Johnson, Poulter set the pace
Source: Agencies |
December 5, 2009, Saturday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
FORMER Masters champion Zach Johnson charged into a share of the lead in the Chevron World Challenge first round in Thousand Oaks, California, on Thursday.
In the absence of troubled tournament host Tiger Woods, the straight-hitting Johnson took advantage of ideal scoring conditions to fire a four-under-par 68 at Sherwood Country Club.
Johnson ended a day of dazzling sunshine and hardly any wind level with Britain's Ian Poulter, who held a two-shot lead over his 17 rivals in the elite field before double-bogeying the last.
Ireland's three-time major winner Padraig Harrington opened with a 69 to finish a stroke in front of Americans Jim Furyk and Stewart Cink and South Korean Yang Yong-eun.
"I wanted to come here fresh and that I am," Johnson said after recording birdies on all four of the par-five holes.
"I took 16 days off before I hit a ball after (the) Disney (Classic), and most of it was by choice. There were a couple of times I could have practised but I just didn't do it.
"My point this week is ... to get ready for the 2010 season and for me to work out," added the 33-year-old American, who clinched his first major title at the 2007 Masters. "It's going well. I feel like my game is in a position good enough to win."
Poulter, feeling a little jaded after playing in Asia for the five previous weeks, was frustrated by his sloppy finish which featured a wild tee shot into trees and a three-putt on the 18th.
Sizzling burst
"It's four under par and I'm disappointed," said the Englishman who launched his round with a sizzling burst of five birdies in the first eight holes. "Yeah I'm leading but I should have been way clear. I'm hitting my irons very, very well and I'm driving the ball in position. I'm giving myself a lot of chances.
"This is week six in a row for me so maybe a little bit of concentration slipping out there on the golf course might be the reason why I made three three-putts today."
European No. 1 and world No. 4 Lee Westwood briefly held a share of the lead with Poulter at five under before dropping four shots in the last five holes for a 71.
In Sun City, South Africa, Robert Allenby took the sole lead after the first round of the Nedbank Golf Challenge with a 4-under 68 on Thursday, after Retief Goosen's late blunders put him to second place.
Allenby had three birdies on the front nine and added a fourth on the 14th hole, as he aims to become the first Australian to win the 29-year-old invitational tournament.
Goosen was at 4 under after 11 holes but bogeyed the 14th after taking a penalty shot in the bushes, and had a double bogey on the 15th to drop down the leaderboard. He then salvaged the round with an eagle on the par-4 17th to sit tied for second with fellow South African Tim Clark.
Rory McIlroy had an inconsistent round, mixing six bogeys with five birdies to sit tied for 10th.
Masters champion Angel Cabrera of Argentina was seventh after a 71. Luke Donald had a miserable start with a double bogey on the second and a bogey on the third, but he recovered to finish on even par.
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