Johnson shook off two early bogeys in his final round to close with a 5-under 67 to post an impressive a 23-under par total of 265 after opening with scores of 67, 63 (a new course record) and 68.
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Casey, who also went round in 67, was three shots back, with American Roberto Castro third on 17 under.
His peers on the PGA Tour will be asked to judge him in a few weeks when they receive their ballots for player of the year, and the 32-year-old Johnson might have sealed it with the way he won at Crooked Stick. From there, Johnson made pars into the house for the win.
Day’s victory at last year’s BMW boosted him atop the rankings for the first time only weeks after his first major triumph at the 2015 PGA Championship.
Roberto Castro (74), who shared the 36-hole lead with Johnson, fell to fourth on 204, one stroke ahead of United States compatriot Matt Kuchar and Australia’s Adam Scott.
Defending champion and world No. 1 Jason Day withdrew from the tournament after he tweaked his back on the ninth hole.
The Australian has a history of back issues, withdrawing from the BMW Championship in 2014 with a similar complaint. It wasn’t my best ball-striking day.
“I don’t think it’s anything he hasn’t dealt with before, ” Martin said.
Johnson opened with a bogey, needing two shots to escape greenside rough, but answered with a four-foot birdie putt at the second and closed the front nine with a seven-foot birdie putt.
“I’ve done basically everything I can do as far as schedule and playing and obviously it would have been nice to play better to make the pick a lot easier on him, but whether he has his mind made up or is still thinking, that’s up to him”, Fowler said.
“I played pretty solid”, Johnson said. “And the putter really worked”.
Paul Casey, of England, tees off from the first tee box during the final round of the BMW Championship golf tournament at Crooked Stick Golf Club in Carmel, Ind., Sunday, Sept. 11, 2016.
Moments after Casey converted an eagle at the par-five 15th to get to 20 under and within one of the lead, Johnson coaxed in a three from a similar distance to maintain his advantage. Casey smiled, then nodded at Johnson, who was heading across the walkway, toward the trophy presentation. Casey wasn’t conceding but he knew what he was up against it.
He has converted only two of his previous six 54-hole leads on the PGA Tour into victory.
And while the World Number Two’s short game was superb, his power and length off the tee told the story.
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The top 30 players in the standings will now fight it out at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on 22-25 September for the $10m (£7.54m) winner’s prize.
