Johnson surges to first-place tie after Texas Open second round

Zach Johnson climbed 11 spots on the leaderboard to earn a share of first place with a 7-under-par 65 Friday after the second round of the Valero Texas Open in San Antonio.

Johnson had five birdies, including four in a row from Nos. 12-15, in starting on the back nine. He added a birdie (No. 1) and an eagle on the par-4 fifth hole before bogeying No. 9 to finish his day tied with Ryan Moore for first.

“You just never know. That’s the beauty of this game,” Johnson said of his strong round. “I felt like I was hitting some solid shots and wasn’t getting rewarded, and you’ve just got to stay in it. You’ve got to persevere, grind it out, fight for pars. You just never know.”

Moore, who started the day tied for second at 4 under, shot a 5-under 67 in a bogey-free round. He gained momentum over his final five holes, starting with a birdie on No. 14 before doing the same on Nos. 15 and 17.

“That was a huge momentum putt there,” Moore said of his short putt on No. 14 after narrowly missing an eagle. “It was a tough putt from down there with a lot of wind. That green is pretty exposed and … yeah, really short and committed to that second putt really well and knocked it right in the middle.”

Johnson has a checkered history with the Valero Texas Open. He won the event in 2008 and 2009 when it was held at the La Cantera course, but the change to TPC San Antonio in 2010 threw him off. His first round at the AT&T Oaks Course was an 8-over 80, and he missed the cut the next day. After a three-year hiatus, Johnson returned to the event in 2014, finishing in the top 10, and has played each year since. He also missed the cut at the event last year.

Johnson and Moore hold a one-shot lead over Andrew Landry and Grayson Murray, who opened the day as the leader. Landry had six birdies and a bogey in his 67 round while Murray was uneven most the day, with six birdies and three bogeys to card a 69.

Two of the day’s biggest risers are among those tied for fifth at 6-under. Ben Crane shot a 66 to climb 30 spots and Scotsman Martin Laird rose 59 spots with a 65 round in which he carded five straight birdies to start the front nine and nine overall.

Canadian David Hearn is also tied for fifth after shooting 4-under 68.

Defending champion Kevin Chappell finished the day just above the 1-over cut line after making par for the second straight day. His round featured four birdies, two bogeys and a double bogey on the par-4 12th hole.

Sergio Garcia wasn’t so fortunate, finishing at 2-over 146 to miss his second straight cut. Garcia’s round included three birdies and three bogeys, and at one point he let his frustration show by throwing his driver into the shrubs.

–Field Level Media