The Open: Zach Johnson pleased with form at St Andrews
Last Updated: 17/07/15 8:48pm
Zach Johnson feels he is in the form to win a first Open championship this weekend after battling to a second round 71 at St Andrews.
Johnson found scoring tougher on Friday, making four birdies and three bogeys, but he moved back into a tie for second on seven under with Marc Warren, two shots behind early leader Danny Willett.
The 39-year-old made it to eight under for the tournament with birdies at the fifth and sixth, but three birdies in five holes from the 11th knocked him back until his fourth birdie at the driveable par-four closing hole.
The 2007 Masters champion said: "You just never know what's going to come about with the conditions and the factors presented but I feel like, mentally, I'm in a place that I can combat essentially whatever comes my way, just because there's a little bit of confidence, and maybe that mental state knowing that I can.
"It doesn't mean I'm going to but my outlook right now is really just to keep doing what we're doing, trying to stay physically and mentally fresh and enjoy the ride because this is just a lot of fun.
"I don't feel like I played that much different today than I did yesterday, truth be told, but I just scored better yesterday. I had two three-putts today. I don't think I three-putted yesterday."
Johnson did not start playing until 11.14am after a delay of more than three hours caused by a torrential downpour early in the morning.
The 39-year-old, who was originally scheduled to tee off at 8am, was surprised play was suspended but had no doubt the correct decision was made.
He added: "My mindset was let's hope there's a delay - but I thought that mindset was pretty far-fetched, considering it is the Open Championship and you expect brutal conditions at times.
"But the course was unplayable. It was a lake on one and 18, essentially. The R&A did what they needed to do and what they were supposed to do."
