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A16 sports
Tuesday 8 sepTember 2020
Dustin Johnson cashes in and finally wins the FedEx Cup

Dustin Johnson hits his tee shot on the fifth hole during the final round of the Tour Championship golf tournament at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Monday, Sept. 7,
2020.
Associated Press
By DOUG FERGUSON Cup since Tiger Woods in ker. And on the par-5 18th, awarded to Johnson, $14 and his lead remained at
AP Golf Writer 2009. Johnson unleashed a drive million now and $1 million five.
ATLANTA (AP) — Dustin Johnson was staked to a that started left along the deferred. The new season But he went well right off
Johnson hit his stride at just five-shot lead at 19-under pine trees and faded gen- starts Thursday. Two majors the tee at No. 7 and had to
the right time and it paid par — 9 under on his own tly toward the middle of the are still to be played. pitch back to the fairway.
off in a big way. score and starting the tour- fairway. Golf was shut down for He three-putted from 55
Johnson finally won the nament at 10 under as the That set up a birdie from three months and when it feet on the fringe at No. 8
FedEx Cup on Monday by No. 1 seed in the FedEx the front bunker, a hug with restarted, Johnson was No. and dropped another shot.
holding his nerve, hitting just Cup. brother Austin, his caddie, 111 in the FedEx Cup. He The lead kept shrinking.
enough fairways and mak- He finished at 21 under. and a trophy he long want- won the Travelers Cham- Johnson rolled his long bird-
ing a few key putts when Schauffele, who tends to ed. pionship and a month ie putt on the par-3 ninth
his lead began to shrink. bring his best to big mo- Schauffele had the low- later began a stretch that some 7 feet by, and he
He tapped in for birdie on ments, and Thomas each est score over 72 holes at brought him to the prize he made the par putt coming
the last hole for a 2-under got within three shots on 15-under 265, but without a desperately wanted. back to keep his lead at 3.
68, giving him a three-shot the front nine. They both victory this year, he started In four straight tournaments No putt was bigger than
victory over Justin Thomas closed to within two shots at No. 14 in the FedEx Cup, against the best fields, he the 13th, when his lead was
and Xander Schauffele in deep on the back nine at spotting the world's No. 1 had the 54-hole three times down to two shots over
the Tour Championship. East Lake. player seven shots. and was tied in the other. Schauffele. Johnson went
Johnson won the $15 million Johnson gave the light- Schauffele and Thomas He converted one into an from left rough to right of
prize, the biggest in golf. est fist pump — that's big tied for second, each earn- 11-shot win. He lost to a 65 the green and chipped
Equally important was get- emotion for him — when ing $4.5 million. by Collin Morikawa at the weakly to 20 feet. He drilled
ting his named etched on he holed a 20-foot par Jon Rahm, the No. 2 seed, PGA Championship and to the par putt, restored the
that silver FedEx Cup trophy putt on the 13th hole that closed with a 66 to finish a 65-foot putt by Rahm at lead to three and was on
alongside some of the best kept his lead at three. He fourth and earn $3 million. the BMW Championship. his way.
from his generation, start- made nothing but pars Scottie Scheffler, who a He badly wanted the last "It's a very tough trophy to
ing with Tiger Woods and on the back nine until the year ago was getting ready one, and even staked to a win," Johnson said. "I con-
most recently Rory McIlroy. outcome was no longer in to start his rookie year, had five-shot lead to par at East trolled my own destiny, but
"This is a tough golf course. doubt. a 66-65 finish and was fifth Lake, it was never easy. I still had to go out and play
No lead is safe," Johnson Thomas made bogey from for a $2.5 million payoff. Johnson made an 18-foot well. I had a lot of great
said. "The guys gave me a a wild tee shot to the right And so wrapped up the birdie early that was impor- players right behind me. It
good fight today." on the 17th. Schauffele also strangest season on the tant because Schauffele got close at the end. I knew
He became the first No. had to scramble on the PGA Tour, which doesn't kept hitting it close. John- it was going to come down
1 seed at the Tour Cham- 17th, escaping with par af- feel like the end at all ex- son had consecutive bird- the stretch and I'd have to
pionship to win the FedEx ter a tee shot into the bun- cept for the $15 million ies through the par-5 sixth hit some golf shots."q