Dustin Johnson falters late, loses lead

Dustin Johnson dropped six strokes in five holes at the end of his round Friday, losing the Masters Tournament lead and a considerable amount of ground on the field.

Johnson, who shot an opening-round 67, double-bogeyed Nos. 15 and 18 and bogeyed Nos. 14 and 17 to shoot 76 on Friday.

Johnson did not talk to the media after the round.

The Columbia native held the lead for a brief time Friday after a birdie on No. 13 took him to 7-under.

Johnson shot 36 on the front nine and 40 on the back. His misadventures included finding the water on the par-5 15th, which led to the double bogey.

Johnson led the Masters in driving distance after the first round at 317 yards. His second-round total dropped to 275 yards, hitting five fairways and eight greens in regulation.

His best Masters finish is a tie for 30th in 2009. He missed last year’s tournament with a back injury.