Tag: Northern Trust

Northern Trust Fantasy Golf Power Rankings

Collin Morikawa enters this week atop the season-long standings with two wins on the season.

This week’s Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey marks the beginning of the 2021 FedEx Cup Playoffs.

A field of 124 is in attendance with the top 70 in the season-long standings after this week advancing to the BMW Championship. Below, we look at the fantasy golf power rankings for the 2021 Northern Trust, with PGA Tour picks and predictions.

The three-week playoff stretch will culminate with the top 30 golfers at the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club Sept 2-5. Dustin Johnson is the reigning FedEx Cup (FEC) champion and winner of last season’s Northern Trust, but that victory was at TPC Boston. He begins this year’s postseason at No. 17 in the FEC standings.

Collin Morikawa enters this week atop the season-long standings with two wins on the season, including the British Open. Jon Rahm, who’s No. 1 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings, is fifth in the FEC standings.

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds for a full list. Odds last updated Tuesday at 11 a.m. ET.

2021 Northern Trust: Fantasy Golf Top 20

20. Scottie Scheffler (+3000)

Followed up a T-8 at the British Open with a 14th-place finish at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He has seven top-10 finishes against four missed cuts in 2021. His strong putting and short game will be emphasized at Liberty National.

19. Hideki Matsuyama (+4000)

Though he remains inconsistent on the greens he ranks among the field leaders in Strokes Gained: Approach per round. He tied for second against the elite field at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational prior to missing the cut at last week’s Wyndham Championship.

18. Matt Fitzpatrick (+6000)

One of the best putters on Tour this season with 0.65 SG: Putting per round. He hasn’t played at this venue before but should be a course fit.

17. Tony Finau (+6000)

Started 2021 with four top-five finishes through his first five events but has just two top-10 finishes since, both in majors. He can up his game in bigger events and his 0.38 SG: Around-the-Green per round for the season will play well here.

16. Daniel Berger (+3000)

Sixth among qualified golfers with 0.88 SG: Approach for the 2021-22 season and enters the week 20th in the FEC standings with one victory and eight top-10 finishes since the fall.

15. Bryson DeChambeau (+3000)

Tied for eighth at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational for his first top-10 finish since a T-9 at the Wells Fargo Championship in early May. He rarely gets enough credit for his excellent putting, but his short game is a weakness that could be exposed at Liberty National.

14. Harris English (+4000)

Vaulted to fourth in the FEC standings by claiming his second win of the season at the Travelers Championship and finishing fourth at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. He has two other top-10 finishes through 17 events in 2021, including a third-place showing at the U.S. Open.

13. Viktor Hovland (+3000)

Has never played this venue but is a strong fit for any course with 0.79 SG: Approach per round for the season. His short game is a weakness but it hasn’t stopped him from racking up two wins and seven top-10 finishes between the PGA Tour and European Tour in the 2020-21 season.

12. Abraham Ancer (+3000)

Won the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational to move to sixth in the season-long points standings. He finished second in this event in 2019 while leading the field in SG: Off-the-Tee and SG: Tee-to-Green.

11. Xander Schauffele (+2000)

Missed the cut here in 2019 with 1.23 strokes lost putting per round and 0.78 strokes lost around the greens. He has been much better this season in both areas and is also averaging 0.82 SG: Approach per round.

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10. Paul Casey (+3000)

Second in the field with 1.04 SG: Approach per round while adding 0.27 SG: Around-the-Green per round. Followed up a T-4 at the Olympic Golf Competition with a T-5 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational and hasn’t missed a cut since the RBC Heritage in mid-April.

9. Justin Thomas (+3000)

A rare value by the betting odds after slipping to 13th in the Golfweek rankings. He has just one top-10 finish through 12 international events since winning The Players Championship. He remains excellent with the irons but his putting has been a struggle.

8. Brooks Koepka (+2000)

Tied for 30th in 2019 with 1.20 SG: Off-the-Tee per round but 0.37 strokes lost per round with the putter. Tied for 54th in the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational following a stretch of four finishes of T-6 or better within five events, including three majors.

7. Webb Simpson (+3000)

Leads all golfers in this field with more than eight rounds played at Liberty National with 2.64 strokes gained on the field per round. Tied for 18th in this event with 0.91 SG: Around-the-Green per round in 2019 and led last week’s Wyndham Championship field with 2.12 SG: Approach per round.

