Golf roundup: Dustin Johnson uses new putter to open one-shot lead at HSBC Champions event

Dustin Johnson got a new putter 15 minutes before he teed off and then made just about everything Friday in the HSBC Champions, closing with four straight birdies for a nine-under-par 63 and a one-shot lead over Brooks Koepka.

Johnson, who rose to No. 1 in the world with three straight victories in the spring, has been alternating between two putters for the last few months. He brought a third putter to Shanghai, this one with a mallet head, and gave it one day before deciding it wasn’t right for him.

So he had a fourth one Friday — a TaylorMade Spider with a different insert — and he couldn’t complain about the results.

Two of his closing birdie putts were in the 15-foot range, and he finished with a five-foot slider on the 18th to reach 13-under 131.

“The guys here in China made me one. I got it right before I walked to the tee,” Johnson said. “I hit a few putts on the practice green with it and I was like, ‘Oh, this will work pretty well.’ Went out and holed a lot of putts today, so I kind of like it.”

Saturday at Sheshan International will be eighth time in three years Johnson and Koepka have been in the same group at a tournament.

They will be joined in the final group by Justin Rose, making it a threesome of U.S. Open champions. Rose made bogey on the par-fuve 18th and still shot 68. He was four shots behind, along with Kiradech Aphibarnrat, who had a 70.

Patrick Reed, who has gone 14 months since his last victory, shot 70 and was five shots behind.

Koepka enjoys being around Johnson, though Koepka won’t read much more into than that. Saturday is a long way from the finish.

“I have no problem breaking Dustin’s heart, I can promise you that,” Koepka said. “I’m sure he’d say the same thing if he was sitting up here. When we both show up, I think we’re both expecting to win. I hope it comes down to Sunday, because there’s not been a tournament where we’ve actually competed against each other.”

Shanshan leads Sime Darby

Feng Shanshan had three birdies before a lengthy rain delay and three more after it, shooting a six-under 65 to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the Sime Darby.

Play was halted for close to four hours because of heavy rain at TPC Kuala Lumpur. But Feng, a two-time champion from China, managed to stay steady on both sides of the interruption to lead at 11-under 131.

Madelene Sagstorm (66) is in second place, followed by Cristie Kerr (63) at 133. Kerr’s round was the lowest of the day.

Overnight leader Lydia Ko (72) couldn’t maintain her first-round form and carded four bogeys in the second.

Armour leads at Sanderson Farms Championship

Ryan Armour shot a four-under 68 to take a one-shot lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

The 41-year-old Armour has never won on the PGA Tour and has only four top 10s in 104 career events. He made four straight birdies on the back nine and finished just before a wave of thunderstorms swept over the Country Club of Jackson and suspended play for the day.

There were 30 players still on the course when play ended. They’ll finish their second rounds on Saturday in what’s expected to be much colder weather. Armour is at 10-under 134. Tyrone Van Aswegen is one back after shooting a 65 on Friday. Vaughn Taylor shot 66 and is two shots back, along with Seamus Power, who has two holes left to play.

Toms’ 66 forges share of Champions lead

David Toms had a hole-in-one in his round of six-under 66, good enough for a share of the first-round lead with Jeff Maggert at the PowerShares QQQ Championship.

Toms used a five-iron to ace the 188-yard third hole at Sherwood Country Club in Thousand Oaks, Calif. He birdied his next two holes and made three more birdies on the back nine.

The 50-year-old Toms is winless in his first season on the PGA Tour Champions and sits 30th in the Charles Schwab Cup standings. The tournament is the second of three Schwab Cup playoff events.

The 53-year-old Maggert, who hasn’t won in more than two years, went bogey-free in his round of 66. Jesper Parnevik was one shot back. Miguel Angel Jimenez and Scott Dunlap were another shot behind.

Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer made a 12-foot putt to salvage bogey on the par-4 18th and shoot 69. The 60-year-old German star won last week in Richmond, Virginia, and has all but wrapped up his ninth money title in 10 seasons on the over-50 tour.