Dustin Johnson facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Dustin Johnson |
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Johnson at the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Boston
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| Personal information | |
| Full name | Dustin Hunter Johnson |
| Nickname | DJ |
| Born | June 22, 1984 Columbia, South Carolina, U.S. |
| Height | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) |
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg; 14 st) |
| Nationality |  United States |
| Residence | Palm Beach Gardens, Florida, U.S. |
| Spouse |
Paulina Gretzky
(m. 2022) |
| Children | 2 |
| Career | |
| College | Coastal Carolina University |
| Turned professional | 2007 |
| Current tour(s) | LIV Golf |
| Former tour(s) | PGA Tour |
| Professional wins | 31 |
| Number of wins by tour | |
| PGA Tour | 24 |
| European Tour | 9 |
| Other | 2 |
| Best results in Major Championships (Wins: 2) |
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| The Masters Tournament | Won: 2020 |
| U.S. Open | Won: 2016 |
| The Open Championship | T2: 2011 |
| PGA Championship | 2nd/T2: 2019, 2020 |
| Achievements and awards | |
| PGA Tour money list winner |
2015–16 |
| PGA Tour Player of the Year |
2015–16, 2019–20 |
| PGA Player of the Year | 2016 |
| Byron Nelson Award | 2015–16, 2017–18 |
| Vardon Trophy | 2016, 2018 |
| PGA Tour FedEx Cup winner |
2020 |
| LIV Golf Invitational Series individual points list winner |
2022 |
| LIV Golf Invitational Series money list winner |
2022 |
Dustin Hunter Johnson (born June 22, 1984) is an American professional golfer. He is one of the most successful golfers of his generation. He has won two major championships: the U.S. Open and the 2020 Masters Tournament.
Johnson has also won six World Golf Championships events. Only Tiger Woods has won more. He is the only golfer to win all four different World Golf Championship events. He joined the LIV Golf League in 2022. Before that, he was a member of the PGA Tour until June 2022.
Dustin Johnson is known for his powerful drives. He was often ranked among the longest hitters on the PGA Tour. He was the world number one golfer for 64 weeks in a row starting in February 2017. He has been ranked number one for over 130 weeks in total.
Contents
Early Life and Amateur Golf
Dustin Hunter Johnson was born on June 22, 1984. His hometown is Columbia, South Carolina. He went to Coastal Carolina University for college. There, he studied Sports Management and played golf.
As an amateur, he won the Monroe Invitational and the Northeast Amateur in 2007. He was also part of the winning 2007 Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams. These are big team competitions for amateur golfers.
Becoming a Professional Golfer
Dustin Johnson became a professional golfer in late 2007. He earned his spot on the PGA Tour for 2008. He did this by playing well at the qualifying school tournament.
First PGA Tour Wins
In October 2008, Johnson won his first PGA Tour event. It was the Turning Stone Resort Championship. A few months later, he won his second event. This was the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. This tournament was shorter because of bad weather.
At the 2009 Masters Tournament, Johnson did something special. He was only the second person in Masters history to make an eagle on two holes in a row. He finished the 2009 season ranked 15th in earnings on the PGA Tour.
Continuing Success in 2010
In February 2010, Johnson won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am again. He birdied the last hole to win. At the U.S. Open, he had a three-shot lead going into the final round. However, he struggled and finished tied for eighth place.
Later that year, at the 2010 PGA Championship, he had a one-shot lead on the final hole. But he got a two-stroke penalty for touching his club in a bunker. This dropped him to fifth place. Despite this, he won the BMW Championship in September. He finished the 2010 season ranked 4th in PGA Tour earnings.
Big Moments in 2011
In July 2011, Johnson had his best finish in a major championship at the time. He tied for second place at The Open Championship in England. He was just three strokes behind the winner. This was the third time he was in the final group on Sunday at a major.
He also won his fifth PGA Tour title at The Barclays in 2011. This tournament was also shortened due to a hurricane. This win moved him to his highest world ranking at the time, fourth.
Wins in 2012 and 2013
Johnson had a back injury in March 2012 and missed two months of the season. When he returned, he won his sixth tour event. This was the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Memphis.
He started his 2013 season with a win at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. This event is only for winners from the previous season. It was his seventh PGA Tour win. In November, Johnson won the WGC-HSBC Champions. This made him the first player since Tiger Woods to win at least once in his first seven seasons as a pro.
Returning to Golf in 2015
Johnson returned to the tour in February 2015. He quickly showed he was back in form. He tied for fourth at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. He also tied for second at the Northern Trust Open.
In March, he won the WGC-Cadillac Championship. This win moved him to 7th in the world rankings. At the 2015 U.S. Open, he had a chance to win. He missed a short putt on the final hole, and Jordan Spieth won.
Major Championship Victory in 2016
Dustin Johnson won his first major title on June 19, 2016. This was the U.S. Open. There was some discussion about a penalty he received during the final round. But he still won by three strokes.
He won his third tournament of the year, the BMW Championship, in September 2016. Johnson finished the season as the top money winner on the PGA Tour. He also won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award.
