Dustin Johnson's Tale of Resilience and Heartbreak Is Must-See TV

There is no matchup in sports quite as intriguing as an athlete's skill going up against his or her mental strength. After all, as humans, we are so often our own worst enemies.

Dustin Johnson, a man who is rapidly becoming golf's most engaging tragic hero, exemplifies that concept.

The 30-year-old's agonizing runner-up finish at the U.S. Open on Sunday was a microcosm of what has been a career of rallies and misfortune.

After eventual champion Jordan Spieth had double-bogeyed the 17th hole, Johnson stood on the final hole of Chambers Bay with the championship on his putter.

One 12-foot putt on the 18th hole would have stopped his self-inflicted cycle of torment and finally earned him the major title he has so desperately been seeking. Two putts would have forced a playoff with Spieth and at least bought Johnson more time to fight.

Instead, Johnson three-putted, once again changing his story from a tale of triumph to one of tragedy in seconds. It was the first time the American had three-putted from within 15 feet all year long.

This was a gut-wrenching ending to one of the most dynamic, entertaining and courageous rounds of golf of the season. While Spieth is the history-making prodigy, Johnson has become the most captivating story in golf.

In a sport filled with cookie-cutter PR projects, Johnson is anything but. He's one of the longest drivers and craftiest players on tour, but fans primarily know him for his shortcomings in the biggest moments.

Five years ago at the U.S. Open, then only 25 years old, Johnson had a three-stroke lead heading into the final round and looked to be on his way to a star-kissed career. Instead, he shot an 82 on Sunday and finished tied for eighth.

Later that summer, at the PGA Championship, he had a chance to redeem himself when he entered the final hole of Whistling Straits with a one-stroke lead. He ended up bogeying the hole to presumably join Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson in a playoff.

However, officials ruled that Johnson had grounded his club in the bunker, resulting in a two-stroke penalty that left him tied for fifth.

Since then, Johnson has had six other top-10 finishes at majors, but his off-the-course issues have hogged the spotlight.

Matt York/Associated Press

Last year, Johnson announced at the end of July that he was taking the rest of the year off from the PGA Tour—which was a surprise, considering he seemed to be a lock to make the Ryder Cup team at the time.

Golf.com's Michael Bamberger and Mike Walker reported that Johnson was serving a six-month ban because of his third positive drug test in the last five years—this time for cocaine. The PGA Tour refuted the reports of the suspension, and while Johnson later denied the claims of failed drug tests in an interview with ESPN's Tom Rinaldi, he did admit to drinking problems.

Bamberger and Walker also reported that Johnson allegedly had an affair "with at least one wife of a PGA Tour player."

Johnson, engaged to Paulina Gretzky at the time, announced he was going to spend the time off to fulfill a "mission of self-improvement," as reported by Barry Petchesky of Deadspin.

While controversy like that could have derailed his career, and while there is always more to a story than meets the public eye, it seems Johnson did use his time off to get his act together.

He has been a more mature and focused player since coming back in February, notching a victory at the WGC-Cadillac Championship and five other top-10 finishes entering the U.S. Open.

Wilfredo Lee/Associated Press

So when Johnson was the co-leader heading into the final day at Chambers Bay—and then when he overcame a patch of three bogeys in four holes on the back nine to stand on the 18th green with an eagle putt to win it all—it was nearly impossible not to hope for a Hollywood ending to a complicated story.

After all, this was a chance for something George Willis of the New York Post had called "the ultimate redemption" for the beleaguered golfer.

His inexplicable three-putt was a punch in the gut for all of us watching (or at least for those of us watching without the last name of Spieth).

It's tempting to look at Johnson, particularly on days like Sunday, and be overcome with disappointment and frustration. But if you look deeper, inspiration lingers as well.

He hasn't found his way to the ultimate success yet, but each time he falls, he gets back up and puts himself in position once again.

As Johnson walked off the 18th hole at Chambers Bay following his instantly infamous three-putt, he went to embrace his fiance and grabbed his six-month-old son Tatum from her arms. Then, despite the heartbreak, he managed to smile.

The tour will move on, first to St. Andrews for the British Open next month, then to Whistling Straits—the site of the most painful penalty in golf—for the PGA Championship.

There are more opportunities for redemption on the horizon, so Johnson will keep trying to overcome his personal demons and rewrite his ending. No matter what happens next, that's a story worth watching.