Dustin Johnson leads Dell Technologies Championship as rivals struggle
Saturday 2 September 2017 21:54, UK
Dustin Johnson looks set to consolidate, and extend, his lead at the top of the FedExCup standings after setting the first-round pace at the Dell Technologies Championship.
Fresh from edging out closest rival Jordan Spieth in a dramatic play-off at The Northern Trust last week, Johnson put himself in pole position for a fifth victory of the season at TPC Boston as he fired a five-under 66 to claim the outright lead.
Masters champion Sergio Garcia and his fellow Spaniard Jon Rahm are just one off the pace while Spieth did well to salvage a 72 after being three over through seven holes, and Rory McIlroy was also one over for the day after another round blighted by inconsistency.
Only 28 of the 95 starters managed to break par in chilly, blustery conditions on a course playing firm and fast, but Johnson continued his serene march towards a $10m bonus as he started with a 35-foot putt for an opening birdie at the 10th.
The world No 1 also birdied 13 and 15 either side of a rare lapse on the 14th green as he three-putted from 30 feet, and he then drilled a sublime 220-yard six-iron to four feet at the 18th to set up an eagle which took him to four under at the turn.
A wayward tee shot at the first cost him another bogey, but he bounced back with further gains at the second and fourth before parring in to set the early clubhouse target which none of the later starters could match.
"I finally feel like I'm swinging the club how I was when I was playing really well at the beginning of the year," said Johnson. "I've got a lot of control over it and I feel like I can control my golf ball very well, which is what you've got to do in these conditions.
"When you win, you're playing well so it gives you a lot of confidence. That was one thing that was probably lacking a little bit the last few months is just the confidence. But after last week, obviously I've got a lot of confidence now. I feel like the things I've been working on, they are back to working."
Kyle Stanley put together one of his best rounds of the year as he kept a bogey off his card in a superb 67 which was soon matched by Marc Leishman, while Garcia and Rahm made it a four-way share of second late in the day.
Garcia made five birdies on the back nine, including three in four holes from the 15th as he rediscovered his form with the putter, although he did miss from inside four feet to blot his card at the third before getting the shot back at the long seventh and saving par at the ninth following a snap-hook off the tee which left him unable to go at the green in two.
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Meanwhile, Rahm was level par with only five holes to play following two birdies and two bogeys, but the exciting youngster followed a birdie at the 14th with three in a row from the 16th to cap his 67.
Phil Mickelson boosted his chances of making the Presidents Cup team as he opening with a solid three-birdie 69 along with Rickie Fowler, while Paul Casey led the British challenge after a birdie at the last got the English veteran under the card.
Defending champion McIlroy made an encouraging start when he birdied the fifth and then holed a monster 50-foot putt for another at the sixth, but his challenge stalled when he found trouble off the tee at the long seventh and compounded the error with three putts.
Worse was to come at the 11th when, after setting up a good birdie chance with his tee shot to 12 feet, McIlroy took four putts to get down including two misses from inside four feet, and he frittered away another shot at the 15th before an excellent up-and-down at the last got him back to one over par.
