Fit Johnson 'ready' for full part in Presidents Cup after surgery

Former world number one Dustin Johnson has fully recovered from left knee surgery and declared Wednesday he was fit and "ready to play" a full role for US team in this week's Presidents Cup. Johnson has t played since Tour Championship in August and had arthroscopic surgery to repair cartil dam in September. He pulled out of captain Tiger Woods' Hero World Challenge in Bahamas last week sparking concerns for his fitness for this week's matchplay showdown against Internationals in Melbourne.

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But big-hitting 2016 US Open champion told reporters on eve of opening day's action: "I'll play as many (times) as Tiger wants me to play. I wouldn't be here if I wasn't ready to play.

"I was always planning on playing. game is in good eugh form." Johnson said he had suffered problems since surgery, but it had just taken time to make sure he recovered fully.

"I was chipping and putting, three, four weeks after, but I didn't start hitting probably until six to eight weeks, like wedges and just kind of built up from re," he said.

"Everything was right on schedule. If anything, ahead of schedule. only thing that took longer was with driver." 

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Vice-captain Steve Stricker said he had concerns as to Johnson's ability to play up to five times in four days after his long layoff. "t at all," Stricker. "He looks great out re. "He's hitting it a long way as he rmally does. His knee is t an issue at all.  He's feeling good and hitting it well." Fellow vice-captain Zach Johnson said his namesake took a few holes to shake off rust. "Tuesday, first day out, that kind of thing, everybody kind of had a little bit of fog re early," he said. "But last 12 holes, even guys he was playing with are like, 'Oh, someone's back'. It looked good, especially from a health standpoint."  Johnson, playing in his fourth Presidents Cup, has t had a top-10 finish since US PGA Championship in May and has slipped to fifth in world rankings from number one in April.

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