Dustin Johnson remained on course for the FedEx Cup title and 11.5million USA dollar payday as world number one Jason Day was forced to withdraw from the Tour Championship.
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A bad back forced Day to withdraw from the BMW Championship, the third playoff event.
Johnson is the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup, and the top five seeds only have to win the Tour Championship to claim the $10 million FedEx Cup bonus.
The Northern Irishman had two impressive birdie streaks on his way to a round of 68 at East Lake Golf Club, where Johnson joined Hideki Matsuyama and Kevin Chappell for the 18-hole lead.
“With the form Dustin is in, I don’t think that scenario is going to happen for me”, Chappell said. Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas are the other three in that group; they also carded two-under 68s in the opening round. He was even par on his round through seven holes, with one bogey and one birdie.
If nothing else, Johnson all but eliminated anyone not among the top five trying to win the FedEx Cup.
Eleven players at East Lake are trying to impress captain Davis Love, who will select his 12th man after Sunday’s final round. His fortunes turned on the par-5 sixth hole when his second shot went over the green and up against a fence, leading to bogey.
American Johnson has a one-shot lead after carding a three-under 67.
The 1981 Ryder Cup team that beat Europe 18½ to 9½ is regarded as the best in USA history. And he secured a spot on the US team at Hazeltine that will try to win back the Ryder Cup. With seven USGA women’s titles, she’s tied for second place with Carol Semple Thompson and Anne Quast Sander, one behind JoAnne Gunderson Carner.
“I thought I played great”, the American left-hander said.
Defending champion Jason Day struggled all week with his accuracy and had to settle for a 69, tying for fourth with Gary Woodland (69) and Adam Scott (71).
As McIlroy pointed out, he was four over par through his first three holes of the Deutsche Bank Championship in Boston at the start of the month and ended up holding the trophy. “I’m playing with confidence and when I get confidence I get birdies”.
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