Notebook: For Dustin Johnson, being at East Lake just feels right

ATLANTA -- Dustin Johnson came close to winning two majors this year. But he couldn't seal the deal at the U.S. Open or the PGA Championship. Now he goes into this week's TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola as one of the top five players in points, guaranteed to win the FedExCup and its $10 million bonus if he wins the tournament on Sunday.

So the question was posed by one of the media members here Tuesday: If he could win one of those majors but not make it to East Lake this year, would he take it?

"No," Johnson replied.

Then the follow-up: You'd rather be here?

"I'd rather be in the spot that I'm in," he confirmed.

Specifically, that spot is No. 2 in FedExCup points, thanks to his win two weeks ago in the previous event, the BMW Championship. The win was Johnson's second of the year -- he successfully defended his title at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am in February -- and it vaulted him into prime position to win not only the FedExCup, but possibly Player of the Year honors.

"If he were to win this week, I've got to believe ... a lot of people would be betting on him for Player of the Year," PGA TOUR Commissioner Tim Finchem said. "... It would be his third win, and winning the year-long competition, I think, would put him in that category."

Considering he'll be headed off to the Ryder Cup next week as a member of the U.S. team, it's been an incredible year for Johnson. Incredible with a lot of highs ... and, unfortunately, some incredible lows.

"I try to think I see everything coming, but not always," Johnson said. "I think that I've worked hard this year with fitness and on my golf game, so it's good to see the results paying off. But, I mean, you never know. You can't ever predict, like, I'm going to win two tournaments this year. You just can't do it.

"Going out this year, the goal was to give myself opportunities to win, and I've done that very well this year."

As a result, he's quickly become a popular figure among golf fans, who are in awe of his prodigious length off the tee but also sympathize with his struggles in the pressure-packed environment at Pebble Beach and the weird is-it-a-bunker-or-not ruling at Whistling Straits.

"I think Dustin Johnson has done two things this year," the commissioner said. "He has developed a tremendous following among fans, and he's also given us a couple of great examples of how when you're dealing adversity in very difficult circumstances, you handled it in the way that you want to see a PGA TOUR player handle it."

Johnson said he has noticed the increased attention, especially at the BMW Championship when he felt the gallery rooting for him. He said it's important to relate to the fans, which is why he'll sign autographs and interact with them.

He realizes some of his fans may not have heard much about him until his final-round meltdown at the U.S. Open or his rules issue at the PGA. He hopes his ability to win tournaments -- and possible the FedExCup this week -- will eventually be his legacy.

"It's great to be one of the guys that the fans like," he said. "... Eventually, I thought once they got to know me, they would like me.

"It happened in a different way than I expected, but it still worked out well for me."

Things will work out even better if he's holding both trophies on Sunday. -- Mike McAllister

VILLEGAS REPLAY?: A year ago, Camilo Villegas came up short in his quest to defend his title at THE TOUR Championship. He tied for eighth at the BMW Championship but only moved 10 spots to No. 42 in the FedExCup standings so he didn't get to play at East Lake.

This year, though, Villegas went to Cog Hill without as much ground to make up. He tied for 11th and jumped from 33rd to No. 25 which put him back among the elite field for the finale of the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup.

"It was a battle there at the end with this crazy points system,'" Villegas said Tuesday. "I've said it time after time I think it's a great idea. The points system definitely needs to get better -- but I'm here.

"Once you're here you've got 30 guys. You got to beat 29 guys. ... I did it two years ago, why can't I do it again?"

Villegas' victory at East Lake in 2008 was his second straight in the Playoffs and led to a second-place finish in the FedExCup behind Vijay Singh. The young Colombian, who won his third TOUR event earlier this year at The Honda Classic, is eager for the competition to begin.

"The golf course is in unbelievable shape," said Villegas, who also tied for ninth at East Lake in 2007. "It will be a challenge like every week but I'm looking forward to it." -- Helen Ross

CASEY'S EXTRA MOTIVATION?: How will Paul Casey spend his Ryder Cup week? Riding a bike through Whistler, Canada.

