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Johnson, Tour rookie tied for lead at U.S. Open

OAKMONT, Pa. – As unusual days at the U.S. Open go, this one was pretty strange. Dustin Johnson, who went two rounds and 36 holes Friday at Oakmont Country Club and got in just before dark, was at the same 4-under-par figure as a relative unknown, Andrew Landry, who struck one shot all day – a 12-foot birdie putt that hit the bottom of the cup and finished off a first-round 66.

Dustin Johnson is atop the leaderboard at 4-under-par after playing his first and second rounds on Friday.
Dustin Johnson is atop the leaderboard at 4-under-par after playing his first and second rounds on Friday.Read moreAssociated Press

OAKMONT, Pa. – As unusual days at the U.S. Open go, this one was pretty strange.

Dustin Johnson, who went two rounds and 36 holes Friday at Oakmont Country Club and got in just before dark, was at the same 4-under-par figure as a relative unknown, Andrew Landry, who struck one shot all day – a 12-foot birdie putt that hit the bottom of the cup and finished off a first-round 66.

Landry, a PGA Tour rookie who ranks No. 624 in the world this week, gets a chance to play his second round on Saturday morning. But Johnson is secure in knowing he is at the halfway mark already and will have one more chance to make up this weekend for past disappointments in the national championship.

Johnson, who 3-putted the final hole at Chambers Bay last year to lose by 1 stroke to Jordan Spieth, struck the ball beautifully all day in his rounds of 67 and 69 for 136. He hit 16 greens in the morning and 15 in the afternoon, stringing together 25 in a row at one point. He didn't make a bogey until his 28th hole, his only bogey of the day.

His putting, however, let him down a bit. Out of his 31 greens hit, he managed just five birdies. He finished the day with 65 putts for two rounds.

"It was a long day today," Johnson said. "I felt like I played really solid all day, very pleased. I know I'm hitting it well. The greens are so hard to putt no matter how close you are to the hole. There are so many I thought were going in, but that's how it goes."

Johnson's final birdie of the day, a 13-foot putt, came at the par-3 sixth hole, his 15th of his second round. He saved par at the par-3 eighth with a 6-foot putt.

For Johnson, it was his eighth top-10 for 36 holes in his last eight majors and his sixth top-five. But he would like to do better than come close in an Open like he did in 2010, when he led after three rounds at Pebble Beach but closed with an 82, and in 2015, when he had an eagle putt to tie and a par putt to get into a playoff with Spieth but did not make either one.

Of the players who finished two rounds Friday, Sergio Garcia, still seeking his first major championship, and Scott Piercy, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour, were tied at 2-under 138. Both players carded rounds of 68 in the morning and 70 in the afternoon.

Daniel Summerhays, who just made it into the field Monday as an alternate, shot the best round of the championship so far, a 5-under 65, and was in a tie at 1-under 139 with Andy Sullivan. Sullivan, of England, fired a 68.

Jim Furyk, the former West Chester and Lancaster resident, also was at 1-under but still had one hole to play.

Landry, who was part of the three thunderstorm delays on Thursday, came back at 7:30 a.m. Friday for one shot and sank it, a 12-foot birdie putt that gave him a 66. The PGA Tour rookie, ranked 624th in the world this week, had the rest of the day off and returns to the course Saturday morning for his second round.

Other players who came back on Friday to finish their first round were Lee Westwood, who shot a 67; Shane Lowry (68) and four players at 71: Bubba Watson, Danny Lee, Kevin Streelman and amateur Scottie Scheffler.

It's been an unconventional Open thus far. Half of the 156 players in the field started Thursday morning with only nine finishing before play was suspended for the day around 4:30 p.m. A total of 69 players came back Friday morning, completed their rounds, and were ordered back Saturday for their second 18 starting at 7 a.m.

The other half didn't play at all on Thursday, began their opening rounds on Friday, got about an hour for lunch and went right back out for their second rounds.

When everyone completes 36 holes, which should be somewhere between 1:30 and 2 p.m., officials will cut the field to the low 60 scores and ties, then make up three-man groups and send them off the first and 10th tees in the hopes of getting everyone in before darkness once again.

jjuliano@phillynews.com

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