Johnson, Day share Deutsche Bank lead

Golf Betting Lines

09/03/2010 - Norton, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Zach Johnson and Jason Day both fired eight- under 63s to share the lead after the first round of the Deutsche Bank Championship.

With Hurricane Earl bearing down on the Northeast coast, players were able to lift, clean and place their golf balls. There was an 80-minute weather delay when one of the outer rain bands of the storm pounded the course.

The leaders played alongside Ryan Palmer, who carded a seven-under 64. That group combined for 26 birdies and three bogeys.

"It was one of those days that if you get off to a good start it kind of breeds momentum," Johnson explained. "But we all got off to a good start, so it just kind of catapulted our day. We all birdied the first hole, and it fed into the remainder of the day."

Palmer was joined in third place by Charley Hoffman, Rory McIlroy, Ryan Moore, Hunter Mahan, Brian Davis, D.J. Trahan and Geoff Ogilvy, who was minus-eight through 14 holes, but posted two bogeys and a birdie the rest of the way.

Defending champion Steve Stricker opened with a 65 and is tied for 11th.

World No. 1 Tiger Woods bogeyed four of his first five holes, but bounced back with three birdies over his final 11 holes to post one-over 72. That left him tied for 87th in the 99-player field.

"I just didn't have it today," admitted Woods, who won this title in 2006. "I wasn't really doing what I was supposed to be doing out there swing-wise, and then wasn't releasing the putter blade out there and was dragging it a little bit. It was a bad day all around."

Johnson and Day started on the 10th tee Friday at the TPC Boston. Johnson chipped in from over the green, while Day knocked his second shot within tap- in range.

The 34-year-old Johnson came right back with a 30-foot birdie putt on the 11th.

Day rolled in a 12-footer on the 13th to join Johnson at minus-two. Day also birdied the 15th to get to three-under.

Both players converted back-to-back birdie efforts from the 17th. Johnson joined Day at minus-five with a 10-foot birdie putt on the first. At the par- five second, both Johnson and Day got up and down for birdie.

Day followed with a birdie on the third, but he bogeyed the short par-four fourth. The Australian bounced back with a seven-foot birdie putt on the fifth.

Johnson poured in a 28-footer on No. 5 to match Day at minus-seven.

Day traded a bogey for a birdie from the sixth. Johnson was the first to get to minus-eight as he rolled in a six-foot birdie putt at No. 8.

"I probably didn't hit it quite as well as those guys. I hit it fine, I didn't put myself in trouble, but I putted beautifully," said Johnson, who claimed his seventh PGA Tour win earlier this year at the Colonial. "This is probably the easiest the golf course can play, so I'm not taking anything for granted right now. I'm excited about the remainder of the week."

Day sank a 10-footer for birdie on the ninth to join Johnson in the lead after the first round.

"There's a lot of deep scores out there. It was out there today," stated Day, who earned his first tour win at the Byron Nelson the week before Johnson won at Colonial. "I'll probably try and put this round behind me and just focus on the next round and one shot at a time out there."

NOTES: Eighty-three of the 99 players in the field broke par in the opening round...There are 25 players within three strokes of the lead...Day and Johnson have combined to go just 1-for-7 when holding the first-round lead, and that one victory was Day's earlier this year at the Byron Nelson Championship...The top 70 on the FedExCup points list after this event will move on to the BMW Championship.