US Open champion Dustin Johnson on Friday shook off a double-bogey to maintain a share of the lead alongside Luke List after two rounds of the Canadian Open.
Johnson, who started the day tied with List for the lead, fell back early as he dropped four shots in his first four holes at Glen Abbey near Toronto.
With warm sunshine drying out the course, Johnson teed off on hole 10 and promptly bogeyed hole 11. He dropped two shots at the 12th and bogeyed the 13th before pulling back a couple of shots at holes 16 and 18.
Photo: AP
With his confidence high in the wake of his first major triumph at the US Open, Johnson said he did not panic.
“I did not feel like I hit bad shots,” he said. “Just got in a couple of awkward spots. I knew I was playing well.”
With four more birdies coming in and one bogey on his penultimate hole, Johnson signed for a one-under 71 that left him tied with List on seven-under 137.
While he thought his game was on, Johnson acknowledged that the windy weather and a firm course made for a challenging day.
List’s 71 had its rocky moments, but he picked up two of his four birdies at holes 16 and 18 — after making three bogeys in four holes on the back nine.
Canadian amateur Jared du Toit, Spain’s Jon Rahm and American Kelly Kraft were a stroke back on 138. All three also carded 71s.
Du Toit was tied for the lead through nine holes, but surrendered a triple-bogey eight on the par-five second hole and bogeyed the fifth. He bounced back with three straight birdies to stay in the hunt.
England-born Canadian Pat Fletcher is the last Canadian to win the title, in Vancouver in 1954.
World No. 1 and defending champion Jason Day of Australia was one-over through 36 holes after a second-round 76.
“The day was pretty tough in itself and then I really did not have anything going well,” Day said. “Off the tee was terrible. Hitting the greens were terrible. Chipping was terrible and putting was terrible. So put all that together, you shoot four-over.”
Day said he had not adjusted well to the firm greens this week.
“When your speed is off, it is really hard to hit your line and trust it,” he said.
Day said that, having made the cut, he would just try to enjoy the weekend as he looks ahead to next week’s PGA Championship, the fourth major of the year that has been moved up in the calendar to allow for golf’s return to the Olympics next month.
“I am just going to go out there and try and enjoy myself. Try and work on things that need to be worked on for the PGA,” Day said. “I have just got to play really, really good golf over the weekend to even have a sniff at catching them. I have just got to try and enjoy myself first more so than what I have the last two days.”
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