Dustin Johnson still is going to try to defend his U.S. Open title this week in Wisconsin, but he’s got some family business to take care of first.
As most of the field already had arrived at Erin Hills for the 117th US Open, Johnson was at home waiting for his fiancée, Paulina Gretzky, to give birth to the couple’s second child. According to ESPN, the plan was for Gretzky to have a C-section on Monday and then Johnson would fly to Wisconsin on Tuesday.
Johnson is the No. 1-ranked player in the world, and after missing the cut at last week’s Memorial Tournament in Ohio, he played two practice rounds at Erin Hills, a first-time Open venue.
“He really liked the course and feels like it sets up beautifully for his game,” David Winkle, Johnson’s agent, told Golf Digest. “He feels good about the venue and the state of his game.”
The 32-year-old won his first major at the Open last year at Oakmont. He was forced to withdraw from the first major of this year, the Masters, after he fell and hurt his back before the first round.
