Johnson gets back in swing, makes the cut
PEBBLE BEACH — Dustin Johnson made the cut Saturday — for the first time since the British Open in July.
Johnson missed the cut one week later at the Canadian Open and then disappeared from the PGA Tour for more than six months. It was a leave of absence to address “personal challenges,” officially, though it also came in the wake of a Golf.com report that Johnson failed a third test for recreational drugs.
He returned from his hiatus last week at Torrey Pines but missed the cut there. Johnson seems to have found his game on the Monterey Peninsula, where he shot 6967-68 the past three days.
That left Johnson at 11-under-par heading into Sunday’s final round of the AT&T pro-am, tied for 17th and seven shots off the pace.
“It’s only my second week back, so I’m pretty happy with it,” Johnson said. “It takes a little time to get in the swing of things, just mentally on the course, but everything’s pretty good right now.”
Johnson, of course, brings some positive history at Pebble Beach. He won a weather-shortened AT&T in 2009, then won again in 2010. Johnson also tied for second in last year’s tournament, one shot behind Jimmy Walker. Hip to be swinging: Singer Huey Lewis is enjoying the ride with Jim Furyk, his pro partner and the 54-hole leader. They will tee off in Sunday’s final group, alongside Matt Jones and his amateur partner, actor/director Eric Close.
As Lewis knows from past experience, the atmosphere quickly changes in the final round.
“Making the cut is fun, but then you go out there on Sunday and a golf tournament breaks out,” Lewis said. “I’ll be very nervous.” Heading home: Remember all the way back to Thursday, when John Daly shot 65 to plant himself in early contention? Daly followed with 72-73 and missed the cut.
The cut landed at 7under-par, lowest in tournament history.
Other notable players who failed to advance to Sunday’s final round include Ernie Els, Tom Lehman, Ian Poulter and Padraig Harrington. Briefly: Monterey Peninsula (par-71) played as the easiest course in the first three days, with an average score of 68.9. Pebble Beach (par-72) was next at 70.2, with Spyglass Hill (par-72) the hardest at 71.2. … Pat Perez/Michael Lund lead the pro-am competition at 33-under, three shots ahead of Brandt Snedeker/Toby Wilt. Buster Posey (with Nick Watney) and Matt Cain (with Matt Bettencourt) both made the cut. … Cal alum Brandon Hagy shot his second consecutive 66 and climbed into a tie for 30th. Former Golden Bears Max Homa and James Hahn also made the cut.
“Making the cut is fun, but then you go out there on Sunday and a golf tournament breaks out. I’ll be very nervous.”
Huey Lewis, singer