(Saint Andrews) American Dustin Johnson, ex-N. 1 and player of the dissident LIV circuit, provisionally took the lead of the British Open on Friday in Saint Andrews after his second round with a total of -9.
Posted at 9:28
Currently 18e world, he is thus ahead of his compatriot Cameron Young (-8) who had not yet started his second round when Johnson returned to the club house.
Young was joined in the morning in second place shared by the American world No.1 Scottie Scheffler (-4 Friday as the day before) and the English Tyrell Hatton (-6 Friday after -2 the day before).
Johnson, winner of two Majors (US Open 2016 and Masters 2021), returned a -5 card on Friday after a -4 to start his tournament the day before. At 2e round, he notably managed a magnificent comeback with four birdies, including three on the last five holes.
At 38, Johnson represents one of the major catches of the lucrative LIV Tour against which the historic PGA Tour has declared war.
Players who have signed with the LIV, including also Brooks Koepka, Bryson DeChambeau, Phil Mickelson, Lee Westwood or Sergio Garcia, have been excluded from the PGA and the European Tour.
They could in the near future also be deprived of points in the world ranking which is one of the criteria to qualify for the Majors, the other being to qualify via tournaments… sanctioned by the PGA or the European Tour of which they are excluded.