Plenty to follow
Johnson, Spieth vie for top spot in Norton
The FedEx Cup playoffs head to TPC Boston in Norton this weekend for the Dell Technologies Championship, a new tournament name after Deutsche Bank was the title sponsor for the past 14 years.
The top 100 players in the standings were invited, but only 96 are in the field. J.B. Holmes, Brandt Snedeker, Scott Piercy and 2013 champion Henrik Stenson are sitting out. The top 70 following this weekend will move on to the BMW Championship at Conway Farms near Chicago in two weeks.
There are many different story lines to follow during these 72 holes of competition, which begin Friday and run through Monday.
Gunning for No. 1
Dustin Johnson got the playoffs off to a great start, making a birdie on the first playoff hole to beat Jordan Spieth at The Northern Trust. The win gave Johnson 2,000 points to jump from fourth to first in the standings as he tries to nail down his first FedEx Cup title. He was rewarded for his aggressive play on the playoff hole, drilling a driver straight over the lake at Glen Oaks’ 18th, leaving himself a wedge into the green. He fired a dart at the pin, getting inside 3 feet to close out his fourth victory of the season.
Johnson, who trailed by 5 after five holes, denied Spieth fourth win of the year and the top FedEx spot.
With the tee times for the first two rounds arranged by place in the standings, Johnson and Spieth will play together again. Justin Thomas, with three wins of his own this year including the PGA Championship, will be the third member of that threesome, giving fans in Norton quite a treat Friday and Saturday.
Stay above the line
Only the top 70 players will move on to the BMW Championship, and among those currently on the wrong side of the bubble needing to play well this weekend are No. 72 Bubba Watson (who only made it this far by tying for 10th last week), 2003 champion Adam Scott (No. 73) and 2014 champ Chris Kirk (95).
Harold Varner III (91) is attempting to become the second player since the start of the playoffs to play his way into each of the first three legs, joining Ernie Els in 2011.
Team spirit
Monday marks the final day to gain one of 10 automatic spots on both the United States and International teams for the Presidents Cup, which will begin Sept. 29 at Liberty National in Jersey City, N.J.
The U.S. team uses a system that awards one point for every FedEx Cup point earned from the 2015 BMW through last year’s Deutsche Bank, and doubles any FedEx Cup points earned since last year’s BMW.
Charley Hoffman (4,349 points) currently sits in the 10th and final automatic position, holding a 23-point lead on Kevin Chappell.
The International team, which includes players from all non-European countries, takes the top 10 players in the world rankings. Adam Hadwin of Canada, who is in the top 20 in FedEx Cup points, will look to maintain his place.
After the 10 automatic spots are secured, Steve Stricker (U.S.) and Nick Price (International) both will make two captain’s picks Wednesday.
Where to watch
For those fans with general grounds passes for this weekend’s tournament, some of the top places to check out the action without having to walk too many steps include between the first tee and second fairway, between the fifth and seventh greens, the ninth green, the new 12th and 13th fairways and the 18th fairway, which also gives a good look down toward the green. The practice range is a great place to watch how meticulously players prepare before rounds.
Start the day off following some of the players toward the back half of the playoff list. They are more likely to play aggressive early on in an attempt to extend their season. It will give you a chance to get closer to the ropes and get a lay of the land for when the leaders or popular names start to come through.