Dustin Johnson shows Masters potential in round of 67

Maybe there’s something to the notion that of golf’s four majors, the Masters Tournament is the one best suited to Dustin Johnson’s game.

Until Thursday, Johnson had done little to justify that thinking. His best round at Augusta National Golf Club was 68 in 2011, and his best finish was a tie for 30th in 2009.

Thanks to 5-under-par 67 in Thursday’s opening round, Johnson finds himself in the hunt for his first major title.

Sure, there are three more rounds to be played, but Johnson’s position – one stroke behind first-round leaders Marc Leishman and Sergio Garcia – is a significant step in the right direction.

“I had a great round today,” Johnson said. “Got off to a good start birdieing one and two and kept it going from there. ... I’ve played OK here in the past, just not great.

“Obviously, not playing last year and then coming back this year and getting a good round is really good.”

An injured back, suffered while lifting a personal watercraft at his house, kept Johnson out of last year’s Masters, the event he calls his favorite on tour. He made up for lost time in a hurry, chipping in from the left rough for birdie on No. 1 to get his stellar round going.

Johnson added another chip-in birdie on No. 9 after hooking an 8-iron from 180 yards pin high to the right, to make the turn at 3-under. He took advantage of both par-5s on the back, making eagle on No. 13 after hitting a 9-iron to 15 feet and then birdie on No. 15.

The latter gave Johnson a share of the first-round lead before his only hiccup of the day, a bogey at No. 17, dropped him a shot off the pace. Johnson missed birdie on the final hole, leaving his 15-footer just short.

Johnson hit 13 of 18 greens in regulation despite hitting only six of 14 fairways, and needed just 26 putts while avoiding any 3-putts.

In short, he showed the type of round that many have expected him to put together at Augusta National in his first three trips.

“This golf course sets up really well for me,” Johnson said. “I love the shape of all the holes. For my game, it suits very well. The par-5s are all reachable – depending on which way the wind’s blowing – with short irons except for No. 8. It’s just a tough golf course to figure out where you need to hit it. You learn something new around here every time you play it.”