Going into the final tournament of the PGA TOUR season, Dustin Johnson was one of five golfers in control of their own destiny, with a chance to win the FedEx Cup and $10 Million prize with a victory at East Lake Golf Club. Also to be decided at the TOUR Championship was which of the game’s elite would emerge in the number one spot of the Official World Golf Rankings, with Johnson, Justin Rose, Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas each having a mathematical chance to come out on top. Rose entered the week at #1, followed by Koepka, Johnson and Thomas.
The week did not start great for DJ, with a bogey and a double bogey on holes 7 and 8 to go with twelve pars on the first day heading to the par-3 15th at three over par. Johnson would make birdies on 15 and 17 followed by an eagle on 18 that was set up by a dramatic approach shot over the pin to 15 ½ feet. The round one score of 1-under-par was good for DJ to be in a tie for 12th place going into round two.
Playing alongside good friend Brooks Koepka, the second round at East Lake was a bit of a roller coaster for Dustin, with five bogeys and three birdies through the first 16 holes. However, birdies on 17 and 18 brought him back to even par on the day and still 1- under-par for the week.
Dustin completed the weekend with a pair of 3-under-par 67s to finish the event at 7-under and in a tie for third place. The final four holes of the course were especially fruitful for DJ, as he finished the tournament at 11-under-par on holes 15-18 throughout the week.
A short putt on the 72nd hole lipped out, leaving Johnson just short of a chance for the overall FedEx Cup title, but his third-place finish solidified the fourth-place spot in the FEC points race, resulting in a $1.5 Million bonus. In addition to a great week at the TOUR Championship and the high finish in the FedEx Cup standings, Johnson was able to overtake Rose for the top spot in the Official World Golf Rankings, returning to his spot as the #1 Golfer in the World.
Next on tap is a trip to Paris, France as part of the United States Ryder Cup team. This will be Johnson’s fourth Ryder Cup appearance, and first as a defending champion. The US team defeated the Europeans at Hazeltine in 2016.
