Dustin Johnson Leads Colonial Round 1

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Dustin Johnson posted a bogey-free 5-under 65 for a one-stroke lead following day one of the 2014 Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, marking the 14th consecutive year (dating to 2001) that the first-round lead has been 65 or better.

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Johnson, who will turn 30 on June 22, currently leads a list of seven players currently under the age of 30 who have at least three PGA TOUR wins: Johnson (8), Rory McIlroy (6), Webb Simpson (4), Keegan Bradley (3), Anthony Kim (3), Scott Stallings (3) and Patrick Reed (3).

Johnson has at least one PGA TOUR victory in seven consecutive seasons (2008-current). Only Phil Mickelson (10 consecutive years) has a longer streak.

In the previous 66 playings of the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, the first-round leader/co-leader has gone on to win 17 times. Dating to 1989, just four first-round leaders have gone on to win the event (Ian Baker-Finch in 1989, Steve Stricker in 2009, David Toms in 2011, Zach Johnson in 2012), with three of those coming in the last four years.

Hunter Mahan opened with a 4-under 69, including a 6-under 29 on the front

nine, one shy of the front nine record at Colonial Country Club (Wayne Levi, 28, 1993).

Boo Weekley posted a 1-over 71 as he seeks to join Ben Hogan as the only players to win back-to-back Colonials, with Hogan performing the feat twice (1946-47 and 1952-53).

Putting was the key for Weekley in 2013, who made seven putts over 20 feet in length for the week, including a final-round birdie on No. 13 from 21 feet, 5 inches. During today’s first round, Weekley drained one putt over 20 feet, a 38-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth hole.

Last year, Weekley became the fifth-consecutive come-from-behind winner at Colonial (and sixth since 2001), joining Sergio Garcia (2001), Steve Stricker (2009), Zach Johnson (2010), David Toms (2011), Zach Johnson (2012).

Adam Scott opened with a 1-over 71 in his third start at Colonial (T65-2011, T64-2009). He struggled out of the gate, making the turn at 4-over, but added birdies on Nos. 1, 2 and 8. Scott’s best round at Colonial came in round one in 2011 (66).

Scott moved into the top spot of the Official World Golf Ranking Monday (May 19, 2014), supplanting Tiger Woods. He became the second Australian to hold the No. 1 ranking, joining Greg Norman, who held the top spot for 331 weeks and most recently January 4, 1998.

Scott is the first World No. 1 to play Colonial since Nick Price in 1995 (finished T12).

The Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial is the final of four events on the Texas Swing, with Matt Jones winning the Shell Houston Open, Steven Bowditch winning the Valero Texas Open and Brendon Todd winning the HP Byron Nelson Championship. No player has ever won the Texas Grand Slam, but a number of players, many of them Hall of Famers, have won three titles, including Adam Scott.

Tim Wilkinson (T2) opened with a 4-under 66 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, one week after he posted the same score to open the HP Byron Nelson Championship (finished T22). He is hoping to become the first player to win the Colonial in his first start since Sergio Garcia in 2001.

Tim Clark (T5) turned in a 3-under 67, his first round in the 60s since a third-round 63 at the 2013 OHL Classic at Mayakoba (23 rounds). Clark owns 12 runner-up finishes on TOUR, including one each year since 2005. Two of his runner-up finishes came at Colonial (2008, 2009). Clark’s lone TOUR win came at the 2010 PLAYERS Championship.

Scott Brown aced the par-3 13th hole with a 7-iron from 155 yards, marking the 30th hole-in-one at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial. If an ace occurs on that hole this weekend, $1 million will be split between the player’s charity (1/3), Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial charities (1/3) and 13 fans (12 who are logged on to the wireless network at No. 13 on that day and one who follows Crowne Plaza on twitter).

Ryan Palmer, who plays out of Colonial Country Club, cracked the top 10 for the first time at Colonial in his ninth start (T5 in 2012). Most recently, he finished T14 in 2013. Palmer opened Thursday with a 1-under 69.

Zach Johnson (70) has five-consecutive top 10s at Colonial and has never finished outside of the top 30 in eight starts: 3-2013, 1-2012, 4-2011, 1-2010, T9-2009, T30-2006, T26-2005, T142004. In all, he owns 25 rounds in the 60s out of 33 overall at the Crowne Plaza Invitational, including 19 out of the last 21.

Local favorite Jordan Spieth posted a first-round 3-under 67. He finished T7 in his first start at the 2013 Crowne Plaza Invitational. Spieth owns runner-up finishes this season at the Hyundai Tournament of the Champions and the Masters Tournament and recently finished T4 at THE PLAYERS Championship.

1985 and 1996 Crowne Plaza Invitational champion Corey Pavin, making his 31st consecutive start at the event dating to 1984, opened with a 70. He owns eight top 10s at the Colonial. Ben Hogan leads in all-time top 10s here with 15.

Matt Kuchar carded a 2-over 72 in his eighth start at Colonial. He is coming off a runner-up finish in 2013 and has yet to miss a cut at this event (T36-2007, 9-2008, T27-2009, T56-2010, T16-2011, T26-2012, 2nd-2013).

Rickie Fowler, playing with flu-like symptoms, struggled to a 10-over 80. He is making his fourth Crowne Plaza Invitational start (T38-2010, T16-2011, T5-2012, T54-2013).

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