(Reuters) – Long-hitting Dustin Johnson, seeking his first PGA Tour victory of the season, stormed into a share of the early lead with a scintillating eagle-birdie finish to the opening round of the Houston Open yesterday. The 31-year-old American sank a 10-footer at the par-five eighth, his penultimate hole of the day, before draining a 24-footer from the fringe at the par-three ninth to card a seven-under 65 at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas.
That left Johnson in a two-way tie with compatriot Roberto Castro, who fired a bogey-free round in calm but humid conditions ideal for low scoring.
Three more Americans – Johnson Wagner, Justin Hicks and Chez Reavie – opened with 66s in the final PGA Tour event before next week’s Masters, the first of the year’s four major championships.
Johnson, a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his start after mixing an eagle and seven birdies with two bogeys.
“Overall, it was a great day,” he told PGA TOUR Radio. “I made just two bogeys and one of them was a mud ball on (hole) five. I hit a good shot, just mud took it left and got a kind of a bad lie there left of the green and I didn’t get up and down.
