World number one Dustin Johnson was nearly flawless off the tee as he stretched to a two-shot lead over Brian Harman at the Sentry Tournament of Champions.
Unsurprisingly Johnson leads the field in driving distance through 54 as he looks to return to his pre-Masters 2017 form at the Plantation Course at Kapalua Golf Club.
Johnson matched the low round of the tournament with a superb 66 on Saturday to put him in line for his 17th PGA TOUR victory.
No one expects the world number one to falter like he did when he entered the final round of the WGC-HSBC Champions in October. On that occasion, Johnson slumped to a final round 77 to allow Justin Rose an unexpected victory.
Johnson’s form from the tee box this week won’t allow a repeat.
‘I felt like I really drove it well, which I have been all three days,’ Johnson said after driving the 398-yard par-4 sixth.
Another key factor is that he is the most experienced player on this course – as he looks to win on his eighth appearance. Saturday’s round was his 20th round in the 60s at the Plantation Course. One more and it will surely be enough to claim the first title on offer of 2018.
A player Johnson will be weary of is Rickie Fowler.
His 61 to win the Hero World Challenge remains in many of the onlooker’s mind. He is five back after a bogey-free 68 and is -11 through 41 holes (11 birdies, two bogeys and one eagle) since his double bogey in the opening round.
‘I don’t expect him to necessarily do that again. All the times that he’s been in a position to win and having a lead, he’s taken care of that pretty well,’ Fowler said of DJ’s collapse in China.
‘D.J.’s a guy that forgets pretty quickly. I don’t think he remembers China. So that’s one of the reasons why he is the best player in the world right now. He quickly forgets, moves on.
‘There’s not necessarily a weak part of his game, so I’m going to have to go play well if I want to go chase him down.’