Becoming World Number One in 2017
In February 2017, Johnson won the Genesis Open. This win made him the number one golfer in the Official World Golf Ranking. He joined Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus as the only golfers to win a title in each of their first 10 seasons.
He continued his winning streak in March. He won the WGC-Mexico Championship and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play. This made him the first player to win all four different WGC events. He had won three tournaments in a row that year.
Before the 2017 Masters Tournament, Johnson had a back injury and had to withdraw. In August, he won The Northern Trust. This was his 16th Tour title and his fourth win of the season.
More Wins in 2018
In January 2018, Johnson won the Sentry Tournament of Champions for the second time. He won by eight strokes. This meant he had won a title in his first 11 straight seasons on the PGA Tour. Only Tiger Woods and Jack Nicklaus had longer streaks.
In June, Johnson won the FedEx St. Jude Classic for the second time. This win helped him get back to the Number 1 world ranking. He also won the RBC Canadian Open in July.
Strong Performances in 2019
In February 2019, Johnson won the Saudi International. This was his sixth European Tour title. Later that month, he won the WGC-Mexico Championship for the third time. This was his 20th career PGA Tour win.
In April 2019, Johnson finished tied for second at the Masters Tournament. He was just one stroke behind Tiger Woods. The next month, he finished second at the PGA Championship. This made him one of only eight people to finish runner-up in all four major championships.
Dominant Year in 2020
On June 27, Johnson had his lowest career round on the PGA Tour. He shot a 61 at the Travelers Championship. He went on to win the tournament.
In August, Johnson won The Northern Trust by eleven strokes. He shot an amazing 60 in the second round. This win put him in first place in the season-long points standings. He also returned to number one in the Official World Golf Ranking.
On September 7, Johnson won the Tour Championship. This also meant he won the FedEx Cup and its $15 million prize. He was voted the 2020 PGA Tour Player of the Year for the second time.
On November 15, Johnson won the Masters Tournament. He won by five strokes with a record score of 20 under par. This was his second major championship victory. It also extended his streak of winning at least one tournament every season to 14 years.
Recent Career and LIV Golf
In February 2021, Johnson won the Saudi International for the second time. In September 2021, he played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup. The U.S. team won, and Johnson had a perfect record, winning all five of his matches.
In May 2022, it was announced that Johnson would join the new LIV Golf Invitational Series. He resigned from the PGA Tour in June 2022. The PGA Tour then said that players who joined LIV Golf could not play in their events.
On the LIV Golf Tour, Johnson plays for the 4 Aces GC team. His team has won several team competitions. Johnson won the LIV Golf Invitational Boston in September 2022. He won in a playoff by making an eagle on the first extra hole. He has since won two more LIV Golf events in 2023 and 2024.
Personal Life
In August 2013, Dustin Johnson got engaged to Paulina Gretzky. She is a model and singer. Her father is the famous Canadian ice hockey player Wayne Gretzky. Dustin and Paulina met in 2009 and started dating in 2013. They got married on April 23, 2022, in Tennessee. They have two sons together.
Johnson was featured in the sports documentary series Full Swing on Netflix. He also has a non-profit organization called the Dustin Johnson Foundation. It helps young people learn, play, and compete in golf.
Amateur Wins
- 2007 Monroe Invitational
- 2007 Northeast Amateur
Professional Wins (31)
Dustin Johnson has won 31 professional tournaments.
- PGA Tour Wins (24): This includes 2 major championships and 6 World Golf Championships. He has won the U.S. Open (2016) and the Masters Tournament (2020).
- European Tour Wins (9): This includes 2 major championships and 5 World Golf Championships.
- LIV Golf League Wins (3): He won the LIV Golf Invitational Boston in 2022, LIV Golf Tulsa in 2023, and LIV Golf Las Vegas in 2024.
- Other Wins (2): These include the Shark Shootout (2010) and the TaylorMade Driving Relief (2020).
Major Championships Summary
Dustin Johnson has won 2 major championships:
- 2016 U.S. Open
- 2020 Masters Tournament
He has also finished second in all four major championships. This is a rare achievement in golf.
World Golf Championships Summary
Dustin Johnson has won 6 World Golf Championships:
- 2013 WGC-HSBC Champions
- 2015 WGC-Cadillac Championship
- 2016 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational
- 2017 WGC-Mexico Championship
- 2017 WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play
- 2019 WGC-Mexico Championship
He is the only player to win all four different WGC events.
PGA Tour Career Highlights
Dustin Johnson played on the PGA Tour from 2007 to 2022. He won 24 times during this period. He was the leading money winner in the 2015–16 season. He also won the PGA Tour Player of the Year award twice. His career earnings on the PGA Tour are over $74 million.
U.S. National Team Appearances
Dustin Johnson has represented the United States in several team golf events:
- Amateur:
- Walker Cup: 2007 (winners)
- Palmer Cup: 2007 (winners)
- Professional:
Images for kids
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Johnson at the 2022 LIV Golf Invitational Boston
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Johnson at the 2011 U.S. Open
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Johnson after winning the 2016 U.S. Open
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Dustin Johnson celebrates winning the LIV Golf Invitational Boston in 2022.
