Johnson Leads The Open

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One year after opening the Open Championship with a 65 to trail Adam Scott by one stroke, Zach Johnson carded a 5-under 66 Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Rafael Cabrera-Bello and Mark O’Meara.

Johnson’s last three opening rounds on the PGA TOUR: 65 at the Travelers Championship, 64 at the John Deere Classic and 66 at the Open Championship.

Johnson, who recently lost in a playoff at the John Deere Classic to Jordan Spieth, is making his 10th start at the Open Championship. After missing his first three cuts at the Open (2004-06), Johnson has since reeled off six consecutive made cuts, with a T9 last year his best outing.

Champions Tour member Mark O’Meara turned in a 4-under 67 in his 28th start at the Open Championship. It equals his best round at the Open (97 rounds), set on three occasions and most recently during the first round at Turnberry in 2009.

O’Meara’s victory at the 1998 Open Championship is one of three top-10s at the event (T3-1985, T3-1991).

FedExCup leader Tiger Woods, a three-time winner of the Open Championship (2000, 2005-06), opened with a 2- under 69 in his 17th start (15 professional) at the Open Championship.

Woods has opened the Open Championship with a round in the 60s six times in his last seven tries. Two of those led to wins (2005, 2006).

Woods finished T28 at the 2002 Open Championship at Muirfield, which included a weekend finish of 81-65. Woods is seeking his 15th Major Championship victory in his 69th start (63 professional, 6 amateur) in

a major. The 2013 Open Championship marks the 17th major start since his last major win at the 2008 U.S. Open.

Woods won THE PLAYERS Championship this season for his 78th career PGA TOUR victory at the age of 37 years, 4 months and 12 days. By comparison, Sam Snead won the 78th of his TOUR-leading 82 wins at the 1958 Dallas Open Invitational at the age of 46 years and 12 days.

Jordan Spieth opened with a 2-under 69 in his first Open Championship start. He has two starts at the U.S. Open, finishing T21 in 2012 and missing the cut in 2013.

Spieth’s 69 is his 10th round in the 60s in his last 13 rounds on the PGA TOUR.

With his win last week at the John Deere Classic, the 19-year-old became the youngest winner on the PGA TOUR since Ralph Guldahl won the 1931 Santa Monica.

Phil Mickelson’s 2-under 69 is just his third opening round in the 60s in 20 starts at the Open Championship, with two of the three coming at Muirfield (2002/68, 2006/69, 2013/69). He finished T66 at the Open Championship at Muirfield in 2002.

Mickelson, who won the Scottish Open a week ago, is making his 84th start in a Major Championship this week, with just eight missed cuts. Since 2000, he has just three missed cuts in majors (2007 U.S. Open, 2007 & 2012 Open Championship)

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