Big move for Johnson in Players Championship

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. - Zach Johnson made a significant move up the leaderboard Friday at the Players Championship with a second-round 4-under 68.

Johnson is 5 under for the tournament and three strokes behind co-leaders Kevin Na and Jerry Kelly.

Thanks to a good short game, Johnson played some stress-free golf and didn't make a bogey.

'I don't think I had more than 2 feet for par the whole day,” Johnson said. 'I had a lot of good opportunities, I made a couple putts. But for the most part, it was just really solid.”

Johnson's wedge play got him up and down multiple times from bunkers and the green-side rough.

'It was nice to get up and down and keep the momentum going, especially on 16 and 18,” Johnson said.

On the par-5 16th, Johnson's seventh hole of the day, the Cedar Rapids native pulled his 4-iron into the rough. A delicate downhill chip left him 7 feet for birdie. Johnson drained the putt and the signature par-3 17th at Sawgrass was next.

Johnson's tee shot to the island green got hung up in the wind but found the green for a two-putt par.

But the wind has been part of the story this week.

'Thursday afternoon on 14 I hit a bad drive and a wedge,” Johnson said of the difficult 481-yard par-4. 'I've never hit a wedge into 14 in my entire life.”

But Johnson had to make adjustments Friday to collect birdies on 2, 7, 11, and 16.

Johnson said the par-5 16th will be pivotal this weekend with its risk-reward aspects and won't birdie there for granted.

'The moment you feel like 'oh man, I'm going to stick this to 3 feet and tap in for an (eagle) 3 is the moment you're struggling to make a par. That green is not exactly flat.”

No greens at TPC Sawgrass are.

It figures to be a dandy of a weekend.