pebblebeach
dj johnson plays alongside crenshaw
By Ryne Berthelot
Michael Howes and
student DJ Johnson.
18
It took D.J. Johnson all of 16 years for a chance to
play at Pebble Beach in the Nature Valley First Tee
Open. And if that wasn’t enough icing on his cake of
good fortune, his first round in the pro-junior was played
alongside two-time Masters Champion Ben Crenshaw.
It looks like just the start of a long, prosperous career
for the junior from Catholic High in Baton Rouge.
Despite his young age, it’s been a long time coming for
Johnson.
“My grandpa and uncle had been playing all their
lives. So that kind of started me off. I got started with
First Tee competitively at about nine,” Johnson said.
“I know a big turning point for me was watching Tiger
win the ‘08 U.S. Open. That really inspired me. That’s
when I knew I wanted to play golf.”
As with any young golfer, there’s a learning curve
and immediate room for improvement. For Johnson,
that lesson in maturation in the game hasn’t been any
different. But while most junior golfers would mention
the challenge of a physical aspect, such as iron play,
short game, or putting, Johnson took a different route.
He said the strongest facet of his game is in his head:
his mental game.
“I got to meet the most famous sports psychologist
in the world through the First Tee. Ever since I got to
go to Virginia in June and meet Bob Rotella, my mental
game’s been a lot better,” Johnson said. “He helped me
get out of my own way, which is what you really need to
do to perform well at anything. Then the next month,
I had my best month ever. I had a shot at the Top 10
for the State Championship, and I almost won the City
Championship.”
His age may leave a lot of assumptions that he may
be intimidated on the course, but after experiences at
TPC Louisiana and Pebble Beach, Johnson noticed
that after the first tee, it was business as usual. He says
he knows his college career is going to take him places,
and after playing Pebble Beach, he very well may call
California home.
“It was almost like a homecoming, but I’d never
been except when I was a baby. I hit a shot to within
a foot of the pin on the televised 18th hole. So I got
to walk up to the green with Mr. Crenshaw and all of
the great sponsors. All of my friends were watching at
home. And man was it so cool to tap in for birdie on the
last hole of Pebble Beach.
But even schools outside of the West Coast draw
interest from the rising Baton Rouge star.
“If Wofford or the University of Richmond offered,
I would probably say yes. I like the East Coast also.
In California, Cal-Poly, Sacramento State would be
options. Pepperdine would be a dream school,” Johnson
said. “But I really like my opportunities in California
more. It felt like a good fit for me.”
He still has time to make that decision. For now, he’s
still reveling in what it was like to play Pebble Beach
and walk alongside Crenshaw.