Dustin Johnson remained in his hotel room for 11 days, binge-watching “Yellowstone” and walking only to the shower or outdoor patio.
To be sure, it wasn’t ideal preparation for the Masters.
The world No. 1’s fall schedule was upended a few weeks ago when he tested positive for COVID-19, knocking him out of scheduled starts at the CJ Cup and Zozo Championship. Johnson said he experienced only “mild” symptoms, including fatigue, and that no one else in his inner circle or family tested positive.
“I was just laying around doing nothing,” he said Wednesday.
The time away cost Johnson some momentum, as the reigning FedExCup champion had finished inside the top 6 in each of his past five starts. He didn’t hit balls again until last Monday – more than two weeks after his diagnosis – and slowly ramped up his practice time. He’s teeing it up this week at the Vivint Houston Open, his first start since the U.S. Open and his only opportunity to knock off the rust before the Masters.
As for the state of his game, Johnson said it’s “undetermined” after his unplanned time off.
“For me, it’s just getting reps is all,” he said of his goals this week. “If I hit a couple good shots, I’ll be happy. For me, it’s just about getting some reps in because I definitely didn’t plan on having this much time off.”