner hit his tee shot into the left fairway bunker. His ensuing shot from said bunker traveled just 95 yards before settling into the deep rough. After struggling to even locate his golf ball, Johnson then hit his third just 60 yards into a penalty area.
After taking his drop, DJ had just 57 yards to the pin for his fifth but flew the putting surface, leaving himself an awkward chip back down a slope toward the hole. He finally hit the green on shot six, but his chip rolled 28 feet past the hole. Two putts later, Johnson had recorded a snowman. But his resilience was astounding as he still shot an even-par 70 for the day, carding five birdies against one bogey over his final 16 holes.
But No. 2 wasn’t done giving him fits as Johnson bogeyed the hole in each of the final two rounds, giving him a 6-over total on the hole for the week. That’s not fun when you lose a golf tournament by seven. But that’s U.S. Open golf for you.
But outside the second hole, Dustin Johnson certainly had plenty of positives this week, most notably his opening-round 64, which essentially allowed him to stay in contention as long as he did as LACC toughened up as the week went along.
That round also helped him tie an impressive major championship record, one previously owned solely by Tiger Woods.
Dustin Johnson tied Tiger Woods for the most major championship rounds of 65 or better
With a 6-under 64 to kick off his week, which was wildly only tied for the third-best round of the day as Rickie Fowler and Xander Schauffele tied for the lowest round in U.S. Open history, Dustin Johnson tied Tiger Woods for the most rounds of 65 or better in a major championship with 10.
DJ will have the opportunity to take the lead on his own next month at The Open Championship at Royal Liverpool. The good news for Johnson is that he already knows how to hit the number in Hoylake as he fired a 7-under 65 on the par-72 layout in the second round of the 2014 Open, where he ultimately tied for 12th.
