Johnson leads, Spieth ready to pounce

Leader Dustin Johnson, history-maker Jordan Spieth and a desperate Tiger Woods will all be looking up at the skies when the second round of the British Open gets underway at St Andrews on Friday.

Birdies were aplenty during Thursday's opening chapter at the Home of Golf, but conditions gradually worsened during the day and the full blast of the looming bad weather is expected to hit the fabled Fife links course on Friday and possibly on into Saturday.

Just how bad it will be no-one really knows given the unpredictability of the Scottish summer.

But Johnson for one, seeking his first major title, was happy that he produced his opening seven under 65 when the going was good as it's going to get.

"Everybody knows the weather Friday and Saturday is going to be very difficult, so today I thought was very important to get off to a good start and try to make as many birdies as you can today because the next couple days it's going to be very difficult," he said.

It's a packed leaderboard stacked up behind him.

Standing one back of him are a six-strong group consisting of home favourite Paul Lawrie, Australian shotmaker Jason Day, South African veteran Retief Goosen, Danny Willett of England and Americans Robert Streb and Zach Johnson.

But even more pertinately, among those on 67 is the man who has taken the golfing world by storm this year, 21-year-old Texan Jordan Spieth.

The world number two played alongside Johnson on Thursday for his first competitive round at St Andrews and he dealt admirably with the challenge.

In the absence of injured world number one Rory McIlroy, his clash with Johnson is the one that is making headlines as the rivalry to watch.

Spieth said of Johnson that he had been impressed by "somebody who's splitting bunkers at about 380 yards and just two-putting for birdie on five or six of the holes when there's only two par-5s.

"I don't have that in the bag, so I've got to make up for it with ball-striking.

"I've played enough golf with him to where I believe in my skill set that I can still trump that crazy ability that he has."

Spieth and Johnson have mid-afternoon tee-times when heavy morning rain is forecast to give way to winds gusting up to 40 miles per hour.

By the time they have teed off, such as 2013 champion Phil Mickelson (70), England's top hope Justin Rose (71) and last week's Scottish Open winner Rickie Fowler (72) will have had the chance to apply some pressure on the leader.

Tiger Woods, meanwhile, needs a minor-miracle to avoid missing back-to-back cuts in major tournaments for the first time in his career.

The 14-time major winner struggled to an opening 76 and there was nothing in his game to suggest that he will fare any better in the tougher weather conditions set for Friday.
Source: AFP