Matt Jones convincing in Honda Classic victory

WILMINGTON, N.C. — Six weeks away from competition didn’t keep Dustin Johnson from extending one streak Thursday, with hopes of adding to another. Johnson showed more game than rust at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he missed only two greens — and plenty of putts — for a 2-under 70 that left him four shots behind leader Francesco Molinari at blustery Eagle Point Golf Club. It was Johnson’s 13th consecutive round at par or better. Johnson wasn’t as flawless as he looked while winning three straight tournaments, though he had few complaints under the circumstances. It was his first time playing since he slipped in his socks down the stairs at his rental house in Augusta, hurting his back and knocking him out of the Masters. “Since I hadn’t played in so long, I’m happy with the way I played,” Johnson said. “I didn’t score that great, didn’t really hole that many putts, but other than that, I played really well. I think I hit 16 greens and I hit the ball great.” No one was sure what to expect at Eagle Point, where the Wells Fargo Championship moved this year because its traditional venue, Quail Hollow Club in Charlotte, is hosting the PGA Championship in August. On greens that were slightly softer and as pure as can be, Molinari ran off five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the front nine and closed out his round with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th. That gave him a one-shot lead over Alex Noren of Sweden, J.B. Holmes, Grayson Murray and Brian Campbell. Murray was the only player to reach 7 under until he finished with back-to-back bogeys. Campbell, playing with Murray, also was tied for the lead until he found the left bunker on the par-5 ninth and failed to get up-and-down. Holmes birdied his last three holes for a 67. He played with Phil Mickelson, who shot 71 in his first time out since the Masters. Just over half the 156-man field was at par or better. Johnson started well enough to act as though nothing has happened since he last played March 26 at the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play, his third straight victory, which strengthened his hold at No. 1 in the world. He was rarely in trouble, made only one putt longer than 10 feet and still shot 70. It was a reasonable start in resuming his quest for a fourth straight PGA TOUR victory, which would be the longest streak since Tiger Woods won five in a row at the end of the 2007 season and the start of 2008. “I played a lot better than my score,” Johnson said. He didn’t miss a green until a gust knocked down his tee shot on the par-3 second hole (his 11th of the round) and sent it down a slope short of the green. He chipped weakly up the hill to 12 feet and made his first bogey. He closed out his round by pulling a drive on the par-4 ninth hole, punching under tree limbs to short of the green and again pitching it short. He started walking as soon as he hit his 10-foot par putt, knowing it was off to the right. “All in all, I’m very pleased with the day,” Johnson said. There were no issues with the deep bruise he suffered in his lower left back, which ranks among the top freak accidents in golf under the circumstances. Johnson was playing the best golf of his life — those three victories were against the three strongest fields of the year — when he hustled downstairs to move his car in the rain because his 2-year-old son was on his way home from day care. He slipped at the bottom of the stairs, crashing onto his back and left elbow, and Johnson couldn’t swing well enough to compete at the Masters. Whatever rust he showed in the pro-am Wednesday was gone, at least on the back nine when he started. He hit a sand wedge to the back tier on the par-5 12th to 4 feet for birdie. He holed a putt just inside 10 feet for birdie on the par-5 15th, smashed another drive down the 16th and hit a wedge to 2 feet. That put him at 3 under through eight holes, at the time tied for the lead, and he hammered another drive on the par-5 18th. With the wind in his face and water on the right, Johnson elected to lay up. His lob wedge was 20 feet right of the pin, and there were other short irons that a month ago he would have expected to get within 10 feet. The few times he did, Johnson missed the putts. “I knew I wasn’t going to play as good,” Johnson said. “I maybe played a little more conservatively. But anything under par was going to be a good score.”

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It took 22 holes, but Phil Mickelson finally prevailed in his $9 million showdown with rival Tiger Woods, sinking a short birdie to win “The Match” on Friday at Shadow Creek.

