World No. 3 Dustin Johnson underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left knee on Thursday morning to repair cartilage damage.
Johnson, the 2016 US Open winner, is expected to make a full recovery before resuming his expected fall PGA Tour schedule as part of the 2019-2020 season.
According to Johnson's manager, David Winkle, the surgery was performed in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., by Dr. George Caldwell, who has worked with the Miami-area's pro sports teams.
Knee scopes to repair ligament and cartilage damage are fairly common for athletes, and the recovery time is typically a matter of weeks. Johnson had a similar surgery in December 2011 and returned weeks later in January 2012. Tiger Woods had a similar surgery after his season ended in August at the BMW Championship, and he anticipates playing his originally planned schedule which starts in October.
Johnson won once this season, taking the WGC-Mexico Championship to extend his streak of 11 consecutive PGA Tour seasons with a victory. He also finished second in the Masters and PGA Championship. However, in his final eight starts of the season, Johnson didn't register a top-10 finish.
At the season-ending Tour Championship, the 35-year-old finished tied for last among the 30 qualifying players. Johnson began the tournament at 3 under par, but he played 72 holes at 13 over par, marking the first time Johnson failed to break par in a single round of a 72-hole event since the 2013 BMW Championship.
