Dustin Johnson earns first-round lead at PGA Championship
Last Updated: 14/08/15 10:05pm
Dustin Johnson launched his bid for atonement at Whistling Straits with a superb 66 that earned him the first-round lead at the 97th PGA Championship.
Leaderboard
Rory McIlroy fired an encouraging 71 in his first competitive round since the US Open, while playing partner Jordan Spieth was also one under for the day in the tougher afternoon conditions, but the first day belonged to Johnson.
The American, who was cruelly robbed of a place in the play-off at the same venue in 2010 when he grounded his club in a bunker on the 72nd hole, got off to the best possible start with birdies at his first two holes after teeing off at the 10th.
Two hefty blows at the 16th set up a 30-foot putt for eagle which he duly converted, and two further approaches to inside 10 feet at the first and second holes led to two more birdies which took him to six under.
Johnson dropped his only shot of the round after finding a deep bunker from the tee at the short third, but he got the stroke straight back at the next before parring in to set a clubhouse target that was rarely under threat as the wind picked up for the later starters.
"Today was pretty easy, I would have to say," Johnson said. "I was swinging well and I was hitting the shots where I was looking and I really felt like I was just super patient, stayed focused all day.
"I played pretty well at the US Open on the weekend. At the British Open I didn't play well on the weekend, but even the first two days I didn't feel like I was playing that good golf. I wasn't too comfortable with my swing. I wasn't hitting the shots that I wanted to hit. I didn't feel like I was too much in control.
More control
"Today, I really felt like I had my ball under control a lot like I did at the US Open. We'll just have to see what happens. It's only the first round, we've still got a lot of golf to play."
Johnson ended the day with a one-shot lead over David Lingmerth, who also teed off at the 10th and defied the blustery conditions to get off to a blistering start with five birdies in his first seven holes.
The Swede, winner of The Memorial in June, tied Johnson for the lead when he rolled in his sixth birdie putt of the day at the long fifth, but he made a mess of the next and bogeyed before parring in to settle for a creditable 67.
"I have been near the last group the last few tournaments and that's good practice for tournaments like this," Lingmerth said. "I have not had the opportunity to win a major yet, so hopefully that will come on Sunday."
Jason Day carded an eagle and three birdies before blotting his card at the sixth following a wayward wedge as he opened with a solid 68 along with fellow Aussie Matt Jones, in-form New Zealander Danny Lee and a strong American group of Matt Kuchar, JB Holmes, Russell Henley, Harris English and Scott Piercy.
Justin Rose and PGA debutant James Morrison lead the English challenge on three under, with Paul Casey a further shot adrift along with 2010 champion Martin Kaymer, who was within two of the lead until he double-bogeyed his final hole.
McIlroy and Spieth were among 38 players to break par on day one, but Tiger Woods has his work cut out to avoid missing the cut in a third straight major after he struggled to a three-over 75.
McIlroy looked to be in for a long day when he three-putted the first, but he settled himself with a birdie at the long second and saved par in stunning style at the fifth with a clever up-and-down from shallow water to the left of the green.
The world No 1 offset a bogey at eight with a delightful approach to four feet for birdie at nine, and he birdied both par-fives on the back nine before ending his round with a disappointing five after missing the green with his approach.
Spieth's quest to become the third player in history to win three majors in a calendar year began with 10 straight pars before he missed a short putt to drop a shot at 11, but he chipped in for birdie at the next and added another at 16 to get under the card for the first time.
