Dustin Johnson still learning Augusta National greens

With a growing fan base on Twitter, Dustin Johnson has found an avenue to interact with his fans.

The South Carolina native recently started using the social media outlet as a way to inform and chat with his 50,000-plus followers.

“I like it. I Twitter a little bit,” Johnson said. “It’s kind of fun to mess around with and shoot some comments out there.

“It’s just nice to let them see a different part of me than just out on the golf course.”

Off the course, he’s posted pictures of his dogs, Max and Charlie, on Twitter. He’s also updated his progress from minor knee surgery late last year.

On the course, fans know Johnson as one of the longest drivers on the PGA Tour. He’s also been a force in every major championship, except for one.

The 27-year-old Johnson has made the cut in each of his three Masters Tournament appearances, but his best finish is a tie for 30th place.

“The more and more I play it, the more comfortable I get on the greens,” he said. “That’s the key there, it’s putting. Also, putting yourself in the right positions. You’re going to get out of position sometimes. Once you get out of position, you want to get into a spot where you can get up and down. That course is a lot about angles.”

Johnson played a practice round last month with three-time Masters champion Phil Mickelson and Keegan Bradley, the reigning PGA Championship winner. Bradley came away impressed with Johnson’s game.

“Dustin hits it very long, very straight. No real weakness in his game,” Bradley said. “He does everything pretty well. He’s pretty annoying to play a match against if he’s on the other team. He’s a great player and will be around obviously for a long time.”

Johnson said he used the practice round to pick Mickelson’s brain. Also, he soaked in another round at Augusta National Golf Club.

“I’m kind of learning how he thinks around the golf course and how he plays to different flags,” Johnson said. “Also, I went up to get a feel for the course. It’s in great shape right now.”

Johnson, who’s won a PGA Tour event each of the past four years, is knocking on the door of winning a major. He led after 54 holes at the 2010 U.S. Open before finishing tied for eighth. Later in the year, he appeared to make the playoff at the PGA Championship, but he was assessed a two-stroke penalty for grounding his club in a bunker on the final hole. In 2011, he played in the final pairing of the British Open before finishing tied for second place, three shots back.

At the Masters last year, Johnson three-putted four greens and needed 121 putts for the tournament – he ranked 34th in putting among players who made the cut.

“I just need to keep working on my putter and on the short game,” Johnson said. “I need to keep getting that sharper and work on the rest of my game.”