Dustin Johnson Sets Course Record and Ties for Lead at BMW

Two under through his first eight holes, DJ holed out from the greenside bunker at the par-5 ninth and added two more birdies and another eagle-3 across his final nine holes.

Importantly both Australians remain projected to be in the top five of the season long points race as the battle for the 30 spots in the season ending Tour Championship heats up.

Looking ahead to the potential of competing in Atlanta next week, the Georgia Tech product said, “Sure, it’s a hometown tournament for me”.

The course measured 7,289 yards when Daly, the longest hitter on tour, won 25 years ago, and it has since been stretched by roughly 300 yards, a distance that presented little problem for Johnson in rain-softened conditions. “I would love to be back”.

Paul Casey, who had the 54-hole lead last week at the TPC Boston until finishing two shots behind Rory McIlroy, had a 66 and was three shots behind. He wound up with a 65 and was four shots behind, along with Chris Kirk.

Roberto Castro, who needs a strong result to advance in the PGA Tour’s FedExCup Playoffs, held the first-round lead at the BMW Championship when play was suspended due to darkness Thursday in Carmel, Ind.

He is at No. 53 in the FedEx Cup and likely would need to finish fourth at Crooked Stick to have a chance. Round 2 tee times are scheduled to begin at 10 a.m., with players going off in threesomes on holes No. 1 and 10. After the delay, it was an entirely different golf course.

CARMEL, Ind. (AP) – U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson doesn’t care about the physics behind his new putter. Patrick Reed, who is leading the FedEx Cup, hit a short iron out of dense rough that plopped down 12 feet from the cup. With a 69-man field (Henrik Stenson) is not playing this week, there is no cut.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson also needs a pick, and he delivered a 67 to at least get in the top 10.

Day started his round with back-to-back bogeys but fought back to be even-par at the turn before a bogey on the 595-yard par-5 10th. The frustration mounted on the 16th green when he flipped his ball into the water after his third bogey on the back nine.

World No.1 Jason Day was one of those to complete his round but he is well off the pace on one-over.