ST. ANDREWS, Scotland -- This was never the hard part. We've always known Dustin Johnson has the talent to contend at major championships. He mashes his driver farther and higher and straighter than almost anyone else. He comports himself with a swagger, cool and confident. He makes so many birdies that he sometimes looks bored doing it.
So we shouldn't be surprised that Johnson is once again in contention at a major, sitting at 10 under and leading by 1 with four-plus holes to play in the suspended second round of The Open. He's been in the top five entering the weekend in each of his past five major starts, which is quite literally half the battle when it comes to finally winning one. His scoring average in the first two rounds of these events is a tick under 68, which is nothing short of brilliant.
No, this was never the hard part.
The hard part will come this weekend.
Johnson has learned this over and over and over again, a series of trial-and-error moments that so far have produced as many errors as trials.
The latest, of course, came at last month's U.S. Open, when he faced an eagle putt on the final hole to win only to three-putt and fail to even force a playoff. The cool, confident Johnson was reflective in defeat. There were no tears in public, there was no fitful anger; no emotion, really, to speak of whatsoever.
"I did get to hold up my trophy at the end of the day," he said afterward, "which is my son."
That's a noble sentiment, and there's no doubt Johnson meant every word. At some point, though, every world-class player burns for that trophy -- the hardware one they hand out after the tournament -- and Johnson has come so close that it must be eating away at him, even if he doesn't show it.
The next two days might provide some type of crossroads in his career. Either he vanquishes those ghosts of majors past and, much like Phil Mickelson and Padraig Harrington and so many others before him, uses his initial victory as a launching pad for more in the future, or he suffers the fate of Colin Montgomerie and Sergio Garcia, joining a long list of talented players who, for whatever reason, could never quite break through that major championship window despite repeatedly putting themselves in position.
After the completion of Friday's round -- which was halted for darkness (following a morning rain delay) with Johnson just off the par-5 14th green in two -- he didn't waste words, which is true to his nature.
"I feel great," he proclaimed. "I'm in a good spot."
He's felt this way before. He's keenly aware of the elation of getting into contention; he's totally familiar with the heartache of failing to parlay that into a title.
Johnson is playing this week with his 6-month-old son's name stitched into the front panel of his golf bag: Tatum Gretzky Johnson.
If Johnson loses again, he'll be able to repeat those words of a month ago, helping to soften yet another blow to a psyche that outwardly doesn't show much scar tissue.
This time, though, he'd like that other trophy, too. He's put himself into position to win a major once again. Now comes the hard part.