Dustin Johnson gets off to slow start in Masters title defense
Dustin Johnson opened defense of his Masters title on Thursday with a bogey on No. 1, finished with a double-bogey on 18 and posted a 2-over-par 74 in tough scoring conditions.
The Columbia native birdied the par-5 second, then bogeyed No. 5 after driving into a fairway bunker. He missed an opportunity to by failing to birdie the par-5 eighth and made the turn at 1-over 37.
Birdies at 11 and 13 got him under par before he bogeyed the 16th and a wild tee shot cost him on 18. He was five strokes off the pace when he finished.
En route to the 2020 title on a softer golf course, he opened with a 7-under-par 65.
Along came No. 11 for Kisner
Kevin Kisner birdied the second and 10th holes to move into second place among early starters. But a triple-bogey 7 at 11 and a bogey at 12 dropped him to 2-over par. He eagled No. 13 to get back to even par, then birdied 16 and bogeyed 17 for a 72.
The round “started off as a nice, casual stroll around Augusta and turned into a roller coaster pretty quickly there on the back,” he said. “Conditions are getting difficult. You never know where the wind is and you’re hitting some pretty difficult shots.”
What he called a “boneheaded mistake” led to the triple on 11. He tried to his second shot around as tree, but the ball hit the tree and ended in the pine straw. “I hit (his third) down the hill and it ran across the green into the water. ... Just too aggressive, but I was feeling good.”
Perfect host in Aiken
Kisner invited Brian Harman and Viktor Hovland to his home course, Aiken’s Palmetto Golf Club, for a round on Saturday prior to the Masters. Hovland, a native of Norway who played college golf at Oklahoma State, “loved it,” Kisner said. “He made like nine birdies in 15 holes and beat by brains out on my home track.”
Masters fact
Four of the top 10 players in the world rankings — Jon Rahm (3), Xander Schauffele (6), Tyrrell (Hatton (8) and Patrick Cantlay (10) — are seeking their first major championship this week.
This story was originally published April 8, 2021 at 4:01 PM with the headline "Dustin Johnson gets off to slow start in Masters title defense."