Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott are well in the hunt for a massive payday after the first round of the season-ending US PGA Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta.
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It’s the second straight FedEx Cup playoff event that the world’s No. 1 player did not finish because of back pain.
Precautionary Day – who opened with a 67 – was forced to withdraw midway through the second round after hitting four shots, including one into the water, on the eighth hole.
The Austrian made a sensational start to the European Tour tournament for a second year in a row to lead by two strokes from Italy’s Renato Paratore, on a day when more than three hours of play were lost to fog early in the morning at Bad Griesbach.
It boosts Dustin Johnson’s hopes of winning the overall season title and the 10 million dollar bonus that comes with it.
PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said a year ago that if it comes down to the wire and attracts more TV viewers, it will take longer to play a par 5 than a par 3, and the audience might stick around longer. He nabbed the first birdie of the day at the par-four 16th, hitting his approach from 147 yards to 12 feet and draining the putt.After giving a shot back at 17, Johnson saved par from six feet at the last, where Chappell missed a chance to pull level. So it’s nothing where I go and physically make a move at it during a swing and my back goes out.
The American propelled himself to the top of the FedEx Cup standings with victory at the BMW Championship last time out and made a strong start on Thursday, as he looks to claim the $10million bonus on offer to the overall victor of the play-off event.
He was just three shots behind the lead but in the midst of making a mess of the eighth hole when he chose to pull the pin as back spasms continued to plague him. Chappell said he hasn’t been contacted by USA captain Davis Love III, nor was he among three players not on the team who were invited to practice at Hazeltine over the weekend. This golf course is very hard and I have to focus on it instead.
Kevin Kisner (70) and Hideki Matsuyama (71) were four shots back.
And for people to say they dont think about it, I think is absurd.
“I feel comfortable playing on this course, Spieth said”.
Johnson, meanwhile, is in good shape to win the Vardon Trophy for lowest adjusted scoring average, and his three victories are the U.S. Open, the Bridgestone Invitational and BMW Championship.
After another shot left him off the green he picked up the ball and started walking into the clubhouse.
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They will have their work cut out if they are to catch Johnson whose confidence in all aspects of his game is high.
