Tony C. McCray Blog: Dustin Johnson Ahead at Riviera

Rain has dictated much of the action at the Genesis Riviera Open this weekend, but it hasn’t deterred Dustin Johnson from taking a 1-stroke lead through two rounds.

The top five player is 10-under after consecutive 66s to take a 1-stroke lead over Pat Perez and Cameron Tringale with the third round due to start Sunday.

Johnson finished strong in Friday’s Round 1 with four birdies on the back nine including back-to-back on 17 and 18. He replicated the feat in Saturday’s Round 2, recording birdies on 15, 17, and 18.

If he wins the title, he will take the No. 1 spot in the world rankings away from Jason Day, who has held it for almost one year.

“I want to win this tournament,” Johnson said. “Whether I get to No. 1 or not doesn’t affect me at all.”

Torrential rain and fog have severely diminished the tournament’s watchability. Play started an hour late due to fog on Thursday, then Friday’s second round was washed out by rains and wind. Two more hours of rain delayed Saturday’s play.

The best round on Saturday came courtesy of American Cameron Tringale, who fired a 7-under 64 to climb from 30th to a tie for second. Tringale started the day with three straight birdies on holes 3-5 and wound up with seven on the afternoon.

Pebble Beach champion Jordan Spieth is currently tied for 17th at 5-under after shooting 69-68.

The cut was set at even par. American Bubba Watson, a two-time winner and the defengding champion,