or the majors, Johnson is starting to set himself apart.Da

SPRINGFIELD, N.J. -- Dustin Johnson apparently had high expectations after winning his first major at the U.S. Open.He didnt win the next major at Royal Troon and got rid of his beard.I finished ninth at the British, so I shaved it, Johnson said Wednesday, the big smile indicating he went with a clean look for no specific reason.Hed like to leave the PGA Championship with a new ranking -- No. 1.While his back-to-back victories at the U.S. Open and the World Golf Championship at Firestone rightly get most of the attention, its easy to overlook that he has been playing better than anyone all year.He has finished out of the top 10 only five times in his 16 starts this year, including his last six tournaments. With a tie for second last week at the Canadian Open, the 32-year-old Johnson arrived at Baltusrol with a mathematical chance to replace Jason Day at No. 1 in the world.Johnson would have to win the PGA Championship and have Day finish third or worse, or he could be the sole runner-up and reach No. 1 if Day were to finish 28th. However you do the math, its a possibility.And typical of Johnson, he wont give it much of a thought.It wont be on my mind, he said. Im going to go out and try to focus on what Ive got to do. The rest of the stuff, I try not to worry about -- or actually I dont worry about. I just go out and play golf and try to shoot the best score I can. At the end of the week, if Im on top of the leaderboard and I get to No. 1, obviously that would be great and be a big accomplishment.He was the betting favorite going into the final major of the year, mainly because of his consistently great play, and because Baltusrol is a big golf course at 7,462 yards for a par 70. And thats right up his power alley.As for the majors, Johnson is starting to set himself apart.Dating to a missed cut in the 2014 Masters, he has seven top 10s in his last nine majors, including his U.S. Open title at Oakmont.I feel like it keeps me mentally in it longer, Johnson said of the majors. When Im on really tough golf courses, I feel like Im more focused because Im really trying to hit the ball to a certain spot, instead of a lot of times when I struggle sometimes its just staying mentally focused on every shot.What sets the Lower Course at Baltusrol apart for the PGA Championship is that the A.W. Tillinghast design doesnt have a par 5 until the 17th hole, and then it ends with a pair of par 5s. That would seem to be disadvantage for Johnson, whose length can lead to easy birdies on par 5s.Or maybe not.This golf course, I hit a lot of drivers, he said. Its par 70, but its quite long. I feel like I wear out my 8- and 9-irons on the par 4s.Long course. And 8-irons and 9-irons into the par 4s.Thats his game.One of the par 5s might not be reachable, anyway. The 649-yard 17th hole is the second-longest in PGA Championship history behind the 653-yard fifth hole at Southern Hills. John Daly was the first player to hit the green in two, using a 1-iron in the 1993 U.S. Open.But with nearly two inches of rain on Monday night, and more storms in the forecast, the course is too soft to have a reasonable chance, even for Johnson. He hammered a drive during his first practice round and still had 320 yards to the hole.Then again, his wedge play has been the reason he has risen to the elite in golf, why he is one big win away from reaching the top. And finally getting his first major did little to make him satisfied.I want to win every major, he said. Maybe even more of a desire to get a second one. Cheap NFL Jerseys China . LOUIS -- The New Orleans Saints looked like a team playing out the string. Wholesale NFL Jerseys . Datsyuk will miss Tuesdays game against New Jersey and could be sidelined longer, while Cleary will likely miss at least the next three games. Its been an injury-plagued season for Datsyuk, who has suited up for just 39 games. http://www.nflwholesalejerseyscheap.com/ . -- Arizona raced out to a big lead and did not back off, hitting the accelerator instead. Wholesale Jerseys Cheap . Spiller left Week 3s 27-20 loss to the New York Jets with a thigh injury, but fully practiced with the team all week and expects to be ready to go on Sunday. NFL Jerseys Wholesale . The Barrie Colts defenceman, who impressed many with his play for Canada at the World Junior Hockey Championship, is the top-ranked skater in the February rankings. He has 19 goals and 24 assists for 43 points in 45 games with the Colts this season.Jamie Vardy hopes his late start to professional football will allow him to extend his playing career at the highest level. The Leicester forward, who has risen from the non-league game to become a Premier League winner, was 25 years old when he made his Football League debut.Pace is one of his key attributes but Vardy, who turns 30 in January, insists hes not losing his speed as the big birthday approaches. Six months half price Upgrade to Sky Sports to watch Man Utd v Arsenal on Saturday and get the first six months half price My legs feel great and people say the older you get your pace goes, but its not affecting that side of things as of yet, Vardy told Soccer Saturday. Hopefully because I came into the game later, it means Ive got longer to go.Leicester travel to Watford in the Premier League on Saturday, three years on from their dramatic Championship play-off semi-final defeat at Vicarage Road.Vardy was on the bench for the Foxes that day, alongside future England team-mates Danny Drinkwater and Harry Kane, on loan at the King Power from Tottenham.All three have since gone on to play Champions League football, with one particular picture from that game serving as a reminder of how far each player has come. Harry Kane [left] sits next to Jamie Vardy, with Danny Drinkwater further along the bench It just shows that anything is possible, Vardy said of the image. I know full well from Drinks [Drinkwater] and H [Kane] that a lot of hard work has been put into it from every single one of us.Its not like it has just come to us overnight, we have had to put the graft in. Weve had a few chats about it, especially when seeing H on England duty. To be fair, we have a laugh about it.I always pinch myself. Its not just what has happened over the last year, it is what has happened through my whole career and where Ive got to. Its good to keep me grounded.Its good when you do get noticed, it means you are doing well so I think I just need to keep that going and if I can go on another run now and get anywhere near to the [Premier League goalscoring] record, that would be great. Claudio Ranieri believes Vardys goal for England against Spain is good news for Leicester City Vardy and Leicester have struggled to live up to last seasons remarkable title triumph, with the Foxes 14th in the table and Vardy stuck on two league goals.ddddddddddddIts been a different story in the Champions League, where Claudio Ranieris side are on the cusp of clinching qualification to the knock-out round.Asked if Leicester have approached the two competitions differently, Vardy said: I cant put anything on to that, all I know is that in the Champions League we have been playing exactly as we know we can and for some reason its not been there in the league.Its just time to make sure we are constantly doing it and putting the performances in.I know they [Champions League team] wont have scouted us as much as our league opponents so it could be down to that. Watch highlights from Leicesters most recent Premier League match And the Leicester striker says his side are not in the Champions League just to make up the numbers, insisting they believe they have what it takes to go all the way.You cant just enter a competition and think youve got no chance, he added. You will just lose every game.As the performances have shown in the first four games, we are there to put performances in and get the points, and that is what we have been doing.Watch the full interview with Jamie Vardy on Soccer Saturday, from 12pm on Sky Sports News HQUpgrade to Sky Sports now to watch Man Utd v Arsenal this Saturday and get the first six months half price! Also See: Ranieri expecting new Vardy Mersons predictions Method to Mahrez magic Premier League questions ' ' '