6. Rory McIlroy (+2000)

The two-time FedEx Cup champion tied for sixth in this event en route to winning his second title in 2019. He ranked fourth among those who made the cut with 1.27 SG: Off-the-Tee per round. He enters this year’s event 26th in the FEC standings.

5. Patrick Cantlay (+3000)

Third in the FEC standings with wins this season at the Zozo Championship in the fall and the Memorial Tournament in early June. He’s averaging 0.65 SG: Approach and 0.44 SG: Around-the-Green per round for the season.

4. Dustin Johnson (+1500)

It has been a disappointing 2021 campaign for the three-time winner in 2019, but he has corrected a bit of late with a T-8 finish at the British Open and a T-10 at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational. The reigning Northern Trust champion tied for 24th at Liberty National in 2019.

3. Jon Rahm (+900)

The No. 1 golfer in both the Golfweek rankings and the Official World Golf Ranking enters the week fifth in the FEC standings. He tied for third in this event in 2019 and leads all golfers this season with 2.17 SG: Tee-to-Green per round.

2. Jordan Spieth (+1500)

The resurgent Spieth is second in the FEC standings with one win and nine top-10 finishes this season. He tied for sixth here in 2019 with 2.09 SG: Putting per round and his short game and driver have been in much better form this season.

1. Collin Morikawa (+2000)

The British Open champ tied for fourth in the Olympics but then tied for 26th at the WGC-FedEx St. Jude Invitational to cap a difficult stretch of travel. He took last week off and comes to Liberty National GC better rested and still the Tour leader in SG: Approach. He tied for 52nd in his debut here as a 22-year-old in 2019.

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Northern Trust odds, picks and PGA Tour predictions

A closer look at the 2021 Northern Trust odds, PGA Tour picks and predictions to win from sportsbookwire.com.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs begin this week with The Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, New Jersey. The three-week playoff stretch will end with the Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, Sept. 2-5.

Below, we look at the 2021 Northern Trust odds and make our PGA Tour picks and predictions to win.

The top 125 golfers from the season-long FedEx Cup standings have advanced to this point. Collin Morikawa enters the week at No. 11 in the Golfweek/Sagarin rankings and sits atop the point standings. The top 70 after this week will advance to the BMW Championship; then, the top 30 will move on to the Tour Championship.

Dustin Johnson, the reigning FedEx Cup champion, enters the playoffs at No. 17 in standings. He won last year’s Northern Trust but at TPC Boston as the tournament has alternated venues since 2019.

Odds provided by Tipico Sportsbook; access USA TODAY Sports’ betting odds a full list. Lines last updated Monday at 5:25 p.m. ET.

2021 Northern Trust picks – Favorite

Webb Simpson (+4000)

Simpson’s coming off a T-7 finish at last week’s Wyndham Championship where he led the field with 2.12 Strokes Gained: Approach and ranked third with 2.40 SG: Tee-to-Green per round but lost strokes on and around the putting surfaces. It was his sixth top-10 finish of the season and he enters the playoffs 46th in the standings.

Wyndham Championship
Webb Simpson studies a putt on the first hole during the final round of the 2021 Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. Photo by Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

He tied for 18th in this event at this venue in 2019. His 2.64 strokes gained on the field per round at Liberty National GC are the most among those in this week’s field with at least 10 rounds played here.

Simpson is also 13th in the Golfweek rankings and is an excellent value bet with a share of just the 16th-best odds to win.

2021 Northern Trust picks – Contender

Si Woo Kim (+9000)

Kim comes to Liberty National fourth among qualified golfers with 0.44 SG: Around-the-Green for the 2020-21 season. He made a six-way playoff before finishing tied for second last week while ranking first among golfers who made the cut with 1.24 SG: Around-the-Green per round. He added 1.27 SG: Approach and 2.08 SG: Tee-to-Green per round in one of his better ball-striking performances of the season.

Wyndham Championship
Si Woo Kim hits from the bunker on the second playoff hole during the final round of the 2021 Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina. Photo by Rob Kinnan-USA TODAY Sports

He finished 84th here in 2019 with a woeful 2.18 strokes lost per round with the putter but he has been much better than that with the flat stick this season and enters the week 30th in the standings.

