Johnson, Stenson lead as US Open second round starts

The second round of the US Open kicked off Friday morning with Dustin Johnson and Henrik Stenson at the top of the leaderboard and Tiger Woods hoping to make the cut.

Johnson and Stenson, two of golf's biggest names who have yet to win a major championship, will try to keep their names at the top of the leaderboard at the $10 million event after shooting five-under 65s in the first round at Chambers Bay on Thursday.

Woods will need a small miracle to make the cut after stumbling to a 10-over 80, his worst score in a US Open and his third round in the 80s this season.

The starting field of 156 golfers will be cut after 36 holes to the low 60 scorers and ties.

The first wave of golfers was greeted Friday morning with overcast skies and some light drizzle but weather forecasters are calling for mostly cloudy conditions with another chance of sprinkles in the afternoon.

Co-leaders Stenson and Johnson were set to tee off in the afternoon as they made a mockery of predictions that the new and untested Chambers Bay course would be an overwhelming test for the world's greatest golfers.

A total of 25 players broke par in the opening round Thursday, the most in any US Open since 32 golfers broke par in the final round of the 2011 US Open.

The average score for the field on Thursday was 72.72, the lowest for an opening round since 2003.
The USGA is expected to try and make the course more difficult for Friday's second round. One of the biggest changes was making the first hole a par-five instead of a par-four.

Johnson's 65 was his lowest score at a US Open since he fired a 66 at Pebble Beach in 2010 while Stenson shot his best round in a US Open since his 68 two years ago at Merion.

Johnson, who took a six-month break last year to work through some personal issues, has seven top-10 finishes in majors and was tied for fourth at last year’s US Open.

He will tee off in the afternoon wave that also includes world number one Rory McIlroy, Phil Mickelson and defending champion Martin Kaymer.

Woods, a 14-time major winner, struggled mightily in the opening round with a head-scratching round that included a triple bogey on the par-four 14th.

Woods was playing in the morning session in a threesome with 2015 Player Championship winner Rickie Fowler and Louis Oosthuizen of South Africa.

Once again Woods was struggling with a bogey, par and birdie to start his second round.

They teed off in the group right behind reigning Masters champion Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and 2013 US Open winner Justin Rose.