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Golf roundup: Dustin Johnson shares Canadian Open lead

“I’ve had a really good frame of mind the last couple days”. Here’s how things stand after two rounds at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario.

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For Pete’s sake, numerous media working here were probably forced to look him up, too.

Johnson, who shared the overnight lead with fellow American Luke List after an opening 66, had an early tee time.

“It’s over with now, but yeah, a little sour taste I guess on the final hole”, said Conners, who left the course before the projected cutline was moved, extending his weekend. “You play good golf and you’re going to lose matches, and that’s the way it goes”, Lewis said. “With my length, I just try to get it in play off the tee and have a scoring iron into the par-fives”. “If I can play them 4-under every day, all week, that would be great”.

Dustin Johnson’s hot form means he’s closing in on the world No.1 ranking. The 21-year-old native of Calgary, Alberta, found himself in a tie for the lead after a birdie on No. 18.

Over the next three holes Johnson made two more birdies and was suddenly 5-under but at the par-4 14th he undid much of his good work with a double bogey.

He played the three back-nine par-5 holes in 4 under.

Taking the lead at a PGA Tour event at any time is nothing to sneeze at, especially for a player looking to sneak into the FedEx Cup playoffs – he was 115th in the standings coming in – who has just two top-10 finishes in 22 events this season.

“There are a lot of guys who could have shot the same scores as I did if it was their week”. Im definitely driving the ball nicely. “I’ve been playing well relatively all year”.

John Senden (72) joins Day at one over while Robert Allenby (74), Stuart Appleby (75) and Cameron Percy (75) scraped inside the cut at two over.

American Kelly Kraft (71), young Spanish star Joe Rahm (71) and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit (71) sit tied third at six under. “My mentality is just trying to get it up there as far as I can”.

That came on the heels of a bogey on No. 11, and it preceded another bogey on No. 13, which put Johnson at four over for the day through just four holes. Barnes made the turn in 1-under 34, then made four birdies against one bogey on the back. Last week: Henrik Stenson won the British Open and Aaron Baddeley won the Barbasol Championship.

“It’s nasty out there”, Hadley said. “I don’t think the course is playing easy at all”.

As temperatures jumped to 35 C at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., the grounds crew hand-watered greens to keep them from baking and becoming too firm. It’s really hard to hold the greens, especially from the rough. “But fought back and turned it around and felt like I played really nicely from 14 on in”.

However, Johnson’s 150 yard approach ran low and got lucky when it rattled the flagstick and his ball stopped for a tap in birdie on the first hole of his back nine.

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“If you miss the fairway, you’re pretty much done, there’s no chance of keeping it on the green”, said world No. 1 Jason Day, the reigning Canadian Open champion. He teed off in the afternoon.

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