Johnson, Spieth give playoffs life
OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — The PGA Tour began the second decade of its postseason with a winner who matched the quality of the FedEx Cup playoffs, and a celebration that matched the atmosphere.
That was good news on only one front.
Dustin Johnson holed an 18-foot par putt to force a playoff at the Northern Trust Open then smashed a 341-yard drive over the water to set up a birdie that allowed him to beat Jordan Spieth.
The star power can’t get any better heading into this week’s Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston in Norton. Sunday also extended an amazing run of winners in these FedEx Cup playoff events dating to 2015 — two victories by Johnson, two by Rory McIlroy, two by Jason Day and one each by Spieth, Rickie Fowler and Patrick Reed.
As for the celebration? “That was a weak fist pump,” Johnson said.
For his standards, it was an amazing display of public emotion. The occasion was that make-or-lose par putt on the 18th hole at Glen Oaks Club that never looked like it was going in until gravity took control as it spun around the back side of the hole. Johnson took two steps to the right then clenched his fist and gave it a half-thrust.
“I thought it was going to miss and then it went in and . . . yeah, it was weak though, I have to say,” he said. “But I was excited.” Take his word for that. The fans were excited, too. There just wasn’t very many of them.
It was hard to ignore the lack of buzz at private Glen Oaks, located in an elite section of Long Island about 15 minutes away from Bethpage Black. Moments like that at Bethpage Black, and at Ridgewood or Plainfield in New Jersey, would have attracted a gallery that stood three-deep or more.
TPC Boston typically is raucous during Labor Day weekend. Still to be determined is whether that’s still the case this year, knowing the Dell Technologies is on its last week as the tour heads toward eliminating one of its playoff events to try to finish before the NFL begins.
The quality of golf remains high, dismissing any notion that players are ready to pack it in after the majors are finished.
Of the 41 playoff events, 25 have been won by major champions. All but four winners have played in the Ryder Cup or Presidents Cup.
Johnson now joins McIlroy with his fourth FedEx Cup playoff victory.
“You start to get players that are playing very well,” Spieth said, “and to no surprise, those guys are toward the top.”