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2021 Northern Trust picks – Long shot

Keegan Bradley (+10000)

Bradley begins this week 43rd in the season-long standings with no wins but four top-10 finishes. He tied for 64th in this event in 2019 while losing 0.79 strokes per round on the greens.

The former major winner continues to struggle with the putter but he’s averaging 0.89 SG: Approach and 0.22 SG: Around-the-Green for the season.

It’s tough to find long shots in a condensed field of the 125 best golfers for the 2020-21 season but Bradley fits the course well if he can just be average with the flat stick.

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How the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs work: Locations, money, starting strokes

This is the 15th year of the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup Playoffs. Here’s the lowdown on how it all works.

The regular season is over. It’s time for the playoffs.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs consist of three events, capped off by the Tour Championship, where someone will walk off with a $15 million prize.

This year marks the 15th season of the playoffs. PGA Tour players battled through 50 events during the 2020-21 “super season” with only the top 125 in FedEx Cup points making the postseason.

Collin Morikawa – with his two wins, eight top-10s and 2,171 total FedEx Cup points – finished the season in the No. 1 spot. Morikawa also leads the PGA Tour’s money list with $7,039,768.

Jordan Spieth is No. 2 in FedEx points, followed by Patrick Cantlay, Harris English and Jon Rahm, who is No. 1 in the Official World Golf Ranking.

First up: the Northern Trust at Liberty National Golf Club on August 19-22 in Jersey City, New Jersey. The top 125 in the field will duke it out for a spot in the top 70, and those golfers will move on to the BMW Championship on August 26-29 at Caves Valley Golf Club in Owings Mills, Maryland. From there only the top 30 advance to the season-ending Tour Championship on Sept. 2-5 at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta. There is no cut at the BMW or the Tour Championship.

The winner of the Tour Championship is declared the FedEx Cup champion and takes home a first-place prize of $15 million in bonus money.

There is a total of $60 million in bonus money up for grabs at East Lake.

The PGA Tour will continue to utilize the FedEx Cup Starting Strokes, which was introduced for the first time in 2019. It’s a staggered system whereby the golfer in the top position will start the Tour Championship at 10 under, the No. 2 golfer will start at 8 under and on from there. This system was established to give players at the top of the points list the reward of a starting advantage in the Tour Championship.

Dustin Johnson won the FedEx Cup a year ago. Only two golfers have won multiple FedEx Cup titles: Tiger Woods in 2007 and 2009, and Rory McIlroy in 2016 and 2019.

Starting strokes

No. 1: 10 under
No. 2: 8 under
No. 3: 7 under
No. 4: 6 under
No. 5: 5 under
Nos. 6-10: 4 under
Nos. 11-15: 3 under
Nos. 16-20: 2 under
Nos. 21-25: 1 under
Nos. 26-30: Even

Bonus money payout

1. $15,000,000
2. $5,000,000
3. $4,000,000
4. $3,000,000
5. $2,500,000
6. $1,900,000
7. $1,300,000
8. $1,100,000
9. $950,000
10. $830,000
11. $750,000
12. $705,000
13. $660,000
14. $620,000
15. $595,000
16. $570,000
17. $550,000
18. $535,000
19. $520,000
20. $505,000
21. $490,000
22. $478,000
23. $466,000
24. $456,000
25. $445,000
26. $435,000
27. $425,000
28. $415,000
29. $405,000
30. $395,000

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Dustin Johnson celebrates playoff win by prepping for BMW Championship

Dustin Johnson celebrated his Northern Trust win by watching ‘Yellowstone’ and getting back to work ahead of the PGA Championship.

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Wonder how Dustin Johnson celebrated his stunning rout in the Northern Trust at TPC Boston on Sunday?

Bottles of Dom Perignon? Massive party into the wee hours? Buy a new car?

Nah, he went back to work.

The FedEx Cup Playoffs leader and newly christened world No. 1 flew straight to the Windy City shortly after wrapping up his media obligations and was in a local gym at 10 a.m. Monday.

Then he headed to Olympia Fields Country Club, home to this week’s second event of the playoffs, and played seven holes in the afternoon. Tuesday morning he was on the putting green at 7 a.m. and then played another eight holes.

