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Pebble Beach Notebook: Dustin Johnson poised for run at third title

By Jim Seimas
Published on
Pebble Beach Notebook: Dustin Johnson poised for run at third title

 

PEBBLE BEACH, California – Dustin Johnson, an eight-time winner on the PGA Tour, is poised to make a run at his third AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am title this week after missing much of the past six months for undisclosed reasons.

"It's good," Johnson said of his game after playing a practice round at Pebble Beach Golf Links on Tuesday. "I'm hitting it well."

Johnson won the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in 2009 and '10.

The 30-year-old who hails from Columbia, South Carolina, was enjoying one of his best seasons in 2014 when he announced July 31 that he was taking leave of absence to address "personal challenges." Golf.com reported that Johnson failed three drug tests, but Johnson's departure was, otherwise, been shrouded in mystery since the Tour never announced a suspension. His six-month hiatus lasted exactly as long as a drug suspension.

During his off time, Johnson and fiancee Paulina Gretzky celebrated the birth of their first child, Tatum Gretzky Johnson.

Johnson said he played or practiced pretty much every day during his off time.

Several fans yelled support to Johnson as he tore his way through Pebble Beach in perfect conditions Tuesday.

Johnson made his return to Tour action last week at the Farmers Insurance Open at Torrey Pines. He missed the cut with an even-par 144 total, but rebounded from a first-round 74 with a 70. Prior to that, Johnson hadn't competed on the Tour since missing the cut at the RBC Canadian Open in July.

"My game, I felt last week, was good, just a little rusty as far as competition-wise," Johnson said. "I felt really good on Friday. I hit a lot of great putts, it's just nothing went in on Friday. I felt like I was in it. I was just a little rusty on Thursday. I made three bogeys with wedges from the fairway, which is terrible. I shouldn't do that. And I didn't hit enough fairways off the tee."

He had a few trip-ups Tuesday – one literally – but rebounded with some doozies for shots, too.

Johnson almost took a face-plant while trying to jump out of a bunker on No. 12. His toe caught the grass, but he regained his balance.

"I was ready to say I saw the season-ending jump," one fan teased.

"No, it would have hurt my ego more than anything," Johnson told the fan.

A hole later, Johnson rocketed in a 20-foot uphill putt. But his shot of the day came on No. 15, when he used his 52-degree wedge to put his approach from 96 yards out in a fairway bunker to two inches of the hole.

"He was standing on the lip (over the sand), too," said Johnson's caddie and younger brother, Austin.

In down time on the No. 18 tee, Johnson whipped out his yardage binoculars to eye some distant rocks in the Pacific Ocean. He figured them to be 336 yards away. He whipped out his driver and unleashed a smooth and powerful swing. He missed the rocks by two feet or so.

"That's pretty good," he told the awestruck foursome. "It was spot on."

He signed autographs and posed for pictures with fans on No. 18.

Johnson and Gretzky are paired with Jordan Spieth and partner Jake Owen for the first three rounds. They play Monterey Peninsula Country Club's Shore Course on Thursday at 8:11 a.m., start on the 10th tee at 9:50 a.m. at Spyglass Hill on Friday and Pebble Beach on Saturday at 8:55 a.m.

WALKER BAFFLED BY WEST COAST SUCCESS: Defending champion Jimmy Walker has played in 220 events on the PGA Tour since 2001. He has four career wins, all in the past two seasons.

Asked about his early-season success, Walker couldn't put his finger on it. He said little adjustments made by swing coach Butch Harmon have helped, but they haven't been drastic.

"I wish I knew," Walker said. "I feel like I'm pretty good out of the rough here. Especially in this native rye, whatever you guys call it all up and down the West Coast. I can usually get out of it pretty good."

"And I don't mind putting on Poa annua greens. I think that gets to a lot of guys. But I don't know why I seem to play well in California. I don't know. I enjoy the courses. And when you enjoy the courses it sets you up mentally to be in a better frame of mind."

He has won the Sony Open in Hawaii the past two seasons and the Frys.com Open last season in San Martin.

Walker, playing with partner Jim Crane, Ken Duke and Giles Kibbe, opens play Thursday at Spyglass. They tee off on the 10th tee at 8:55 a.m.

POSEY ENJOYS FIRST TRIP TO PEBBLE: Catcher Buster Posey of the world champion San Francisco Giants competed for the first time in the 2015 Chevron Shoot-Out, which pitted the Giants against former San Francisco 49ers to raise money for charity. Hundreds of fans turned out to watch the teams play hole Nos. 1, 2, 3, 17 and 18.

Posey said he and teammates Matt Cain and Javier Lopez snuck out to No. 18 prior to the Shoot-Out to play the iconic hole.

Posey, a recreational golfer who has played Augusta National in Georgia a few times, including two weeks ago, doesn't belong to a club. But he tries to play in the offseason when his schedule permits.

That said, nerves got to him as fans lined up to see him tee off.

"The ones behind me are OK," he said. "But the ones on the sides, I fear for their safety a little bit."

Giants personnel said Posey doesn't have an established handicap but hopes to compete in more celebrity golf events.

Posey is paired with Tour Pro Nick Watney, a former standout at Fresno State, in a foursome that includes pro Jim Furyk and musician Huey Lewis. They open play Thursday at Monterey Peninsula at 8:55 a.m.

MURRAY RETURNS TO PRO-AM: Actor and fan favorite Bill Murray returns to the tournament after missing last season because he was busy doing promotional work for "The Monuments Men." Murray will again be paired with D.A. Points, who teamed up to win the Pro-Am portion of the tournament in 2011.

Their foursome also features Dicky Pride and amateur Craig Johnson. They tee off at Monterey Peninsula on Thursday at 9:06 a.m., play Spyglass Hill on Friday at 8:22 a.m., teeing off on the 10th tee, and Pebble Beach on Saturday at 9:50 a.m.

HUBBARD OPENS AT PEBBLE: Former San Jose State standout Mark Hubbard, a Tour rookie who has made the cut in seven of eight events this season, is competing in the Pro-Am for the first time. He tees off Thursday at Pebble Beach at 10:12 a.m. He's paired with Greg Cappelli. Pro Troy Merritt and amateur William Dillard round out the foursome.