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He left Newport Beach Country Club three days later known as the tournament champion. Here’s how Johnson’s first day of competition unfolded: 6:45 a.m. As Geoff Grounds prepares to leave his home for an early morning workout at the gym, he notices that his father-in-law, Mark Johnson, is already awake and watching the morning news that shows the possibility of rain later in the day. 9:30 a.m. Johnson, dressed in his golf attire, hops into his Ford Expedition with Grounds and heads toward Newport Beach Country Club. 10:20 a.m. Johnson parks in his designated spot between 1996 Toshiba champion Jim Colbert and Tom Jenkins and promptly heads to the tournament registration area. 11:30 a.m. After finishing a salad, Johnson walks to the putting green where caddie Doug Madison awaits. They discuss how the winds of 15-20 mph from the south are making some pin locations more accessible than others. 11:37 a.m. After rolling putts from a variety of distances, Johnson hears a familiar voice — Bob Truckey, who came from Helendale to cheer him on. Truckey has known Johnson since he was a junior golfer at the defunct Sun & Sky Golf Course in Barstow. Johnson thanks Truckey for his support and refocuses his attention to putts in the 5- to 10-foot range. 11:53 a.m. Johnson heads to the driving range where he’s met by his dentist, Don Finch, who pats him on the back and says, “Good luck, Mark, and be sure to smile for people so they can see my artwork.” Johnson laughs and thanks Finch for coming out to watch him play. 12:10 p.m. Johnson stops hitting his 7-iron to the 165-yard marker when he hears a “Beeeer Maaaaan” serenade. Madison directs Johnson’s attention to the 10th fairway where golfer Bruce Summerhays stops serenading and waves. Johnson chuckles and waves back before continuing his practice routine. 12:35 p.m. As Johnson works on bump-and-run shots with a 7-iron on the chipping green, Madison signals him to come to the tent to meet his player partners, R.W. Eaks and Hajime Meshiai. 12:45 p.m. Cheers and applause are heard as the starter announces Johnson as the first player in the threesome to tee off. After acknowledging the crowd, Johnson lofts a 5-wood over the palm trees and bunker guarding the left side of the first fairway and will have only a 67-yard approach shot to the green. 12:58 p.m. Johnson two-putts for par and the gallery that includes nearly 40 family members and friends applauds his opening score. 1:15 p.m. With the gallery urging Johnson’s ball to “Go! Go! Go!” he records his first birdie of the day with a tricky downhill putt on the second hole. 1:28 p.m. After receiving a drop from the sprinkler head near the third green, Johnson has an eagle putt from the fringe. It misses on the right, but a tap-in birdie has him at 2-under and his friends in good spirits. 2:10 p.m. Johnson gets a fortunate bounce forward off a palm tree after hitting his drive on the seventh hole. He’s left with 110 yards to the hole, and his sand wedge approach has the gallery shouting “Go in!” and “Give one for the Beer Man!” The eagle didn’t land, but his 3-foot birdie has him at 3-under par. 2:40 p.m. Johnson rolls in a 6-foot par putt on the ninth green to complete the front nine at 3-under 32, three strokes behind the leader, Gil Morgan. 3:24 p.m. Johnson heads to the 12th tee box with umbrella in hand. A light rain has become more steady and the gallery has thinned out. 3:45 p.m. The rain stops as Johnson rolls in a par putt on the 14th green. 4:05 p.m. After his second shot to the par-5 15th hole hits the green but rolls off to the right, Johnson hits a delicate chip to 8 feet below the hole. His birdie putt needs one more roll to go in. It doesn’t. Still, there is no sign of frustration from Johnson as he heads to the 16th tee. 4:08 p.m. Johnson pulls his drive on the 16th hole and his ball rattles around the palm trees on the left side of the fairway. While he wasn’t frustrated a few minutes ago, he is now. 4:19 p.m. Johnson, whose third shot stopped 4 feet above the hole on the par-4 16th, has a great chance to salvage par, but the missed putt ends his consecutive par streak at eight. 4:28 p.m. Johnson’s tee shot lands in the greenside-bunker on the par-3 17th hole, the most picturesque on the course. Like a pure jump shot in basketball, Johnson’s bunker shot flies straight into the hole without making a sound or moving the flagstick. The gallery lets out a thunderous roar that lasted nearly a minute, and chants of “Beer Man!” and “Drain-O!” could reportedly be heard all the way back at the clubhouse. 4:37 p.m. From the grandstands that surround the par-5 finishing hole, “Lefty” and Jackie Johnson eagerly await their son’s second shot to the 18th green. As his ball lands and releases to the back fringe, Johnson’s parents applaud their son’s shot. 4:43 p.m. Johnson gently chips down the ridge to the hole where he is left with a 3-foot birdie putt to end his round. 4:48 p.m. Exactly four hours and three minutes after he hit his opening tee shot, Johnson holes the birdie putt for a 4-under-par finish of 67. He is tied for fourth and two shots behind Morgan. “Well done Mark!” comes a shout from the grandstands. It’s his dad. Both men are smiling. 4:53 p.m. Johnson, Eaks and Meshiai sign their cards in the scorers tent. As Johnson leaves, he hands each score volunteer an autographed ball and meets with his family, friends and spectators who have followed him throughout his amateur career. 5:05 p.m. As Johnson and his entourage discuss dining options, he is approached by tournament media chairman Brain Robin, who asks Johnson if he would like to go on the air with Dave Stone, a sports news radio host for ESPN 710. Johnson says yes and tells his family to meet him at the hotel in 40 minutes. As they exit the clubhouse through the front door, Robin introduces Johnson to Stone, where they schedule a live interview for 5:20 p.m. 5:24 p.m. After a sports update, Stone introduces radio listeners to Mark “The Beer Man” Johnson, where talk eventually leads to his miraculous shot on the 17th hole. “There was no way to explain the crowds’ reaction after I chipped in on 17,” Johnson told Stone. “I never felt that feeling on the golf course before.” 5:26 p.m. After Stone wraps up the interview and removes his headset, he congratulates Johnson on a job well done on the air and on the course. 5:35 p.m. As Johnson walks to his Expedition in the parking lot, his thoughts have already advanced to the start of the second round. “All I look forward to is to give myself a chance to win the tournament,” he said. “I feel like I have done that today and I am looking forward to playing well for my family and friends who will come out to watch me tomorrow.” 5:37 p.m. Johnson unlocks his Expedition and appears to be as happy now as he was when entered the parking lot seven hours ago. He heads off on the Pacific Coast Highway and toward the setting sun. Little did he know that he’d be a whole lot happier in 48 hours. |
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