Dustin Johnson on Friday edged closer to the USPGA Tour’s US$10 million FedEx Cup playoff prize, firing a three-under-par 67 to seize a one-stroke lead in the season-ending Tour Championship in Atlanta, Georgia.
US Open champion Johnson, who arrived at East Lake Golf Club atop the playoff standings after his win at the BMW Championship two weeks ago, fired five birdies with two bogeys for a seven-under total of 133.
He was one shot in front of fellow American Kevin Chappell, who started the day in a three-way tie for the lead with Johnson and Hideki Matsuyama and signed for a second-round 68 for 134.
Photo: AP
It was three shots back to Matsuyama, who shot a one-over-par 71, and Kevin Kisner (70) on 137.
World No. 1 Jason Day’s season ended in disappointing fashion as the Australian walked off before completing the eighth hole with back pain.
It is the same injury that forced Day out of the final round of the BMW Championship, although he had voiced cautious optimism that his back would allow him to challenge for the win this week.
A statement from Day’s management team described the injury as a “strained ligament in his lower right back with a muscle spasm” and his withdrawal as a “precautionary measure.”
The top five players in the playoff standings coming into the US$8.5 million season finale can each claim the bonus with a victory.
Anyone lower in the standings must win and count on those top players finishing down the leaderboard — something that was looking less likely in Johnson’s case.
Johnson, already the front-runner for Player of the Year honors, is seeking his fourth title this year.
“I felt like I played really, really solid today and just didn’t really get a lot out of it,” Johnson said. “I had some close looks that I didn’t make. Still, obviously three-under is a great score around here. I’m never going to be upset with that.”
Johnson had back-to-back birdies at the fifth and sixth and again at 10 and 11 before his first bogey of the day at the 12th. 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.
Chappell, seeking his first PGA Tour title, had three birdies in a row from the sixth through eighth. He bogeyed the 11th, but stayed steady coming in to keep himself in contention.
England’s Paul Casey, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and the US’ Ryan Moore were tied for fifth on 138.
Scotland’s Russell Knox carded the low round of the day of 66 to join South Korea’s Kim Si-woo and the US’ Justin Thomas on 139, while defending champion Jordan Spieth was in a group on 140 that also included Australian Adam Scott.
World No. 7 Bubba Watson, angling for the final captain’s pick spot on the US Ryder Cup team, posted an unimpressive 73 that left him tied for 25th.
EUROPEAN OPEN
AFP, BAD GRIESBACH, Germany
Alexander Levy on Friday produced a stunning series of birdies to go 17-under when the European Open second round was suspended with the Frenchman left with one hole to play.
Matthew Southgate was one of the players to complete his round and the Englishman held the clubhouse lead on nine-under-par.
With almost seven hours of play lost due to early morning fog over the first two days at Bad Griesbach, Levy completed his first round with five birdies in nine holes to lead at nine-under.
A further eight birdies followed in 17 holes before the horn sounded for darkness.
Robert Karlsson and playing partner Ross Fisher were then at 11-under with three holes to complete, with the Swede on the charge at nine-under for his first 15 holes.
Local favorite Martin Kaymer was also at 11-under with one to play as he finalizes his preparations for next week’s Ryder Cup.
The second wave of players were scheduled to get their second rounds under way yesterday morning, while round three was scheduled to begin yesterday afternoon.
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