Nothing would explain the madness of golf better than Dustin Johnson’s win at the US PGA Championship.
This is not meant to undermine Johnson’s status as one of the best players in the world, as is obvious, but rather as an emphasis on some bizarre spell. Johnson’s form guide after banning shows a tie for 17th, a win, two consecutive rounds of 80, an injury-related withdrawal from the 3M Open, and four sub-70s in a golf world championship. Deciphering what he was likely to do in the first major of 2020 at Harding Park was for the bravest of players.
With 18 holes, Johnson sits at the top of the ranking. Of course he does. A wonderful third round of 65 that even included a double bogey on the 9thwas sufficient to see the 36 year old march through the field. There are so many high profile players at the end of the process that predictions are a breeze, but right now Johnson seems to be the biggest threat to Brooks Koepka’s attempt to win the Wanamaker Trophy for the third straight year. Johnson’s only big win so far was at the 2016 US Open.
“I have experience in this situation that will definitely help tomorrow,” said Johnson. “I’ve been hunting in a major a couple of times. I have a major so this experience will definitely be an asset.
“I still have to go out and play really good golf. This is a tough golf course, the greens become very firm, they are fast. I think the wind will blow again tomorrow so it will be difficult to play. I’m looking forward to the challenge and will definitely rely on many of my experiences. “It should be noted; Not all of these experiences have been positive.
At nine under, Johnson leads two underdogs, Cameron Champ and Scottie Scheffler, by one shot. Nineteen players are within five of the lead.
Koepka’s tournament threatened to unravel after Bogeys on the 13thth14th and 15th. He replied in typical style; Two birdies in the last three holes leave Koepka only two away from Johnson. Collin Morikawa and Paul Casey got Kopeka’s score. “Everything seems to be coming together,” warned Koepka.
Bryson DeChambeau was the most talked about golfer after the lockdown. not always for the right reasons. But the bloated body of the Californian and the enormous increase in performance deliver results. A third round of 66 left DeChambeau by six under and well within reach of Johnson. “I’m proud of myself that I could change my body, change everything and give myself the chance to win,” said DeChambeau. “This is something I find difficult. When someone goes and changes there is usually a little struggle with it. I am really blessed and proud to be healthy and fight for a great championship. “Justin Rose and Jason Day are also minus six. Also Tommy Fleetwood after valiantly bird watching the last one to save a par 70 level.
There wasn’t quite the admission that “aging is no fun” as Tiger Woods made in mid-July. At the time, the most famous golfer of a generation admitted that he was “just trying to hold on to what was left of an extraordinary career.” Still, a player who has viewed public displays of fallibility as such a terrible concept for so long, develops a fresh, almost consistent topic.
Woods won’t win the 102nd US PGA Championship. There won’t be 16th Main title as it would get in Harding Park within two of the magic number set by Jack Nicklaus. A third round of 72 left Woods two above average overall, chasing a top 20 result at best.
When asked if he still had a limited number of important opportunities in his career, 44-year-old Woods was open. The changing face of golf was the point of reference. “There are,” he said. “There aren’t as many as at the beginning of my game. The reality is that golf courses are getting bigger and bigger. They get longer. The distance between the cut and the lead is much smaller than it used to be. Sometimes it used to be 12 to 15 shots.
“Well, we had nine shots here? It’s just different. It’s getting tighter and it’s getting harder to win events, but when you look at the rankings of most of the major championships, you see the same people. Maybe the winners aren’t always the same, but you can see the same handful of people are there. They understand how to win big championships, how to win the big events, how to navigate, how difficult it is to win these big events. “
To his credit, Woods again refused to use the lack of galleries – and the energy that comes with it – as a mitigating factor. “I just think big events, you see the same people,” he added. “We’ll see Brooks up there again. People who understand how to play hard golf courses and tough venues are usually up there whether there are crowds or not. “
Rory McIlroys 71 means that like Woods he is now playing for small honors. The Northern Irishman is equal to the championship.
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