“He celebrates on his off weeks,” his coach, Claude Harmon III, said in a text to Golfweek. “It’s time to work. He wants to win the FedEx Cup.

“He’s been so close.”

Betting odds | Bet on Tiger | Fantasy golf | Field by the rankings

Yes, he has – Johnson wound up second in 2016, fourth in 2011, 2017 and 2018, fifth in 2010, seventh in 2015 and eighth in 2012. His victory in the Northern Trust was his fifth in a FedEx Cup playoff event, tied for most with Rory McIlroy. His 19 top-10s in the FedEx Cup Playoffs are the most, as are his 11 top-5s.

Thus, he’s concentrating on winning the FedEx Cup, not celebrating his win in The Northern Trust. On the plane westward, he ate, caught up on an episode of “Yellowstone” and watched and episode of “Deadliest Catch” on his iPad – and started studying his Olympia Fields yardage book.

“I haven’t had much time to reflect on the win last week, but it was really good,” Johnson said Tuesday. “Obviously I played very well, and everything went very well last week. This week I’m still just focused on getting ready for this tournament and this golf course.

“Obviously this week still is a big week, big tournament. I like this golf course. You definitely want to be on your game around here for sure.”

He certainly was on his game last week.

Johnson made 23 birdies and five eagles during rounds of 67-60-64-63. He was 26 under his last three rounds, in which he missed only three greens in regulation.

His 11-shot win was the first double-digit win on the PGA Tour since Brian Gay won the 2009 RBC Heritage by 10. Johnson’s margin of victory was the largest on Tour since Phil Mickelson won 2006 BellSouth Classic by 13.

Johnson finished at 30-under 254, making him only the third player in PGA Tour history to finish at 30 under or better in a 72-hole tournament. He fell just one shot short of tying Justin Thomas’ 72-hole record 253 total set in the 2017 Sony Open in Hawaii. Johnson also fell one shot short of tying Ernie Els’ 72-hole record in relation to par of 31 under set in the 2003 Sentry Tournament of Champions.

He left everyone was in awe. Harris English shot 64-66-66-69 to finish second but was 11 shots back. Jon Rahm shot 69-69-67-65 and was 14 shots back. Tyler Duncan shot four rounds in the 60s – and lost by 20.

“Last week is the best total control of his game I have seen in the eight years I have been around DJ,” Harmon said. “I walked almost every hole last week and it looked like a video game.”

It was Johnson’s 22nd Tour title, but all he’s thinking about is winning No. 23.

“For four rounds it’s the best I’ve ever hit it for sure,” said Johnson, who has signed for 12 consecutive rounds in the 60s. “That was by far the best ball-striking performance I’ve put on. And then obviously I putted very nicely the last three rounds, not the first round, but that’s all right, it still worked out for me.”

So he’ll just keep trying to do what’s been working.

“Still working on exactly the same things as I was doing last week, just making sure everything is staying consistent, that I got the same feels,” Johnson said. “That the ball is just starting on my lines and I’m hitting the same shots. That’s what I’ve been working on this week is just kind of going through the same routines I did last week just to keep the swing in check.

“For me it’s all about consistency. Last week I did a really good job of controlling my distance with my irons, and if you’re controlling your distance well, you can be a little left and a little right and still have a nice putt at it.

“This week is going to be more of the same. The greens have a lot of slope and they’re firm, so if you can control the distance with irons, then you can give yourself a lot of good looks. That’s all I’m working on, same thing as I was working on last week.”

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Dustin Johnson wins Northern Trust, builds momentum heading into the BMW Championship

Golfweek’s David Dusek recaps Dustin Johnson’s win at the Northern Trust and looks ahead for what’s to come in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

Golfweek’s David Dusek recaps Dustin Johnson’s win at the Northern Trust and looks ahead for what’s to come in the FedEx Cup Playoffs.

How much money each PGA Tour golfer won at the Northern Trust

Check out the prize money earned by each player this week at the Northern Trust at TPC Boston.

The end of the Northern Trust was full of suspense without really having any at all. Dustin Johnson had played his way to a nine-shot lead at TPC Boston with two holes to go, but just needed enough daylight – and enough of a break in the stormclouds – to be able to cap off his victory in the first FedEx Cup Playoff event of the year.

