Johnson’s 66 earns 1-shot Boston lead
NORTON, Mass. — Now that he's finally won again, Dustin Johnson is starting to look as dangerous as ever. One week after Johnson ended a five-month dry spell brought on by a back injury, he easily handled the early cold and a steady win at TPC Boston for a 5-under 66 to take a oneshot lead in the opening round of the Dell Technologies Championship. And the world's No. 1 player made it look easy on a tough day for scoring.
He started with a 35-foot birdie putt on No. 10. He made the turn with a 6-iron from 220 yards that sailed high and rode the left-toright wind into 4 feet for eagle. When another big tee shot settled into a divot on the reachable par-5 second hole, he laid up short of the water and still made birdie.
“Put together a pretty good score,” Johnson said.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia opened with five birdies on the front nine and then saved his day with a par on his final hole. He hooked his tee shot into the trees, got a bounce into the rough, laid up and then hit wedge to 12 feet and made the putt for a 67. Jon Rahm also had a 67 that he felt was the best he could have possibly done. It helped that the 22-year-old Spaniard birdied four of his last five holes in the afternoon as the temperature warmed slightly and the wind never went away.
Marc Leishman and Kyle Stanley also were one shot back among the early starters who had to face the surprising chill of morning, a cruel reminder that the end of a New England summer is not far away.
Phil Mickelson, in his last tournament before the picks are made for the Presidents Cup, felt more energy after seeing a doctor and kept his focus on enough good shots for a 69.
Johnson played in the group featuring the top three in the FedExCup. PGA champion Justin Thomas made 16 pars in his round of 71. British Open champion Jordan Spieth, who lost to Johnson in a sudden-death playoff last week on Long Island, didn't make a birdie until his 13th hole and shot 72.
PORTLAND, Ore. — Stacy Lewis shot an 8-under 64 on Friday for a share of the Cambia Portland Classic lead — and a chance to make a big donation to hurricane relief in her hometown. From The Woodlands in the Houston area, Lewis is giving her earnings this week to the relief efforts in the wake of Hurricane Harvey. The 11-time LPGA Tour champion also is trying to win for the first time since 2014. Two-time defending champion Brooke Henderson and first-round leader In Gee Chun matched Lewis at 10-under 134 at tree-lined Columbia Edgewater.
CALGARY, Alberta — Kevin Sutherland shot an 8-under 62 on Friday to take one-stroke lead over California childhood rival Scott McCarron in the PGA Tour Champions' Shaw Charity Classic. Sutherland played his final nine — the front nine at Canyon Meadows — in 6-under 29.
Winless on the 50-and-over tour, Sutherland finished second behind McCarron two weeks ago in the Dick's Sporting Goods Open.