Johnson feels good vibes in Memphis
Dustin Johnson made it clear. Even though he won the last time the PGA Tour visited TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee, he’s not the defending champion.
That would be Justin Thomas, who is looking to become the first repeat winner at this World Golf Championships event since Tiger Woods took three straight from 2005 and 2007.
Clear huh?
This WGC switched sponsors, courses and even states, leaving Firestone Country Club in Akron, Ohio, to the home course of the sponsor of the annual FedExCup. The new FedEx St. Jude Invitational starts today at the course that hosted the St. Jude Classic from 1989 to last year. Johnson won the then-FedEx St. Jude Classic a year ago, holing out for eagle from 170 yards on the final hole for a six-stroke victory.
“It’s always nice to come back to a place where you’ve won, or I’ve won a couple times,” Johnson said Wednesday after finishing up a practice round. “It’s always nice to come back here. I’ve got good vibes here, and I like the golf course. I feel like I know the golf course very well, I know what you have to do to succeed here. So it’s a place where I enjoy coming back to and I look forward to this week.”
Thomas, who won his ninth tour title and first World Golf Championships event last year in Ohio , hasn’t talked with Johnson about who is the defending champ. They will be playing together with Paul Casey, and Thomas says he’d probably give the nod to Johnson thanks to his familiarity with TPC Southwind.
“I’ve never played here in my life, and he won the tournament here last year,” Thomas said. “So I don’t think so it’s going to have any impact on who plays better this week, but he can have it if he wants it. I’m not losing any sleep over it.”
The best field is best ever in Memphis despite the town hosting a PGA Tour event since 1958 with 46 of the world’s top 50 enetered,
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