Thanks to a rejuvenated putting stroke, Dustin Johnson has surged into the lead at the BMW Championship.
It may be the tail end of summer, but don’t tell that to Dustin Johnson. After winning back-to-back events in the month of June, including the U.S. Open at Oakmont, the 32-year-old American is once again playing outstanding golf in the warm weather. After a shooting a solid 68 on Saturday, Johnson holds a three-stroke lead at the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick.
Johnson’s round got off to an unexceptional start — with two birdies, a bogey and six pars on the front nine, he couldn’t get much of anything going. However, a run of four birdies over the final five holes redeemed his round, giving him a decisive advantage as we head for home at the penultimate event of the PGA Tour season.
Johnson’s new putter has certainly been the X factor in his performance this week. Unhappy with his TaylorMade Ghost Tour Dayton 62, he opted to try a TaylorMade Spider Limited mallet, and the results have been tremendous. Johnson currently leads the field in both strokes gained: putting and putts per GIR. Combined with his always impressive tee to green skills, this improvement on the greens has allowed Johnson to play like a major champion once again.
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With a victory, Johnson would move to the top spot in the FedEx Cup standings. This would hugely increase his odds of taking home the ultimate prize — the top seed can finish as low as 29th out of 30 at the Tour Championship and still have a mathematical chance of winning, depending on what other players do. A good finish tomorrow would knock Patrick Reed, currently tied for 21st at the BMW Championship, out of the pole position.
Paul Casey, sitting in solo second at 15-under, will likely be Johnson’s biggest competition during Sunday’s final round, but he’ll need to bring his A-game. Even after a bogey-free 68, he trails by a whole three shots. The Englishman was in the final group at last week’s Deutsche Bank Championship, but a subpar closing round allowed Rory McIlroy to zoom by for the win. If he can learn from that experience, he just might find himself in the winner’s circle come tomorrow afternoon.
J.B. Holmes is alone in third place, four strokes behind Johnson. The American has been hanging around the top of the leaderboard since Friday morning, when he fired a seven-under 65. Holmes is playing not only to secure a spot in the Tour Championship, but also to net one of Ryder Cup captain Davis Love’s four wildcard picks, which will be announced after the conclusion of the BMW. With his incredible distance off the tee and his history of rising to the occasion in some big events, the bet here is that he’ll snag both if he turns in an even halfway decent performance tomorrow.
Sep 10, 2016; Carmel, IN, USA; Roberto Castro putts on the 15th hole during the BMW Championship at Crooked Stick GC. Mandatory Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
Roberto Castro, who slept on a share of the 36-hole lead, couldn’t achieve liftoff on Saturday, ending up with a 74. He didn’t make a birdie all day and squared two bogeys on the back nine, leaving him alone in fourth place. Currently in 53rd place in the FedEx Cup, he needs to gain ground tomorrow if he wants a tee time at East Lake.
Adam Scott and Matt Kuchar round out the top five at 11-under. The former is projected to remain in the top five in the standings heading into the Tour Championship, meaning he’d be able to secure the FedEx Cup with a victory.
Defending champion Jason Day shot a third round 71, leaving him in a tie for 21st. Tour Championship and Ryder Cup hopeful Rickie Fowler once again failed to break 70 and remains outside the top 50 on the leaderboard. Even so, he still has a chance to advance to East Lake — at the moment, he’s projected to drop to the 30th and final position
With all the FedEx Cup drama ahead, as well as the conclusion of the actual golf tournament, the final round at Crooked Stick is sure to be exciting TV. Don’t miss it — the final group of Johnson and Casey is slated to tee off at 1:50 p.m. EST.
What do you think: will Dustin Johnson hold on for the victory? Let us know in the comments, and keep it here at Pro Golf Now for more updates from the BMW Championship.
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