Washington - World No 1 Dustin Johnson is playing the "best golf in the world" and will start as the favourite to win the Masters next month, Jordan Spieth has said ahead of Thursday's Houston Open.
Johnson maintained his impressive form by winning the
WGC-Dell Match Play in Austin last weekend to mark his third victory in as many
starts in 2017.
Spieth, who has a victory and two runner-up finishes at
Augusta in the last three years, said he would have to be on top form to defeat
Johnson at the first major of year, which starts on April 6.
"I think Dustin Johnson is the guy to beat in golf no
matter where you are," Spieth said at a news conference on Wednesday.
"If I play my best golf, I believe that I can take down
anybody, and you have to believe that.
"But I think that he is the guy that everyone is saying he's playing the best golf in the world right now.
"Major championships have huge weight and I'm not focused
on trying to win majors to get to No 1 anymore," the 23-year-old added.
"So, that side of things, getting No 1 isn't the pressure that I feel, but that's the only way to really take big strides towards him because I don't think he's letting up any time soon."