The PGA’s return of the Florida swing and why it matters

JERSEY CITY, N.J. – Dustin Johnson has missed nine birdie chances from 10 feet or closer at Liberty National, which ordinarily might annoy him. He’s hitting it so well that he still leads THE NORTHERN TRUST. Johnson birdied three of his last six holes Friday, finishing with an approach to eight feet on the 489-yard closing hole, for a 4-under 67 that gave him a one-shot lead over Jordan Spieth (64) going into the weekend. Johnson has won this FedExCup Playoffs opener twice at other courses. He was at 12-under 130. “I’ve got a lot of control with the golf ball and hitting a lot of really nice shots and rolled in a couple putts today which is nice, but still feel like I left quite a few out there,” Johnson said. “I’m in a good position heading into the weekend, and if I can keep swinging the way I am, I think it’s going to be a good weekend.” The weekend does not include Masters champion Tiger Woods, and neither did Friday. Woods, who opened with a 75, withdrew a few hours before his second round was to begin because of what he described as a mild strain to the oblique that he says was causing pain and stiffness. It’s the first time Woods withdrew in the middle of a tournament since February 2017, two months before fusion surgery on his lower back. He said he was hopeful to play next week at Medinah. Spieth might be finding some form at just the right time. Winless in more than two years, he started the PGA TOUR’s Playoffs at No. 69 in the FedExCup with no assurance of staying among the top 70 who advance to next week at Medinah. He might be one round away from thinking more about winning. Spieth was on the same score (131) that he was going into the weekend last week at the Wyndham Championship, where he followed with a 77 and missed the 54-hole cut. His shots have been tighter, his misses not that severe and he even got some good fortune on his final hole that led to a birdie and a spot in the last group with a familiar face. Johnson and Spieth have played together at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am each of the last five years. The opening Playoffs event has a strong cast of contenders, with Jon Rahm and Patrick Reed two shots behind, and Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy among those another shot back. McIlroy was just happy he wasn’t farther behind. He walked off the par-3 14th with a double bogey because of a two-shot penalty from the bunker. McIlroy went to remove a small stone next to his ball, but realized when he touched it and it disintegrated that it was a clump of wet sand from a brief storm delay. The original ruling was a penalty. The PGA TOUR reviewed it as McIlroy played the last four holes, spoke to him after the round and determined that was no intent to improve his lie. His 70 became a 68. “The reason I called someone over is I don’t want anything on my conscience, either,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I play the game with integrity and I’m comfortable saying that I didn’t improve anything. I thought it was a rock. It wasn’t. I moved my hand away, and then I was like, `I don’t know if I’ve done anything wrong here.’ “It came down to me and they said, `OK, are you comfortable telling us you didn’t improve your lie?’ And for me, I am comfortable saying that.” Missing the cut meant the end of the season for at least two dozen players who would not be among the top 70, which includes Bubba Watson. Sergio Garcia would appear to be a casualty having started at No. 65 and not making it to the weekend. The first step for Spieth was to make sure he stayed in the top 70. Now it’s about contending. “The important thing for me is not to get ahead of myself,” Spieth said. “Historically, I’m a very consistent player. I’ve lost a bit of that. I still have the firepower but that consistency is what I’m trying to get back, and there’s certainly going to be times where I’m out of position over the weekend. It’s about limiting mistakes. One bogey over 36 holes is somewhat unrealistic week to week. But if I can hold it close to that for the next 36, again, that firepower is still there. And it would certainly shoot my confidence up.” Johnson’s year has been quiet since winning a World Golf Championship in Mexico City for his 20th career victory. Another year passed without winning a major. He was runner-up in the first two majors, but he hasn’t finish better than 20th since the PGA Championship. He feels the consistency in his swing is returning. And while he’s not making everything, he’s making enough and likes the way he’s rolling it. “I feel like I’m stroking it well right now,” he said. “I worked on the stroke a lot the last couple weeks and feel good and I have confidence in it.”

