KOHLER, Wisconsin: Dustin Johnson, so often the nearly man in recent majors, stayed patient and took advantage of relatively calm early conditions to stand one stroke clear after the opening round of the PGA Championship on Thursday.
While most golf fans eagerly awaited the ‘Rory and Jordan’ show that was to unfold in the afternoon at Whistling Straits, the long-hitting American racked up an eagle at the par-five 16th, five birdies and a bogey to card a six-under-par 66.
Swede David Lingmerth, who won his first PGA Tour title at the Memorial Tournament in June, recorded the best score in the tougher afternoon conditions as winds gusted up to 28 mph (45 kph), firing a six-birdie 67 to finish a stroke off the pace.
It was a rewarding and timely opening round for Johnson, who five years ago incurred a two-stroke penalty on the final hole of the last PGA Championship to be played here that cost him a spot in a play-off for the title.
“I thought I did a great job of just staying patient, hitting the shots that the course allowed me to hit,” Johnson said of his opening round in the year’s fourth and final major.
Fellow Americans Matt Kuchar, Russell Henley, Harris English, JB Holmes and Scott Piercy, Australians Jason Day and Matt Jones, and New Zealander Danny Lee opened with 68s on the visually spectacular but challenging links-style layout.
World number one Rory McIlroy and second-ranked Jordan Spieth, who between them have won four of the last five majors played, were among the late starters in a marquee grouping with British Open champion Zach Johnson.
“It was a solid round of golf,” said McIlroy, after returning to competition for the first time in 40 days. “Happy with the way I struck the ball.”
Masters and US Open champion Spieth was delighted with the grit that he displayed during a round highlighted by a chip-in for birdie at the par-three 12th.
Among the other big names in the field, twice Masters champion Bubba Watson and five-times major winner Phil Mickelson carded even-par 72s.
REUTERS
