Rise to Success: Career Highlights of Dustin Johnson

From career breakthroughs to professional milestones, explore how Dustin Johnson made an impact.

Dustin Johnson is a highly accomplished American professional golfer. He boasts two major championships, securing the 2016 U.S. Open and the 2020 Masters Tournament, where he set a record score. His career highlights include six World Golf Championships victories, placing him second only to Tiger Woods in that category, and being the only golfer to win all four World Golf Championship events. Since 2022, Johnson has been a participant in The LIV Golf League.

Sections (4)

Full Timeline Career & Achievements Success & Recognition Challenges & Struggles

2007: Amateur Wins

In 2007, Dustin Johnson, as an amateur, won the Monroe Invitational and the Northeast Amateur. He also played on the winning 2007 Walker Cup and Palmer Cup teams.

2007: Finished 14th at qualifying school

In December 2007, Dustin Johnson finished in a tie for 14th place at the qualifying school.

October 2008: Won First PGA Tour Event

In October 2008, Dustin Johnson won his first PGA Tour event, the Turning Stone Resort Championship in upstate New York.

2008: Earned 2008 PGA Tour card

Dustin Johnson earned his 2008 PGA Tour card by finishing in a tie for 14th place at the 2007 qualifying school in December.

2009: Eagled Consecutive Holes at the 2009 Masters Tournament

During the final round of the 2009 Masters Tournament, Dustin Johnson became only the second person in Masters Tournament history to eagle consecutive holes, on the 13th and 14th holes.

2009: 54-Hole Tournament Victory at AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am

In 2009, Dustin Johnson had a 54-hole tournament victory at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

February 2010: Defended AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am Title

In February 2010, Dustin Johnson successfully defended his AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am title by birdying the final hole to defeat David Duval and J. B. Holmes.

2010: Final Group on Sunday at Majors

Dustin Johnson was part of the final group on Sunday at a major championship three times in 2010 and 2011: the 2010 U.S. Open, the 2010 PGA Championship, and the 2011 Open Championship.

2010: FedEx Cup Playoff Event Win at BMW Championship

In 2010, Dustin Johnson had a FedEx Cup playoff event win at the BMW Championship.

March 2011: Runner-Up at WGC-Cadillac Championship

In March 2011, Dustin Johnson finished as runner-up at the WGC-Cadillac Championship, despite entering the final round with a two-stroke lead.

2011: Finished in a Tie for Second at the 2011 Open Championship

In 2011, Dustin Johnson finished in a tie for second at The Open Championship, marking one of his best finishes in a major at the time.

2011: Won The Barclays

In 2011, Dustin Johnson won The Barclays, beating Matt Kuchar by two strokes, marking his second 54-hole tournament victory and his second FedEx Cup playoff event win.

2012: Back Injury and Return to Competition in 2012

In March 2012, Dustin Johnson incurred a back injury at home, causing him to miss over two months of the season. He returned to competition in late May at the Memorial Tournament and finished tied for 19th. He won the FedEx St. Jude Classic the following week.

2013: Won 2013 WGC-HSBC Champions

Dustin Johnson had earlier won the WGC-HSBC Champions in 2013.

2013: Won 2013 Hyundai Tournament of Champions

In 2013, Dustin Johnson began his season with a win at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions, an event reserved for winners from the past season. He also won the WGC-HSBC Champions, part of the 2013–14 PGA Tour season.

2015: Won 2015 WGC-Cadillac Championship

Dustin Johnson had earlier won the WGC-Cadillac Championship in 2015.

2015: Finished in a Tie for Second at the 2015 U.S. Open

In 2015, Dustin Johnson finished in a tie for second at the U.S. Open.

June 19, 2016: Won 2016 U.S. Open

On June 19, 2016, Dustin Johnson won the 2016 U.S. Open to claim his first major title. The win was controversial due to a penalty assessed after his final round had finished because of an incident on the fifth green where his ball moved slightly.

September 11, 2016: Won 2016 BMW Championship

On September 11, 2016, Dustin Johnson won the BMW Championship.

2016: Won 2016 WGC-Bridgestone Invitational

Dustin Johnson had earlier won the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational in 2016.

2016: Won 2016 U.S. Open

In 2016, Dustin Johnson won the U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club with a score of 4-under-par 276, marking his first major championship victory.

February 2017: Became World Number One Ranked Golfer

In February 2017, Dustin Johnson became the world number one ranked golfer and remained there for 64 consecutive weeks.

