Jon Rahm outlasts Dustin Johnson in thrilling BMW Championship

OLYMPIA FIELDS, In poor health. — Even with so few folks round, Jon Rahm may hear from the opposite facet of the Olympia Fields clubhouse that Dustin Johnson had made a 45-foot birdie on the ultimate gap to pressure a playoff Sunday within the BMW Championship.

Resilient as ever, Rahm went out and made some magic of his personal.

From one finish of the 18th inexperienced to the opposite, Rahm’s putt from 66 ft rolled down the ridge and into the cup, setting off a roar so loud it almost made up for not having spectators.

“I knew how good DJ has been enjoying. I used to be anticipating nothing else,” Rahm mentioned. “I used to be absolutely assured it was going to come back right into a playoff and hoping to win it. By no means did I believe I might make one other 50-, 60-footer, a few breaks in there, to finish up profitable it.”

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Johnson may solely snort at his birdie putt, eliciting a uncommon present of emotion — a gradual, sweeping uppercut. And he had the identical response to what Rahm did. What else is there to do?

“I performed an unbelievable putt, obtained within the playoff after which Jon made an much more ridiculous putt on prime of me,” mentioned Johnson, who has two runner-up finishes and a victory in his previous three begins.

The course that every one weekend felt like a U.S. Open delivered the type of pleasure typical of the Masters.

Rahm’s massive birdie putt on the primary further gap spared him ideas of his blunder within the third spherical, when he picked up his ball on the fifth inexperienced with out marking it, resulting in a one-shot penalty and his solely bogey of the weekend.

He tore by way of the again 9 Sunday on his solution to a 6-under 64, the bottom spherical of the week, to complete at 4-under 276.

Johnson, a 54-hole chief for his third consecutive match and coming off an 11-shot victory final weekend on the TPC Boston, birdied three of his opening 4 holes to open a three-shot lead, dropped a pair of pictures across the flip after which delivered within the clutch along with his 45-foot birdie putt on the final gap for a 67.

It was adequate to remain at No. 1 by solely a slim margin.

He additionally stays at No. 1 within the FedEx Cup going to the Tour Championship, that means he’ll begin the chase for the $15 million bonus at 10-under par, two forward of Rahm, the No. 2 seed.

Joaquin Niemann, the 21-year-old from Chile, additionally made a spirited run with a 67 and was within the lead till a bogey on the 14th and no birdies the remainder of the best way. He tied for third with Hideki Matsuyama, who had a 69.

Tony Finau closed with a 65 to complete three behind. They had been the one 5 gamers below par at Olympia Fields.

Rahm received for the second time this yr on the PGA Tour and the 11th time in his profession worldwide.

Mackenzie Hughes had purpose to have a good time, too.

He was on the verge of enjoying his method into the highest 30 who advance to East Lake when he took a sloppy bogey on the 17th. Needing a par on the 18th, he put his method into the entrance bunker, splashed out to five ft and raised each arms when it dropped.

Niemann additionally moved into the highest 30, although he was chasing victory all day.

Adam Lengthy and Kevin Streelman had been bumped out, and Lengthy suffered the more severe of these fates. He was projected 30th within the FedEx Cup till Corey Conners three-putted from 5 ft for double bogey on the ultimate gap. That allowed Billy Horschel to maneuver up sufficient spots on the leaderboard to maneuver to the 30th and last spot by three factors over Lengthy.

The highest 30 are assured spots in not less than three majors subsequent yr, together with the Sentry Match of Champions at Kapalua to start out the yr. The winners-only occasion is taking the highest 30 within the FedEx Cup after having misplaced three months of the season to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiger Woods missed all of the motion. He made double bogey on his 17th gap in a spherical of 71, making this the primary time he was over par in all 4 rounds of a match because the Bridgestone Invitational in 2010.

Woods failed to succeed in the Tour Championship for the second straight yr. He now will get two weeks off earlier than the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and Olympia Fields proved to be take a look at for that.

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