-Caught up with Kevin Johnson as he started his round, and he immediately said hello. I introduced him to my brother and his friend, and my brother told Johnson that he liked his hat.
Johnson responded by saying he liked my brother's hat and shoes, and that he would trade his hat for either option. I'm sure the comment was in jest - but with Johnson, you never know. Alex might as well follow up after the round - he just might get a new hat.
-Johnson got off to a good start, with a tricky up and down for birdie from short right of the 10th green. He then made a series of two-putt pars, before rolling in a 25-footer on the par-5 15th to get to 2-under on the round.
But the veteran then started to falter as he closed his front nine. Although he saved par from rough just right of the green on 16, Johnson missed the green again on 17 and 18 - bogeying both to fall back to even on the day.
Making the turn at 2-under on the week, Johnson is in good position to make the cut (currently at even par), but the recent bogeys have shrunk his margin for error. If the six-time Web.com Tour winner can put together a decent final nine, he will be around for the weekend.
-After missing the green on 16, Johnson openly wondered where his ball went. A patron called out that the ball landed in some deep grass just right of the green.
Johnson responded with, "Well, at least somebody here has good eyes."
-Talked to James Sacheck's dad again, and I asked how his son got started in golf. Mr. Sacheck told me that James got started at a young age, and that he listened to his dad (in regard to golf) essentially until he made it to college. At that point, James moved on from his dad's instruction.
Mr. Sacheck told me he knew James would have a good chance to go pro at the age of 15, when he finished second in the Indiana State Amateur. Mr. Sacheck said James played in the final group at the event with an All-American from Purdue, and that James hung in with the collegian until falling back near the end.
James' mom and wife were again on the course in support. James got off to a good start, birdieing the 10th and making a few pars, before falling back with a double on 14 and bogey on the very birdie-able par-5 15th. Sacheck finished his first nine at 1-over, putting him at 4-over on the week. The Fort Worth resident will need to play a near-flawless back nine to have any chance to make the cut.
-Also playing with Johnson and Sacheck was Paul Claxton, who started his the day at 3-over, in need of a low round in order to make the cut. Claxton immediately got inside the cut line by going 4-under thru his first three holes - rolling in a 20-footer for eagle on 10, a 15-footer for birdie on 11, and another 15-footer for birdie on 12. Just like that, he was right inside the cut line, at 1-under for the tournament.
Claxton leveled off, finishing his first nine at 3-under - leaving the Georgia resident even par on the week. But still, he can stick around for the weekend with a decent final nine.
-Sitting in the media center, I remarked to a local reporter that Lee Janzen had just birdied 15 to take the solo lead at 8-under par.
Immediately, Joe (the Tour's on-site media official) called over, "Kev, relax. It's only Friday." I must have seemed riled up.
Joe went on to say, "We don't get excited about birdies, or eagles, or anything yet."
True, it's early. But hey, I just don't want anyone to get too far ahead of Omar.
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