The Ego Boost and Burden of Being World No. 1

[Dogfish Head]

DUSTIN JOHNSON IS ON A TEAR that has made him the world's top-ranked golfer for the first time in his career. Johnson is the 20th player to sit on top of the mountain.

How is DJ handling it?

So far, so good. He won in Mexico to widen the gap between him and World No. 2 Jason Day, who felt the burden of No. 1 until Johnson relieved him of the throne.

Karen Crouse penned a New York Times feature on the No. 1 ranking, which included this candid admission from the Australian:

When Day possessed the title, it also possessed him. The public acclamation became a personal albatross that blurred his identity, with his obligations as the public face of the sport bleeding into his time as a husband and father.
"It's very, very difficult," said Day, who became the third men's No. 1 from Australia, after Greg Norman and Adam Scott. "It's tough to be at the top of a sport and trying to deal with new things and trying to compete and handle certain parts of your life and be able to put them in boxes."
As his reign came to a close, Day sounded worn out....
"Oh, man, being No. 1 in the world is tough," Day said before the Genesis Open, adding, "I wouldn't trade it for the world, even though it is mentally and sometimes physically demanding."​

In the same article, Rory McIlroy said, "I think for a lot of guys, it's an ego thing."

We'll see how Dustin carries it. If being No. 1 bothers him, it might be hard to tell due to his placid demeanor. But I'm pretty sure nothing is bothering him right now.


Source: The Ego Boost and Burden of Being World No. 1