"I didn't watch a lot of TV the last time I was there," said Casey, who, despite a stellar match-play resume that includes three Ryder Cup appearances, a win at the 2006 HSBC World Match Play Championship and appearances in the final of the last two World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championships, was passed over two weeks ago by Colin Montgomerie as a Captain's Pick for the European Ryder Cup team. "I'll definitely turn on the TV at some stage and check out what's going on with the Ryder Cup matches.

"As much as I'd love to be there, as much as it hurts me that I didn't qualify on my own merit, I still have an interest in it, and I will still be rooting on the Europeans."

For now, though, Casey will set his sights on the FedExCup, which he can win with a victory at East Lake this week by virtue of being fifth in the FedExCup standings.

"I'm trying not to get too caught up in it because it's a sum of money ... it's a figure with which I am not familiar with," Casey said of the $10 million for winning the FedExCup and additional $1.35 million for winning THE TOUR Championship.

Despite such a lucrative prize, Casey says he won't change his mind set and that he will approach this tournament the same as he has any other this year. He will, however, have some added motivation. Asked if he'd take any extra pleasure in the controversy a victory at East Lake and winning the FedExCup would stir up overseas, Casey simply just smiled. -- Brian Wacker

STRICKER-PAVIN BUNKER INCIDENT: Steve Stricker related a story from his appearance at the 1996 Presidents Cup when he was a member of the U.S. team. He was partnered with Corey Pavin, who will be his captain next week at the Ryder Cup.

Now for the rest of the story ...

"My wife was on the bag for me," Stricker said. "It was, I think, alternate shot.

"Corey drove it in the bunker. I go ahead and fat it out of the bunker, don't make it to the green, and I turn around and take a big swipe of sand and it flies right towards my wife -- and covers my wife with sand."

Added Stricker: "He hasn't let me forget it, and I haven't forgotten it, and my wife hasn't forgotten it, but he lets me know about it on a regular basis.

"That was a pretty priceless moment." -- Mike McAllister

VOLUNTEER AND AUTHOR: Volunteers are the backbone of any PGA TOUR event, and THE TOUR Championship is no exception. And one of those who works in the media center has something in common with the people she supports.

Julie Labossiere, an executive with Coca-Cola, which is the presenting sponsor of the tournament, has just published her first children's book, "Amy Goes Surfing." The book, which is available on amazon.com, tells the story of a young girl trying to ride the waves for the first time and the goals she sets for herself along the way.

Turns out, Labossiere is a big fan of Adam Scott, who also happens to enjoy surfing. A victory at East Lake by the Aussie, who ranks 14th in the FedExCup, would likely complete her week. -- Helen Ross

SPEEDY DUSTIN: In addition to being one of the PGA TOUR's biggest hitters, Dustin Johnson is also one of the faster players. That got him in trouble in the final round at the U.S. Open, when he struggled early and then compounded matters by rushing his game instead of taking a deep breath and slowing down.

But for the most part, a fast pace on the course suits his style.

"I was always a fast player," Johnson said. "I look at it as there's only two things that can happen -- you hit a good shot or a bad shot. So why waste time doing it?"

Johnson said the lesson he learned at Pebble Beach was that he "wasn't really thinking things through very much." So he's tried to be cognizant of slowing down as he walks from shot to shot, making sure his routine doesn't speed up.

One thing that won't change, though, is the time it takes for him to hit a shot once he pulls the club from his bag. Asked if we can still count on the usual 10 seconds before he launches it, Johnson simply replied: "Yeah." -- Mike McAllister

OTHER AWARDS ON THE LINE: In addition to the FedExCup, a couple of other awards -- the Byron Nelson Award and the Vardon Trophy -- will most likely be decided at THE TOUR Championship.

Both trophies recognize the lowest adjusted scoring average. The Byron Nelson Award is handed out by the PGA TOUR, and players are eligible if they compete in a minimum of 50 official rounds on the PGA TOUR. The Vardon Trophy is awarded by the PGA of America, and is based on a minimum of 60 official rounds in events cosponsored or approved by the PGA TOUR.

Matt Kuchar (69.57) currently holds a .01 lead over Steve Stricker (69.58). Paul Casey and Retief Goosen are tied for third (69.81).

Entering THE TOUR Championship, the overall adjusted scoring average in 2010 is up slightly from the same time period in 2009 (71.15 vs. 71.03).