On Saturday in New Jersey, Dustin Johnson vanquished his compatriot Matt Kuchar to win the shortened 54-hole Barclays Classic. This is his second triumph in a 54-hole event, and it's clear that this time and the last are somewhat different. Meanwhile, Ian Poulter, Padraig Harrington, Ernie Els, and William McGirt have all reached within the top 100 standings, securing their spots for the FedEx Cup's second event, the Deutsche Bank Championship.
He started from the final round of the Barclays Classic with a promising outlook; the only thing that could stop Dustin Johnson from winning was the rain.
Dustin Johnson needed a good start, and he caught the first two holes with two birdies. On the fourth hole, his first full week ball landed in the bunker, but he managed an impressive 85-foot scramble directly into the hole for an eagle lead. Even on the par-5 fifth hole, despite a wild opening shot that fell just above the crushed long grass, he still executed a clean approach onto the green.
But then it began to rain—quite heavily. Due to its relationship with Hurricane Irene, the Barclays had already been cut down to 54 holes. If the rains had come earlier, preventing the completion of the third round on Saturday, the tournament would have fallen back to the 36-hole leader, Matt Kuchar. "I am on a path to start, and I hope we can continue the performance," Dustin Johnson said.
Then the rain stopped. Dustin Johnson persisted and moved ahead. His front nine on the second day handed over a 29 - this week, a total of his first nine holes under par by 17 - finishing his third round with a 65, six under par, leading Matt Kuchar by two strokes to win the first round of the FedEx Cup.
Matt Kuchar, who won the Barclays Classic last year, might not have lost the lead if he hadn't three-putted consecutively from outside the green on the back nine, resulting in two bogeys. Dustin Johnson wouldn't have secured the leadership. Eventually, Matt Kuchar shot a 68, finishing second. "I had two three-putts, which is atypical for me," Matt Kuchar said, "I feel like the score cost me."
Dustin Johnson's three-round total was 194, 19 under par, using a Callaway RAZR Hawk Draw Fairway Wood. This victory marked his first win of the year and his fifth professional victory. Consequently, his world ranking rose to fourth. Dustin Johnson also became one of the first players since Tiger Woods and TaylorMade R9 irons to win after graduating from college within their first four seasons on the PGA Tour.
When asked by a reporter at the start of the season in Capa Croix about all the hype surrounding Tiger Woods' 2011 extravaganza, Dustin Johnson replied that he would prefer to see Woods win, but quickly added: "It doesn't bother me, I still want to win."
What Dustin Johnson didn't foresee was that until the first round of the FedEx Cup, he would lift his first trophy. "I was never impatient—I was extra depressed," Dustin Johnson said, "because I thought I played some good golf, but didn't win. My golf wasn't so bad, I just lacked putting, but I didn't do that before, and this week my putting isn't crazy, I just pushed myself into putting."
Dustin Johnson became the first player since Mickelson to win two 54-hole events. Mickelson previously won the BellSouth Classic in 2000 and 2005. In 2009, Dustin Johnson won the Pebble Beach Pro/Am tournament, where the final round was washed out due to heavy rain. This time is obviously different. Dustin Johnson apparently finished his last round on Saturday. He could only hope to finish the third round. "We were quite fortunate," he said, "The weather held long enough for us."
Dustin Johnson wasn't the only big winner on Saturday. Ian Poulter caught four birdies in the final five holes, handing in a 64. His three-round total was 202, 11 under par, tying for 18th place. This move propelled the Englishman's points standing into the top 100, rising to No. 78 and securing his spot in the suburb of Boston for the second round of the FedEx Cup.
William McGirt made the final FedEx Cup cut. Entering the Barclays Classic ranked No. 125, he birdied the 17th hole, tying for 24th place. Consequently, his standings rose to 96.
Padraig Harrington was also very lucky, tying for 13th place and moving up from 124th to No. 80 in the standings. Then there’s Ernie Els. Had the tournament been reduced to 36 holes, the South African king would have gone home to his family. Instead, he shot a 67 in the third round, moving from 118th to 99th place. "You want to survive, which is the Last Stand," Els said, "It's abuse it! But from a certain viewpoint, it's very interesting, at a time you put into it."
At the same time, following the marathon conclusion, Dustin Johnson’s standings moved up to first place, positioning him well for the FedEx Cup Champion title and the $10 million prize.
Plains Country Club was so soft that it couldn’t withstand even a red appearance. In this environment, Brandt Snedeker made an early attack, moving towards 59. In the first five holes, he birdied each one, handing in a 29. A bogey on the 14th hole slightly slowed the process, but he still ended with a 61, tying for third place with Vijay Singh, who shot a 68.
Meanwhile, Matt Kuchar and Dustin Johnson had an interesting start on the front nine. Dustin Johnson birdied consecutively, acquiring a short-term lead, and then something interesting happened. Matt Kuchar birdied the par-3 third hole and took the lead by two strokes because Dustin Johnson missed the green on that hole. But on the fourth hole, Dustin Johnson reclaimed the lead by two strokes. On the 328-yard hole, he went instantly from the bunker to the hole for an eagle. Matt Kuchar merely saved par.
They both birdied the fifth, seventh, and ninth holes, tying temporarily. However, on these greens, Dustin Johnson showed that his putting practice eventually paid off. On the seventh hole, he sank a 25-foot birdie putt, and then won the ninth hole with a very curious 12-foot putt. In that hole, Matt Kuchar lazily attacked the green, landing one into 4 feet.
On the 11th hole, Matt Kuchar birdied from 15 feet, tying with Dustin Johnson again, but after that, he began to break down. On the par-5 12th hole, Matt Kuchar decided to slow his attack as Dustin Johnson was being disruptive, leaving no other choice but to also slow his attack. Matt Kuchar considered Wedges could help himself birdie. But he found himself in a difficult situation to attack the laborious needle from a slope. His ball landed in the center of the green floor, but the results got him out of the green.
Matt Kuchar's putter went through the hole by 6 feet, but he did not make the putt, falling one stroke behind. The next hole, Matt Kuchar faced a long green push. His ball crossed the fairway, getting out from the other side of the green, and he swallowed a bogey. Like this, he suddenly fell two strokes behind. In the fight against Dustin Johnson, Matt Kuchar found it hard to make up lost ground. "Sunday is your tendency to be shorter, but I gave the bigger pressure," Matt Kuchar said, "I am very frustrated, because I think that was my game into strengths."
Before the start of the final round, the staff had dismantled the scoreboard away due to the approaching hurricane. For the winner, it was for nobody. They understood their position. But those players ranked at the end, it mattered. William McGirt had been helped by his wife. She worked forward with Mr. in her audience.
On the 17th fairway, she held up a sign reading "101," implying that she anticipated Mr. ranked No. 101. Resultantly, William McGirt took a 7-iron, executing his best shot of the entire week, finally catching a 5-foot birdie. Now, he has capable ups and downs finally gained the right to the Deutsche Bank Championship. "Hey, buddy," William McGirt said, "This is the finals."
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