Zach Johnson capped his opening round with three consecutive birdies on Thursday evening and picked up right where he left off when he came back in the morning for round two.
Johnson (pictured) collected five birdies on the front nine en route to a 7-under-par 65 in the wind and is tied with Ryan Moore for the lead midway through the Valero Texas Open on the Oaks Course at TPC San Antonio in San Antonio, Texas.
“We actually talked about whether we prefer playing early-late or late early and I think it’s huge to go late-early,” said Johnson, who has 12 PGA Tour victories, including two in the Texas Open. “I had a decent finish yesterday and was able to carry the momentum over. It catapulted me into today.
“I’ve always thrived playing in the wind, I don’t know why. It’s just patience, perseverance and trust. I just try to got out and keep the ball in the fairway, give myself a chance to be aggressive with my irons and make some putts.
“I just want to keep the pedal to the metal.”
Johnson, a two-time major champion who won this tournament in 2008 and 2009, holed a bunker shot from 36 feet on the fifth hole while finishing on the front nine, posting a 36-hole score of 9-under 135.
Moore, who opened with a 68, matched Johnson at the top with a bogey-free 67 that included three birdies in four holes through No. 17.
First-round leader Grayson Murray had four birdies while finishing a 69 on the front nine and is one stroke back in a tie for third with Andrew Landry, who had three birdies on each nine in a 67.
Martin Laird of Scotland, who won the tournament in 2013, recorded the low score of the day at 65 with nine birdies and is three shots behind in a tie for fifth with Ben Crane, who had a 66, and David Hearn of Canada, who totaled 68 with birdies on the last two holes.
Chris Kirk shot 66 and is four down in a tie for eighth with Denny McCarthy (67), Billy Horschel (71), Keegan Bradley (71) and Chesson Hadley (71).
Defending champion Kevin Chappell of Fresno State and UCLA carded a second 72 and is tied for 42nd, while 10th-ranked Sergio Garcia also shot 72, but missed the cut by one stroke after missing the weekend in his Masters title defense in his last outing.
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