Johnson started off the 2016 season well with six top-10 finishes in his first ten events. After two finishes outside the top 10, he came close to winning the Memorial Tournament, finishing one shot behind eventual winner William McGirt. He recorded another top-10 finish in the FedEx St. Jude Classic a week later. Johnson won the 2016 U.S. Open to claim his first major title on June 19, 2016 in his 29th major appearance. The win was shrouded in controversy however as Johnson was given a one-shot penalty after his final round had finished due to an incident on the fifth green. As he prepared to address the ball for a par putt, his ball moved slightly. Johnson stepped away saying that he had not addressed the ball. After he spoke to an on-site rules official he was told to carry on with his shot which he successfully putted. He ended up winning by three strokes ahead of Shane Lowry, Scott Piercy and Jim Furyk. The moving ball incident sparked outrage among many of the world's top golfers with players such as Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Webb Simpson taking to social media to criticize the USGA for its decision. Johnson moved up three positions in the OWGR to number three after this win.