US PGA 2021: Dustin Johnson plays down injury concerns

World No.1 Dustin Johnson insists he’s good to go at the US PGA Championship, despite withdrawing from last week’s PGA Tour event with a knee complaint.

The two-time major champion raised eyebrows when he pulled out of the AT&T Byron Nelson in Texas, putting his participation at Kiawah into doubt.

However, speaking to the media on the eve of the opening round, the South Carolina native played down concerns over his fitness.

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“Health is good,” said the 36-year-old. “I just wanted to spend more time on making sure I was feeling 100% for this week and done a lot of work at home. I feel really good coming into this week.”

Johnson, who won The Masters in November, added that the knee has been “off and on a little bit over the probably past six months” and that he went for an MRI scan to put his mind at ease coming into the second men’s major of 2021.

“Everything was fine. It was the one I had surgery on about a year-and-a-half ago. Just got together with the doctor and physio that I use for my rehab and just put together a little bit of a plan to get a little bit stronger. It feels good, though.”

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A victory in his home state this week would put Johnson within an Open Championship of completing the career grand slam – and he admits he likes his chances.

“The game feels good. I feel like it’s been close the past few months. Just haven’t put it all together at the same time. But everything feels really good right now. I’ve got a lot of confidence coming into this week. I’ve been working hard on the game and I’m looking forward to it.”