Can Dustin Johnson Become First Back-to-Back FedEx Cup Champ?

Since the inception of the FedEx Cup, no one has won back-to-back. In addition, there are only two golfers who have won the FedEx Cup twice: Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy.

It seems to be a truly hard one to repeat.

In the history of the Tour Championship, before and during the FedEx Cup era, there are only three golfers with multiple victories: Woods (three), McIlroy (two) and Phil Mickelson (two). None of those have been back-to-back.

So, should Dustin Johnson win the FedEx Cup this year, he would be the first to have the back-to-back victory.

Woods won the FedEx Cup in the first and third seasons it was played, but he did not win the Tour Championship either year. That’s because of the fluctuating nature of the season points, playoff points and Tour Championship points since it began.

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When Woods won the inaugural FedEx Cup in 2007, it was his second Tour Championship victory. He defeated Mark Calcavecchia and Zach Johnson and won by eight shots.

Tiger Woods Hero World Challenge PGA Tour

ATLANTA, GA – SEPTEMBER 23: Tiger Woods of the United States is swarmed by fans as he walks to the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on September 23, 2018 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Tim Bradbury/Getty Images) /

Woods’ second FedEx Cup title came in 2009 when Phil Mickelson won the Tour Championship over him by three strokes.

When Woods had his comeback from injury victory at East Lake in 2018, the year that the gallery formed an amoeba in the 18th fairway and followed him to the green, Justin Rose won the FedEx Cup.

Woods also won the Tour Championship in 1999 with a 15-stroke victory over Davis Love III. That was before the FedEx Cup.

So, as colossal player as Tiger Woods is, even he did not win the Tour Championship or the FedEx Cup back-to-back, which tells you how hard it is to do.

McIlroy won the FedEx Cup in 2016 by winning the Tour Championship in a playoff over Kevin Chappell and Ryan Moore.

ATLANTA, GEORGIA – AUGUST 25: Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland celebrates after winning on the 18th green during the final round of the TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club on August 25, 2019 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Cliff Hawkins/Getty Images) /

For his second FedEx Cup in 2018, McIlroy defeated Xander Schauffele at the Tour Championship, locking up his second Cup and Tour Championship victories.

Mickelson, the only other golfer with multiple Tour Championship wins, had his first in 2000 and his second in 2009. Amazingly, he defeated Tiger Woods both times to win. In 2000 Mickelson won by two strokes and in 2009, he won by three. Mickelson has never won the FedEx Cup.

ATLANTA – SEPTEMBER 27: Phil Mickelson (L), winner of THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola poses alongside Tiger Woods, winner of the 2009 FedExCup at East Lake Golf Club on September 27, 2009 in Atlanta, Georgia. (Photo by Scott Halleran/Getty Images) /

Dustin Johnson has not had a victory since the Saudi International in February 2021. However, he did win the Covid-delayed Masters in November of 2020, giving him his second major championship.

As there is no cut at the BMW Championship this week, Johnson has two more rounds to move up in the FedEx point standings. Whether he wins the BMW or not, he will still likely make it to Atlanta and the finale at East Lake.

Can he pull off a repeat? He’s going to have to plow his way through 15 to 20 high quality players to do it. In addition, the history of no repeat champs at both East Lake and in the FedEx Cup is not on his side.

Should Johnson not put his game into high gear, there are plenty of golfers, including Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Keopka, Jon Rahm, Justin Thomas, Collin Morikawa, Xander Schauffele, Jordan Spieth and more, ready to pounce.

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