Johnson closed with five consecutive pars to maintain his good standing and avoid trouble, something he hasn’t always done in major championships.
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Four-times champion Tiger Woods, who won the most recent of his 14 majors at the 2008 U.S. Open, did not benefit from his early tee time as he mixed two birdies with five bogeys on the way to a 75. McIlroy previously was injured while playing soccer earlier in the summer and he said that he was able to play a full slate of golf over four days and did not need a golf cart.
Japan’s Hideki Matsuyamais 23 and one of the best ball-strikers in the game. And while he remains winless in majors, one of the reasons that is so remarkable is because of how he begins them.
“I was a little bit anxious coming back and seeing how my game’s going to react whenever I’m put under a little bit of pressure and have a card in my hand and have to really score”. And I feel like I’m actually here to compete.
Right when the round was getting away from him, Spieth chipped in for birdie and wound up with a 71.
McIlroy and Jordan Spieth effectively played to a draw on Thursday as both shot a 71, even though that’s not the way to keep score. His average drive traveled 313 yards, the longest in the field as of late Thursday afternoon.
It certainly was for Johnson.
Johnson had also squandered a three-shot lead in the final round of the US Open two months earlier and he three-putted the 72nd hole at Chambers Bay this year to finish a shot behind Jordan Spieth.
The biggest surprise was St. Andrews.
The last time the US PGA was held at Whistling Straits in 2010, Johnson was one shot ahead with one to play and thought his bogey on the 18th meant he would be heading into a play-off with Martin Kaymer and Bubba Watson.
It was like none of that ever happened. Birdied my first two holes, 10 and 11. He really got going with a 4-iron to 30 feet for eagle on the 16th.
Spieth had one birdie chance after another on the front nine and missed them all.
“I was pretty nervous on the first tee”, McIlroy said of contemplating his first ball struck in anger since the US Open in June. “But I was swinging well and I was hitting the shots where I was looking”.
“I got off to a flying start, was able to make some putts and give myself a lot of looks”, he said.
“Yeah, I had a great start to the tournament, finished at 4-under, made a lot of birdies”, Holmes said.
“I think the purest shot I hit all day was a three wood into the 2nd”, McIlroy explained.
He showed he can walk on water, or at least manufacture a shot out of it, on the 589-yard par-5 fifth hole.
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“The atmosphere? It was fantastic”, said Spieth, whose round was highlighted by a chip-in for birdie at the par-three 12th that sparked a thunderous ovation from the fans. “There’s plenty of golf to be played globally”. But it was fine. “I just never had the speed right“. “I just had to remember to hit it hard, and I was very fortunate to escape with a par there”. He made solid contact, got the ball back onto the green and rolled in a 10-foot putt for a par.
