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Jordan Spieth Reveals Strategy For Defeating Dustin Johnson, ‘Guy To Beat’ At Masters

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO - MARCH 05: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays his tee shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the World Golf Championships Mexico Championship at Club De Golf Chapultepec on March 5, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo: Getty)

Dustin Johnson, the world’s number one golfer, is on a hot streak right now, coming off a victory in the WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin last weekend to secure his third win in as many starts in 2017.

Jordan Spieth on how to Beat Dustin Johnson

Jordan Spieth, who has finished no lower than second in his three Masters appearances, (one victory, two runner-up finishes) knows how challenging it will be to defeat his fellow American at this year’s Masters, which begin April 6 in Augusta, Georgia.

“I think Dustin Johnson is the guy to beat in golf no matter where you are,” Spieth said at a news conference on Wednesday. “If I play my best golf, I believe that I can take down anybody, and you have to believe that.

“But I think that he is the guy that everyone is saying he’s playing the best golf in the world right now.”

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Spieth, 23, also discussed what he is and isn’t concentrated on right now regarding his golf career.

“Major championships have huge weight and I’m not focused on trying to win majors to get to number one any more,” the World No. 6 added. “So, that side of things, getting number one isn’t the pressure that I feel, but that’s the only way to really take big strides towards him because I don’t think he’s letting up any time soon.”

Spieth, who at age 21 in 2015 became the second-youngest player to win the Masters, concluded by offering some advice on how to beat top players like Johnson.

“Fortunately I’ve played a lot of golf and competed against him on the weekends,” said Spieth, who tied for second last year following a catastrophic final-day meltdown that culminated in Englishman Danny Willett winning the 2016 Masters. “The way to do it is to not get caught up in his game. The thing that’s difficult about beating Dustin Johnson is, you get on the tee and by the time you’re hitting your second shot you’re already at a disadvantage on the hole.

“It’s trying not to feel that way and trying to recognize that you add them up at the end. There’s a lot of ways to do it.”

Spieth continued:”If you feel like you’re disadvantaged every hole, even though you are percentage-wise when you both hit a good tee shot, you’re probably not going to have a chance to beat him, he said.”If you play your own game, having the advantage of having been there before, him knowing that, too. He knows which guys have taken him down and are capable of it and he knows which guys are probably not going to be able to. And fortunately I feel like, you know, I can.”

Johnson’s World Match Play title win also made the 32-year-old South Carolinian the first player to win all four World Golf Championship events.

On Monday, Johnson withdrew from this week’s Houston Open.

MEXICO CITY, MEXICO – MARCH 05: Dustin Johnson of the United States plays his tee shot on the 18th hole during the final round of the World Golf Championships Mexico Championship at Club De Golf Chapultepec on March 5, 2017 in Mexico City, Mexico. (Photo by Justin Heiman/Getty Images)

Pablo Mena

Writer and assistant editor for usports.org. NY Giants and Rangers fan. Film and TV enthusiast (especially Harry Potter and The Office) and lover of foreign languages and cultures.