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nine with the specter of a penalty stroke loom- ing, while USGA blazers dithered about a possi- ble rules infraction. In interviews, Johnson often has a monotone and glazed look, leading some to question his acuity. But he is an ace at black- jack, sometimes playing five hands at a time, and something like a genius when it comes to always playing the correct golf shot. "He's smar ter than you think," Rory McIlroy says. "He's switched on, more so than he lets on, more so than everyone in the media thinks. I'll just put it that way." In the wake of the trying U.S. Open victory, Johnson gave much of the credit for his equanimity to his brother Austin Johnson, who had become his caddie three years earlier. They share the same charming goofiness and jock swagger. (Their 6-foot-4 maternal grandfather, Ar t Whisnant, is in the South Carolina Hall of Fame for his basketball exploits; as a senior in high school at Charis Prep, a North Carolina hoop factory, Austin averaged 16.8 points while shooting 56.4% on three-pointers and 92.3% from the free throw line.) Dustin's and Austin's father, Scott, was a high school stud who lettered in football, basketball, baseball and soccer before going into a career in golf as a teaching pro. (He was the boys' first swing coach.) Dustin has had a complicated relation- ship with his dad since his parents' acrimonious divorce, so Wayne Gretzky has become a wel- come father figure. "I don't know golf," the Great One, an 11- handicapper, said in late 2016, "but I know sports. There are great talents at every level. What separates the superstars is preparation and commitment. The notion that I'm some kind of guru to Dustin is overblown. He was a top- 10 player long before I met him. But if I've helped in any way, it's with the message that to be the best, he has to pay the price. I've encour- aged him to set very high goals for himself. Tiger- like goals. So this year, you've won three tourna- ments and a major. Next year, make it five tour- naments and two majors. Don't be afraid to be the best. Embrace it." And so Johnson began his inexorable march to the green jacket, finally unleashing all his want and will upon Augusta National. With a score of -20, Johnson shattered Woods' Masters scoring record on a rain-softened course, while setting a tournament record for fewest bogeys (four). The victory was the 24th of his career and the sixth time since the start of 2017 that Johnson has won by at least 5 strokes. At 36, he is playing at a level that only a handful of golfers have ever contemplated. What's next for this unassuming superstar? "Well," Johnson says in his South Carolina drawl, "winning never gets old." 98 C A R M E L M A G A Z I N E • W I N T E R 2 0 2 1 Dustin Johnson kisses Paulina Gretzky, holding the Championship Trophy on the 18th green, after winning his first major championship in the final round at the 2016 U.S. Open at Oakmont Country Club near Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Photo: UPI / Alamy Stock Photo When the 2021 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am arrives, Johnson will be not only the game's most dominant force but also the most universally beloved superduperstar.