Liguori: Determined Dustin Johnson Sizzles Out Of The Gate At PGA Championship

By Ann Liguori
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SHEBOYGAN, Wis. (CBSNewYork) -- Dustin Johnson said he was super patient, stayed focused all day and he controlled the ball. All that contributed to the impressive 6-under 66 on Thursday in the first round of the PGA Championship.

Johnson teed-off early under overcast skies and more mild conditions than the afternoon players encountered. Temperatures rose and the wind got stronger and more tricky by late morning and continued through the day.

Johnson started on the back nine, birdied 10 and 11, eagled the par-5, 16th, and then made the turn. He continued to impress, birdying the first and second holes. He bogeyed the third, but recovered nicely with another birdie on the 4th.

Johnson's 6 under 66 was the score to beat all day.

David Lingmerth of Sweden grabbed a tie for the lead for a brief moment, with a birdie on his 14th hole (the 5th), but then a bogey on his 15th hole (the 6th), dropped him back to 5 under. Lingmerth finished with a 5 under 67, 1 shot behind Johnson.

"Today was pretty easy," Johnson admitted, "and I really felt like I was just swinging well. The ball was going where I was looking."

Johnson said Wednesday that he never thinks of the mistake he made in the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits when leading by 1 shot going into the 72nd hole he grounded his club in a bunker, not knowing it was a bunker. The two-stroke penalty that he incurred there destroyed his chances to get into the playoff and his hopes for his first major title.

"I really don't think about it unless someone asks me the question, but this year, I don't have to worry about it. There's a grandstand there. Thank you PGA. I appreciate that," Johnson said with a smile.

Five years later, Johnson is still looking for his first major title after several close calls and heartbreaks, including finishing in a tie for second at the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay.

Say what you may about Johnson but he has maintained an outward coolness that is impressive despite his near misses.

"You go back to the U.S. Open, I don't think there's anything else I could have done," Johnson said. "Unfortunately, the surfaces we were putting on (at Chambers Bay), weren't up to, you know, weren't as nice as these. So it was tough to control what was going on. But I controlled everything else so well."

Johnson credits the birth of his son as a stabilizer in his life.

"Probably the biggest transformation would be the birth of mine and Paulina's (Gretzky) son. That was probably the best thing that's ever happened to us. Having a son makes everything so much more easy. You don't worry about golf as much," Johnson said.

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