Four-time major victor Rory McIlroy was another stroke back after birdies on the eighth and 13th, while double Masters champion Bubba Watson had enhanced his chances of being selected for the United States’ final Ryder Cup wild card with a 66.
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McIlroy has had his chances before to win what has been an elusive FedEx Cup title for him.
Asked about trying to earn U.S. captain Davis Love’s final wild card, the world number seven said: “The golf tournament is the only pressure because he’s been saying, and also when he talked to me a couple of weeks ago, it wasn’t about play, it was about who fits the team and pairs up nicely”. Or at least they will be if Johnson can clinch the win Sunday afternoon – and every other important trophy in the process.
“I’d like to give Dustin a good run for it”, Day said.
So how’d Johnson go from one of the top professional golfers to arguably the best?
Johnson is coming off his third victory of the year at the BMW Championship two weeks ago, and there was no indication that anything has changed.
“Probably the most hard round I played this week in terms of ball control and positions that I was in”, said Chappell, who has finished runner-up three times this year.
But let’s return to No. 17, shall we?
McIlroy admitted he struggled with his swing from the start as he bogeyed the first two holes and erred again at the fifth before he halted the slide with a confident seven-foot putt for birdie at the next.
The putter cooled off, however, and Chappell stayed in range. From the left rough, he nicked a tree branch and finished still 60 yards from the pin, in the left rubbish. Two putts later, he was the unhappy parent of a double bogey.
Johnson held a share of the lead after the first round and edged a shot clear of the field at halfway after adding a 67 to his opening 66, thanks to five birdies and two bogeys.
McIlroy made a poor start with four bogeys and one birdie in the first eight holes, but the four-time major victor responded with birdies on the 10th, 12th and 17th to remain in contention in Atlanta. And, while it is of no monetary value, Johnson would then be a lock to be voted PGA Tour Player of the Year. He is the sure-fire player of the year and one who seems fated to assume the No. 1 ranking in the world. I’ve got a lot of confidence in my game.
“I’ve always kind of been the underdog, so it’s a role I’m comfortable in”, Chappell said.
The four times he failed to convert came at the 2015 U.S. Open (he tied for second), 2014 Tournament of Champions (tied for sixth), 2011 WGC-Cadillac Championship (second) and 2010 U.S. Open (tied for eighth).
Tom Alter, vice president of communications at the PGA Tour and a bonafide golf geek, sat down with GeekWire at the Tour Championship this week in Atlanta to explain how the tour collects and analyzes a bevy of statistics. It’s definitely an advantage, I think.
And the scenarios are hypothetically back in play.
Johnson only has to win or finish second alone to claim the $10 million bonus as the FedEx Cup champion.
If he were to win the finale it would be Johnson’s 12th victory since 2008, tying him with Rory McIlroy for the second most in that span.
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Hey, it’s possible, which is more than could have been even contemplated before the weekend.
