Johnson controls his destiny in FedExCup finale
After signing for a fiATLANTA nal-round, 3-over-par 73 that cost him a chance to win last year’s Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club, Dustin Johnson headed to player dining in the clubhouse with his fiancée, Paulina Gretzky, and the couple’s son, Tatum.
There he would find out how much his final round really cost him.
While his son was watching cartoons and racing around the room, Johnson was seriously eyeballing the big screen watching the playoff between Rory McIlroy, Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore. If either Moore or Chappell won the playoff, Johnson would win the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus. If McIlroy won the playoff, he’d win the FedExCup and the $10 million while Johnson would get $3 million in bonus money for finishing second in the FedExCup.
The $7 million difference and the silver hardware had Johnson’s attention.
“I don’t think I’ve ever rooted so hard for another player to win a tournament, that’s for sure,” Johnson said Tuesday at East Lake.
The cheering didn’t help. McIlroy won on the fourth playoff hole and took $7 million out of Johnson’s pocket. Johnson said it was like riding a roller coaster watching the playoff, with the ups and downs having a major impact. Johnson said he had fun watching the playoff but it still stings a little bit.
“Obviously it’s a lot of money. I still remind Chappy of it all the time. ‘You cost me a lot of money, thanks.’ ” Johnson said. “But I did it to myself. It had nothing to do with him. If I would have played a little better there on the back nine on Sunday, I would have been the FedExCup champion.”
Well, the world No. 1 has another chance to be the FedExCup champion. After a stellar season in which he won three consecutive starts, including two victories in World Golf Championships events, Johnson opened the Play- offs with a playoff win against Jordan Spieth in The Northern Trust.
He said it was the first time he truly felt healthy in months. Johnson injured his back in a bad fall in his rental home on the eve of the Masters and couldn’t play in the first major of the season.
Heading into Thursday’s start of The Tour Championship, Johnson is third in the FedExCup standings. If any of the top five in the standings win, they automatically win the FedExCup and the $10 million bonus.
“I’m in the position that I want to be in,” Johnson said. “Feeling good. Feel like the golf game is in good form. I’m looking forward to this week and contending.”
Johnson also enjoys playing the golf course, a tree-lined gem with tough rough that really doesn’t favor any type of player. He played it well last year “for 63 holes,” he said.
“It’s right in front of you; there’s nothing really tricky about it,” Johnson said. “There’s not a lot of trouble that’s in play. It’s just a really good course. You’ve got to do everything well; you can’t really fake it around here.
“You’ve got to drive it well. You’ve got to hit your irons well. You have to putt well. Your whole game’s got to be in good form.”