Patrick Cantlay, Xander Schauffele maintain one-shot lead at Zurich Classic

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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The PGA Tour’s Farmers Insurance Open shifts to a Wednesday-Saturday schedule this week. Here’s how to watch on ESPN+.

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The TOUR will travel southeast to Hilton Head, South Carolina, for the RBC Heritage this week. Harbour Town Golf Links will play as a par 71, measuring 7,121 yards and be putt on Bermuda greens. The tournament is back in its regular post-Masters spot in the schedule and has 135 golfers in the field at press time. Kiawah Island Golf Resort, the home of the 2021 PGA Championship (May 20-23), is 120 miles up the road. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $800K Flop Shot [$200K to 1st] STRATEGY This Pete Dye design is not as innocuous as it appears on paper. The course has increased in distance since it was built back in 1969, but it’s still short compared to most other TOUR courses. The fairways are tree-lined, which will cause players to use more irons and driving metals Off-the-Tee to get the ball in the fairways. There’s a higher scrambling percentage than TOUR average and a lower Greens in Regulation hit rate here with the smallest greens on TOUR (approx. 3,700 square feet). The proximity to the coast can also present challenging conditions if inclement weather is in the forecast. The highest distribution of approach shots (approximately 25%) are coming in from 175 to 200 yards out, with players hitting fewer drivers. That said, this isn’t a difficult golf course when the winds are down. Last season, it ranked as the fifth easiest course in scoring relative to par with little to no wind. Golfers striking the ball well won’t find Harbour Town GL tough to navigate, even though it presents some challenges with its design. Eagles are few and far between, but the three par 5s should be reasonably easy to walk away from with a birdie, recording a 40% birdie rate on average across all three. There are also two par 4s under 400 yards, which players will need to score on when given the opportunity. Placement off-the-tee is essential as well as approach, per all Dye courses. Will smaller greens, golfers should also have a decent short game to get it up and down when needed. GOLFERS TO WATCH Daniel Berger (+2000 to Win, $10,000 on DraftKings) His early departure from Augusta National shouldn’t steer you away from him this week, especially with how well he plays on Dye courses. Over the previous 12 rounds, Berger ranks sixth in Strokes Gained: Approach-the-Green on Dye designs and finished third here last season (in June). His Masters performance wasn’t pretty, but it had much to do with his putting and not his ball-striking, losing 3.03 strokes on the greens. Berger’s irons were solid at Augusta National, gaining a total of 1.74 strokes over Thursday and Friday. He’s also done well at some other coastal courses like Waialae CC and Pebble Beach and already has a win this season. Paul Casey (+2800 to Win, $9,200 on DraftKings) Casey should also be a consideration this week with how well he played at Augusta National, ranking 10th overall in approach. His success on Dye courses should also be evidence to roster him, as he ranks in the top 4 in Strokes Gained: Total over his past 50 rounds. Fatigue may be an issue for the Englishman, but it shouldn’t be enough to take you away from him this week with how well he’s playing this season. Abraham Ancer (+2500 to Win, $8,900 on DraftKings) Few have been better than Ancer on Dye courses recently, with Ancer ranking fourth in total strokes gained over the previous 24 rounds. Unlike Berger, Ancer made the weekend at The Masters, finishing T26 and carding a 2-under on Sunday. His final round last week was impressive, gaining 3.08 stokes with his approach, which is what you want to see heading into this week. Looking further back, Ancer has now gained strokes through approach in his past seven events. Harris English (+5000, $8,400) also looks the part and is someone to really consider after a top 25 at Augusta National last week. His success on coastal courses is undeniable, with wins or top finishes at Kapalua, Waialae CC, Sea Island Resort, Torrey Pines and down in Mexico at the Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. K.H. Lee (+20000 to Win, $6,600 on DraftKings) Lee is coming off a top 25 at the Valero Texas Open a couple of weeks ago, where he ranked inside the top 10 in approach. He also recorded a 32nd-place finish at The American Express, another Pete Dye design. A top 20 at the Sony Open to start the calendar year is also a good sign that Lee could do well here. Although he’s struggling with the putter, Bermuda greens are by far his preferred surface. Luke List (+15000, $6,900) should also be making the shortlist of golfers to back in this range. List is an unbelievable ball-striker and can get hot on these shorter courses. His success on Dye courses can be found in his top-3 finish here in 2018 and his 21st at The American Express earlier this year. List also ranks 27th in approach over his past 12 rounds on Dye courses. Set your DraftKings fantasy golf lineups here: PGA TOUR $800K Flop Shot [$200K to 1st] Put your knowledge to the test. Sign up for DraftKings and experience the game inside the game. For Masters odds, head over to DraftKings Sportsbook or download the DraftKings Sportsbook app. If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN), 1-800-522-4700 (NH/CO), 1-800-BETS OFF(IA), 1-888-532-3500 (VA) or call/text TN REDLINE 1-800-889-9789 (TN). 21+ (18+ NH). CO/IL/IN/IA/NH/NJ/PA/TN/VA/WV/MI only. Eligibility restrictions apply. See draftkings.com/sportsbook for full terms and conditions. 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