Redemption.....well sort of

It's been a bittersweet summer for Dustin Johnson. First, the final round at Pebble which saw him take triple bogey on the second hole followed by a lost ball on his tee shot on three. His tee shot was found seconds after the five minutes had lapsed. Turns out, that wasn't the worst break he would get this summer.

But Dustin never gave up. We saw his character as he faced the media just minutes after the PGA heartbreak. Dustin only blamed himself for not knowing the ridiculous local rule that was in place that week. Maybe it's because Dustin knows it's just a matter of time before he hoists a major championship trophy. Only 26, Dustin has already won four times on the PGA tour. That pales in comparison to Tiger's pace, but we may never see a Tiger like pace again. Dustin is the best player under 30 in the game today.

Dustin Johnson is a new breed of golfer. Dustin is, first and foremost, an athlete. He could palm a basketball in seventh grade and was dunking with ease in high school. These types of athletes didn't choose to play golf 15-20 years ago. But Tiger made golf cool and a whole generation of athletes picked up a club. Dustin probably could have easily played any of the major sports and done quite well.

Tiger was once one of the longest hitters in the game. Augusta National even changed their course setup to combat the crazy spots that Tiger could drive the ball to. Well, now that guy is Dustin Johnson. Tiger calls him "stupid long". He drives the ball on driving lines that other players didn't know existed. And, he's got the game after that as well. At the urging of Phil Mickelson, he's now paired with Butch Harmon who's honing his game from 150 yards and in. Dustin has serious game and that showed up on Sunday.

Tied for the lead on 17 on Sunday, Dustin lofted a wedge to within a few feet for a birdie and a one shot lead. He then striped his drive on 18 and played a picture perfect iron shot to the center of the green. After a lag putt, Dustin had the best feeling in golf, a tap-in for the win. It came about a month later than he wanted but he'll take it. Off to the Tour Championship with some serious confidence, Dustin has a real shot at the ten million dollar payday that comes with capturing the FedEx cup.

Look for Dustin to play well at the Tour Championship and then take his game to Wales for the Ryder Cup. I'm betting Captain Pavin has had more than one player in his ear saying he and Dustin will make a great team. It wouldn't surprise me to see Dustin play all five sessions. Dustin moved up to 12th in the world rankings with his win. Look for that ranking to only go up.