Johnson in lead after carding 66
Now that he’s finally won again, Dustin Johnson is starting to look as dangerous as ever.
One week after he ended a five-month dry spell brought on by a back injury, Johnson easily handled the early cold and a steady win at TPC Boston on Friday for a 5-under-par 66 to take a one-shot lead in the opening round of the Dell Technologies Championship in Norton, Mass.
“When you win, you’re playing well, so it gives you a lot of confidence,” Johnson said. “After last week, I’ve got a lot of confidence now. I feel like the things I’ve been working on, they are back to working.”
The world’s No. 1 player made it look easy on a tough day for scoring.
He started with a 35foot birdie putt on No. 10. He made the turn with a 6-iron from 220 yards that sailed high and rode the left-to-right 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-yearold 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. LPGA: Stacy Lewis shot an 8-under 64 for a share of the Cambia Portland Classic lead.
Lewis, a Houston area native, said she will donate her tournament check to flood relief efforts.
“It would honestly probably be one of the most special,” Lewis said about winning. “It would probably be up there with a major. That was the goal to start the week, was to take a big check home. That’s still the goal. Now I’m in a good spot to do that.”
Two-time defending champion Brooke Henderson and first-round leader In Gee Chun matched Lewis at 10under 134 at Columbia Edgewater. Henderson played a five-hole stretch in 5 under in a 67, and Chun had a 68. Champions Tour: Kevin Sutherland shot an 8under 62 to take onestroke lead over Sacramento area childhood rival Scott McCarron in the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary, Alberta.
Winless on the 50-andover tour, Sutherland finished second behind McCarron two weeks ago in New York in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. European Tour: In Vysoky Ujezd, Czech Republic, Lee Slattery overcame heavy rain and cold to shoot a 7-under 65 and take the lead in the second round of the Czech Masters as tough weather conditions forced the suspension of play.