Johnson's strength and athleticism are paving the way. He's averaging 303 yards off the tee, fourth longest on Tour. He's also near the top in putter-switching, jokes Allen Terrell, Johnson's coach at Coastal Carolina who now serves as a swing teacher and surrogate big brother. "You're 23, there's a trailer at every stop, and a lot of product you can try," Terrell says. "We're trying to get him to work on his stroke rather than just change putters, but DJ is sampling the candy right now. That's part of being a rookie."
The two try to get together every 10 days or so to spot-check Johnson's swing, which means Terrell logged serious red-eye miles when Johnson played the West Coast. But he's confident the effort will pay off. "[Dustin's] exceptionally long, and he doesn't get rattled," Terrell says. "If he plays the par-5s on the back nine at Pebble Beach under par the last round, he wins. He played them three over. But he wasn't down about his finish — it was confirmation of what he's worked on. Now he knows if he tightens those things up, he can win out here. The thing about DJ is, he's relentless."
Asked if he had a backup plan if he hadn't gotten through Q school, Johnson shakes his head and says, "No, never crossed my mind, really." Maybe that's why although Johnson gave up basketball in junior high, success at this level looks like something he is very familiar with — a slam dunk.
