Johnson, Goydos tied for lead at Pebble Beach

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. (AP) — Dustin Johnson and Paul Goydos could not be any more different, which is why it was so odd to see them atop the leaderboard Saturday at the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am with identical scores.

On their birth certificates, Goydos is 20 years older. On the tee, Johnson is 48 yards longer.

Johnson is tall and athletic. Goydos is ... not.

They played with the gifts they have, and they used them brilliantly on a gorgeous afternoon that gives Pebble Beach such iconic status as America’s most famous seaside course.

Johnson overpowered Spyglass Hill for an 8-under 64 that included two eagles. Goydos poked his way along the splendid coastline of Pebble Beach and birdied two of the last three holes for an 8-under 64.

Nothing separated them on the scoreboard, which is all that matters. They were at 18-under 196, four shots clear of anyone else heading into the final round.

“His game is a little different from mine,” said Johnson, who will try to become only the fifth back-to-back winner of the Pebble Beach National Pro-Am, and the first in 20 years. “And he finds a way to get it done.”

Johnson began his round at Spyglass Hill with a 343-yard drive, leaving him a hybrid for his second shot on the 595-yard hole. It rolled past the pin, and he made a 20-foot eagle from the fringe.

Goydos ripped a 268-yard drive on the par-5 second hole at Pebble Beach, leaving him a 3-wood into the 513-yard hole that he hit to 8 feet for an eagle.

Two questions to each player spoke volumes about how different they play.

Goydos was asked if he will simply ignore how far Johnson hits the ball off the tee.

“No, I fully panic,” Goydos said. “You know, it is what it is. I don’t know if ’ignore’ is the right word, but you appreciate. I’m going to appreciate his play, but you go out and play your game, too. I have do things differently than he does, and he’s got to do things differently than I do.”

J.B. Holmes and Bryce Molder each had a 68 at Spyglass Hill, while Matt Jones had a 66 on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula. They were tied for third at 14-under 200.

David Duval had a 67 and was tied for seventh. Phil Mickelson had a 69 at Pebble Beach and was eight shots out of the lead.