2017: Won 2017 WGC-Mexico Championship and WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play

In 2017, Dustin Johnson won the WGC-Mexico Championship by one stroke and went undefeated at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play event.

January 2018: Won 2018 Sentry Tournament of Champions

In January 2018, Dustin Johnson won the Sentry Tournament of Champions for the second time, securing his 17th PGA Tour win before the age of 34.

June 2018: Led U.S. Open

In June 2018, Dustin Johnson led the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills, holding the 36-hole lead by four strokes. He finished in third place.

July 2018: RBC Canadian Open Victory

In July 2018, Dustin Johnson won the RBC Canadian Open by three strokes after beginning the final round tied for the lead.

September 2018: Ryder Cup Participation and Loss

In September 2018, Dustin Johnson qualified for the U.S. team participating in the 2018 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. team lost to the European team. Johnson went 1-4-0 and lost his singles match.

September 30, 2018: Alleged Disagreement at Ryder Cup

On the evening of September 30, 2018, after the U.S. team lost the Ryder Cup, it was alleged that Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka had to be separated after a disagreement.

2018: Returned to Number 1 Position

In 2018, Dustin Johnson returned to the number 1 position in golf rankings.

February 2019: Saudi International and WGC-Mexico Championship Wins

In February 2019, Dustin Johnson won the inaugural Saudi International on the European Tour and later that month, he won the WGC-Mexico Championship for the third time. The WGC-Mexico Championship marked his 20th career PGA Tour win.

April 2019: Second Place Finish at the Masters Tournament

In April 2019, Dustin Johnson finished tied for second in the Masters Tournament, one stroke behind Tiger Woods.

December 2019: Presidents Cup Victory

In December 2019, Dustin Johnson played on the U.S. team at the 2019 Presidents Cup, where the team won. Johnson went 2-2-0.

2019: Returned to Number 1 Position

In 2019, Dustin Johnson returned to the number 1 position in golf rankings.

2020: Returned to Number 1 Position

In 2020, Dustin Johnson returned to the number 1 position in golf rankings.

2020: Won 2020 Masters Tournament

In 2020, Dustin Johnson won the Masters Tournament with a record score of 268, 20-under-par.

2020: Withdrawal from Summer Olympics

In 2020, Dustin Johnson's agent announced that Johnson would not be competing in the 2020 Summer Olympics due to his schedule.

2020: Tour Championship and FedEx Cup Win

In 2020, on September 7, Dustin Johnson won the Tour Championship and the FedEx Cup and was voted the 2020 PGA Tour Player of the Year.

2020: The Northern Trust Win and Return to World Number One

In August 2020, Dustin Johnson won The Northern Trust at TPC Boston by eleven strokes and returned to number one in the Official World Golf Ranking.

2020: Won 2020 Travelers Championship

With his 2020 Travelers Championship win, Dustin Johnson became the third player in PGA Tour history to win a Tour title in each of his first 13 seasons.

September 2021: Ryder Cup Victory and Nicklaus-Jacklin Award

In September 2021, Dustin Johnson played on the U.S. team in the 2021 Ryder Cup, where the U.S. team won. Johnson went 5-0-0 and won the inaugural Nicklaus-Jacklin Award.

2021: Returned to Number 1 Position

In 2021, Dustin Johnson returned to the number 1 position in golf rankings.

June 2022: Removal from PGA Tour Money List

Dustin Johnson was removed from the official money list for the 2021–22 season in June 2022 due to his joining LIV Golf and resigning his PGA Tour membership.

June 2022: Resigned from PGA Tour to join LIV Golf

In June 2022, Dustin Johnson resigned from the PGA Tour to join LIV Golf.

June 2022: PGA Tour Ineligibility

In June 2022, the PGA Tour announced that all players participating in LIV Golf, including Dustin Johnson, would be ineligible to participate in tour events or the Presidents Cup after Johnson resigned from the PGA Tour on June 7 to join LIV Golf.

September 5, 2022: LIV Golf Invitational Boston Win

On September 5, 2022, Dustin Johnson won the LIV Golf Invitational Boston at The International Golf Club in Bolton, Massachusetts.

2022: Played in The LIV Golf League since 2022

Since 2022, Dustin Johnson has been playing in The LIV Golf League.

2022: Various Tournament Results

Throughout 2022, Dustin Johnson had various results, including a T25 at the Farmers Insurance Open, tying for ninth at The Players Championship, finishing fourth at the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play, and T12 at the Masters Tournament. He also missed the cut at the RBC Heritage and the PGA Championship.