Dustin Johnson's play on par-5s propels him to best Masters finish, place in record book

Dustin Johnson is in the Masters Tournament record book, though he likes to pretend he’s not.

In 2015, Johnson became the first player in tournament history to make three eagles in one round. It came in the second round when he eagled Nos. 2, 8 and 15, all par-5s.

“Naw, I forgot about that,” he joked when reminded of the feat. Then, turning serious, he said, “It was pretty special and a lot of fun, too.”

Johnson had a chance to run the table on all the par-5s but failed to make eagle on No. 13.

“I think I had a (eagle) putt but just missed,” said Johnson, who did make birdie on No. 13 to play the par-5s in 7-under.

He shot 5-under-par 67 – even with a bogey on the first hole – but was still seven shots behind Jordan Spieth, who had broken the 36-hole scoring record.

Johnson shot 73 in the third round and closed with 69 to tie for sixth, his best finish in his six Masters appearances and his first top 10.

“I keep getting better each year,” said Johnson, whose previous best finish was a tie for 13th in 2013. “I keep getting more comfortable on the golf course. You learn stuff every time you go around there. It’s getting better.”

His chances to make a run at Spieth ended in the third round, first at Amen Corner and then at the end of the round. On the par-3 12th hole, his tee shot was right of the front bunker. He then chunked a chip shot into the bunker and made double bogey.

“I probably should have played it a little right of the hole and had a 6-footer for par instead of trying to make it, which was probably not very smart,” Johnson said. “Take those two shots away and you never know what happens.”

He bogeyed the final two holes for his 73.

Johnson’s play on the par-5s in 2015 was in stark contrast to 2014, when he played them in 2-over while missing the cut. Thanks to his three eagles in last year’s second round, Johnson played the par-5s in 14-under, one off the record held by Greg Norman (1995), Tiger Woods (2010), Ernie Els (2013) and Phil Mickelson (2015).

“For me, you’ve got to take advantage of your length when you can, because the golf course is tough,” he said. “And if you’re hitting the ball well you can make a lot of birdies. If you’re not it’s really hard to get it close to the hole. So for me playing the par 5s really well is crucial.”

Since his debut at Augusta National in 2009, Johnson has been touted as a possible Masters champion because of his combination of length and accuracy off the tee.

“I think that one of the reasons that I’m as good as I am is I hit it far, but I also hit it pretty straight,” he said. “When I play well, I drive it well.”

Johnson said he is more settled for this year’s Masters than last year. He didn’t play from late July 2014 to until early February 2015, saying in a statement before taking the break that he needed “to improve my mental health, physical well-being and emotional foundation.”

“Yeah, it’s fine,” Johnson said his current state of mind and body. “Everything is back to normal.”