Johnson implodes, McDowell takes over with 3-shot lead at Open

McDowell takes 3-shot lead at Open

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. — Graeme McDowell held a two-shot lead with nine holes left in the U.S. Open on Sunday after Dustin Johnson and Tiger Woods each endured nightmare starts.

Looking to become the first European to win the U.S. Open since 1970, McDowell was holding it together, playing the front nine in even-par 35 to stay at 3 under — two shots ahead of Frenchman Gregory Havret, the 391st-ranked player in the world.

Phil Mickelson was among the few also playing steady golf, playing the first 10 holes at even and making the turn at 1 over.

That was tied with Ernie Els, who got to 3 under, but made bogey on No. 9, then hit his tee shot on 10 into the ocean and chunked his third shot into the grass on the steep hill leading back to the water. He made double bogey there.

Els and Mickelson were tied with Johnson, who squandered a three-shot lead coming into the day with a triple-bogey on 2, double-bogey on 3 and bogey on 4.

Johnson, who won the last two AT&T National Pro-Ams at Pebble Beach, was 7-over par through the first seven holes, which is traditionally the easiest stretch at Pebble Beach. He was conjuring memories of Gil Morgan, who in 1992 at Pebble famously became the first person to reach 10-under par in the history of the U.S. Open, but shot a closing-round 81 to finish 13th.

Johnson’s troubles began when he hit his approach shot into an awkward lie in a bunker on No. 2, then had to chip out left-handed. The ball barely squirted out, then Johnson’s fourth shot from the deep grass popped up and moved about two feet. He missed a 3-foot putt for double bogey and wound up with a 7.

On No. 3, Johnson pushed his tee shot far to the left. Unable to find his ball after a five-minute search near the 16th green, he had to head back to the tee box to hit again. Seconds later, course workers found his ball, but it was too late, and Johnson made 6.

His disintegration was part of a wild start to the day for the leaders, who are set to reach 18 right around prime time on the East Coast.

Woods opened with a three-putt bogey, then made another on the par-5 sixth hole — the easiest hole on the course — when he drove his tee shot into the ocean. He then went birdie-bogey on 7 and 8 to fall to seventh place, at 2-over par.

Davis Love III tried to get back in the hunt, attacking the first eight holes and making a birdie and eagle to get to 2 over.

But McDowell was showing little signs of fading, making one birdie and only one bogey on the front as he searches for his first major championship. The 30-year-old Irishman is trying to become the first European to win the U.S. Open since Tony Jacklin, 40 years ago.

The day yielded the second double-eagle in the history of the U.S. Open, when Shaun Micheel hit a 3-iron from 239 yards into the hole on the par-5 sixth. He joined T.C. Chen in the history books, then promptly went to the 92-yard seventh hole and made double-bogey 5.

The best rounds of the day through the early going belonged to Ben Curtis and Jim Herman, each of whom went out early and shot 3-under 68.