Barclays Golf: Dustin Johnson Is Looking for Redemption

PARAMUS, NJ - We all know what happened to Dustin Johnson the last time he teed it up in a professional golf tournament.

Just in case you’ve been living in a cave for the past month, Johnson had a little run-in with a bunker on the 72nd hole at the PGA Championship…or was it not a bunker at all, or did it used to be a bunker before being trampled down to flat ground by 120,000 spectators?

That debate will live on for as long as they are playing PGA Championships.

But either way, Johnson had tied for the lead after 72 holes before being penalized two-strokes for grounding his club in what was deemed to be a bunker.  As a result of the two-stroke penalty, Johnson eliminated from a three-hole playoff with Bubba Watson and eventual winner Martin Kaymer.

This week at the Barclays, Johnson has once again demonstrated just how thick his skin is.

Johnson came back from his U.S. Open meltdown in June with a tie for 14th at the Open Championship less than a month later and then of course his near miss at Whistling Straights just a few weeks after that.  

Now, Johnson is looking to erase the PGA Championship debacle with a huge win at The Barclays.

Johnson carded a 64 on Saturday at Ridgewood Country Club which boosted him 25 spots up the leaderboard.

Johnson currently trails Martin Laird, who carded an equally impressive 65 in round three, by three strokes heading into the final round.

Although this is not a major championship, Johnson knows better than anyone how quickly three-strokes can disappear on Sunday. 

He saw it happen to himself on the second hole at Pebble Beach, and he saw it happen to final round playing partner Nick Watney at Whistling Straights.  

“I guess you never know out here,” Johnson said after his round.  “If I can play like I did today, there's not too much out of reach.”

Johnson is currently 11th in FedEx Cup points.  A win this week will put him in the lead heading into the Deutsche Bank Championship and will put him in prime position to win the 2010 FedEx Cup.

A $10 million pay day might not make up for a major championship victory…but it sure would help.

But Johnson will not be the only one chasing Laird on Sunday afternoon.

There are nine players within five-strokes of the lead, including Australians Jason Day and Adam Scott, two-time 2010 winner Justin Rose and Mr. Consistency Matt Kuchar. 

If Laird falters in the slightest way, he could upon the door to a hungry pack of titanium wielding golfer all looking for a $10 million payday.  

However, Laird might be difficult to rattle on this Sunday afternoon, particularly when playing on one of his favorite golf courses.

Laird tied for seventh the last time The Barclays was held at Ridgewood Country Club back in 2008, and he has broken 70 in five of his last seven rounds at Ridgewood.

“I love it,” Laird said after his round on Saturday.  “I don't think there's a bad hole on this golf course. I've been raving about this course since we were here two years ago. I think it's the best one we play.”

Although Laird won his first PGA Tour event last fall at the Justin Timberlake Shriners Hospital for Children Open, a win at The Barclays could be a career changer for the 27-year-old native of Glasgow, Scotland.