Dustin Johnson, Brooks Koepka, trying to end winless droughts, open with 67s at Valspar Championship

Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka spent a few years as the most dominant forces in golf. Now, they find themselves having not hoisted a trophy in more than a year, which they’re hoping to change at this week’s Valspar Championship.

The two former world No. 1s got off to a good start with matching 67s Thursday morning at Innisbrook. 

Johnson came into this week’s event on the heels of a course-record-tying 63 at TPC Sawgrass in Monday’s final round at The Players. The few hours between rounds on Monday gave Johnson some time to hit the range and find something with his irons. 

Full-field scores from Valspar Championship

“I went and got a couple hours of practice in between the rounds and obviously it paid off a little bit,” Johnson said. “But, yeah, I mean, I just, if anything’s been struggling a little bit, I wasn’t rolling it that great early in the year, but then lately I haven’t been hitting my irons that good, so I went and worked on that, and then hit some OK shots.”

Meanwhile, Koepka is looking to find the winner’s circle for the first time since the 2021 WM Phoenix Open, and he got off to a bogey-free start in Thursday’s first round.

“I felt like I played pretty solid,” Koepka said. “It was very, very easy. No stress. Stress-free. Three more of those, I should be right there.”

Koepka and Johnson currently find themselves three back of leader Vegas.