(MENAFN- The Peninsula) Dustin Johnson made the most of ideal conditions to fire a first-round 66 yesterday for a one-shot lead in the $6.7m US PGA Tour Northern Trust Open
Johnson teed off early, and while his five-under effort had him just one stroke in front of a big chasing pack, no one managed to join him atop the leaderboard before darkness halted play with 15 players on the course
They included JB Holmes, who was among four players who briefly grabbed a share of the lead only to fall back
After a birdie at 13 -- his sixth of the day -- Holmes bogeyed 16 to fall into the chasing group and was in trouble at 17 when play was suspended
In all, 10 players were in the clubhouse on four-under par 67, including South Korea's Bae Sang-Moon, Italian Francesco Molinari, Australian Matt Jones and US tour sensation Jimmy Walker
Walker, whose triumph at Pebble Beach on Sunday was his third of the 2013-14 season, birdied his last three holes to reach four-under
In all, 10 players were in the clubhouse on four-under par 67, including South Korea's Bae Sang-Moon, Italian Francesco Molinari, Australian Matt Jones and US tour sensation Jimmy Walker
Walker, whose triumph at Pebble Beach on Sunday was his third of the 2013-14 season, birdied his last three holes to reach four-under
Johnson's six birdies on the par-71 Riviera Country Club Course, which played firm and fast in the warm California sunshine, included three in a row at 17, 18 and one
After his only bogey of the day at the par-three fourth he bounced back with a birdie at his penultimate hole, the eighth, to separate himself at the top and set a target for the afternoon starters
"I just got off to a good start and just continued to play really solid all day," said Johnson, who was happy to be back at the classic course in the canyons west of downtown Los Angeles
"I kept it in play, and hit a lot of greens, had a lot of looks at birdie.
Johnson opened the 2013-14 US PGA Tour season with a victory in the World Golf Championships HSBC Champions in Shanghai back in November
He finished equal sixth at the Tournament of Champions in January, and on Sunday grabbed a share of second place behind Walker in Pebble Beach with a final-round 66
Johnson hit all but two greens in regulation and needed just 30 putts
"The game's right where I want it to be," Johnson told reporters yesterday.
"Any score under par out here is a pretty solid round. It's a tough course, but it's right in front of you, so it's just a golf course that I really like.
While Johnson enjoys the challenge of Riviera, Garrigus said he had to convince himself of the course's charm
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