Johnson got the opportunity to do it, finishing off a final-round 63 with a birdie at the 18th hole. At 30 under, Johnson finished 11 ahead of runner-up Harris English and 12 ahead of Daniel Berger in third.

Only players who rank No. 70 or better on the FedEx Cup points list can play the next playoff event next week on the North Course at Olympia Fields Golf Club outside Chicago. They’re all competing for the colossal $15 million FedEx Cup prize, of course, but in the meantime, check out how much money each player earned this week at the Northern Trust.

Northern Trust: Leaderboard | Photos | Winner’s bag

Prize money

Position Player Score Earnings
1 Dustin Johnson -30 $1,710,000.00
2 Harris English -19 $1,035,500.00
3 Daniel Berger -18 $655,500.00
T4 Kevin Kisner -17 $427,500.00
T4 Scottie Scheffler -17 $427,500.00
T6 Jon Rahm -16 $332,500.00
T6 Webb Simpson -16 $332,500.00
T8 Ryan Palmer -15 $277,875.00
T8 Russell Henley -15 $277,875.00
T8 Alex Noren -15 $277,875.00
T11 Brian Harman -14 $230,375.00
T11 Harry Higgs -14 $230,375.00
T13 Robby Shelton -13 $175,275.00
T13 Jason Kokrak -13 $175,275.00
T13 Mackenzie Hughes -13 $175,275.00
T13 Charley Hoffman -13 $175,275.00
T13 Louis Oosthuizen -13 $175,275.00
T18 Viktor Hovland -12 $117,189.29
T18 Sebastian Munoz -12 $117,189.29
T18 Matt Kuchar -12 $117,189.29
T18 Talor Gooch -12 $117,189.29
T18 Cameron Smith -12 $117,189.28
T18 Danny Lee -12 $117,189.28
T18 Bubba Watson -12 $117,189.28
T25 Corey Conners -11 $76,237.50
T25 Xander Schauffele -11 $76,237.50
T25 Justin Rose -11 $76,237.50
T25 Tyrrell Hatton -11 $76,237.50
T29 Troy Merritt -10 $55,860.00
T29 Tyler Duncan -10 $55,860.00
T29 Mark Hubbard -10 $55,860.00
T29 Cameron Tringale -10 $55,860.00
T29 Wyndham Clark -10 $55,860.00
T29 Scott Piercy -10 $55,860.00
T29 Keegan Bradley -10 $55,860.00
T29 Kyoung-Hoon Lee -10 $55,860.00
T29 Hideki Matsuyama -10 $55,860.00
T29 Cameron Davis -10 $55,860.00
T39 Kevin Na -9 $39,425.00
T39 Adam Schenk -9 $39,425.00
T39 Ian Poulter -9 $39,425.00
T39 J.T. Poston -9 $39,425.00
T39 Si Woo Kim -9 $39,425.00
T44 Matthew Wolff -8 $30,001.00
T44 Emiliano Grillo -8 $30,001.00
T44 Tommy Fleetwood -8 $30,001.00
T44 Brendan Steele -8 $30,001.00
T44 Charles Howell III -8 $30,001.00
T49 Rickie Fowler -7 $23,169.45
T49 Adam Long -7 $23,169.45
T49 Patrick Reed -7 $23,169.45
T49 Justin Thomas -7 $23,169.45
T49 Denny McCarthy -7 $23,169.44
T49 Paul Casey -7 $23,169.44
T49 Chez Reavie -7 $23,169.44
T49 Beau Hossler -7 $23,169.44
T49 Zach Johnson -7 $23,169.44
T58 Tiger Woods -6 $21,565.00
T58 Adam Scott -6 $21,565.00
T58 Lanto Griffin -6 $21,565.00
T61 Keith Mitchell -5 $20,995.00
T61 Kevin Streelman -5 $20,995.00
T61 Maverick McNealy -5 $20,995.00
64 Brendon Todd -4 $20,615.00
T65 Rory McIlroy -2 $20,330.00
T65 Scott Harrington -2 $20,330.00
67 Andrew Landry -1 $20,045.00
68 Richy Werenski 1 $19,855.00
69 Matt Jones 2 $19,665.00
70 Patrick Rodgers 7 $19,475.00

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Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy looking forward to Chicago after disappointing week at Northern Trust

Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy are both looking forward after each had a disappointing week at the Northern Trust for their own reasons.

