Power Ranger

MCILROY AND STENSON EYE THAT ELUSIVE FALCON TROPHY BUT DJ NOW HAS UNFINISHED ABU DHABI BUSINESS TOO

- Kent Gray

Dustin Johnson headlines a PR-manufactured “Magnificent Seven” for the Desert Swing opener but it’s Abu Dhabi Golf Club’s famous fives that are more likely to occupy the American’s mind when he saunters back into the UAE capital.

A year after finishing a frustrating shot shy of Tommy Fleetwood in his first attempt to snare the Falcon Trophy, we’re still officially flabbergasted by Johnson’s relative lack of success on The National’s four eminently reachable par 5s.

For all his power (Johnson was third in par 5 scoring on the PGA Tour last season), the world No.1 was only able to better par three times in 20 attempts on the par 5s. Johnson’s collective -5 total was bolstered by a pair of eagles, the second of them on the 72nd hole, while he bizarrely drew a birdie blank on the 2nd and 10th holes. Compare that to Fleetwood who was a combined -10 on the par 5s and birdied the 18th each of the last three days, the Sunday gain sealing victory by one from Johnson and Pablo Larrazabal and setting in motion the most unexpected year of his career.