FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) Zach Johnson stood driving the fourth green exploring during his club then your golf ball of which folded inside of 4 toes belonging to the hole.
"I received lucky," Johnson stated concerning his / her minute opportunity to the 244-yard par 3 their 13th ditch Thursday after his tee shot attended in the environment friendly along with quit in a very clump involving grass.
Three pockets later, Johnson was thus deeply in a greenside bunker this they wouldn't actually become witnessed with the alternative facet on the environment friendly until eventually they sprang approximately view his or her turbo charge within the ridge to 2 1/2 feet in the cup.
Those par-savers were section of your bogey-free 6-under 64 of which gave your pet a new one-stroke head following the first circle from the Colonial, where 20-30 mph wind using better gusts whipped over the major oak bushes coating the particular fairways.
"Today ended up being great. I got away from to your excellent start, just simply hit some top quality shots. I couldn't decide to put me personally ever ready this was as well worrisome," Johnson said. "I stored the greens within prominent me. I bitten when I could attack. I acquired several fine has saved when I required it. . I've became zero complaints."
Jason Dufner, rookie Harris English, Tom Gillis and also Kyle Reifers were being tied intended for second.
Dufner claimed the particular Byron Nelson Championship final week, as well as the two of their PGA Tour advantages include appear in the final a number of weeks. He started out at Colonial having a few consecutive birdies, was 5 under soon after a new 10-foot birdie putt with the 174-yard eighth hole, then transformed a couple bogeys in a three-hole stretch.
Johnson opened up using a 40-foot birdie putt with that 396-yard 10th ditch on strategy to his or her thirteenth consecutive under-par circle at Hogan's Alley. He established that Colonial event scoring report along with his 21-under 259 throughout 2010, while this individual possessed your couple of 64s within his previous PGA Tour victory.
After smacking into a greenside bunker in the 435-yard 12th, he / she blasted to be able to hunting for legs saving par.
"The big putt which received me going," they said. He and then possessed some consecutive birdies, some sort of period that integrated two par 3s and all the putts involving 14-21 feet.
Sergio Garcia, the particular 2001 Colonial champ inside a similar class because Johnson, chance some sort of 66 to check Chris DiMarco, Tommy Gainey in addition to Andres Romero.
The 22-year-old English had under no circumstances performed the complete circular at Colonial until eventually Thursday. That came three times once they result rounds of 60 plus 63 throughout a British Open qualifier from Gleneagles. That is a far more wide-open layout just past Dallas with regards to a while through Colonial.
"Three bogey-free rounds I have possessed in a very row, that I've never done," English said. "I'm enjoying good playing golf and not definitely leaving position. I'm becoming my personal putter going. I'm punishing the item to be able to 12-15 or 20 feet considerably in addition to appeared to become making a good many connected with those. It's simply just also been good."
English, a safe bet this past year for the Nationwide Tour being a amateur, includes built 11 of 14 reductions in his first months on the PGA Tour.
Johnson, the particular 2007 Masters champion, hasn't won considering that sliding on which winner's plaid jacket at Colonial eighteen months ago. But he's designed almost all 12 slashes this kind of year, having a runner-up finish off during Hilton Head plus a wrap regarding next with The Players Championship throughout his about three past events.
Garcia possessed an eagle-3 at the 558-yard No. 1, having the pup that will 5 within through 10 holes. His simply bogey came immediately after reaching his tee result in the dogleg-left finally problem right into a greenside bunker, and they unspent par outside of bunkers his continue a couple holes. He hasn't won within the PGA Tour throughout four years.
Defending Crowne Plaza Invitational from Colonial champion David Toms, with your group along with Johnson and also Garcia, had one simple birdie within a strong opening 74. Last year, that 45-year-old Toms started out along with consecutive models associated with 62 to match the PGA Tour scoring file for that first 36 pockets of a tournament.
Duner's strategy at No. in search of appeared to be simply from the returning fringe, and he chipped to half a dozen foot before his par putt circled that goblet devoid of falling. A 25-foot birdie attempt for No. 10 explained above the suitable side in the cup, then your dog bogeyed that 635-yard 11th hole as soon as his lastly opportunity resolved to go within a greenside bunker and they then two-putted from in search of feet.
Dufner has been enjoying with Matt Kuchar, who seem to a couple of months previously received The Players Championship, and Rickie Fowler, The Players runner-up who the 1 week ahead of in which got his or her primary PGA Tour victory at Quail Hollow.
Kuchar's solely birdie within some sort of round of 72 came on the par-5 No. 1. Fowler birdied two in the last three divots pertaining to a new 68.
"Decent. Not good, definitely not bad," Fowler said. "It's good to make two birdies inside the continue some holes and acquire returning under par as well as present me personally some momentum."
Divots: Masters runner-up Louis Oosthuizen shot 71, concluding his or her spherical using an bald eagle through holing his technique from 117 back yards with the par-4 18th. . Ben Crane's around involving 70 involved six birdies, six bogeys along with six pars. . Hunter Mahan, this simply other two-time winner this kind of season other than Dufner, shot your 69 along with three bogeys. . Sean O'Hair withdrew due to your guitar's neck issue.
No comments:
Post a Comment