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OVERVIEW Brooks Koepka thrives on the feeling of being slighted. He fuels up on convincing himself he’s not getting the kudos he deserves. He will probably take the fact he’s not No. 1 in this countdown as some form of motivation. The current PGA TOUR Player of the Year wants to prove people wrong … always. Last season he won two majors – defending his U.S. Open crown and winning the PGA Championship. One was a grind; the other needed plenty of birdies and had to be done under the trying circumstances of an emotional Tiger Woods Sunday surge. Oh and this was done in a season where he missed extended time with a wrist injury. He then kicked off his 2018-19 season with a win at THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES. The takeaway is Koepka can win under most conditions as long as he is switched on and ready to compete. Because if will is involved … he’s got plenty. So the thing to watch with the now 28-year-old is how he takes it up a notch from here. How can he find the villains in his competitive life when people are stopping and taking notice? In the interest of helping we will state something he hasn’t done yet: Win the FedExCup. He’s never finished worse than 35th in the season-long race and has made it to East Lake three of his four full seasons but last year’s ninth place finish remains his best. Can he prove himself the most consistent performer on TOUR? That would certainly put even more polish on an already impressive resume. Last season he made significant improvements in his approach and short game around the greens which allowed for a slight dip in his putting prowess. If he can mirror up the putter with those improvements, he will be the standard others need to replicate. — By Ben Everill Click here to see who else made the Top 30 list. BY THE NUMBERS FEDEXCUP UPDATE Current 2018-19 position: 4th Playoff appearances: 4 TOUR Championship appearances: 3 Best FedExCup result: 9th in the 2017-18 season SHOTLINK FUN FACT Of his 62 rounds played last season, Brooks Koepka shot 69 or better 36 times, a sub-70 percentage rate of 58 percent. INSIDER INSIGHTS PGATOUR.COM’s Insiders offer their expert views on what to expect from Brooks Koepka in 2019. TOUR INSIDER: This guy is quite the case study. He became so good at riding the motivation of being an underdog he now spends more time trying to convince himself he’s still one than embracing the brilliant performer he is. Power coupled with mental strength and an ever-improving short game make Koepka a guy you can never sleep on. Let’s see how he copes with being the guy with the target on his back … I’m guessing well. — By Ben Everill FANTASY INSIDER: Anytime a golfer performs well when expected, I’ve always stated that it’s always nice when he fulfills his projection. After all, golf (and golf prognostication) can be a folly. Meanwhile, longer-term objectives can be easier to see with experienced sets of eyes. So, it comes as no surprise to this analyst that he’d scale to No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking because it’s exactly what I suggested was next for him in last year’s Top 30. The knock – that he has echoed – is that he doesn’t win enough non-majors despite having two U.S. Open trophies and a Wanamaker Trophy in possession is like saying that there’s not enough ice cream to go with the sprinkles. — By Rob Bolton EQUIPMENT INSIDER: While Reed may be the current face of equipment-contract-free professional golfers, Koepka is the winningest. Since Nike left the equipment space, Koepka has won two U.S. Opens, a PGA Championship and THE CJ CUP, all without an equipment contract. Most notably, Koepka uses irons that were literally designed for him: Mizuno’s JPX 900 Tour. He started using them in 2017 after Nike left, and he still has them in the bag. Mizuno, however, has come out with a new version of those clubs: JPX-919 Tour irons. Koepka hasn’t made the switch into the new irons yet, but it’s something we might see in 2019. While Koepka opts for TaylorMade metalwoods, Titleist Vokey wedges and a Scotty Cameron putter, he still uses a Nike Vapor Fly Pro driving iron. Maybe that will come out of the bag in 2019, too. — By Andrew Tursky STYLE INSIDER: Koepka is yet another athletic player with explosive power who is a perfect fit for Nike’s cutting-edge apparel and footwear. Although Brooks favors traditional looks and colors, he is quick to adopt new technologies. He was one of the first players to put the laceless Nike Tour Premiere shoe with FastFit lockdown technology into play. Expect more of the same from the three-time major winner in 2019. — By Greg Monteforte

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