Is Dustin Johnson the Greg Norman of our time?

[Ethan]

Could be
You obviously mean 2 great golfers

I think I called DJ a great golfer in the first line. Norman was obviously one too. There are other players who won fewer majors than their talents would have suggested, Miller, Weiskopf, Olazabal, Langer as well as those who never won one at all.

 

[Ethan]

By the way, this isn't a get at DJ thread. I like him. He reminds me of Sandy Lyle, not too bright but a great natural talent that probably does better without too much teaching. It is about the Tour win/major ration, basically. Why do some players win lots of regular events but disproportionately too few majors. Or the other way round, for that matter.

 

[pokerjoke]

I think your opening post is suggesting he might capitulate like Norman did against Faldo.
Suggesting he’s taking on water and might sink.
Looks like however much water is coming in his bucket is bigger.

 

[USER1999]

Angel Cabrera, two majors, and a Greenbrier. So 3 tour wins, two of which were majors.

It's odd sometimes how it works out.

 

[Ethan]

Angel Cabrera, two majors, and a Greenbrier. So 3 tour wins, two of which were majors.

It's odd sometimes how it works out.

True. Cabrera won a few European Tour and a load of South American events. Saw him at Wentworth a few times. What a driver. Had a late start to his European and PGA Tour career, only really started in the majors when he was about 30.

 

[Ethan]

I think your opening post is suggesting he might capitulate like Norman did against Faldo.
Suggesting he’s taking on water and might sink.
Looks like however much water is coming in his bucket is bigger.

I did think that towards the end of the front 9. Maybe I remember his US Open against McDowell where he collapsed entirely in the last round. My bad.

 

[SatchFan]

Another often quoted anomaly is Andy North, 3 PGA wins, 2 of them US Opens. Love watching DJ, you can never really figure what's going through his head but he's entitled to be nervous.

 

[Ethan]

Another often quoted anomaly is Andy North, 3 PGA wins, 2 of them US Opens. Love watching DJ, you can never really figure what's going through his head but he's entitled to be nervous.

I remember watching his second one when TC Chen had his famous double hit. See was in contention at that one.

 

[clubchamp98]

On the course you could find similarities.
But Norman is a very intelligent and astute business man.
The comparison might end there.

 

[davidy233]

Walked it

 

[PhilTheFragger]

No ?

What do I win? ?

 

[Tashyboy]

Me I like DJ, is he a modern day GN. Am not to sure. Re DJ what’s not to like. His game just seems complete. He is world no 1 but it was a fair few years ago when a world no 1 won at Augusta. He just seemed so calm. Be it bogey, par, birdie or better he seemed unfazed. I mentioned in the best shot ever at Augusta, the ones I liked were the ones shot whilst under pressure. That last round he played as if it was a normal round. Very impressed indeed.

 

[Grant85]

I think DJ is probably better than Greg Norman. Greg certainly had problems closing the door and had some very high profile misses at Augusta and no doubt recency bias plays a part in this view.

However personal view is that the depth in golf continues to get greater and with each year the player who is the top golfer has to be better and play to a higher level than guys from previous years.

I appreciate you can only beat what's put in front of you and Greg dominated tour golf for the meaty part of his career, but to put a more direct comparison together I don't think Greg was capable of playing a weekend at Augusta as in control as we have seen DJ do the past few days. No doubt DJ would have not had the discipline to play as many 'safe' shots as he did in years past. Hitting the middle of the green, laying up on the par 5s etc. is actually really tough to do when you know you can hit a golf ball 200 yards and land it on a tea towel. It was a hugely impressive display and one that was reminiscent of an early 2000s Tiger.

 

[Orikoru]

I honestly think it's luck to a certain extent. These guys who have won one major and not much else - they just happened to play their very best golf that weekend, it could have been any weekend, but it fell on a major weekend. Similarly it can be the opposite way, some guys play great golf most of the time, but just haven't happened to do it in a major, or when they did, they were pipped by someone having an even better weekend. DJ and Norman have similar records now - two major wins, loads of 2nd places and plenty of tour wins. I don't think there's anything similar about their characters that promotes that - they've just had the same sort of luck up until now.

But what I would add is that it wouldn't surprise me to see DJ push on and get another 3 or 4 majors in the next 5 years now - more akin to Phil Mickelson.

 

[sunshine]

I honestly think it's luck to a certain extent. These guys who have won one major and not much else - they just happened to play their very best golf that weekend, it could have been any weekend, but it fell on a major weekend. Similarly it can be the opposite way, some guys play great golf most of the time, but just haven't happened to do it in a major, or when they did, they were pipped by someone having an even better weekend. DJ and Norman have similar records now - two major wins, loads of 2nd places and plenty of tour wins. I don't think there's anything similar about their characters that promotes that - they've just had the same sort of luck up until now.

But what I would add is that it wouldn't surprise me to see DJ push on and get another 3 or 4 majors in the next 5 years now - more akin to Phil Mickelson.

I agree with this, and luck does play a massive role.

But one of the elements that separates the very best athletes is their ability to peak at the right time for the biggest events.

 

[Orikoru]

I agree with this, and luck does play a massive role.

But one of the elements that separates the very best athletes is their ability to peak at the right time for the biggest events.

I think the exception to my post on luck is Koepka - that guy clearly raises his game for majors and doesn't give a stuff about the others.

 

[HomerJSimpson]

I can see the comparisons but I feel DJ has the game to go on and dominate majors in the same way Koepka did especially as the win will do a lot for self confidence in the ability to lead from the front and get it done in enormous pressure. I am not sure in majors Norman ever felt he could close it out completely although you have to admire the patience and disappointments he suffered before getting his major wins

 

[hairball_89]

I think the exception to my post on luck is Koepka - that guy clearly raises his game for majors and doesn't give a stuff about the others.

I'm convinced if he "cared" for 15 weeks a year over the last 3/4 years he'd have 20+ PGA Tour wins and 6/7 majors. He's never going to win them all, but when he's on - God it's fun to watch!

hopefully one day we'll get a whole competition when Brooks, DJ and Rory all bring their top game for a whole weekend. Unlikely but super fun to think about!