Kisner, Johnson share lead at British Open
CARNOUSTIE, Scotland — A light morning rain that gave way to soft afternoon sunlight took some of the sting out of Carnoustie.
Just not all of it.
Kevin Kisner found that out with one swing that erased his two-shot lead Friday in the British Open and left him tied with housemate Zach Johnson. He hit an 8-iron that only needed to go 150 yards to clear the Barry Burn in front of the 18th green. Instead, it floated out of the yellow grass to the right, bounced off the base of the rock wall that frames the winding stream and led to a double bogey.
Disappointed but not down,
Kisner removed his cap behind the green and scratched his head as if he wondered what hit him.
“They call it ‘Car-nasty’ for a reason,” he said after signing for his 1-under 70. “Even when you think you’ve got it, it will jump up and bite you.”
It took a chunk out of Dustin Johnson and Justin Thomas, the Nos. 1 and 2 players in the world who won’t be around for the weekend. Johnson finished with a double bogey to
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miss the cut by one. Thomas made three straight double bogeys on the front nine and also missed by one.
And it left a wide-open weekend on a course with a history of crazy finishes.
Zach Johnson, whose name already is on the claret jug from his playoff victory at St. Andrews three years ago, played in the morning under an umbrella and finished with a 30-foot birdie putt for a 67.
Johnson and Kisner are staying in a house of seven players — five of them major champions — and share the lead at 6-under 136.
They played on different ends of a day that started gray and ended with shadows. Scotland’s unusually dry summer finally got a reprieve. There wasn’t enough rain to turn brown fairways green, though it at least kept shots from rolling endlessly.
They head into a weekend with endless possibilities.
One shot behind were Tommy Fleetwood (65),
Pat Perez (68) and Xander Schauffele (66). Perez was tied for the lead until he hit into a bunker on the 18th hole and took bogey. Rory Mcilroy, pledging to “go down swinging” to rid himself of a bad Masters memory this year, had another 69 and was part of a large group two shots behind.
Jordan Spieth also is in the mix after a 67. “Very happy to be back in the tournament,” Spieth said.
Tiger Woods still has work to do. He had another 71 and was six shots behind, with 28 players between him and the lead.
“We’ve been fortunate with the conditions. It hasn’t blown yet,” Kisner said. “I think it will blow this weekend and make it even more difficult. Who knows what’s going to happen? We’re going to just keep trying to get after it.”
Carnoustie was a far different test from the opening round, when sunshine baked the fairways crisp and it was difficult to figure out how far the ball was going when it hit the ground. The steady, light rain made them a little slower and a lot more predictable. The greens held shots a little better. Strategies changed. Slightly softer conditions meant power players who were driving beyond the trouble hit more irons off the tee, and shorter players hit more drivers and fairway metals.
Kisner hit 5-iron off the first tee Thursday. He hit 3-wood Friday.
“Hit the same club as the approach,” Kisner said. “That’s a pretty dramatic difference in distance.”
Kisner is a newcomer to what amounts to an American fraternity house at golf ’s oldest championship the last three years. Four of them are among the top 11 on the leaderboard going into the weekend with Spieth and Rickie Fowler, who shot 69 and was at 3-under 139.