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SPORTS Saturday 16 June 2018

Johnson takes 4-shot lead into weekend at U.S. Open

By DOUG FERGUSON par until he missed the 18th Defending champion
AP Golf Writer fairway and had to make a Brooks Koepka made six
SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. (AP) 5-footer to escape with bo- birdies over his last 11 holes
— Dustin Johnson handled gey and a 69. for a 66, matching Tom-
the worst of the weather Johnson was at 4-under 136 my Fleetwood for the low
and wound up as the sole as he goes after his second round of the tournament.
survivor to par at the U.S. U.S. Open in three years. They were at 141, along
Open, taking a four-shot Tiger Woods won't be with Henrik Stenson and
lead into the weekend at around to see how it turns Justin Rose, each with a 70,
Shinnecock Hills with plenty out, and he had plenty of and Poulter.
of reminders of how it can company. Rose also was under par
all go wrong. Woods closed with back- until closing with succes-
Some of them from John- to-back birdies to salvage sive bogeys. With 36 holes
son's own experiences. a 72. He still missed the cut to play, he wasn't overly
Most came from the fi- in a major for the fifth time concerned about tracking
nal hours Friday in pristine in his last eight tries, this down the No. 1 player in
weather from those trying time by two shots. Rory Mc- the world.
to catch him. Ilroy missed the cut for the "You just saw what hap-
Johnson endured the wind third straight year in the U.S. pened to Ian Poulter five
and two hours of rain that Open, unable to recover minutes ago. That could
made Shinnecock play from his opening 80. happen to DJ," Rose said.
even longer by dropping Jordan Spieth joined them "I'm not saying it's going to,
only one shot, never put- in the most unlikely fashion. but it could. That's the na-
ting himself in position to He took three shots to get ture of the U.S. Open. So
make a big number and up the slope and onto the hang around is often the
holing a 45-foot birdie putt 10th green, making double best form of attack."
on the par-3 seventh that bogey. He was three shots Johnson knows that all too
carried him to a 3-under 67. over the cut line with six well.
"You've got to play really holes to play when he ran He had a three-shot lead
good golf if you want to off four straight birdies to at Pebble Beach in the Dustin Johnson reacts after missing a putt on the fifth green
shoot a good score, and get inside the number — 2010 U.S. Open and lost it during the second round of the U.S. Open Golf Championship,
I like where par is a good only to three-putt for bogey all on the second hole with Friday, June 15, 2018, in Southampton, N.Y. Associated Press
score on every hole, no on the 17th, stub a chip a triple bogey, and then
matter what club you've from the collar of a bun- compounded mistakes by
got in your hand, what hole ker on the 18th and miss trying to drive the green on
it is," Johnson said. the par putt for a 71. He the next two holes. He shot
No matter the weather, had not missed the cut in a 82. He has endured more Paradise in the Caribbean
Shinnecock can punish major since the 2014 PGA than his share of bad luck,
anyone in a New York min- Championship. bad breaks and bad shots
ute. Scott Piercy, a runner-up to in the majors.
Ian Poulter was one shot Johnson at Oakmont two His outlook at Shinnecock
out of the lead and in the years ago, had a 71 and Hills has been built on pa-
middle of the fairway with will play in the final group tience and being practi-
two holes to go when one with him Saturday. cal. One example was
bad shot led to a few more Piercy's day was not with- Thursday, when his ball was
that were even worse — a out regrets, especially hitting up in thick grass, and
bunker shot over the green, when he three-putted from he put back a club that
a chunk into the hay, a 4 feet for bogey on the par- might have reached the
chop short of the green 5 16th. He was at even-par green and used wedge
and a triple bogey on No. 140, along with Hoffman to get it back in play. He
8. He made bogey on his (69). made bogey, but he took
last hole for a 72. Plenty of others were double bogey or worse out
"There's a disaster on every poised take advantage if of the equation.
single hole," Poulter said. Johnson slipped, or if more "I never want to make dou-
That left Charley Hoffman pure weather arrived to al- bles," Johnson said. " SALES OFFICE +297 2801005 info@leventaruba.com
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