Johnson storms to Sheshan mark
Print Edition
Dustin Johnson overpowered Sheshan International yesterday with a stunning display off the tee that carried him to 10 birdies, a share of the course record with a 9-under 63 and a five-shot lead going into the weekend at the HSBC Champions.
“I’m driving it really good,” said Johnson, and while that didn’t provide much insight, he really didn’t need to say much more.
The 29-year-old American, who was 1-over after his opening nine holes of this World Golf Championship in Shanghai, hammered a drive on the par-5 second hole and has been on a roll ever since. He is 13-under over his last 27 holes.
Johnson became the sixth player to shoot 63 at Sheshan, and the first since Germany’s Martin Kaymer in the final round two years ago.
He was at 12-under 132.
Rory McIlroy, who started the second round with a two-shot lead, reached 10-under at the turn and couldn’t keep up. McIlroy hit into the same fairway bunker on No. 11 as he did on Thursday and made bogey, but he didn’t have many birdie chances the rest of the way and had to settle for a 72.
McIlroy was at 7-under 137 with Boo Weekley (67) and former Masters champion Bubba Watson (69).
With a wedge in his hand on the par-5 14th, McIlroy went just over the green and had to hit a delicate chip to save par. He drove into the tiny pot bunker left of the green on the par-4 16th and took two shots to get out. And on the par-5 18th, his second shot found the water, leading to bogey.
“I just hit a couple of bad shots, and then I guess I let it affect me a little bit, and then I started to doubt myself sometimes,” McIlroy said. “I didn’t hit a lot of quality shots on the back nine.”
Johnson hardly missed. He only hit eight of 14 fairways, but several of those were in the first cut of rough, and two of them counted as missed fairways because he was trying to drive the green on the par 4s. At the seventh, his tee shot was just short of the bunker in front of the green, leading to an easy up-and-down for birdie. On the 16th, he hit 3-iron just short of the green in a drain, took a free drop and chipped to 3 feet for birdie.
“What’s possible for an athlete like him who just rips it, that’s not what’s possible for the rest of us sometimes,” said Graeme McDowell, who had another 69 playing in Johnson’s group and was six shots behind. “He’s an impressive guy. When he’s in the mood and when he’s on form, he’s pretty prolific.”
There was a big crowd behind in case Johnson slips up on the weekend.
Ernie Els, Sergio Garcia, BMW Masters winner Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano and Ian Poulter were among those at 6-under 138.
Phil Mickelson, trying to recover from his quadruple bogey-bogey finish to the opening round, had a 68 and was seven shots behind. “I’m making a lot of birdies,” Mickelson said. “But I’ve had too many mistakes. I’m going to continue to play aggressively out here, because I have to make birdies to catch the lead. And hopefully, I’ll eliminate a few mistakes here or there.”
The one positive from his finish on Thursday? The last time Mickelson made a quadruple bogey was in the first round of the 2009 Tour Championship. He went on to win.
Japanese prospect Hideki Matsuyama pulled out before the round due to a back injury.
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