DUST’ INCREDIBLE
Johnson beats Spieth in playoff to complete epic rally at Northern trust
Jordan Spieth had just buried a bomb of a putt for a crucial par save on the 17th hole in Sunday’s scintillating final round of the Northern Trust at Glen Oaks.
Then he watched Dustin Johnson top his par-save putt with one of his own, leaving the two players, who had been locked in a match-play scenario all day, headed to the 18th hole tied at 13-under.
As he walked alone near the back of the 17th green following Johnson’s par-save putt, Spieth, with an intense look on his face, was muttering to himself.
“Game time,’’ Spieth said under his breath. And so it was. If this had been a major championship and not the first leg of the FedExCup playoffs, we’d be talking about the finish that was about to unfold — Johnson winning in a one-hole playoff with a birdie on 18 after being left for dead on the same hole minutes before in regulation — for years.
In a dizzying span of about 30 minutes, Spieth went from having a massive advantage on the 18th hole and looking like he was about to win the tournament in regulation to playing the 18th again in the playoff with Johnson having the advantage — and closing the deal.
In regulation, after Johnson’s drive rolled into the right rough, forcing him to chop out and reach the elevated green in three shots, Spieth split the fairway and was on in two. Spieth’s left his birdie putt 2 feet to the left of the hole, guaranteeing par.
Johnson was faced with a slippery 18-foot downhill putt that he had to make for par or Spieth would win. Johnson rolled the putt and willed it in, through the left-side door, to force the playoff. The usually stoic Johnson unleashed a fist pump an a big smile.
“I was definitely very excited,’’ he said. “This is probably the most excited I’ve been on a golf course in a while.’’
Spieth, impressed with Johnson’s guile, smiled and told him, “Nice job,’’ as they walked off the green to prepare for the playoff — right back at 18.
This time, Johnson took an aggressive line off the tee and pummeled a 341-yard shot over the lake and left himself a 60-degree wedge approach to the difficult pin location on 18. One of the most underrated wedge players then hit his approach to within 3 feet.
This time, it was Spieth who needed to hole a slick 20-foot putt from above the hole (near where Johnson had just made his) in regulation for birdie to save his ups for a second playoff hole. His putt slid a foot to the left of the hole.
Johnson then calmly made his birdie putt for his fourth win of the year and was greeted with congratulations from Spieth and then a big greenside hug from fiancée Paulina Gretzky.
“I didn’t lose the tournament,’’ Spieth said. “He won it.’’
Johnson, ranked No. 1 in the world, shot 66 Sunday. Spieth, who entered the day with a three-shot lead over Johnson, shot 69. Johnson and Spieth are also first and second, respectively, in the FedExCup standings.
“It’s very difficult holding a lead on a difficult golf course when the guy you’re playing with goes bogey-free and doesn’t even really sniff a bogey and shoots 4-under,’’ Spieth said. “Hats off to DJ. He hit the shot he needed to hit [in the playoff] and knocked it right there below the hole.’’
The big swing hole in the round was No. 6, a par-3 over a pond. Spieth, who had birdied Nos. 3 and 5 to take a five-shot lead at 14-under to Johnson’s 9-under, hit his tee shot into the water and took double bogey. Suddenly, the lead was back to three shots.
Spieth then made a mess of No. 9 with an uncharacteristically sloppy bogey. Johnson pounced, capitalizing with his first birdie of the round. Spieth was 11-under and Johnson 10under as they made the turn. A Johnson birdie on No. 10 tied things at 11-under.
“It feels good, real good, especially because I was playing so well leading into Augusta,’’ Johnson said of his three consecutive wins entering the Masters, from which he had to withdraw with a back injury from a fall down some stairs. “It’s been a struggle to get back to where I belong and where I feel like I should be.’’