After playing a bogey-free front nine in the second round of the Northwestern Windon Memorial Classic, NU golfer Tom Johnson was stopped by a young boy asking for his autograph.
“It kind of caught me off guard since I was right in the middle of my round,” Johnson said. “It’s really humbling. I felt pretty good signing an autograph for a little kid. His dad probably told him to go look for the guy with the purple bag.”
It was quite a compliment for NU’s top golfer. Especially considering that former Windon champion and rising PGA star Luke Donald was present to watch his former team cruise to first place after two rounds.
“We’ll see (the autograph) on Ebay in a week,” NU coach Pat Goss joked.
Johnson went on to shoot a second-round 69 with one bogey. The Cats currently lead Duke by five strokes, Stanford by nine and North Florida by 10.
The final round will be played this morning at the Glen View Club in, appropriately enough, Golf, Ill., on Golf Road.
The Cats took full advantage of their home course in the first round, with T.C. Ford, Scott Harrington and Bjorn Widerstedt all shooting 71s.
Johnson struggled on the front nine — he missed two short putts and hit a ball out of bounds, putting him 3-over through six. But he surged on the back nine to finish with NU’s fourth 71 to give the team a one-stroke lead after the first round. Sophomore Dillon Dougherty finished the round with a 79.
“We played very solidly,” Goss said. “The guys did a good job of playing the golf course simple, like they play it every week.”
Despite increasing wind speeds, Johnson carried his momentum into the second round, finishing with his tournament-leading 4-under. Harrington shot his second 71 of the day to finish tied for third, and Widerstedt finished tied for ninth with a 73. Ford is tied for 20th after shooting 76, and Dougherty is 55th after shooting 77.
“We need to play well in order to win (Tuesday),” Goss said. “But it’s also one of our practice courses. It’s a place we’re very familiar with.”
Teeing off at about 8 a.m., the Cats are paired with Duke and Stanford. Johnson will play with defending Pac-10 individual champion Jim Seki of the Cardinal, who is one stroke behind in second place.
But Johnson remains confident.
“We’re feeling at ease out there while everyone (else) is grinding,” he said. “We’re out there every Wednesday, and we kind of see it as an easy course.”
Although NU hosts the Windon, it has never won it. The only team in this year’s 13-school field that has won the tournament is Kent State.
“I’m excited that we’re winning as a team,” Johnson said. “I’d love to close the deal.”
But despite the Cats’ lack of success at home, Goss said playing nearby definitely benefits the players.
“It’s a lot of work to host it, but it’s great,” he said. “They get to play at home in front of friends and family, and I saw a few students out here. It’s a great opportunity, and it means a lot.”
