Dustin Johnson has a big finish at Pebble Beach

This is the how Dustin Johnson finished off his first round as defending champion at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am:

Birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie, birdie.

If you’re keeping score, and that’s what they do at golf tournaments, the big-hitting 25-year-old from South Carolina shot an eight-under-par 64 on the Pebble Beach Links course Thursday to take a one-shot lead after the first round.

The 6-foot-4 Johnson was modest after his score (which included a 30 on the back nine) gave him the lead over the 65s posted by J.B. Holmes and K.J. Choi, who both also played the Pebble Beach course.

“You know, I don’t know, I just like it here,” Johnson said.

He wasn’t much into deep thinking after his round, but he did enjoy the rain-free, wind-free afternoon. Last year Johnson benefited from an event shortened by 18 holes because of rain. And after he finished tied for third at the rain-plagued Northern Trust Open at Riviera Country Club last week, Johnson was asked if he hoped for bad weather to return.

“No,” he said. “I don’t want to see any rain. We’ve had enough this year.”

Johnson’s name is on top of a leaderboard filled with better-known golfers. Among the 12 tied for fifth at five under are former No. 1 David Duval, three-time major winner Vijay Singh and 2003 Masters winner Mike Weir.

While the crowds appreciated the amazing clothing choices of some of the younger golfers, especially an all-blue ensemble worn by Murrieta’s 21-year-old Rickie Fowler (he also shot an acceptable 67 at the par-70 Shore Course at Monterey Country Club), it was the shotmaking of Johnson, both his hard-hitting and delicate greenside decisions, that drew the loudest applause.

Johnson began his closing surge by reaching the front of the green on the 573-yard 14th hole. Then it was almost like putt-putt for Johnson with a little chip and easy putt for the first birdie.

He described the start of his 15th hole by saying, “I kind of flipped my three-wood off the tee. It was pretty close to going out of bounds. Luckily enough it stayed in.” Accepting his good luck, Johnson hit his sand wedge to about five feet from the hole. And, as he said simply, “Made that one.”

Johnson isn’t introspective. His interaction with the crowd is easy. He smiles before he hits a shot, good or bad. He shrugs when he talks about nearly going out of bounds or when describing an amazing shot.

And he was not the only golfer who made some amazing shots.

Holmes holed out for eagle from the fairway of the eighth hole at Pebble Beach and Charley Hoffman, who is in third place at six under, made an eagle on the par-five sixth hole of the newly redone Shore Course.

About the shot he hit for eagle, which landed a little long and spun back into the cup, Holmes said, “It’s one of the rare occasions where you make one and you actually hit it perfect. I hit it right where I was aiming. The ball cut exactly like I wanted. I was just perfect the whole time.”

Hoffman was also satisfied with his eagle. He said he hit a hybrid club into the green on the par-five and made an 18-foot putt. “Actually, it was a pretty good eagle,” said Hoffman, 33, of San Diego.

Of all the first-round scores, perhaps Duval’s 67 on Spyglass Hill was the best effort. The average score Thursday on Spyglass was 71.52; at Pebble Beach it was 70.89 and 69.97 at Monterey. Duval’s only bogey came at the 18th.

John Daly, who walked away from his last tournament two weeks ago at Torrey Pines and said he was “done” with golf after missing the cut, finished tied for 71st with a one-under 69 at Monterey.

Sergio Garcia, making his first U.S. start of the season, and Phil Mickelson, who is the highest-ranked golfer in the world (No. 3) in the field, each had two-under 68s at Monterey.

diane.pucin@latimes.com