THE OTHER BATTLE: Dustin Johnson and Jason Day are the leading candidates to be PGA Tour player of the year, which is a vote of the players after the Tour Championship.
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Bogey-free In fairness to world number three McIlroy – the only member of Europe’s Ryder Cup team in action in Atlanta – rebounded with a bogey-free back nine which included three birdies to sign for a 70 that left him on two-under-par 138 at the midpoint of the season-ending championship.
If Johnson wins on Sunday, he will also claim the FedExCup and the $10 million prize awarded to the victor of the season-long points race.
So instead of thinking only about East Lake, and possibly winning the FedEx Cup, there’s a distraction.
He was among three players at Hazeltine – site of this year’s Ryder Cup – on Monday, a clear signal that Thomas, Daniel Berger and Bubba Watson were being considered by Davis Love III as the final captain’s pick to be announced Sunday night after the Tour Championship. “Jason should be fine with some rest after a long break in the offseason”.
“As you can see, once I get a couple of birdies I get some confidence and momentum”.
Johnson’s performance through two days seems to indicate he’s still in the type of form that earned him a win two weeks ago at the BMW Championship.
While he sat just one shot off the lead after the first round the complaint flared up once more, forcing a mostly precautionary early exit.
Day withdrew during the eighth hole of Friday’s second round.
American Patrick Reed is second in the standings and is one of the five players guaranteed to take home the cup with a victory this week.
After giving a shot back at 17, Johnson saved par from six feet at the last, where Chappell missed a chance to pull level. “It was nice to get it together but I’m disappointed with the position I was in off that last tee shot and not being able to make a birdie there”, he said. Unfortunately, they’re not going to be sympathetic to me.
“I’d like to give Dustin a good run for it”, Day said.
“D.J.’s playing so well”, said Kisner of Aiken, who is Johnson’s age of 32 and has competed against him since junior golf.
Johnson stands at seven-under par 133, one ahead of Chappell and four ahead of those in third place, Kevin Kisner and Matsuyama.
Chappell has never won on the PGA Tour.
Johnson, already the front-runner for player of the year honours, is seeking his fourth title of 2016.
England’s Paul Casey, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and American Ryan Moore were tied for fifth, five shots adrift of Johnson.
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Joint leader Matsuyama, meanwhile, made a nice start on the more hard front nine and picked up two more shots on the inward half.
