Johnson leads BellSouth Classic

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) _ Zach Johnson's first full day as the leader on the PGA Tour felt very familiar to him. He played solidly, made putts when he needed to, and held on to the top spot. ``I

Saturday, April 3rd 2004, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

DULUTH, Ga. (AP) _ Zach Johnson's first full day as the leader on the PGA Tour felt very familiar to him.

He played solidly, made putts when he needed to, and held on to the top spot.

``I really didn't get nervous,'' Johnson said. ``It doesn't feel that different. It's just golf.''

The rookie shot a 4-under 68 on Saturday to take a three-stroke lead over Padraig Harrington and Scott Hend after the third round of the BellSouth Classic.

Harrington shot a 67, rallying after a triple bogey by making six birdies on his last 10 holes in the last event before the Masters. Coming off a second-place finish in The Players Championship last week _ his second straight runner-up finish in that tournament _ the Irish star is looking for his first victory on the PGA Tour.

``It would be important to win on the U.S. tour,'' Harrington said. ``I'm not putting pressure on myself to do it (here) or anything like that. We'll wait and see how it goes.''

After leading the developmental Nationwide Tour in earnings in 2003, Johnson is off to a solid start this season. He has made four of six cuts and $335,031 _ good for 58th on the money list _ and he's coming off a tie for sixth at Bay Hill in his previous start.

So far, life on the PGA Tour hasn't fazed him.

``The crowds can probably get to you a little bit, with their chanting and whatnot,'' Johnson said. ``But I kind of enjoy that.''

He got a bit off track in the middle of the third round. On the par-5 10th, Johnson pulled his drive into the rough, and he put his next shot through the fairway into a bunker.

An indifferent pitch left him in a green-side bunker, but he splashed out close to the hole and made his par putt.

``I did a good job of scrambling, especially early on the back nine,'' Johnson said. ``I hit some squirrelly shots, but I still felt good about things.''

He found more sand on the next three holes, including after his drive on 13, a short par 4. Another up and down there gave him only his second birdie of the day and steadied him.

Down the stretch, he made back-to-back birdies on 16 and 17, then made a brilliant par on the par-5 18th to finish the round at 13-under 203.

Johnson missed the green well right and long with his second shot, and this time, he was left wishing he'd ended up in the sand.

``That's what I was trying to do,'' he said. ``If it went in the bunker, that would have been fine.''

But it didn't. His ball came to rest on a fan's towel in the gallery, and after a drop, he faced a nervy chip over the bunker, with the green running away from him to the pond protecting the front of the green.

``I was just trying to barely get it over the bunker,'' Johnson said. ``If it got over the bunker, it would probably release on the green. If it stays in the bunker, that's fine, because it's not really the hardest of bunker shots.''

He pulled the shot off masterfully. Johnson lofted the ball over the sand, and it landed on the fringe and trickled to the middle of the green. He missed the long birdie chance, but par was good enough this time.

``That was probably one of, if not the, best shot I hit all day, to be honest,'' Johnson said.

Hend also had a 68, including an eagle on the last, where he hit a 3-iron from 251 yards to only 4 feet.

This is the first time in six starts this season that Hend _ another tour rookie _ has made the cut.

``I'd just be happy to achieve my goals, play solidly,'' Hend said. ``I'm not disillusioned by thinking I can win straightaway. If I happen to win, that's great, but I'm quite prepared to sit back and learn how to play on the PGA Tour, get the experience.''

Brian Gay (69) was four strokes back at 9 under, defending champion Ben Crane (71) was 8 under, and Mark Hensby (66), Peter Lonard (69) and Craig Bowden (72) were another stroke behind.