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Johnson feels he's 'figured it out' after 3rd-round 64 at Open

REUTERS/Phil Noble

After two lackluster days at The Open, Dustin Johnson finally looked like the world No. 1 golfer Saturday at Royal Birkdale.

Johnson, who made just three birdies coming into the third round, equaled that total by the fifth hole on Day 3, and then added three more for a third-round 64.

"I don't ever say, 'Well, I'm going to shoot 64,'"Johnson told Jay Coffin of the Golf Channel. "I just try to shoot as low as I can, whatever number that is."

The 33-year-old struggled with his long game in the first two rounds of the tournament, finding 39 percent of the fairways and just 30 percent of the greens, but rediscovered his control on the range prior to his round.

"I think I figured it out today," he said. "We'll see tomorrow. I'll let you know after I'm done."

Jonhson's bogey-free scorecard would usually be the big story at any major, but it was overshadowed by Branden Grace's record-breaking 62 at Birkdale, a number Johnson believes he needs to better by one on Sunday to have any chance.

"I’m going to need to shoot probably 9-under I would imagine," said Johnson. "To get to 12 (under), I think that would be a decent number to sit in the clubhouse at."

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