Dustin Johnson, the No. 3 player in the World Golf Rankings, has undergone arthroscopic knee surgery, his management team announced.
According to a statement released to PGATour.com, Johnson had a “routine” operation in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to repair cartilage damage in his left knee. The 20-time PGA Tour winner is “expected to make a full recovery before returning to competition later this fall.”
The surgery was performed by orthopedic surgeon Dr. George Caldwell, who has worked with both the Miami Dolphins and Miami Marlins, as well as other sports teams. The surgery was considered similar to the procedure Caldwell performed on Johnson’s right knee in December, 2011.
Johnson was able to return to action in mid-January the following year.
Johnson’s surgery was performed nine days after Tiger Woods announced that he underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee during the Tour Championship, his fifth procedure on that knee.
The 35-year-old Johnson is coming off a season in which he won the WGC-Mexico Championship, finished second to Woods in the Masters and was runner-up to Brooks Koepka in the PGA Championship, the first two majors of the season.
That gave Johnson eight top-10 finishes in his first 11 PGA Tour events of the season, but he didn’t have another one in his final eight tournaments, his longest streak without a top-10 result since his rookie season of 2008.
Johnson’s best results the rest of the season were ties for 20th in the RBC Canadian Open and the WGC-Fed Ex-St. Jude Invitational. His season was capped by a tie for 29th, or last, in the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, where Johnson failed to break 70 in any of his four rounds.
“I got two months (off),” Johnson told Golfweek after the tournament. “I’m definitely excited about that.”
Johnson was expected to be one of the featured players next month in the Houston Open, but there was no word as to whether he will be able to play in that tournament. He also has qualified for the United States team in the Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne in Australia, and is expected to play in the team event.
With his victory in the WGC-Mexico Championship in February, Johnson became the fifth player in the last 50 years to win 20 PGA Tour titles before turning 35. He has won at least once in every season since joining the circuit in 2008.
