DUSTIN JOHNSON’S STRANGE SEASON
ATLANTA – It didn’t take long for Dustin Johnson to get over his stunning defeat in last Sunday’s BMW Championship when his playoff foe Jon Rahm sank an improbable 66-foot putt on the first extra hole to win.
Johnson flew private to his home in Florida, pulled into the driveway just before midnight, then went upstairs to see his fiancé, Paulina Gretzky, and their two young children, River and Tatum.
“I don't know why (Tatum) was awake, but he was still awake in the bed,” Johnson said Thursday. “But it was cool because I got to talk to him for a minute. As soon as I saw the kids, you don't think about anything but them and Paulina.
“It was nice just to see the family because I hadn't seen them for a couple weeks, so that was a big bonus.”
Never too high, never too low is Johnson’s motto. It’s enabled him to build a World Golf Hall of Fameworthy career featuring 22 PGA Tour titles, the 2016 U.S. Open, and a record-tying five wins in the FedExCup Playoffs.
It’s also allowed him to handle a bungee-jump stretch since golf returned after a 13-week break due to COVID-19. He missed the cut in the first tournament back, then won The Travelers two weeks later. He followed that by posting 80-80 to miss the cut in The Memorial, then shot 78 before withdrawing with a tight back the next week in the 3M Open.
Two weeks later he was Johnson again. He finished in a tie for second in the PGA Championship, then won the Northern Trust by shooting 30 under and became the No. 1 player in the world, then lost in the playoff to Rahm.
Up, down, up, down. But Johnson is always even keel. Now he’s up to win his first FedExCup. He has the pole position heading into Friday’s start of The Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, the finale of the FedExCup Playoffs.
With the staggered scoring in use this week, Johnson will start with a 2-shot lead as he pursues his first FedExCup title and the $15 million paycheck.
“I've got a lot of confidence in the game right now,” he said. “I feel like over the last four or five weeks I've been very, very consistent, and I feel like every part of my game is working well.
“Being in the No. 1 position right now before we start is obviously a little bit of an advantage,” Johnson said. “But East Lake is a difficult golf course. It's not like I've got a 2-shot lead going into the final round. I'm still going to have to go out and play some really good golf for four days if I want to be a FedExCup champion.”
He’s been close before, finishing second in 2016, fourth in 2011, 2017 and 2018, fifth in 2010, seventh in 2015 and eighth in 2012. And he’s either played well at East Lake – five top-10s – or played poorly – five finishes outside the top 10.
“I've had a whole mixed bag of finishes,” he said. “It's just one of those things. But obviously I think that has to do with how the game is during the week or coming into this week. I feel like I'm going to play it well this time around.”