Feel like you’re watching a movie with a convoluted plot structure? That’s 2020—and yesterday was Labor Day. The U.S. Open takes place in two weeks, and the Tour Championship concluded…yesterday. The Mackenzie Tour (PGA Tour Canada) finishes an abbreviated, four-tournament schedule next week, one month after it began. The Korn Ferry Tour Championship took place last week, yet there are five events scheduled after it. The only way to cap this season would be to play the Old Course at St. Andrews in reverse. Actually, that would cap any season. Haven’t seen the clockwise routing in years.

This week’s Tour Rundown brings names like Pistorius, Catlin, and Drewitt to the headlines, and wonders aloud, can Dustin Johnson dominate the playoffs? With more golf to be played this fall, culminating in a November Masters in Augusta, we’ve much to anticipate this week and beyond, so let’s run it all down.

Tour Championship and FedEx Cup title to Mr. DJ

It’s implausible that Dustin Johnson continue to receive the Rodney Dangerfield treatment of No Respect after the 2020 golf season. He has won at least once in every full season since he turned professional, in late 2007. The Palmetto Powerhouse has 23 victories and a U.S. Open title to his name. Johnson is now one behind Gary Player and two back of Johnny Miller. This week, DJ added another laurel to his list of achievements, by nabbing the FedEx title that Rory McIlroy stole from him, this time last year.

Johnson began championship week as the number one seed, a position that saw him begin at 10-under par. Behind him was Jon Rahm at minus-nine. The Spaniard had a rotten day two, and try as he might, could only return to 4th spot, after 66s in rounds three and four. Justin Thomas and Xander Schauffele tied for second behind the tall timber, with Schauffele posting the best four-round score of the week (265.) Johnson played the type of controlled golf that wins big events. His play this week makes him one of the favorites at both Winged Foot and Augusta National, sites of the year’s final two major events. Johnson is easily deserving of multiple major titles but, as Greg Norman and others might say, deserving and possessing are two different species.

Lincoln Land Championship to Drewitt by one

Brett Drewitt might be cautiously thrilled that the Korn Ferry Tour will play beyond the Tour Championship this season. The Aussie has embodied the moniker of journeyman since he turned professional some seven years back. He has seen the locker rooms of the world’s major tours, and been promoted and demoted with regularity. This week, he took a step in the proper direction by holding off three golfers by a single stroke, to claim the Lincoln Land Championship.

Charlie Saxon began the week with a 61, and held his lead through 54 holes. A closing 73 dropped him to a tie for 7th spot. Anders Albertson emulated Saxon in round two, signing for a 62. He entered the final round in 2nd place, but also wilted on day four. His 71 caused him to soar from 2nd to 5th position. The top four finishers all made a move of at least one place, with Drewitt moving from 3rd slot overnight. The closing holes were a challenge for all, and England’s Harry Hall came to the last in a tie with Drewitt. He made bogey there, to tumble into a tie for the runner-up spot. Joining him on the podium’s second level were two USA golfers, Ben Kohles and Austin Treslow. The tour continues on to the Evans Scholars Invitational, near Chicago, next week.

Andalucia Masters: Catlin claims first Euro title

2020 represents the highs and lows of golf for John Catlin. In August, he and his caddie were defaulted from the English Championship after they patronized a local restaurant. They had violated the European Tour’s Covid-19 Bubble protocol. Four weeks later, Catlin found himself atop the Andalucia Masters leader board through 54 holes, tasked with holding off Martin Kaymer if he wished to secure an inaugural, European Tour win. Piece of quarantined cake, right?

Kaymer is familiar with pressure. He has won two major titles and played on numerous international squads. Catlin boasts neither of those credentials. They and the rest of the field met a compounded task: Valderrama at its toughest. The site of the 1997 Ryder Cup gave golfers fits all week. Until Lee Westwood (out of contention) posted 67 in round four, no one had gone lower than minus-three all week long. That 67, by the way, lifted Lee 51 spots into a tenth-place tie.

Sunday revealed itself to be a battle of the bogies. Catlin made 4 of them, to go with his 14 pars. Incredibly, he won. Challengers Lorenzo Gagli and Jamie Donaldson posted 78s, and dropped into Westwood territory. Kaymer was a game opponent all day long, until he stumbled with three bogies over the final six holes. His five at the last was the gut-wrenching nail in the coffin. Catlin was able to par the closing quartet of holes, a stretch that moved him from one behind to one in front, of the great German champion. The European Tour plays on next week, moving westward to Portugal for that country’s Open championship.

CLS at TPC Toronto to Pistorius by one

Albert Pistorius must be thrilled that the Canada Life Series will close the tour season with its championship … on precisely the same course where the South African held off three challengers to win his first event of the ever-so-short season. Pistorius snagged the lead on Saturday with a seven-under par 64, then threatened to run away with the TPC Toronto event by making eagle-par-birdie to open up a commanding lead at ten under par. Just like that, the magic went partly away, and Pistorius struggle with four bogeys the rest of the way. A pair of back-nine birdies allowed him to return minus-eight. His 205 through 54 holes was enough to hold off Andrew Funk and Callum Davison of the host country. As suggested above, the Canada Life Series will end its run this week, as it again challenges the field with the Osprey course at TPC Toronto, in suburban Caledon.