While Branden Grace was basking in the glory of a major championship record 62, another man should have joined him Saturday in that elite club.
Dustin Johnson, playing on the weekend in a major for the first time on Saturday at Royal Birkdale, had it going after his front nine. D.J. had put four birdies on the board and all he needed was four more coming home in the calm, friendly scoring conditions that greeted the field.
The world’s No. 1 added another at the 10th and birdied the easy par five 15th but he failed to birdie the equally gettable 17th. Add in the fact that he missed two short putts for birdie inside of eight feet coming home and he had every opportunity to shoot 62, possibly 61.
It was the first time Johnson flashed the form he held during the early part of 2017.
Thus far, the majors have been a disaster for him. His slip-and-fall took him out of The Masters and he missed the cut at the U.S. Open.
Still, his putting didn’t look as good as it did earlier this season, otherwise, yes, 61 was in play.
His 64 that got him three-under and a tie for seventh was about the highest he could have shot.
