Fortunes turn for Collin Morikawa, Dustin Johnson, Kevin Kisner with early exit from Northern Trust

The reigning British Open champion said he wanted to save his energy for the Tour Championship in Atlanta, but he probably didn’t mean to do so by missing the cut and have the weekend off. It’s just his fifth missed cut in an individual stroke-play event and sixth overall as a pro.

A first-round 2-over 73 was the result of a poor day off the tee that led to Morikawa hitting just nine greens in regulation. He was bogey-free on Friday until a double at the last, but his fate was sealed by that point. He lost more than two strokes to the field on the greens and made only five birdies in 36 holes.

During the television broadcast, TV commentators Dottie Pepper, Arron Oberholser and Frank Nobilo mentioned that Morikawa is battling a bad back. “Pretty disturbing,” Nobilo said. “He’s not a power player, too, for him to have a back issue.” Pepper noted that Morikawa’s longtime swing coach Rick Sessinghaus was expected to meet up with him next week before the BMW Championship.

Dustin Johnson walks off the 16th tee during the second round of the Northern Trust, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at Liberty National Golf Club on August 20, 2021 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The World No. 2 won this tournament at TPC Boston a year ago by 11 strokes. This time, he shot 1-under 70 without a driver – he cracked his gamer shortly before his round got underway and didn’t have a backup with him – on Thursday and opened with a double bogey at No. 10 and straddled the cutline most of the day as he made three birdies and two bogeys, including one at his final hole. Johnson missed a 5-foot putt at nine that did him in, but he clearly wasn’t comfortable off the tee with his replacement driver as he lost 2.6 strokes to the field off the tee. It’s his fourth missed cut of the year and second in his last three starts.

Kevin Kisner hits a shot after taking a penalty on the 16th hole during the first round of The Northern Trust golf tournament at the Liberty National Golf Club. (Photo: Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)

What a difference less than a week makes. Kisner, the winner of a six-man sudden-death playoff at the Wyndham Championship on Sunday, is heading down the road after shooting 8-over 152.

Kisner made a triple bogey and a double on Thursday to put himself behind the 8-Ball with a 76 and shot 74 on Friday despite making five birdies. He ranked worse than 110th for two rounds in SG: Off the Tee, SG: Tee to Green and SG: Around the Green. That’s a recipe for a sure-fired missed cut. It was his 10th missed cut in 25 starts this season.

Phil Mickelson and Hudson Swafford finishing 14 during the opening round of the Northern Trust Golf Tournament part of the PGA Tour being played at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City on August 19, 2021. (Photo: Chris Pedota-USA TODAY NETWORK)

The reigning PGA Championship winner has the weekend off for the ninth times in 22 starts this season. After a 73 on Thursday, his round went off the rails at the turn. He made a bogey at No. 10 to fall back to even for the day and then rinsed two balls at the par-3 11th en route to a triple-bogey six. He made three birdies in a row beginning at No. 13 but it was too little too late. Mickelson ranked No. 116 out of 123 competitors in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green and did nothing to improve his chances of earning a captain’s pick for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. He also will have to sweat out the weekend to see if he makes the BMW Championship. He’s currently projected to be on the right side of the cutline for next week’s second leg of the FedEx Cup at No. 68.

Adam Scott hits his tee shot on the ninth hole during the first round of The Northern Trust golf tournament at the Liberty National Golf Club. (Mark Konezny-USA TODAY Sports)

The Australian was 4 feet from winning the Wyndham Championship on the first playoff hole on Sunday. He put that setback behind him and shot 67 on Thursday and looked poise to make a run for another title at the Northern Trust, but on Friday he made two double bogeys on the back nine to shoot 4-over 75 and missed the cut by one.

Scott struggled across the board: ranking No. 114 out of 123 in SG: Tee to Green (-3.850), No. 118 in SG: Around the Green and No. 109 in SG: Putting (-2.134.) Scott’s season is officially over as he failed to qualify for the BMW Championship.

Sergio Garcia plays his shot from the 16th tee during the first round of the Northern Trust, the first event of the FedExCup Playoffs, at Liberty National Golf Club on August 19, 2021 in Jersey City, New Jersey. (Photo by Sarah Stier/Getty Images)

The Spaniard’s chances took a serious hit when he opened with a snowman on his first hole of the tournament, No. 10. He shot 41 for his first nine holes. He lost more than five strokes to the field tee to green on Thursday and that was too much to overcome. Garcia, who won the Sanderson Farms Championship, missed his ninth cut in 22 starts this season. He’s safe for the BMW Championship – projected at No. 45.