Johnson in driving seat for world No 1 spot
AS STATEMENTS of intent go, it would be hard to top the impressive marker laid down by American Dustin Johnson yesterday in his bid to become world No 1 for the first time. Needing to win the Genesis Open here and hope present incumbent Jason Day finishes outside the top three, the 32-year-old US Open champion made the ideal start, blitzing around Riviera in 66 shots. In a week when the Royal and Ancient have come in for ridicule for claiming driving distances have barely altered over the last decade, Johnson provided more evidence for the sceptics with an awesome display of power from the tee. His playing partners Adam Scott and Justin Rose are hardly short hitters, but they found themselves reduced to helpless laughter as Johnson’s tee shots finished way beyond their own. Beginning at the tenth, a prime example came at the 14th, where Scott’s drive travelled 308 yards and Rose’s flew four yards further. Johnson, meanwhile, had some lengthy strides to complete before he reached his own mammoth effort, that carried 340 yards into a slight headwind, and rolled for another ten thereafter. That ability to go the extra yards is fuelling his drive to the summit, of course, and here he got a couple of putts to drop as well. He made his five-under-par score with a run of four birdies in five holes, beginning at the par-five 17th, where he almost chipped in for an eagle. On a cool morning, the starry trio of Johnson and his cohorts did their best to warm things up. Scott opened with a 68, while Rose continued his promising start to the season with a 69. Playing one group ahead, the seemingly ageless Phil Mickelson was showing his liking for golf in his native California, mustering an eaglebirdie-birdie run at one point on his way to a fine 67. Now 46, Mickelson seemed to be inspired playing alongside the new US Ryder Cup captain Jim Furyk and Sergio Garcia, the Spaniard with whom he fought that amazing halved singles match at Hazeltine last year, when they traded an incredible 19 birdies. Would anyone rule out Mickelson still being around for Paris next year for what would be a barely believable 12th consecutive appearance? Former world No 1 Luke Donald has a good record at Riviera and the Englishman put together another useful round, eventually finishing with a three-under-par 68. As for Day, he was part of the afternoon wave, as was in-form Jordan Spieth and Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, who retains a slim hope of becoming world No 1 himself this week aged just 24. Scotland’s Martin Laird was another late starter and opened with an eagle three on the par-five first. But he blotted his copybook on the very next hole as he gave one of those shots back immediately with a bogey five. Padraig Harrington found some form with an opening 67, while unheralded American Sam Saunders later took the clubhouse lead with a fabulous round of 64. SCOTT DONALDSON last night battled his way through to the quarter-finals of snooker’s Coral Welsh Open. The 22-year-old from Perth came from 3-1 down to beat Englishman Mark Davis — conqueror of Ronnie O’Sullivan in the previous round — 4-3. Graeme Dott and Ross Muir had earlier lost their third-round matches, while world No1 Mark Selby was shocked 4-1 by Chinese player Yao Bingtao — later beaten 4-1 by Norwegian Kurt Maflin.