What brought world No. 1 golfer Dustin Johnson back to the Myrtle Beach area on Thursday
Dustin Johnson was back on the Grand Strand on Thursday to serve as host of his prestigious junior golf tournament, and to take part in interviews with national media outlets.
The world’s top-ranked golfer spent time at the Dustin Johnson Golf School at TPC Myrtle Beach and on the driving range, and greeted players competing in the sixth annual Dustin Johnson World Junior Golf Championship being played Friday through Sunday at the TPC.
Over an anticipated eight hours in the area, the Coastal Carolina alumnus and reigning Masters champion was expected to be interviewed by ESPN’s Marty Smith for a Masters preview show that will air before the April 8-11 tournament.
Johnson was also expected to be interviewed Thursday by former Golf Channel personality Charlie Rymer for a one-hour special highlighting the DJ World Junior that will air at noon March 20 on CBS Sports Network, and re-air several times.
Rymer now lives in Murrells Inlet and represents the Myrtle Beach golf market through the Golf Tourism Solutions marketing and technology agency. About 40 percent of the show will focus on the tournament, 40 percent will focus on the Johnson interview, and 20 percent will focus on the Myrtle Beach area.
Johnson’s 54-hole, college-style junior event has its strongest-ever field. It features 90 players, including 74 who are ranked among the top 100 boys or girls in the U.S.
Adrian Anderson of Murrells Inlet, who was named the 2020 junior girls player of the year by both the South Carolina Golf Association and Carolinas Golf Association, is in the field.
The top boys include Auburn signee Brendan Valdes of Orlando, Florida, the sixth-ranked boy in the nation according to Golfweek magazine, No. 8 Bryan Lee (Fairfax, Virginia), No. 10 Maxwell Ford (Peachtree, Georgia/Georgia commitment), No. 11 Nick Dunlap (Huntsville, Alabama), No. 12 Caleb Surratt (Indian Trail, N.C.) and No. 13 Luke Clanton (Hialeah, Florida).
Forty-nine of the 60 participating boys are top 100-ranked juniors, while 25 of the 30 girls competing are ranked among America’s top 100 girls by either Golfweek or Junior Golf Scoreboard.
That group is led by No. 3 Hyo Joon Jang of Howey in the Hills, Florida, and includes No. 12 Taylor Keyhoe (Ontario, Canada), No. 16 Bailey Shoemaker (Dade City, Florida) and No. 19 Brooke Bierman (Wildwood, Missouri).
