ATLANTA (AP) – Dustin Johnson saw his opening drive sail long and gently drop to the right, just as he imagined. So did the next trip. It has been like this all day in East Lake and the result was predictable.
golf and looks tougher than ever to beat." data-reactid="33">Johnson is playing the best golf and looking harder than ever to beat.
When he finished with a 10-foot birdie, Johnson paired Sunday’s low round with a 6-under 64 to build a five-shot lead over Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele in the Tour Championship, leaving him one round behind the FedEx Cup. and his $ 15 million prize.
“I have a lot of faith in everything I’m doing right now,” Johnson said.
A quick fix to the range the night before was all she needed to straighten up. Johnson only lost three fairways, and not by much. He put a bird on all but three holes and made seven.
“He showed what he can do,” Schauffele said. “If he does what he normally does, it will be nearly impossible to catch him.”
Normal these days for Johnson must be daunting for everyone else.
He was 19 under par, making this his four consecutive starts with at least a share of the 54-hole lead. He converted one into an 11-shot win at TPC Boston. He lost to Collin Morikawa’s 65 in the PGA Championship and Jon Rahm’s 65-foot putt in a playoff last week at Olympia Fields.
“We’re going to need Dustin to throw us a bone and not have a good day,” said Rahm, who had six shots back.
Johnson knows better than anyone that it’s not over. He had a six-shot lead in Shanghai three years ago and failed to win, even though he had a new set of irons and was coming out of a five-week break. He also had a five-shot lead at The Northern Trust two weeks ago and cleared the course and field to win by 11.
“If he hits the ball like everyone knows he can and the way he’s putting … I haven’t seen him putting in so well in a long time,” said Harris English. ” It’s hard to stop. ”
Only four players have a reasonable chance of catching it.
Schauffele, a large player who won the Tour Championship three years ago, only missed a shot on the top nine and finished with a 10-foot birdie putt for a 67 that put him in the final group with Johnson.
Thomas missed a 16-inch par putt on the tenth hole that he recklessly hit, bounced a 25-foot birdie putt on the hardest par 3 at East Lake, and made two more birdies for a 66.
They were 14 under.
” The DJ is clearly playing well. It wasn’t easy today, ” said Thomas. “It’s still East Lake. But anything can happen around this course. You can shoot 63 or 64 and you can shoot 73 or 74 very easily. I just have to hope tomorrow is my 63 or 64.”
Rahm had a wild week. He opened with a 65, followed with a 74 and bounced back with a 66. He played without a bogey and his round only felt better when he finished with two birdies.
“The only good thing I’m going to do for me is we’re here to win, so tomorrow is the green light for everything,” said Rahm.
Morikawa bounced back with five birdies on the back nine to save a tough start for a 67. He was seven behind.
Daniel Berger also had a 64, but did not catch up on Johnson who was nine behind. Also at 10-under was Sungjae Im, who played in the final group with Johnson and must have wondered what impressed him. They shot me 72.
The FedEx Cup has been on Johnson’s mind ever since he squandered a big chance to win it in 2016.
That year he came in the final round tied and then couldn’t find a fairway, finishing with a 73. He still had a chance to win the FedEx Cup when it was based on points. Only one player could have beaten him that day and it was Rory McIlroy, who punched a fairway shot on the 16th for the eagle and then won in a three-way playoff.
Johnson goes from wins and losses no matter how high or how overwhelming. Even so, think about that day, especially as the FedEx Cup is full of big names and hers isn’t one of them yet.
golf,'' he said. ''Yeah, it means a lot to me. So yes, I do want to win this tournament. ... I had a chance to win it a few years ago. I couldn't control winning by my golf. Tomorrow, I do.''" data-reactid="59">“Being the FedEx Cup champion is something I want to do. It’s something I want on my resume when I stop playing golf, ” he said. “Yes, it means a lot to me. So yes, I want to win this tournament. … I had a chance to win it a few years ago. I couldn’t control the win with my golf. Tomorrow I will.”
McIlroy will not be in the mix this year. He was coming off the seventeenth tee and looked again at Johnson headed for the fourteenth, a 512-yard par 4 and the hardest at East Lake. Johnson was already 10 shots ahead of him, and then he broke a drive down the fairway and made a 15 foot birdie putt.
McIlroy took 17th to save a 70. He was 11 shots behind.
