Dustin Johnson The Road To World Number One

The American became the 20th man to reach the pinnacle of the Official World Golf Ranking after winning his 13th PGA Tour event at Riviera CC

Dustin Johnson The Road To World Number One

The American became the 20th man to reach the pinnacle of the Official World Golf Ranking after winning his 13th PGA Tour event at Riviera CC. Take a look at his road to world number one...

Dustin Johnson The Road To World Number One

10 years after turning professional, after many major misses, controversies and success, Dustin Johnson is golf's new world number one.

The American won the Genesis Open at Riviera for the his 13th PGA Tour event, making him the third player since 1960, after Tiger and Jack, to win a PGA Tour event every year in his first 10 seasons.

A graph of Dustin Johnson's rise from 1,375th to 1st in the Official World Golf Ranking (www.owgr.com)

The win meant that he overtook Jason Day at the summit of the Official World Golf Ranking, becoming the 20th man to hold the world number one spot.

Take a look back at his career to see his road to the world number one position.

Dustin Johnson The Road To World Number One

2007

Dustin johnson the road to world number one

  • Wins the Walker Cup alongside Rickie Fowler and Billy Horschel, beating a GB&I team at Royal County Down which included the likes of Rory McIlroy and Danny Willett
  • Turns pro and ties for 14th at Q-School to earn his PGA Tour card.

Ends year ranked #1,375

2008

Dustin Johnson the road to world number one

Dustin Johnson birdies the 18th hole to win the Turning Stone Resort Championship at Atunyote Golf Club on October 5, 2008 in Verona, New York. (Photo by Michael Cohen/Getty Images)
  • Wins his first PGA Tour event at the Turning Stone Resort Championship in October which moved him up to a career-high 155th in the Official World Golf Ranking.

Ends year ranked #143

2009

Dustin Johnson the road to world number one

Dustin Johnson poses with his second PGA Tour trophy. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
  • Wins second PGA Tour title at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am which was shortened to 54-holes due to bad weather.

Ends year ranked #53

2010

Dustin Johnson the road to world number one

At Pebble Beach (left) and Whistling Straits (right), Dustin Johnson had major final round heartache in 2010
  • Birdies the 18th to successfully defend the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, this time in 72 holes.
  • Four months later at Pebble Beach he holds a three-stroke lead heading into the final round of the US Open. He triple-bogeys the second and double-bogeys the third on his way to shooting 82, Graeme McDowell went on to win.
  • Holds a one stroke lead coming down the 72nd hole at the USPGA Championship. He was deemed to have grounded his club in one of Whistling Strait's 1000+ bunkers to the right of the 18th faitway where the crowd had been walking. The bunker had no rake and was better known as a 'sandy waste area'. His bogey turns into a double with a one stroke penalty and he misses out on the playoff by one shot - Martin Kaymer went on to win .
  • Beats Martin Kaymer 6&4 in the singles to win one point from four matches as USA lose the Ryder Cup to Europe at Celtic Manor.
  • Wins his fourth PGA Tour event at the BMW Championship in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Ends year ranked #14

2011

Dustin Johnson the road to world number one

Another near-miss at a major for Dustin in 2011. (Photo by Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
  • Finds himself in the last group of a major for the third time at the 2011 Open at Royal St George's. He was keeping up with Darren Clarke until the par-5 14th where he hit it out of bounds with his second shot which led to double-bogey. He would finish in a tie for second place with Phil Mickelson.
  • Wins his fifth PGA Tour event at The Barclays, his second FedEx Cup playoff victory.

Ends year ranked #7

2012

Ends year ranked #23

2013

dustin johnson the road to world number one

Dustin Johnson broke the WGC-HSBC Champions tournament scoring record (264) which still stands today. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images)

Ends year ranked #16

2014

  • In late July, Dustin Johnson takes the rest of the season off for 'personal challenges', missing the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles. It was reported that he had been suspended by the PGA Tour for testing positive for cocaine, although the Tour stated it was 'voluntary leave'.

Ends year ranked #19

2015

dustin johnson the road to world number one

Dustin Johnson secured his second WGC in 2015 but also spurned another great opportunity for major glory at Chambers Bay
  • Just a month after returning to PGA Tour action, Johnson wins the WGC-Cadillac Championship for his second WGC title.
  • Has a 15 footer for eagle on the 72nd hole at Chambers Bay to win the US Open...he three putted to hand Jordan Spieth the title.
  • Holds the 36-hole lead at The Open at St. Andrews but fades over the weekend.

Ends year ranked #8

2016

dustin johnson the road to world number one

A US Open, a third WGC title, a Ryder Cup plus a FedEx Cup Playoff victory - 2016 was the year Dustin Johnson came of age
  • DJ finally breaks his major duck at the US Open at Oakmont, he played tremendous golf in the final round despite a rules controversy where he, and his competitors, were told that an incident where he was deemed to have moved his ball on the fifth green would be assessed after the round. He was penalised a stroke after play but still won by three.
  • Two weeks later he wins his third WGC title at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational.
  • Wins two points from four matches, including a win over Chris Wood in the singles, as USA win the Ryder Cup for the first time since 2008.
  • He also wins the BMW Championship for the second time.
  • Wins a number of awards including PGA Tour Player of the Year.

Ends year ranked #3

2017

  • Wins the Genesis Open at Riviera for his 13th PGA Tour title to become world number one for the first time in his career.
Elliott Heath
News Editor

Elliott Heath is our News Editor and has been with Golf Monthly since early 2016 after graduating with a degree in Sports Journalism. He manages the Golf Monthly news team as well as our large Facebook, Twitter and Instagram pages. He covered the 2022 Masters from Augusta National as well as five Open Championships on-site including the 150th at St Andrews. His first Open was in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, when he walked inside the ropes with Jordan Spieth during the Texan's memorable Claret Jug triumph. He has played 35 of our Top 100 golf courses, with his favourites being both Sunningdales, Woodhall Spa, Western Gailes, Old Head and Turnberry. He has been obsessed with the sport since the age of 8 and currently plays off of a six handicap. His golfing highlights are making albatross on the 9th hole on the Hotchkin Course at Woodhall Spa, shooting an under-par round, playing in the Aramco Team Series on the Ladies European Tour and making his one and only hole-in-one at the age of 15 - a long time ago now!


Elliott is currently playing:


Driver: Titleist TSR4

3 wood: Titleist TSi2

Hybrids: Titleist 816 H1

Irons: Mizuno MP5 5-PW

Wedges: Cleveland RTX ZipCore 50, 54, 58

Putter: Odyssey White Hot OG #5

Ball: Srixon Z Star XV