The resilience of Dustin Johnson

AFTER BUILDING A three-shot lead heading into the final round of last year's U.S. Open at Pebble Beach Dustin Johnson was poised to win his first -- and what many presumed to be the first of many -- major championship.

His caddie at the time, Bobby Brown, told anyone that would listen that his man was "a flatliner" and that the severity of the moment wouldn't get to him.

A triple-bogey at the second, followed up by a double at the third to open his final round and Johnson was on his way to a round of 82 and a T8.

So it is fair to say that at times -- particularly under pressure -- he has a propensity for loose shots.

Exhibit A - the aforementioned tee shot at 2 at Pebble last year.

Exhibit B - tee shot on 18 at Whistling Straits in last year's PGA Championship.

Exhibit C - second shot on 14 at Royal St. Georges in this year's Open Championship.

But just when we think his sublime talents may be eclipsed by the scar tissue that we assume must be there, he rallies.

The obvious first step of that was the fact that after what happened to him at Pebble he was in contention at the PGA.

Then, at the Ryder Cup, after starting out with three losses -- twice with Mickelson and once with Furyk -- he gets matched up with the man that won the PGA, Martin Kaymer, in Sunday singles and summarily beats him 6&4.

And while it was nearly a year since his last win -- last year's third leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, the BMW Championship -- he puts himself right in the thick of the FedEx Cup race again this year with a win at the Barclays.

Yes, it was a rain shortened event.

Yes, it was the second such win of his career to have that distinction.

And no, it was not a major championship.

But at 27 years of age, Johnson has 5 PGA Tour titles -- that's more than any other card-carrying PGA Tour player in his 20s.

(In case you were wondering, Sean O'Hair, 29, is second with four.)

In fact, only 23 active PGA Tour members have more wins than him and a few of them -- David Duval, Jose Maria Olazabal, Lee Janzen, Mike Weir and Steve Elkington, Rocco Mediate -- are more on the downside of their careers.

Further, he joins Tiger Woods as the only players to win at least once in each of their first four seasons on the Tour.

On top of that he has four top 10s and six top 25s in the last 9 major championships.

So while some may look at the ones that got away, Johnson has the type of talent that can erase those in a hurry.