Major golf’s best fast-starter is at it again.
Dustin Johnson, who can get out of the starting blocks faster than anyone else in a major championship, came out racing Thursday on his way to a six-under par 66 that earned him the first round lead at the PGA Championship.
It’s not like he hasn’t done this before. He bolted to the top of the Open Championship after 36 holes but faded into insignificance over the final two rounds.
He has history at Whistling Straits as he is also the king of heart-break on the PGA Tour.
But there was no heart-break for the tour’s longest hitter this day as he got out early before the afternoon winds came howling to set the day’s tone. Only David Lingmerth threatened to tie him in the afternoon but a sloppy three-putt bogey at the sixth hole, his 15th of the day, left the Memorial champion a shot back with 67, the best round by far in the tougher afternoon conditions.
All seven players at 68 finished in the morning wave, including Jason Day, who once again has thrown his hat into the contenders’ ring, just as Johnson did.
“Got off to a great start,” said Johnson, who began his day birdie-birdie on the back nine. He rolled in an eagle putt at the 16th. His only hiccup of the day was a bogey at the par-three sixth. “I hit it solid all day. All-around, a solid day. Around here if you keep it in the fairway, you can take advantage of the par fives,” said Johnson, who played those par five holes four-under.
There were 38 rounds under par and only a half-dozen came in the afternoon. Two of those belonged to Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. McIlroy showed no ill effects from his injured left ankle. A bogey at the home hole dropped him to 71 and he tied Spieth for the round. Spieth started his day with 10 straight pars then he recorded a disappointing bogey at the downwind par five 11th where he missed a two-footer for par. He bounced right back with a chip-in birdie at the par three 12th then birdied 16 for his 71.
Those who wondered how Tiger Woods would far saw no improvement over his two previous major appearances as he shot 75 and put himself in danger of missing a major championship cut for the third straight time.
