Dustin Johnson can regain the No. 1 world ranking by winning this week and in the second round of the FedEx St. Jude Classic he played like the best.
DJ highlighted his round with a hole-out eagle while shooting 7-under-par 63 to take a one-stroke lead over Andrew Putnam of Pepperdine and Ryan Blaum at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tenn.
“I started out well with a birdie on my first hole (No. 10),” said the 33-year-old Johnson, who claimed his 17th PGA Tour victory in January at the Sentry Tournament of Champions. “After a little rough stretch, I knew I was swinging well and hit a lot of good shots, and had some good looks at birdie. I had some good reads and rolled the ball well. When you get the speed right, you feel like they’re going to go in.
“I really like this golf course because you have to stay focused and can’t let up. The fairways are narrow and it’s difficult to play from the rough. I like the course and feel it sets up well for me.
“ … There’s a lot more pressure being in the lead, but I enjoy it. That’s where you want to be.”
Johnson made bogeys on the 12th and 13th holes after he started on the back, but turned his day around when he wedged his second shot into the hole at No. 1 and added four birdies coming home to post a 36-hole score of 10-under 130.
Putnam, the 2010 Pacific Coast Amateur champion whose two pro victories came in the 2014 WNB Golf Classic and the 2017 Panama Claro Championship on the Web.com Tour, collected seven birdies in a 64, while Blaum matched that score with seven birdies of his own.
C.T. Pan of Taiwan had three straight birdies before closing with a bogey to shoot 65 and is two shots back in a tie for fourth with Wesley Bryan, who had a bogey-free 66, while Brandt Snedeker carded a bogey-free 62 that was low round of the day and is one more down in solo sixth.
Seamus Power of Ireland, the first-round leader at 65, came back with a 69 despite finishing with a double-bogey 6 and is four behind in a tie for seventh with Chez Reavie, who totaled 67.
Brooks Koepka, who will defend his U.S. Open title next week, carded a 69 and is five back in a tie for ninth with Richy Werenski (67), Dominic Bozzelli (68), Denny McCarthy (67) and Troy Merritt (69).
Defending champion Daniel Berger finished at 70-71 — 141 and missed the cut by one stroke.
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