Dustin Johnson wins the 2016 US Open at Oakmont

After six near misses in major championships, each seemingly more excruciating than the last, Dustin Johnson is finally a major champion. There was no near miss this year. No rimmed-out putt. No blown opportunity. Even despite some unusual circumstances, the 31-year-old was unflappable and brought home his first elusive major championship victory.

Johnson has long been considered the best player without a major championship. Much of that has been to his own doing as he’s faltered in key moments. Johnson had a short par putt to force a playoff at the US Open last year only to miss and add another near miss to his résumé. There were questions of whether he would ever be able to break through and win the big one.

Those questions are now a forgotten thing of the past.

Johnson answered every question on Sunday. He opened the final round trailing Shane Lowry by four shots, but mounted an impressive charge. Then came the weirdness. Prior to grounding his club on a par putt on No. 5, Johnson’s ball appeared to move. He asked a rules official and was cleared of any wrong doing. He made the putt and continued his round. Then as he stood on the No. 12 tee, he was alerted that the USGA was going to review the situation and he could be accessed a penalty stroke. He could have been crumbled by the distraction. Instead, he eliminated any possibility of it impacting the outcome. Johnson bogeyed just one hole on Sunday and this time on No. 18 he made the putt. Johnson rolled in a birdie on his 72nd hole to improve to 5-under and eliminate any doubt.

The USGA eventually ruled that Johnson had committed a penalty. He was assessed a one-stroke penalty to finish at 4-under. Had he not closed the way he did, this could have been another career-defining moment of failure. Instead, Johnson wrote his own script.

Johnson has never been among the more emotional players on tour, but it was obvious how much this meant. He let out a fist pump as the birdie dropped before hugging his brother and caddie on the green. He was then greeted by his son and fiancée. It was finally here, the moment he came so close to so many times only to let slip through.

It was a winding path, but Dustin Johnson is now a major champion. He claimed the elusive US Open that he’s been so close to for so long and he did it at one of the great courses in golf. There will always be questions of what if with Johnson’s major championship career, but there is no questioning how exceptional he played this week and if he deserves his place among the major champions.