OAKMONT, Pa. -- Perhaps he has the perfect personality to process what happened and move on from it. Even in the aftermath of 3-putting the final green to blow the U.S. Open a year ago at Chambers Bay, Dustin Johnson seemed at peace.

He might have been seething inside, and it's possible in a private moment he let out his anger by kicking a locker or slamming a club. Maybe he didn't sleep well for a few days, but you never get the sense that Johnson has been haunted by that failure -- or any of his other major championship close calls, for that matter -- as another U.S. Open opportunity awaits this week at Oakmont Country Club.

In six of the past nine major championships, Dustin Johnson finished in the top 10. He owns 11 career top-10s in golf's biggest tournaments. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

"I felt like I did what I was supposed to do in that situation,'' said Johnson, 31, who had an eagle putt to win, but 3-putted to lose by a stroke to Jordan Spieth. "So it wasn't really anything to be upset about or to be down on. I hit the shots I needed to hit in that situation and in that moment.

"It was unfortunate the surfaces of those greens weren't as smooth as they should have been, but it is what it is. Everybody was putting on them.''

Johnson did hit two spectacular shots at the 18th, including an approach from 200 yards that set up a 12-foot eagle putt to win.

And it is true that the greens at Chambers Bay were the subject of considerable derision, especially by the final round. Johnson happened to put himself in a very difficult spot with a treacherous putt that got away from him.

Still ... 12 feet to win the U.S. Open.

And just 3 feet to force an 18-hole playoff.

Spieth could not play defense at that point. He had birdied the final hole to give himself a 1-shot lead, but felt he had seemingly let the tournament get away with a double-bogey at the 17th hole.

He could only sit and watch, helpless, as Johnson stood over the eagle putt to win.

"I expected it [to go in],'' Spieth said. "But at the same time, that specific putt was almost luck based on the speed that it had to roll at and the kind of break that it took. But I still expected it to go in at that point after the two shots he hit.''

It didn't -- nor did the birdie putt that would have tied. Spieth walked away with the trophy and Johnson left without a major, again. In fact, Johnson has not won since, despite contending often -- he has eight top-5 finishes in the past year and four other top-10s and is ranked sixth in the world.

Losing in such a manner is tough to endure, even if Johnson's demeanor suggests otherwise.

A year ago, Dustin Johnson 3-putted the 72nd hole to give away the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay. This year at Oakmont, he'll get another crack at that elusive first major title. Sam Greenwood/Getty Images

And it does give him something in common with Spieth, who couldn't close out a 5-shot lead on the back nine of the Masters this year, hitting two balls in the water at Augusta National's 12th hole to finish 3 back of Danny Willett.

"I think that what I had to go through is easier than what Dustin had to go through,'' Spieth said. "I only experienced one of them, and it wasn't easy. But we've won two majors. And we've won one on that course. We've won the Masters the year before in the same kind of position where I pulled it and made bogey on that hole, and ended up birdieing a few more holes instead of pushing it and that happening.

"In my mind, it was a fluke shot, but we've already been there. We believe we can do it again, and there's no doubt in my mind that we believed we'll be back in that position and do what we can to learn and be better from it and not make the mistake again.

"I think Dustin's, given it was on the last hole, was really tough. He's been so close so many times. ... I think given just the close calls and the fact he doesn't have one under his belt, maybe it was harder on answering the questions.''

Rory McIlroy was more direct when the question was put to him.

"Look, DJ hasn't won a major, and Jordan has,'' said McIlroy, who has four major titles and enters the U.S. Open ranked third in the world. "So [Spieth] can at least comfort himself with the fact that he's already got a couple in the bag where DJ hasn't taken [advantage of] his chances when they've presented themselves a couple of times. So yeah, I'd say it would be tougher for DJ.''

Johnson is undoubtedly one of the game's top talents. A long hitter, he has nine PGA Tour victories, including at least one in each of the past eight seasons. He is 2-0 in singles at the Ryder Cup, including one of just three victories on that fateful Sunday in 2012 at Medinah where the United States lost to Team Europe.

And as the rankings now stand, he would represent the U.S. in the Olympic golf tournament in Rio.

But he has never won a major, and the high-profile close calls are impossible to ignore, such as when he lost the lead at the 2010 U.S. Open and shot a final-round 82. Or later that summer when he grounded his club in an (admittedly dubious) fairway bunker on the 72nd hole at the PGA Championship, leading to a penalty that cost him a spot in a playoff.

Or a year later when he trailed by just a stroke at The Open on the back nine at Royal St. George's before hitting a 2-iron out of bounds on a reachable par-5.

Last year, just weeks after the Chambers Bay meltdown, Johnson led through two rounds in The Open at St. Andrews and had Spieth wondering how he could compete. Johnson ended up shooting a pair of 75s over the closing 36 holes.

"I think that Dustin Johnson is arguably the most talented player on the PGA Tour,'' Spieth said. "I think it's a matter of time. I think he's a freak athlete. I think he's not only a freak athlete, but a freak golf athlete, like he has great hands, great club face control.

"He hits some shots where you won't see anybody else trying to. He'll hit driver ... and he'll split a 15-yard fairway when everyone else is laying back, and it's an advantage for him, and he takes advantage of it most of the time. I just think, yeah, it's something that's really incredible to watch.''

You won't get Johnson to dive too deep into any issues with closing out a tournament, perceived or otherwise.

Somewhat in keeping with his nature, Johnson boils it all down very simply.

"For the past few years, I feel like my golf game in total has been solid and consistent,'' he said. "Every week I feel like I'm up there and I've got a chance to win. It's just ... with this game, you've got to make putts. I mean, it's just what you've got to do.''

He wasn't able to do so at Chambers Bay a year ago -- not that it haunts him.

When asked about the great drive and second shot that put him in that position, Johnson said: "That's really the only thing I think about. I don't think about those three putts for sure.''