He’s fifth on PGA Tour priority list with $346,313, with regular-season money counting in the total.
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He’s also potentially 18 holes from a bitterly disappointing conclusion to his best season on tour.
McIlroy’s gain was Dustin Johnson’s loss as the U.S. Open champion would have won the FedExCup had either Moore or Chappell won the playoff. “It would just be great to try to win the Tour Championship, and if the chips fall my way, then so be it”.
“It would mean a great deal”. Despite coming to East Lake with excellent chances in 2012 and 2014 – the latter year being when he won consecutive major titles as well as a World Golf Championship event.
RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico (AP) – Australia completed a runaway victory in the World Amateur Team Championship, beating England by 19 strokes and sweeping the top two individual spots. I sort of lost my voice screaming at the end.
But with Rory McIlroy’s 4-under 66 Saturday, the scenario arose Saturday that would leave Johnson trophy-less.
Johnson, who took the overnight lead into Sunday, finished with a 73 to drop back to five under and a tie for sixth.
“I’ve always kind of been the underdog, so it’s a role I’m comfortable in”, Chappell said.
Rory McIlroy came through a tense three-way play-off to win the Tour Championship in Atlanta and clinch the overall FedEx Cup title, securing a payday of $11.5m.
McIlroy worked on a swing adjustment on the range Friday evening and hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation in his bogey-free 66 Saturday.
“It was incredible”, McIlroy said. “I need to go out tomorrow and do the same thing I did today, and hopefully try to finish off a little better”. The tournament was reduced to 54 holes because of fog delays over the first three days.
Johnson has built a reputation as a superb “closer” of tournaments in recent months – he has been hugely impressive in contention – and the giant Carolinan can be expected to see off Chappell, McIlroy, Moore and the rest today. He has his own quest to wage: Trying to win a tournament for the first time as a six-year PGA Tour pro. Chappell chipped in on No. 12 to match birdies and stay three shots behind, and then he quickly closed the gap when Johnson made back-to-back bogeys with a three-putt from 70 feet and a drive into the dense rough that was too thick even for his strength to get near the green.
The DJ train that is Johnson was rolling right along in the ATL before he started losing shots to the right on the back nine.
The element of intrigue was provided by Johnson’s double bogey on the 17th hole, just as he was threatening to speed away from the field. Two putts later, he was the unhappy parent of a double bogey.
“I like my position”.
“For me, I feel like I hit more fairways playing a cut, but that’s on any golf course, not just this one”, he admitted this week. “A couple of loose drives and it’s easy to make bogeys around here.so if I make a mistake I don’t let it bother me”.
McIlroy appears to be Johnson’s only legitimate threat to the FedExCup title.
Australia’s only hope Adam Scott fired a 65 to finish at four under, tied eighth.
And it was more heartache for Chappell, who had his fourth runner-up finish this year.
He still was tied for the lead after his up-and-down from the bunker on the par-5 18th for a birdie.
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Dustin Johnson had threatened to make everything moot at East Lake.
