“I didn’t eat anything” – Dustin Johnson recalls his ‘nervous’ Masters win
US golfer Dustin Johnson claimed a thundering victory at the 2020 Masters. It was his second major tournament win.
While it is natural for any player to get nervous before competing at such an important tournament, Johnson is generally known for his calm demeanor during events and hardly gives anything away.
But in March last year, he revealed to Golf.com that he was so nervous about the Masters that he barely ate anything for breakfast that day. This is a big deal coming from him, who literally listed breakfast in his top 10 essentials list once.
He said with a laugh:
"I had come down to have some coffee and my breakfast, and I had a really hard time eating my breakfast. I barely ate anything."
Dustin Johnson's regular breakfast includes a sizable omelet, a hefty bowl of oatmeal and some fruit. He had to have been very nervous to eat so little before the Masters.
He added that he was really nervous during the first tee, being his first time holding such a lead at the tournament.
"I was really nervous, too, on the first tee. Obviously I’ve got the (54-hole) lead in the Masters for the first time. I mean, I was feelin' it," Johnson said.
He bogeyed holes 4 and 5, considerably snipping his big lead. But he was not shaken by the change in plans. He said:
"It still didn’t rattle me because on 4 I felt like a made a good swing, just caught it a little high on the face. Came up a little short. Probably should have chipped that ball, but after the chip I hit on 2..."
Things didn't get better for a while with a few missteps here and there. However, Johnson stuck to his approach. After reclaiming a 3-shot lead, Johnson looked towards the scoreboard and thought to himself:
"It doesn’t matter. I’m going to play as good as I can play from here to the house, and see what happens."
What happened after was just stuff for the history books.
"I don’t even know if I ate," - Dustin Johnson on the Champions Dinner
With things still tense as Dustin Johnson walked down the 7th fairway, he grabbed an almond butter jelly sandwich. However, his nerves were so bundled up he could hardly swallow it.
"I took one bite and couldn’t even swallow it. My mouth was so dry. I had to chug water just to get a little bit of it down. I didn’t even try to eat anything after that," Johnson said.
He mounted a phenomenal comeback as he displayed a ball-striking masterclass. He birdied on 8th, 13th, 14th and 15th that separated him from the rest of the roster. Dustin Johnson claimed that he had no idea what his position was until he walked up to the 18th and his younger brother and caddie Austin Johnson confirmed that he had a 5-shot lead.
Johnson must have heaved a sigh of relief as he replied:
"Alright, I think I can get it in from here."
After a sensational return to the game, Johnson hit two easy putts for par and claimed his first green jacket. It was none other than Tiger Woods who awarded him the prestigious green jacket coming from his iconic 2019 Masters win.
Along with the honor of winning the Masters, he also had a reservation to his name to the Champions Dinner that evening. Whether the food was not that delectable or Johnson was simply overwhelmed with his thrilling win, the golfer couldn't remember if he ate at the dinner at all. He said with a smile:
"I don’t even know if I ate. I can’t remember. I know I had a few cocktails."
Dustin Johnson will be seen in action at the 2023 Masters as well, with tournament officials recently announcing that LIV Golf players who have qualified for the event, including Johnson, will be allowed to take part.