NORTON, Mass. — Without fans in attendance at PGA Tour events these days, even Sunday rounds featuring marque players fail to create a buzz at the course. It’s up to the players to create their own energy and inspire themselves into a competitive mindset that brings out their best golf.

Tiger Woods, 44, demonstrated he could still do that by making six birdies over his first nine holes and shooting a 5-under 66 during the final round of the Northern Trust. Woods, a winner of 15 majors, is used to playing in front of thousands of fans, but he was trailed around TPC Boston on Sunday by a group of reporters, cameramen and volunteers who rarely grew over 20 people.

His playing partner for the second consecutive day, world No. 3 Rory McIlroy, struggled again. The Northern Irishman who has won four majors posted a 2-under-par 69 that left him looking for answers.

Northern Trust: Leaderboard | Best photos | Tee times

“This is going to sound really bad, but I feel like the last few weeks, I’ve just been going through the motions,” McIlroy admitted. “I want to get an intensity and some sort of fire, but I just haven’t been able to. And look, that’s partly to do with the atmosphere and partly to do with how I’m playing. I’m not inspiring myself.”

The uninspired McIlroy played inconsistent golf this week in the first event of the FedEx Cup Playoffs, spraying the ball off the tee and statistically being among the least effective putters at TPC Boston.

“I’ll go a few holes and hit some good shots, and then on one hole, I’ll hit one way right or way left, and I’m sort of like, ‘Where did that come from?'” he said.

To remedy that, McIlroy plans to fly home to Florida and test some drivers before heading to Chicago for next week’s BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Golf Club.

Woods said he understands McIlroy’s perspective and acknowledged life on Tour doesn’t feel normal right now.

“The energy is not anywhere near the same,” he said. “There isn’t the same amount of anxiety and pressure, and people yelling at you and trying to grab your shirt, a hat off you. This is a very different world we live in.”

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Players ranked No. 70 or better on the FedEx Cup standings after this week advance to the BMW Championship. McIlroy arrived at the Northern Trust ranked No. 8 on the points list. In reality, he’s a lock to remain in the top 30 and qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta, an event he won last season.

For Woods, who arrived at the Northern Trust ranked No. 49 on the FedEx Cup standings, there is a greater sense of urgency. He knew that making the cut would assuredly punch his ticket to Chicago, but qualifying for the Tour Championship, which he won in 2018, is not a lock.

“I wish I would have played a little bit better this week to make it a little bit easier on me next week to try to get into East Lake,” Woods said. “This is going to be, if I play well, four out of five weeks, so it’s going to be a busy stretch.”

While both Woods and McIlroy would love to win a third FedEx Cup, both are also eyeing the U.S. Open at Winged Foot Golf Club in mid-September. They not only want to string good shots together, but also good rounds. They want to put themselves into contention before heading to the tournament that prides itself on being the toughest test in golf.

“This has been a very different year for all of us,” Woods said. “I’m just now starting to get into the rhythm and flow of competing and playing again. Hopefully, it gets better.”

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Tiger Woods puts on Sunday show at Northern Trust after four-birdie start

Tiger Woods birdied his first four holes on Sunday at the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust, ultimately signing for a 5-under 66.

Tiger Woods didn’t bring his A-game to TPC Boston on Friday or Saturday, but he certainly had it early on Sunday.

The 15-time major champion got off to a blistering start, making birdie on the first four holes of his final round at the Northern Trust, the first of three events in the PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup Playoffs. Woods signed his name to a 5-under 66, walking off the course 6-under for the tournament, T-58.

The 44-year-old briefly cooled off with a pair of pars before sandwiching a lone bogey on No. 8 between two more birdies on Nos. 7 and 9 to make the turn at 5-under 31 (6 under for the tournament).

Northern Trust: Leaderboard | Best photos | Tee times

The back nine at TPC Boston is considerably more difficult than the front, especially the stretch of Nos. 10-14. Woods was blemish-free on the back nine, making par on every hole.

The two-time FedEx Cup champion (2007 and 2009) will ride this momentum to Olympia Fields Country Club just outside Chicago for next week’s BMW Championship.

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Tracker: Follow Tiger Woods at the Northern Trust on Sunday, shot by shot

Follow Tiger Woods’ final round at the PGA Tour’s Northern Trust with shot-by-shot updates.

