Johnson pulls off stunner in playoff
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — In a Fed Ex Cup playoff opener that felt like a heavyweight bout, Dustin Johnson delivered back-to-back blows to beat Jordan Spieth in The Northern Trust.
One was a putt from 18 feet. The other was a drive that traveled 341 yards.
Down to his last shot, Johnson watched his 18-foot par putt stay on the high side of the hole and thought for sure it would miss. He took two steps of hope to the right, and then pumped his fist in a rare show of emotion when it swirled around and dropped in the back side of the cup for a 4-under 66 to force a playoff.
Given new life, Johnson relied on his strength and powered a drive over the lake to the far edge of the fairway. It was the longest drive all week on the 18th hole, and it left him a 60-degree wedge to 4 feet for birdie and a victory he badly needed.
The No. 1 player in the golf finally looked the part again.
“It was fun to be in the hunt again and know that my game is going to hold up under pressure,” Johnson said.
Spieth lost for the first time in six tries when leading by two shots or more, and there wasn’t much he could do except take back that tee shot into the water on the par-3 sixth hole after building a five-shot lead. Johnson played bogey-free over the final 29 holes.
“I didn’t lose the tournament,” Spieth said after closing with a 69. “He won it.”
It was great theater between Johnson and Spieth, good friends who now are No. 1 and No. 2 in the world.
“I thought that was a fun show,” Spieth said. “I was hoping it wasn’t going to be that much fun.”
Johnson made up a five-shot deficit in five holes, and they battled along the back nine with big shots and big moments.
They were tied on the par-3 17th when both hit into a bunker, and Johnson blasted out to 4 feet with an easier shot and angle to the hole. Spieth had 18 feet for par and knocked it in, like he always seems to do.
On the closing hole, Johnson showed the kind of golf I.Q. that belies his simple outlook on life. After he sliced his drive up the hill and into a nasty lie in the rough, he chose to lay up instead of trying to hammer a shot to an elevated green.
But he made it pay off with a par, that got him into the playoff after Spieth lagged a 75-foot putt perfectly to get his par. They finished at 13-under 267. Jon Rahm (68) ran off three consecutive birdies early on the back and briefly was one shot behind, though he had stronger holes ahead of him and fell back. Jhonattan Vegas (65) was within two shots after playing the scoring holes. They tied for third, four shots behind.
Otherwise, it was a matter of who finished among the top 100 in the Fed Ex Cup to move on to the TPC Boston next week for the second playoff event.
Bubba Watson shot a 70 and tied for 10th, to become one of eight players to qualify for the second playoff event all 11 years of the Fed Ex Cup. David Lingmerth (Arkansas Razorbacks) and Harold Varner also moved into the top 100. That marked the fewest players outside the top 100 to advance since 2007.
Johnson moved to the top of the list. Spieth is right behind. They will play together the opening two rounds next week in Boston.
Lingmerth shot a 73 on Sunday and finished at even-par 280. He earned $58,188.
LPGA TOUR Park rallies
OTTAWA, Ontario — Sung Hyun Park added the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open title to her U.S. Women’s Open crown with a comeback victory Sunday at Ottawa Hunt.
Park birdied the final hole for a 7-under 64 and a two-stroke victory over fellow South Korean player Mirim Lee. Four strokes behind leaders Nicole Broch Larsen and Mo Martin entering the round, Park, 23, finished at 13-under 271. She won the U.S. Women’s Open last month in New Jersey for her first LPGA Tour title.
Park had five birdies in an eight-hole stretch on Nos. 3-10, and also birdied the par-4 16th before her closing birdie on the par-5 18th.
Lee had two eagles in a 68.
Michelle Wie withdrew before the round and was taken to Ottawa Hospital for surgery to remove her appendix. Wie was tied for 23rd, six strokes back entering the day.
Stacy Lewis (Razorbacks) finished at 7-under 277 after shooting a final-round 71. She earned $36,564. Gaby Lopez (Razorbacks) shot a 69 on Sunday and finished 3-under 282, earning $14,099.
EUROPEAN TOUR Suri claims first title
FARSO, Denmark — Julian Suri carded a final round of 64 to win the Made in Denmark event on Sunday and claim his first European Tour title in just his seventh appearance.
The American fired seven birdies and no bogeys at Himmerland Golf and Spa Resort to finish 19 under and four shots clear of overnight leader David Horsey, who triple-bogeyed the final hole.
Chris Paisley, Steve Webster and Ben Evans shared third place on 13 under, with 51-year-old John Daly (Dardanelle, Razorbacks) who was trying to become the oldest winner in European Tour history finishing in a tie for 10th after a closing 71.
CHAMPIONS TOUR Kelly wins
SNOQUALMIE, Wash. — Jerry Kelly won the Boeing Classic on Sunday for his first PGA Tour Champions title, closing with a 6-under 66 for a one-stroke victory over Jerry Smith.
Kelly tied Smith hit to 3 feet for birdie on the par-4 16th and moved ahead with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th. After Smith left an 8-foot birdie try short on the par-5 18th, Kelly pulled his 3 ½-foot birdie attempt to the left and tapped in for the winning par.
Glen Day (Little Rock) shot a 71 on Sunday, finishing at 2-under 214. Day earned $9,030.