EDISON, New Jersey: British Open champion Zach Johnson, Sweden’s Henrik Stenson and American rookie Tony Finau shared the early clubhouse lead in yesterday’s second round of The Barclays, the opening event of the FedExCup playoffs.
Johnson fired a five-under-par 65 on a sunny day at Plainfield Country Club to reach six-under-par 134 along with Stenson (66) and Finau, who followed his opening 65 with a see-saw 69.
American Jason Bohn was a further shot back after scorching the Donald Ross-designed layout in six-under 64.
Johnson had five birdies, including one at the last, in a bogey-free round, a performance that was matched by Stenson until the Swede dropped a shot at the par-four 13th.
Finau, one of four players tied for the overnight lead, bogeyed the first but bounced back with four birdies before finishing with bogeys at the par-three 14th and par-five 16th.
“I feel like I played pretty nicely,” Finau, 25, said after his second tour of the quirky layout that features doglegs, heavy rough and numerous blind shots into difficult greens.
“When I missed some of the greens, I was for the most part able to get it up-and-down. So that’s huge out here. I feel like you’re going to miss some greens.”
The other first-round co-leaders, Bubba Watson, Spencer Levin and Camilo Villegas of Colombia, were among the later starters, along with world number one Jordan Spieth, who ended the first round a hefty nine shots back after an opening 74.
On Thursday, Bubba Watson fired seven birdies in a five-under par 65, outshining playing partners Spieth and Jason Day to seize a share of the first-round lead.
Two-time Masters champion Watson was atop the leaderboard alongside Colombia’s Camilo Villegas and fellow Americans Spencer Levin and Tony Finau.
Spieth, the reigning Masters and US Open champion playing his first tournament since supplanting Rory McIlroy atop the world rankings, endured a tough day in a marquee group with Day and Watson.
The 22-year-old Texan carded a four-over par 74, just the third time in his last 33 rounds that he failed to break par.
“It was a very off-day,” said Spieth, who posted his worst score of the year in relation to par.
“A little bit of rust with wedges combined with some poor decision making – and it just came out of nowhere,” said Spieth, who called the round his worst “in years”.
“Normally when I’m running that good, it doesn’t turn like that,” he said of the sudden struggles with his game.
“Typically when I hit the fairways I’m not over par,” added Spieth, who hit 11 of 14 fairways. “That’s what was weird about the round.”
Flat
After teeing off at 10, Spieth had two birdies to make the turn two-under, but he had five bogeys and a double bogey against one birdie coming in.
“He just looked a little flat,” said Australia’s Day, who held off Spieth in the final round at Whistling Straits this month to win the PGA Championship, nabbing his first major title and rising to a career-high third in the world. “It’s understandable with all the stuff that he’s been doing.”
Day, who skipped Wednesday’s pro-am after aggravating a long-standing back injury on Tuesday, kept himself in the hunt despite some discomfort.
“There were a couple of swings out there that hurt,” said Day, who nevertheless had three birdies and one bogey in his two-under effort.
Watson, meanwhile, had no complaints. His seven birdies included five in his first nine holes – the back nine of Plainfield Country Club.
“All in all it’s a good round,” said Watson, who regretted his two bogeys – after a poor shot at the par-three sixth and a three-putt at the ninth.
“If I just make a better swing on the par-three and then a two-putt, it’s not too bad,” Watson said. “I missed the cut the last time I played here, so we are ahead of the curve right now.”