After playing a practice round with Dustin Johnson early this week, Tiger Woods called the 25-year-old “stupid long.” Johnson averages 303.6 yards per drive this season to rank No. 2 behind Bubba Watson (304.5).
Hitting it long has been key so far for third-round leader Johnson, but his accuracy on his approaches has been more impressive. He has hit 74 percent of greens in regulation. No one else in the Open is in the vicinity. Alex Cejka, ranking No. 2 in GIR, has hit 68.5 percent.
Make no mistake, Johnson’s length has put him in position to hit more greens, allowing him to hit more lofted clubs on his approaches. An example was at No. 18 Saturday when he fired over two trees in the fairway – the ones Tiger Woods had to play under with his brilliant 3-wood shot Saturday. Johnson, conversely, hitting from the rough, needed just a 6-iron to reach the green on the 542-yard par-5.
