Johnson, for a moment, looked as though he might take all the drama out of the season-ender when he made a 15-foot par putt early in his round and then ran off three straight birdies on the front nine to go four shots clear.
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On Wednesday, Day said his back was an on-going problem that flared up occasionally.
McCarron won the Principal Charity Classic in June in Iowa for his first victory on the 50-and-over tour after winning three times on the PGA Tour.
Johnson, the co-leader with Hideki Matsuyama and Kevin Chappell after the first round, made fives birdies, including the only birdie of the day at the par-4 16th hole.
They were at 8-under 202.
I felt like I played well today.
That changed with a 66 on Saturday that got him into a share of third place, giving him a shot not just at the Tour Championship, but the FedEx Cup title as well.
Dustin Johnson is playing better than anyone in the world, and Kevin Chappell can’t wait to watch him at the Tour Championship.
If nothing else, Johnson all but eliminated almost everyone not among the top five seeds vying for the FedEx Cup.
South African Charl Schwartzel posted consecutive eagles, the second from 140 yards out at the par-four seventh, in carding 66 to vault within five shots of the lead. He put that in the bunker, blasted out to 6 feet and missed the putt to make double bogey. If you play flawless golf, like you hit the fairway, you hit the green, it’s in pristine shape, you can shoot low scores, reasonable scores, but you can’t miss it here.
Chappell has been a runner-up three times this season and keeps running into the wrong guys – Kisner at Sea Island, Day at Bay Hill and The Players Championship.
England’s Paul Casey and defending champion Jordan Spieth were six shots off the pace, with Rory McIlroy and Scotland’s Russell Knox a shot further adrift.
Moore went out in 31 until he was slowed by a pair of bogeys, though very much in the mix just two shots out of the lead.
“I came here this week to win a golf tournament, and I’m 100 percent focused on that”, Moore said, adding that the Ryder Cup is “completely out of my control”. The mystery is whether anything he does on Sunday – even if that means a victory – is enough for Davis Love III to use his last captain’s pick on Moore for the Ryder Cup. This news story is related to Print/152476-Johnson-leads-Tour-Championship-as-injured-Day-withdraws/ – breaking news, latest news, pakistan ne. “I’m going to go out there and give it all I’ve got, and Dustin is going to play great golf”.
The putter cooled off, however, and Chappell stayed in range. “You hit it down right edge or left edge, it’s kicked in the rough, and then it’s 50/50 whether you’re going to have a decent lie or get one up or around the green”.
“I’m happy with my position”.
There was no immediate word on whether he still planned to compete in two tournaments in his homeland in November – the Australian Open in Sydney and World Cup of golf in Melbourne.
The four-time major victor has never won the FedEx Cup, and said of the prospect: “I’m excited”.
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And he doesn’t need a degree in math to figure out the easiest scenario – just win.
