Pieters, Johnson Poised for Epic Final Round Duel at Firestone

AKRON, Ohio – As the world’s top-ranked players—Dustin Johnson, Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth, and Jason Day—stagnated on the back nine during Saturday’s third round of the Bridgestone Invitational, the lead was left wide open anyone to claim.  Even Jimmy Walker, the reigning PGA Champion who asserted an impressive two-stroke lead after the second round, failed to channel any of Friday’s magic.  After contending with mediocre performances this season due to a physically-draining bacterial illness, Walker faltered on Saturday with two double bogeys en-route to a demoralizing 74.  Currently, he confronts a six-stroke deficit entering Sunday’s final round.

Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk up the sixth…

Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland walk up the sixth fairway during the second round of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club South Course… Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Averaging 330 yards off the tee this week, Rory McIlroy’s three-under-par 67 on Thursday appeared to establish a strong foundation for the weekend.  Today, however, a poor performance on Firestone’s greens blemished the perfection of the four-time major champion’s driving.  Draining putts from no further than nine feet on Saturday, Rory produced three bogeys and two birdies en-route to a lackluster 69.  At only three shots off the lead, though, McIlroy is still entirely in contention.

Despite shooting a flawless four-under-par 66 during the second round, Jason Day is still struggling through a season that has been typified by obstacles.  First, his mother’s lung-cancer diagnosis occurred prior to the Masters, necessitating (understandably) an irregular participation in this season’s Tour events.  Now, Day is grappling with a reemergence of his recurrent back-injuries.  Wincing as he navigates around the 7,125-yard Firestone Country Club, the former world-number-one is still winless since his spectacular victory at The Players Championship in May, 2016. After plummeting to #7 in the Official Work Golf Rankings, Jason Day will require a miraculous final-round performance at Firestone to overcome his current six-stroke deficit.

Jason Day of Australia hits off the sixth tee during the third round…

Jason Day of Australia hits off the sixth tee during the third round of the World Golf Championships – Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club South Course on August 5, 2017 in Akron, Ohio. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

As the defending Bridgestone Invitational champion—and the only individual to win the WGC career grand slam—Dustin Johnson has been the subject of intense media scrutiny throughout his week at Firestone.  Regardless, some of that attention has been evidently diverted toward Rory McIlroy—who recently dismissed long-time caddie JP Fitzgerald—and reigning Open Champion Jordan Spieth, who contends for his first opportunity to win the career grand slam next week at Quail Hollow.  Asked in a press-conference whether he minds the lull in media-attention, Johnson offered a characteristically nonchalant shrug, smiled, and replied “What do you think?”

On the course this week, Johnson’s performance reflects that cavalier attitude.  After shooting two rounds of 68 thus far, the current world-number-one has dominated the field in driving—specifically highlighted by his remarkable 439-yard drive on Firestone’s 667-yard par-5 16^th hole, which broke the record for longest-drive on the PGA tour since 2013.  At ten shots back, Dustin Johnson is a long shot to defend his title this week, but he has certainly availed himself as a likely contender at the PGA Championship next week in Charlotte.

Dustin Johnson of the USA poses with the trophy after winning the…

Dustin Johnson of the USA poses with the trophy after winning the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play at the Austin Country Club on March 26, 2017 in Austin, Texas. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Assailed by high-expectations leading into the year’s final major, the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone could easily be approached as an afterthought for Jordan Spieth.  Repeatedly besieged by questions pertaining to the grand-slam, Spieth has approached the topic with remarkable composure and a regulated sense of nonchalance.  Describing his current attitude as “no care in the world”, Spieth claimed that “I feel like I’m free-rolling now.”  During Thursday’s first round, he certainly appeared to be “free-rolling.”

Confronted with an obstructed approach to the par-4 8^th hole, the reigning Champion Golfer of the Year immediately realized it was an impossibly-unlikely shot through the trees—but decided to attempt it anyway.  “I’m going to do something stupid,” he jokingly informed the hundreds of nearby patrons before striking the shot to within twenty-feet and burying the lengthy birdie-putt.  Spieth would shoot 67, 70, and 71 in the first three rounds, respectively. Although he is likely facing too steep a deficit to claim his 12^th PGA Tour victory this week at Firestone, Spieth’s composure under the intense pre-PGA-Championship scrutiny confirms him as a probable contender to complete a hat trick next week in Quail Hollow.

The relatively lackluster performances of these top players opened the door for Zach Johnson, a two-time major champion after the 2007 Masters and 2015 Open Championship, and Thomas Pieters—who is most known for his 4^th place finish last year at the Rio de Janiero Olympic Games, and for his flawless 4-0 record at the 2016 Ryder Cup.  On Saturday’s round, after Johnson fired a sparkling five-under-par 65 and Pieters matched him with an impressive four-under-par 66, they each closed the third round with dramatic birdies on Firestone’s final hole to tie for the lead at nine-under-par.

Jordan Spieth smiles during a press conference following practice for…

Jordan Spieth smiles during a press conference following practice for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club on August 02, 2017 in Akron, Ohio. Get premium, high resolution news photos at Getty Images

Johnson, winless since his historic playoff win over Louis Oosthuizen and Marc Leishman in the 2015 Open Championship at St. Andrews, nearly won earlier this season at the John Deere Classic, but ended with a disappointing T5 finish as Bryson DeChambeau earned his first Tour victory.  Searching for his first victory in two years, Johnson will need to rely on exemplary putting to finish the job.  Ranked 24^th on Tour in strokes-gained around the greens, Johnson demonstrated this finesse during today’s round by jarring a 25-foot birdie on Firestone’s 8^th hole, and burying a 22-footer for birdie at the 14^th.  Finally, his dramatic birdie at the 18^th concluded the round in style:

Birdie on 18 to get in Sunday's final pairing.@ZachJohnsonPGA leads alone.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/nCDuh0IRNp

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 5, 2017

And the drama only heightened as Thomas Pieters, the twenty-five-year-old Belgian still searching for his maiden PGA Tour victory after stellar performances at the 2016 Ryder Cup and 2017 Genesis Open, drained a massive birdie on his final hole to match Johnson:

Birdie to tie the 54-hole lead?

Over to you @Thomas_Pieters! pic.twitter.com/VGK31pwzQd

— DP World Tour (@DPWorldTour) August 5, 2017

If the past performances of Zach Johnson and Thomas Pieters under pressure are any indication, and Firestone’s reputation for dramatic finales persists, then Sunday’s final round of the Bridgestone Invitational will be one to remember.

Cover Image via YouTube