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NORTON, Mass. – Bryson DeChambeau has secured the No. 1 seed in the FedExCup through to the TOUR Championship after claiming the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston. After a convincing victory at THE NORTHERN TRUST to open the four-event Playoffs stretch DeChambeau backed it up with another dominant display, prevailing by two shots over Justin Rose. The win assures the 25-year-old the top seed in the FedExCup not only at next week’s BMW Championship at Aronimink in Philadelphia, but through to the season finale TOUR Championship in Atlanta. The top five players at East Lake control their own destiny knowing a win secures the FedExCup. DeChambeau will also have the best chance to claim the season long championship without victory. After the points reset he would have a reasonable chance to win the FedExCup with a top-6 finish in Atlanta and mathematically has a chance finishing as low as T29 in the 30-man field. “I’ve still got to focus on doing the absolute best I can each and every week. I can’t get caught up in the fact that I’m No. 1,â€� DeChambeau said. “If a guy wins the first three Playoff events, if that was ever to happen, you’re still not guaranteed that you’re going to win the FedExCup. So no matter what there’s always a job to do. “I can’t get caught up in the fact that I won the past two weeks. Everybody starts at even par next week. We’re all fresh. And there’s going to be a winner on Sunday. So it could be anybody out of the 70 that are there. I’ve just got to play better than all of them.â€� While his seeding won’t change next week, DeChambeau still has goals he’s chasing. He joined Vijay Singh (2008) as the only player to win the opening two Playoff events in the history of the FedExCup and now has a chance to set more record marks. No one has ever won more than two of the four Playoff events in one season, although there has now been a multiple winner in eight of the 12 seasons. DeChambeau is also expected to join the U.S. Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick this week. ROSE BLOOMING AHEAD OF ARONIMINK RETURN It might be pretty hard to take favoritism away from Bryson DeChambeau at next week’s BMW Championship but one man could … Justin Rose. The Englishman finished runner up at the Dell Technologies Championship with a final round 3-under 68 leaving him 14 under. Given he opened Monday’s final round with back-to-back bogeys it was an impressive fight back and left Rose third in the FedExCup and importantly all but assured to stay in the top five of the standings by the TOUR Championship. The top five at East Lake hold their destiny in their own hands, knowing a win in Atlanta secures the FedExCup. But Rose won’t be taking the BMW Championship easy … he has history at the course and as such looks a serious threat to stop DeChambeau’s streak. The Englishman won the 2010 Quicken Loans National when the Philadelphia course hosted the event and was T15 the year after in his title defense. “You’re trying to win these amazing golf tournaments, but in the back of your mind you’re trying to secure yourself into a great position going into the final one at East Lake in Atlanta,â€� Rose said. “So far job done. I’ll be going to Aronimink next week, a course I’ve won at, obviously have confidence, and see if I can get it going. “This result gives me a realistic chance coming into East Lake, no matter what. OBSERVATIONS SMITH SECURES FIRST TOUR CHAMPS … Young Australian Cameron Smith (69) grabbed his second third place result of the FedExCup Playoffs and as such secured his first trip to East Lake for the TOUR Championship. Smith had a chance to force some pressure on DeChambeau down the stretch after a birdie on the 16th hole but dumped a 7-iron into the hazard on the 18th hole as he tried to force the issue to make eagle on the par-5 finisher. Smith moved to eighth in the FedExCup standings and will now try to channel the vibes from Billy Horschel’s FedExCup run in 2014 where he went close at TPC Boston in similar fashion before winning the last two Playoff events and the FedExCup. SEASON OVER … Only 70 players move on to the BMW Championship meaning 30 players have been eliminated this week. Ryan Moore’s final round 2-over 73 proved costly as he dropped to 71st on the standings, missing out on a trip to Aronimink by just three FedExCup points. Ted Potter Jr. – the winner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – was the last man in. Several players proved clutch down the stretch including Peter Uihlein – who finished with three straight birdies – to move on. For all the FedExCup news check the FedExCup update here. NOTABLES TIGER WOODS – Starting the day with an outside chance at victory Woods failed to make a deep move. Three birdies in his opening 11 holes wasn’t really applying pressure and then three dropped shots in his last five holes left him with an even-par 71 to finish 7 under and T24. He sits 25th in the FedExCup. JORDAN SPIETH – Still without a win this season after final round 1-under 70 left him 10 under and T12. He jumped inside the top 30 of the FedExCup to 27th. DUSTIN JOHNSON – Protected his world No. 1 status with an impressive final round 7-under 64. Moved to 11 under and T7 to stay second in the FedExCup. PHIL MICKELSON – Entertaining 8-under 63 in the final round moved the veteran to 10 under T12 and to ninth in the FedExCup. TONY FINAU – A 10th top 10 this season without a win after 3-under 68 final round left him 12 under and T4. Fourth in the FedExCup. BROOKS KOEPKA – Had a chance to go to number one in the world if he could best Dustin Johnson, instead finished one behind him at 10 under T12. JUSTIN THOMAS – Defending champion had two eagles on the way to a 6-under 65 to finish at 7 under and T24. QUOTABLES Hopefully I can keep riding this wave.I’ve got to take this momentum into Philadelphia.I was having a hard time just getting in the zone.I was pretty amped up. You feel the adrenaline. SUPERLATIVES Low round: 63 by Phil Mickelson (T12). Longest drive: 371 yards, by J.B. Holmes (T49) at the seventh hole. Longest putt: 57 feet, four inches by Marc Leishman (T21) at the par-3 16th hole. Easiest hole: The 531-yard, par-5 18th played to a 4.500 average including four eagles. Hardest hole: The 514-yard, par-4 14th played to a 4.408 average including just four birdies. CALL OF THE DAY For play-by-play coverage of the PGA TOUR, listen at PGATOUR.COM. SHOT OF THE DAY

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