Johnson takes 1-shot lead at Tour Championship

Fellow American Kevin Chappell, who was in the final group alongside Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama, had carded a hat-trick of birdies from the sixth to briefly lead on seven under, but needs Johnson to finish outside the top 10 on Sunday to be able to win the 10million USA dollar bonus as FedEx Cup champion.

Johnson started the week as top seed for the FedExCup and one of his chief rivals disappeared on Friday when Australian world number one Jason Day pulled out with a continuing back problem. With a shift in the wind, the 211-yard par-3 became a little bit more hard and a total of seven of the 29 players (Jason Day withdrew before reaching the 15th) found the water.

Before the start of the Tour Championship, Day said his back was an on-going problem due to a bulging disc that caused occasional flare-ups.

“Jason has a strained ligament in his lower right back with muscle spasm”, the statement said.

Dustin Johnson moved into the outright lead at the Tour Championship after carding a three-under 67 in the second round.

“I felt like I played really, really soild today and just didn’t really get a lot out of it”, he said. He has made only one bogey in 36 holes, quite a feat on a course where the Bermuda rough is so punishing that balls sink to the ground and sometimes can’t be seen from a foot away.

“I felt I played really, really solid today”.

As the leader in the FedEx Cup Johnson is assured of winning the $10 million if he wins this week.

Johnson all but eliminated almost everyone not among the top five seeds vying for the FedEx Cup.

Day was fourth in the standings before his withdrawal while second placed Patrick Reed is 10 shots off Johnson’s lead.

Adam Scott is now the lone Australian in the field, already seven shots back at even par.

They will have their work cut out if they are to catch Johnson whose confidence in all aspects of his game is high.

“I got it together a little bit on the back nine. This course is very hard and a couple more of those and you just never know”. I made some really sloppy swings and poor shots.

“If I can shoot a couple of scores in the mid 60s at the weekend, you never know”.

Johnson and Chappell are threatening to turn the tournament into a two horse race.

England’s Paul Casey, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and American Ryan Moore were tied for fifth, five shots adrift of Johnson.