Golf-Power hitter Johnson in early tie for Houston lead

March 31 (Reuters) - Long-hitting Dustin Johnson, seeking his first PGA Tour victory of the season, stormed into a share of the early lead with a scintillating eagle-birdie finish to the opening round of the Houston Open on Thursday. The 31-year-old American sank a 10-footer at the par-five eighth, his penultimate hole of the day, before draining a 24-footer from the fringe at the par-three ninth to card a seven-under 65 at the Golf Club of Houston in Humble, Texas. That left Johnson in a two-way tie with compatriot Roberto Castro, who fired a bogey-free round in calm but humid conditions ideal for low scoring. Three more Americans - Johnson Wagner, Justin Hicks and Chez Reavie - opened with 66s in the final PGA Tour event before next week's Masters, the first of the year's four major championships. Johnson, a nine-time winner on the PGA Tour, was delighted with his start after mixing an eagle and seven birdies with two bogeys. "Overall, it was a great day," he told PGA TOUR Radio. "I made just two bogeys and one of them was a mud ball on (hole) five. I hit a good shot, just mud took it left and got a kind of a bad lie there left of the green and I didn't get up and down. "Then I had a penalty shot on the par-five 13th (his fourth hole of the day). Other than that, I felt like I played really solid today and holed some nice putts," said Johnson, who has recorded four top-10s in seven starts on the 2015-16 PGA Tour. Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth, the world number two, was among the late starters in the opening round. (Reporting by Mark Lamport-Stokes in Los Angeles; Editing by Frank Pingue)