No need for Erik to Roo dropping his putter at 18
BY CRAIG SWAN ERIK VAN ROOYEN survived a penalty scare to stay in Open contention.
The South African’s round almost ended on a sour note after he dropped his putter on to his marker on the 18th green.
Van Rooyen, who was in contention at four under, feared he’d land an R&A penalty for his blunder.
But it was ruled there was no infringement and van Rooyen coolly knocked home the putt for a 71.
The 28-year-old said: “It was accidental. We weren’t sure if the marker moved.
“We tried to find out if anybody perhaps saw it on a camera or something.
“In the end the ruling was no one saw it.
“I wanted to get going and get this 10-footer to save par but having maybe just a couple of minutes calmed me down.
“Actually, I got a little bit of a different read when I sat down and looked at it.”
Van Rooyen would be a shock Carnoustie winner and has been inspired by past South African heroes.
He added: “We’ve all looked up to Ernie Els and Retief Goosen and what they’ve done. Gary Player is a little bit before my time.
“But Charl Schwarzel and Louis Oosthuizen went on to win Majors and I feel like one of those guys who has the capability to do so.” as his Open slung a club lost JON RAHM Spaniard apart. The dreams fell hole as he at the ninth the head second-round a cut with missed the He said: five over. 78 to finish think away? I don’t “Did it slip it. a grasp on I ever had It’s just sad.” IT’S no novelty to see the name Johnson at the top of a Major leaderboard but it’s harsh on yesterday’s Open pacesetter that people tend to assume it’s the other one, not him.
Zach Johnson is well used to being mistaken for his taller, bigger hitting, more commercially marketable namesake – world No.1 Dustin.
But if ever these well intentioned – yet nevertheless blissfully ignorant – shouts of “go Dustin” from behind the ropes get on his wick he’s too laidback and certainly too polite to show it.
He would have every right to though.
After all, Zach trumps his more famous namesake in the Majors by two to one with a Green Jacket in the closet and Claret Jug on his mantelpiece.
Sure, 2016 US Open champion DJ has won more six more PGA Tour titles with 18 to Zach’s 12 – and his place on top of the world rankings reflects his supreme consistency over the last two-and-a-half years.
But while Dustin was packing his bags and heading for the airport after missing the cut on six over, here was the other Johnson quietly manoeuvring into position to mount a weekend challenge to add a second Open title to an already glittering CV.
Yesterday’s four-under 67 stole the show of the morning wave of play as he put up the number – six under – for the later guys to chase. Impressive but it shouldn’t be surprising considering he has made the last 11 Open cuts and racked up seven top-25s, including that famous win at St Andrews three years ago.
Not bad for a 42-year-old 5ft 7in guy from Cedar Rapids, Iowa, who casually shrugs his shoulders whenever he’s confused with a 6ft 3in sport@dailyrecord.co.uk bloke from South Carolina eight years his junior.
Johnson said: “I’ve been called Dustin many times. I doubt he has been called Zach that many.
“Maybe some people do assume, when they see the name up there on the leaderboard, that it’s Dustin.
“I mean, I’m certainly not the No.1 player in the world that ends in Johnson.
“What he has done over the last decade, specifically the last few years, is remarkable. He has seemed to have played well regardless of geographics, regardless of time of year.
“So you really get what you deserve there.
“How many tournaments has he won, 18 and I’m 12?
“So I guess Johnson & Johnson is doing okay. I don’t care. I don’t relish it (not being a big fan favourite). I’m just so wholeheartedly used to it.
“Maybe I’m just overly conservative and boring – and that’s perfectly fine.
“I just like to compete. It doesn’t matter where it is or what it is. Just give me an opportunity.
“But all that being said, I don’t know if I’m under the radar, overlooked or however you coin it. That’s not for me to say.
“And the comparison of Johnson & Johnson is probably not fair to me or him truthfully.
“He has won one Major but the odds are in his favour for another one at some point.”
For now all Zach is concerning himself with is homing in on a third big title of his own but it could be a battle kept in-house with Kevin Kisner joining him on six under after a 70.
Kisner is the new addition to the “frat house” that has made The Open so much fun for Zach, Jordan Spieth, Justin Thomas, Jimmy Walker, Jason Dufner and Rickie Fowler.
It’s the home that produced last year’s champion in the shape of Spieth, who consequently upheld a pre-tournament pact that the winner would pay everyone’s bill for the private jet they’d chartered to fly them back to the States.
A hefty bill that Johnson would happily foot this year.
He added: “Two years ago
EUAN McLEAN