PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – Dustin Johnson is beginning to solve the puzzle that is the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass during The Players Championship.
It helps to have a bad memory.
The world No. 1, who has yet to record a top-10 finish in the PGA Tour’s flagship event, pieced together a bogey-free, 6-under-par 66 to grab a share of the lead Thursday in the first round of The Players.
It was just his fourth round in the 60s in 31 trips around the Stadium Course and his best score by two shots. In his previous nine starts, his best finish was a tie for 12th last year. When asked if that bothered him, his retort was quick.
“I don't remember any of that stuff,” Johnson said.
Johnson shared the lead after the first round with 2012 U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar, Chesson Hadley, Alex Noren and Patrick Cantlay. Defending champion Si Woo Kim and Steve Stricker were in a group one shot back. Major champions Justin Rose and Bubba Watson highlighted a group at 68.
The Stadium Course continues to be a thorn in the side of three-time major champion and world No. 4 Jordan Spieth, who shot 75. Spieth tied for fourth in his debut in 2014 but has missed the cut in his last three starts.
Johnson, who has won 17 PGA Tour titles and the 2016 U.S. Open, had a simple reason for his best round on a Pete Dye layout that has, at times, penalized his use of his best weapon, the driver.
“I just putted better,” said Johnson, who put in a new TaylorMade Spider putter in his bag and is using the AimPoint Express green reading technique. “I'm definitely surprised, but I think a lot of it has to do with putting. I don't think I’ve putted very well around here as a whole. I’ve just struggled on the greens here. They're tough. I feel like they're tough to read. But today I felt like I did a very good job reading the greens and obviously, I rolled it well.
“I feel like I’ve got a good game plan around here. I feel like I played it the same way most of the times I played it, other than I fade the ball instead of draw it now. But it still requires you to hit the same kind of shots off the tees. But I don't know, today I drove it well and hit some nice shots and rolled in a few putts. That adds up to a good score.”
Johnson became No. 1 in the world when he won the Genesis Open last year and has stayed atop the world rankings since. This week Justin Thomas, Jon Rahm, Spieth and Rose can each become No. 1 depending on a variety of scenarios.
Johnson, however, isn’t overly concerned.
“It was definitely a big deal to get there and it's a big deal to stay there. Yeah, I mean, I like being No. 1, so I want to stay there,” Johnson said. “But every week I know there's a chance that someone can pass me. I definitely want to stay there, but if someone passes me it's not going to change anything.
“I'm going to still go back to next week and try to get it back. So obviously, this week if I play really well, I'll still be number one. If I don't, someone's going to pass me, which is OK.”