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Johnson Leads By 4 At Pebble Beach

The Associated Press

Dustin Johnson hits from the second tee at Poppy Hills golf course during the third round of the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am golf tournament.

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The Associated Press

The Tampa Tribune

Published: February 15, 2009

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. - Dustin Johnson followed his plan by overpowering the par 5s at Poppy Hills on Saturday for a 5-under 67, giving him a four-shot lead over Mike Weir heading into a final round of uncertainty at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

Whether the 24-year-old Johnson is capable of winning for the second time in his past nine starts is not the issue.

Spots of sunshine returned to the Monterey Peninsula for the third straight day, but the forecast is gloomy for the final round - an 80 percent chance of rain, expected to be heavy at times.

Pebble Beach has not had a Monday finish since Tiger Woods' great rally in 2000, and it was 10 years ago this week when the late Payne Stewart birdied his final hole for a one-shot lead after 54 holes, which turned into victory when rain shortened the tournament.

Weir was plodding along at Spyglass Hill until he holed a 25-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fifth hole, then hit the ball as well as he ever has. The former Masters champion hit a hybrid for his second shot to 8 feet on the sixth, a 3-wood to 6 feet on the par-3 seventh, and a 5-iron to 5 feet on the eighth. Trouble is, he missed all the putts.

But he knocked in a 20-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 69.

Johnson was at 15-under 201.

CHAMPIONS TOUR: At Boca Raton, Gil Morgan shot a 7-under 65 and finished tied with Tom Jenkins after two rounds of the Allianz Championship, benefiting greatly from a late collapse by Bernhard Langer.

Jenkins shot 67 for the second straight day, matching Morgan at 10 under through 36 holes.

Langer fell apart over the last four holes with two bogeys and a double-bogey, giving him a 73 and knocking him from the lead.

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