DJ plans Hero World Challenge return, will play Presidents Cup

Dustin Johnson has revealed he plans to return to competitive play at the Hero World Challenge in December before taking his place in the U.S. Presidents Cup team.

The 20-time PGA TOUR winner underwent arthroscopic surgery to repair cartilage damage on his left knee earlier this month but says he’s on track to return in time to head to Royal Melbourne for the Dec. 12-15 teams event.

“Rehab’s going really well. Doing that every day. Going to get back hopefully swinging the club here in a few weeks,” Johnson told The Starter on PGA TOUR Radio.

“I’ll be ready to go by the time the Hero comes around.”

The Hero World Challenge will be played at Albany in the Bahamas from Dec. 4-7 after which tournament host and U.S. Team captain Tiger Woods will fly with his team to Melbourne to take on the Internationals.

“It was just normal wear and tear for an athlete. It wasn’t an injury. Just something I needed. I was losing some strength, losing a little bit of mobility. So something I needed to have done,” Johnson said.

“There’s no good time to do it but this was the best time for me to do it. I’m only missing one tournament I was scheduled to play, which was China. So I’ll be back for Tiger and then play the Presidents Cup.”

Johnson said he’s been stuck on the couch watching plenty of college football during his rehab. He also spent time debriefing his 2018-19 season where he won the World Golf Championships – Mexico Championship and was runner up in two majors, but otherwise struggled.

In his last eight starts, Johnson failed to produce a top-10 finish – the longest non-top-10 stretch in a single season on TOUR since his rookie year of 2008. In his most recent start, he tied for last in the 30-man field at the TOUR Championship, recording four rounds over par for the first time since the 2013 BMW Championship.

“After I had it done and had time to sit there and reflect on the season and everything that was going on, especially in my swing, because I was struggling a little with my swing this year, most of my issues were from favoring my right side,” Johnson continued.

“All of my issues were coming from hanging back on the ball… so (the surgery) was something I needed to do and I feel like it will help me improve and hopefully I’ll come out strong next year.

“I’m trying to keep up with all the young kids coming out that bomb it. I need to be at full strength and at 100 percent to compete with these guys that are playing now.

“I need to be on my A game if I am to compete.”