ST ANDREWS • Dustin Johnson refuses to get too downcast about his costly late blunder at last month's US Open and believes he has "got what it takes" to land a breakthrough win in a golf Major.

The big-hitting American has been close several times.

At Chambers Bay four weeks ago, he three-putted the final hole to hand the title to Jordan Spieth.

"It gives me the confidence to know I have what it takes to win," Johnson said ahead of this week's The Open at St Andrews.

"I think I showed that at the US Open. Coming down the back nine, I was hitting the shots I wanted to hit; unfortunately, the ball wasn't bouncing in the hole.

"I played really well that week. I was happy with the way I played and the way I handled myself coming down the last few holes."

Johnson has suffered a string of near-misses at Majors, starting at the 2010 US Open where he fell away after going into the final round holding a three-stroke lead.

Two months later, he was again at the top of the leaderboard with one hole to play at the PGA Championship. However, he incurred a controversial two-shot penalty for grounding his club while deemed to be in a fairway bunker.

He also finished joint runner-up behind Britain's Darren Clarke at the 2011 Open.

Johnson will play alongside Spieth and Japan's Hideki Matsuyama in tomorrow's first round at St Andrews.

REUTERS