FORT WORTH, Texas — American Dustin Johnson fired a bogey-free five-under par 65 Thursday to claim the first-round lead at the USPGA Tour's $6.4 million Colonial tournament. Johnson, who has already collected one victory this season, at the WGC-HSBC Champions in October, hit 16 of 18 greens in regulation and nabbed five birdies to take a one-stroke lead over New Zealand's Tim Wilkinson and Americans Hunter Mahan, Harris English and Robert Streb. Mahan was on fire on the front nine at Colonial Country Club, making the turn at six-under, thanks in part to his eagle-birdie start. But he couldn't keep the momentum, and ended his round with a double-bogey at 18 to join the group on four-under 66. Wilkinson, making his first start at Colonial, played without a bogey. Three-time winner this season Jimmy Walker was among a group of 10 players tied for sixth at three-under 67. Walker was joined by Jason Dufner, Jordan Spieth, Tim Clark, Brice Garnett, Freddie Jacobson, Bo Van Pelt, Ken Duke, David Hearn and Wes Roach. Defending champ Boo Weekley posted a one-over par 71 and is in a large group of players tied for 64th that also included Australian Adam Scott. Scott is playing for the first time since taking over the world No. 1 ranking from Tiger Woods Monday. The 2013 Masters winner teed off on 10 and endured a tough opening nine holes, but managed to turn it around with three birdies coming in. “It is a testing golf course,” said Scott, who had four bogeys in his first nine holes. “I just had to be a little patient. Sometimes on a course like this, you need to be. Even with a short iron or wedge in your hand you can't force it because bogeys are easy to come by.” Bjorn holds lead Denmark's Thomas Bjorn maintained his advantage in the early stages of the second round of the European PGA Championship at Wentworth Friday without having to hit a ball. Bjorn shot a first round course record of 62 — 10-under par — but none of the morning starters could make inroads into his lead. The Dane had a lunchtime tee off time but was still sitting pretty at the top of the leader board before he embarked on his second round. However with rain lashing the course the former Ryder Cup vice captain was set to start his round in the worst conditions of the day as he attempted to hold onto his lead and strengthen his claims for a Ryder Cup playing spot in September. Spain's Rafa Cabrera-Bello looked primed to make a move after Thursday's 65 when he eagled the par-5 fourth but dropped shots at the sixth, eighth and ninth holes before clawing a shot back on the 15th to be three shots off Bjorn's pace. Rory McIlroy was having an up and down day after his opening 68. The Northern Irishman bogeyed two of his first three holes and double bogeyed the seventh before hitting back with an eagle at the par-5 12th. McIlroy has been the center of attention at the European Tour's flagship event after announcing the break-up of his relationship with tennis player Caroline Wozniacki Wednesday. He has a poor record on this course — he has missed the last two cuts here — but looked to have buried his demons with his first round until the course hit back Friday. Sweden's Jonas Blixt had got to five-under with Denmark's Anders Hansen a further shot back after completing a 69 whilst Shane Lowry on eight-under and Frenchman Gary Stal were yet to start on eight and six-under respectively. Scotland's Chris Doak had a run of three birdies in five holes after a bogey at the first to get himself level with Blixt as the rain started to fall. But defending champion Matteo Manassero was looking at having a free weekend and set to miss the cut. After a disastrous opening 80 the Italian was nine-over for the tournament with four holes to play in his second round. England's Lee Westwood and US Open champion Justin Rose were both two-under with four to play and Ian Poulter, a group in front, was on the same mark. Matthew tops leaderboard Scotland's Catriona Matthew shook off an early bogey to fire an eight-under par 64 Thursday and take a one-stroke lead over England's Charley Hull at the Airbus LPGA Classic. Matthew teed off on the back nine on Magnolia Grove's Crossings Course, and was in trouble with a bogey at the par-four 12th. She responded with an eagle on the par-five 13th, and surged to the lead with four birdies in a row at 17, 18, one and two. She added three more birdies before she was done, to keep her nose in front of Hull, who is playing on a sponsor's invitation and had seven birdies in her bogey-free 65. “Obviously (I'm) really pleased,” Matthew said. “Just had two weeks at home so never quite know what you're going to come out and play like. So — delighted. Got the putter going and holed some putts, which is nice.” Matthew said bouncing back from her bogey was key. “I think that was very important. Obviously the scoring I could see was pretty low. Holed a nice shot from the bunker at 13, the par-five, for eagle, so that kind of kick started my round,” she said. A group of three players, Norway's Suzann Pettersen, 2012 winner Stacy Lewis and South Korea's Ji Eun-Hee shared third place on 66. Hall of Famer Pak Se-ri headlined a group on 67 that also included fellow South Korean Jenny Shin, Paraguay's Julieta Granada and America's Jessica Korda, Nicole Castrale and Moira Dunn. Hull, among the later starters, seized second with back-to-back birdies at 17 and 18. — Agencies
