Dustin Johnson says the pressure is off him at US Open
Wednesday 13 June 2018 21:06, UK
Dustin Johnson will enter this week's US Open as the bookmakers' favourite, but he believes there was more pressure on him in last week's FedEx St. Jude Classic.
Johnson needed to win in Memphis to leapfrog Justin Thomas and regain the world No 1 spot, and he produced an excellent final-round 66 to wrap up a six-shot victory, capping it off by holing out for an eagle at the 18th.
No player has followed success the week before the US Open with victory in the second men's major of the year, but Johnson - the 2016 US Open champion - has arrived at Shinnecock Hills in a relaxed mood and with his confidence high.
"If anything, it takes pressure off of me just because I played well last week," he said. "I had a lot on the line on Sunday. I knew it. I knew if I go out and win the golf tournament, I go back to No 1.
"To go out and play the way I did, especially on the back nine was definitely a big confidence boost for me coming into this week.
"The game, I've got a lot of confidence in my game right now. I feel like everything's working pretty well. Finishing with a hole-out on the last was definitely special, and it was a cool way to end the day."
The 33-year-old American believes finding the right spot with his approach shots to the greens will be crucial at Shinnecock Hills this week.
"My first time playing it was Monday," he said. "I really enjoyed the golf course, it's a fantastic venue. It's tough and it's all about the second shot, you know.
"You have really got to hit good quality second shots into these greens. Some of the greens are big, but the surface area where you want to hit your ball is small.
Live US Open Golf
"So you have got to hit good golf shots. If you miss it in the wrong spot, you have a very, very tough time getting it up and down."
Johnson will be playing alongside Thomas and Tiger Woods in the star grouping for the first two rounds and he is looking forward to it.
"I like it. I think it's going to be fun," he added. "I like playing with J.T. I like playing with Tiger. We'll have a big gallery out there. It will be a lot of fun on Thursday afternoon when we tee it up."
