Dustin Johnson doesn’t appear to be scarred by Chambers Bay. Rather, he seems fueled by it.
The American needed to complete 36 holes at the U.S. Open on Friday, as weather delays Thursday prevented him teeing off at all for the first round that day. But Johnson handled it like a champion.
The 31-year-old opened with a 3-under 67, bogey-free as well, and added another sub-par score in the afternoon in a 69 to reach 4 under and take the 36-hole clubhouse lead. His 36-hole margin is two, although Andrew Landry, who starts his second round Saturday morning, shares his spot at 4 under, and Lee Westwood (also yet to start his second round) is at 3 under.
Overall, Johnson went his first 27 holes without a bogey and had a streak of 25 consecutive greens in regulation before it got snapped on No. 1 (his 10th hole) during the second round.
Landry, meanwhile, only hit one shot all day, a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 9 that he jarred to shoot 4-under 66 and post the best first-round score ever compiled in a U.S. Open at Oakmont. The PGA Tour rookie will get his second round started at 7:11 a.m. on Saturday.
Scott Piercy (68-70) and Sergio Garcia (68-70) also went 36 holes Friday and sit in the clubhouse at that two-back spot at 2 under. Thirteen players – all somewhere between 18 and 36 holes in the books – are under par for the tournament.
World No. 1 Jason Day is 5 over (1 under for his round) through 15 holes in his second round and could find himself near the cut by Saturday’s end. His second round was suspended due to darkness.
Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and Rickie Fowler will all commence their second rounds Saturday morning. Spieth, the defending champion, leads that pack at 2 over (T-29), while Fowler (6 over, T-72) and McIlroy (7 over, T-93) struggled mightily in their opening rounds.
Any players who started but didn’t complete their second rounds on Friday will resume said rounds at 7:10 a.m., while those yet to begin have assigned tee times Saturday morning.
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