The road to a record third FedEx Cup title has been a bumpy one for Tiger Woods this week at TPC Boston.

The 15-time major champion made the weekend cut directly on the number at the Northern Trust, the first of three events that comprise the PGA Tour’s season-ending FedEx Cup playoffs. In an All-Star pairing with world No. 3 Rory McIlroy on Saturday, both players left their A-games at home as Woods shot a 2-over 73 and McIlroy a 3-over 74.

The only two players to win multiple FedEx Cup titles, Woods and defending-champion McIlroy are paired together again on Sunday morning, teeing off at 8:55 a.m. ET. Follow Woods’ final round, shot by shot.

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Pre-round

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Dustin Johnson defies the odds to enter final round of Northern Trust five shots clear of the field

Dustin Johnson grew his Northern Trust lead with a third-round 64, a day after his round of 60, at TPC Boston.

NORTON, Mass. – The law of averages says that over time things even out, but Dustin Johnson did not go to law school while he was at Coastal Carolina University.

The 36-year-old arrived here at TPC Boston, site of this week’s Northern Trust, averaging just over four birdies per round in PGA Tour events this season. On Friday, when he shot 60, Johnson made seven, to go along with two eagles.

The law of averages would say that Johnson should cool off on Saturday, and while it’s true that he did not shoot another 60, even before rain forced play to be suspended at 3:45 p.m., with Johnson in the ninth fairway, he had four circles on his card.

No, he didn’t shoot another 60, but he did shoot 64 thanks to six birdies and another eagle. The 2016 U.S. Open winner is at  22 under and will take a five-shot lead into Sunday over both Harris English (66) and Scottie Scheffler (67).

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Louis Oosthuizen shot 68 and will begin the final round of the Northern Trust in fourth place, seven shots behind Johnson.

“I’m in a great position and like where I’m at, but I’m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score,” Johnson said.”You can go low out here, and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have.”

PGA: THE NORTHERN TRUST - Third Round
Scottie Scheffle (front) and Dustin Johnson walk to the fifth tee during the third round of the Northern Trust. (Photo: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)

English applied some pressure to Johnson on the back nine, pitching in on the 14th hole from 42 feet away to reach 19 under, one off Johnson’s lead at that time.

“(My) irons have been awesome all week this week, and I feel like it’s a great mid-iron golf course,” English said. “I had my putting going today, as well. So, kind of everything was clicking. I felt like I managed it pretty well, and short game was good. Tough finish, not the finish I was looking for but felt like I got a lot of momentum going into tomorrow.”

Yeah, about that finish.

English pushed his tee shot on the 176-yard par-3 16th to the right and then missed a 7-footer for par. Then, after his approach to the 17th came up 75 feet short, his first putt ran 8 feet beyond the cup, and he missed the comebacker for par.

Johnson, on the other hand, finished like Secretariat. He made an 18-footer for birdie on 17 and then eagled the 18th hole after hitting his approach shot from 219 yards to 40 feet and making a twisting putt.

“Obviously I did what I wanted to and drove it in the fairway, knocked it on the green, and obviously making that putt is a bonus,” he said. “It was a pretty tough putt up and over a ridge and breaking a lot. But had perfect speed on it and it went in.”

After play on Sunday, the players ranked No. 70 or better on the FedEx Cup points list will be eligible to compete next week at the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields Golf Club outside Chicago.

Several well-known players – including Jordan Spieth, Harold Varner and Graeme McDowell – missed the cut at the Northern Trust and started the week ranked higher than No. 70 on the FedEx Cup points list. Their 2019-20 PGA Tour seasons are done. Sunday will be a big day for many other well-known pros who arrived at TPC Boston ranked higher than No. 70 and who made the cut.

Harry Higgs, who started the week at No. 72, is helping himself by shooting 67-66-66. There are 18 more holes to be played, but he is projected to move up to 34th, while Alex Noren came here in the No. 78 spot and is projected to No. 54th.

On the other side of the coin, Rickie Fowler needs to go low and hop over more players. He came to the Northern Trust ranked No. 88 in FedEx Cup points and is projected to rise to No. 96. Zach Johnson, a two-time major winner, started at No. 104, but he is T-29 after three rounds at TPC Boston and is projected to only rise to No. 93.

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