FedEx St. Jude Classic 2018: Dustin Johnson Carries 1-Stroke Lead into Saturday

Dustin Johnson will carry a one-shot lead into the weekend at the 2018 FedEx St. Jude Classic after firing a seven-under 63 in Friday's second round at TPC Southwind in Memphis, Tennessee.

Johnson, who started on the back nine, finished with a flurry as he carded an eagle and four birdies to close with a front-side 29. He stands at 10 under overall after a 67 in the opening round Thursday.

Ryan Blaum and Andrew Putnam are tied for second at nine under. Wesley Bryan and C.T. Pan are two strokes off the pace at eight under, while first-round leader Seamus Power faded to a tie for seventh at six under.

Johnson is seeking his first victory since the Sentry Tournament of Champions in early January.

The 33-year-old South Carolina native got off to a sluggish start Friday. He played his first four holes in one over par after back-to-back bogeys starting at No. 12. He bounced back in a major way with two birdies over his next three holes and then the front-nine surge.

"I feel like I'm hitting it well. If I can get the ball in the fairway, I'm hitting my irons really well, I have a lot of confidence in them so I know I can attack the flags," Johnson told reporters.

Here's a look at some highlights from his round:

Brandt Snedeker was the only player to shoot a better round than Johnson on Friday. He posted a bogey-free 62. The eight-under day was a massive turnaround after a one-over 71 in Round 1.

It was the best round of the year for the Tennessee native, who missed three cuts in his last four starts coming into this week's tournament.

"I know I've put the work in, but until you start seeing results, you start questioning what you're doing," he told reporters after the second round. "You start questioning everything about yourself. You need to see these positive days, where it's 'OK, I am doing the right stuff, and it's coming around. I'm not losing my mind.'"

Looking ahead, Johnson is the clear favorite with 36 holes to play thanks to his strong performance Friday and a leaderboard littered with unheralded challengers.

He'll need to continue his low-scoring ways over the next two days unless the pin positions over the weekend turn TPC Southwind into a more formidable test. The course yielded a lot of birdies Friday, which lends hope for the other contenders should the No. 2-ranked player in the world falter.