Golf-Day, Johnson lead as wayward Woods struggles (Reuters)
September 4, 2010
By Andrew Both
NORTON, Massachusetts, Sept 3 (Reuters) – Australia’s JasonDay and American Zach Johnson shot eight-under 63s to take aone-stroke lead after the first round of the $7.5 millionDeutsche Bank Championship on Friday, but Tiger Woods faces anuphill battle to stay in the tournament.
The world number one recovered from a dreadful start toshoot a one-over 72 and finish ahead of only five players inthe 99-man field at Boston TPC, the second instalment in thelucrative lucrative FedExCup playoff series.
Woods, currently ranked 65th in the FedExCup standings,needs to finish in the top 70 after the Deutsche BankChampionship to advance to the third round of the series atnext week’s BMW Championship at Cog Hill outside of Chicago.
“I just didn’t have it today,” he told reporters. “I wasn’treally doing what I was supposed to be doing swing-wise andwasn’t releasing the putter blade. It was a bad day all around.
“I’m obviously going to have to shoot something pretty goodtomorrow.”
After crashing to four-over after six holes, Woods salvagedhis round amid intermittent afternoon drizzle coming from theouter bands of Hurricane Earl, but conditions were by no meansdifficult with just a light breeze wafting across the course.
Woods has yet to win this season but had appeared to havefound some form after finishing a respectable 12th at theBarclays tournament, days after announcing his divorce fromSwedish wife Elin.
Co-leaders Day and Johnson enjoyed playing together in drymorning conditions and notched a combined 23-under with RyanPalmer in their threesome.
“We kind of fed off each other,” said Day, who compiled 10birdies. “Coming into this event, I felt very confident with myswing and I just had to work on a few things with my shortgame.
“The first couple of days I got here, I tried to square myputting up a little bit and that worked out great. Everythingkind of clicked.”
Johnson added: “If you get off to a good start, it breedsmomentum. We all birdied the first hole and it fed into theremainder of the day.
“I probably didn’t hit it quite as well as those guys (but)I hit it fine and I putted beautifully.”
Johnson and Day lead a clutch of golfers on 64, includingPalmer, Northern Irishman Rory McIlroy and Australia’s GeoffOgilvy.
McIlroy stormed up the leaderboard late with an eagle atthe par-five 18th, after landing a sublime five-wood approach25 feet from the hole and sinking the putt.
(Editing by Ian Ransom; To query or comment on this storyemail sportsfeedback@thomsonreuters.com)
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