WOODLAND

Two-time major champion =DFK -RKQVRQ DQG %UDQGRQ Stone of South Africa were at 66.

Dustin Johnson reached 5 under until a few wild drives on the back nine cost him. The world’s No. 1 player had to settle for a 67, along with -DVRQ 'D\ -XVWLQ 5RVH DQG eight other players.

It was more of a struggle for Tiger Woods, drenched in so much sweat that he changed shirts after 12 shots — that was only two holes and a tee shot. He had to make an 8-foot putt to escape with bogey on No. 10, and then dumped a wedge into the water for double bogey on No. 11. Woods was 3 over through seven holes, and then clawed his way back to even par for a 70.

“A lot of things could happen. Not a lot them were SRVLWLYH ´ :RRGV VDLG ³%XW I hung in there and turned it around.”

Defending champion Justin Thomas let a good start slip away. He didn’t make a putt outside a few feet over the last 12 holes and shot 69.

Jordan Spieth, in his second crack at the career Grand Slam, opened with a double ERJH\ DQG ¿QLVKHG WZR EDG swings off the tee that sent him to a 71.

The secret was simple: Avoid the rough.

Woodland, who played college basketball for one year at Washburn as a freshman before switching to golf at .DQVDV LV DPRQJ WKH PRVW SRZHUIXO DWKOHWLF ¿JXUHV LQ golf. He had 145 yards to the front on No. 5 and couldn’t get it to the green. “Pretty nasty,” he said. That’s how it was for Woods at the start, when his opening tee shot found the rough and he could only pitch it back to the fairway with a creek at bottom of the hill. That’s why Fowler thrived. He missed only three fairways and putted for birdie on all but two holes.

Fowler’s biggest change was the wardrobe, switching to a yellow shirt for Thursday in memory of Jarrod Lyle, the Australian golfer who died Wednesday. On the course, he looked like he was ready to give this major business — he KDG KLV WKLUG UXQQHU XS ¿QLVK in a major at the Masters this year — another try.