The long-hitting Johnson thrived in the morning.
The short-hitting Johnson thrived Thursday afternoon when the winds picked up and the temperatures dropped at the Old Course.
Zach Johnson, looking like an alien-hunter with his cold weather beanie and low-light Oakley sunglasses, braved those gusty winds and pulled within a shot of the man with the same last name.
Johnson, the shorter, ran in a birdie putt at the 18th hole to post his 66 and fell in line with the guys who put up the same number in the tame morning conditions — Robert Streb, Retief Goosen, Paul Lawrie and Jason Day.
But the former Masters champion found himself tied for afternoon medalist honors with England’s Danny Willett, who has become a weekly factor on the European Tour.
Johnson’s formula was the same as the successful morning players. He was six-under par through the first 10 scoring-friendly holes. He then held his own into the wind, took a bogey at the Road Hole like most of the field but got it back with his finishing birdie putt, add a nice fist-pump for good measure.
