Golf: Johnson charges to four-shot lead after Masters third round

AUGUSTA, Ga. - Dustin Johnson had one arm in the Green Jacket after charging to a four-shot lead with a near-perfect seven-under-par 65 in the third round at the Masters on Saturday.

Johnson matched Jordan Spieth's record low Masters total for the first 54 holes -- 16-under-par 200 -- while South Korean Im Sung-jae (68), Mexican Abraham Ancer (69) and Australian Cameron Smith (69) were equal second on 12-under.

"I've got a lot of control of what I'm doing, I'm very comfortable standing over the ball right now and that's a good feeling," said a typically-understated Johnson, who grew up just across the state border in Columbia, South Carolina.

Ten players were within one stroke starting the third round, but Johnson was a class apart, in control of every facet of his game as he broke clear with a tap-in eagle at the par-five second after almost holing a five-iron.

He never looked back and did not really miss a green until the final hole, where for the first time all afternoon he was forced to call upon his deft short game to save par.

Only two players have surrendered a bigger 54-hole lead at the Masters -- Greg Norman (six shots) in 1996 and Ed Sneed (five shots) in 1979.

Rory McIlroy (2011) and Ken Venturi (1956) could not close the deal with four-stroke cushions.

For all his talent, world number one Johnson has only one major title to his credit, the 2016 U.S. Open, a disappointing haul for a player with all the physical attributes necessary for greatness.

A joint runner-up to Tiger Woods here last year, and a perennial major contender, he will take nothing for granted on Sunday, but the final major of an unusual 2020 season is his to win or lose.

"If I can play like I did today I think it will break that streak (of close calls)," he said.

"I’ve got a good game plan, I’m not going to change it. As we all know here, if you get it going you can shoot some low scores.

"I'm going to need to play a really good round if I want to win tomorrow."

SUPREME CONTROL

Seemingly fully recovered from a recent bout of the novel coronavirus, Johnson displayed mastery of his trusty power fade off the tee and was in supreme distance control with his irons, a trusty putter the cherry on the cake.

His performance eliminated the chances of many, including Tiger Woods, who started the round four behind but took 12 holes to record his first birdie.

A 72 that left the 15-times major champion 11 strokes adrift, a sixth Masters title a bridge too far.

World number two Jon Rahm was another who had no answer to Johnson's brilliance.

The Spaniard shared the halfway lead with Johnson, Thomas, Ancer and Smith, but came unglued at the par-five eighth.

He ran up a double-bogey after his third shot struck a tree and ricocheted into an unplayable lie in a bush.

Though Rahm fought back for a respectable 72, he trailed Johnson by seven shots.

Earlier on Saturday, Rahm was among 48 players who resumed the second round at 7.30 am as the tournament played catch-up after Thursday's long break for bad weather.

What started out with a morning chill in the air gave way to bright sunshine and pleasant November warmth in this unique spectator-free event being played for the first time in autumn.

"I grew up right down the road so this one would be very special to me," said Johnson. 

(Reporting by Andrew Both, editing by Pritha Sarkar and Ken Ferris)

-reuters-

Golf: Johnson grabs 1-shot lead at PGA Championship; Jason Day stays in hunt

Dustin Johnson made eight birdies to shoot a 5-under-par 65 and grab a one-shot lead after the third round of the PGA Championship on Saturday.

Jason Day finished with a decent even-par 70, falling into a 6-way tie for 7th to 12th places and 3 shots adrift of Johnson.

Johnson had four birdies on the front nine then birdied three of his final five holes to reach nine-under 201 at the TPC Harding Park in San Francisco.

It was the eighth straight round in the 60s at the PGA Championship for Johnson, who nearly chased down Brooks Koepka in the final round at Bethpage Black last year before losing by two shots.

Americans Scottie Scheffler (65) and Cameron Champ (67) are tied for second at eight-under 202.

Two-time defending camp Koepka shot a 1-under 69. Koepka, who is trying to become the first to win three straight majors since the 1950s, looked unflappable until a bogey on the 13th hole which began his back nine struggles. 

A stretch of three straight bogeys moved Koepka down the leaderboard but he recovered with birdies on No. 16 and 18. He is at seven-under 203, two shots adrift of Johnson. 

Third-round leader Li Haotong, of China, shot a 73 and like Koepka he struggled on the par-four No. in 13 with a double bogey. He made bogey two more times before 18 and finished at 5-under 205.

Li is trying to become the first player from China to win a major championship.

The first PGA championship on the US west coast since 1988 is being played without spectators because of the coronavirus restrictions.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: McIlroy, Tiger, No. 1 DJ open with wins at WGC Match-Play

WASHINGTON -- Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and world number one Dustin Johnson were among the top seeds and past champions to capture opening group stage matches Wednesday at the WGC Match-Play Championship.

The 64-player showdown at Austin Country Club uses a round-robin format to determine 16 players for a weekend knockout event to decide a champion, although it's a format untested until this year by Woods, who qualified for the first time since 2013.

The 14-time major champion opened solidly but unspectacularly with a 3&1 victory over US 61st seed Aaron Wise, leaving 13th seed Woods atop his all-American group after Brandt Snedeker and Patrick Cantlay halved.

"We were both struggling a little bit," Woods said. "It was just trying to beat the guy in front of you and I was able to advance."

Woods -- who won the event in 2003, 2004 and 2008 -- fell 1-down when Wise birdied the eighth, ninth and 10th holes. But Wise made bogeys at 13, 15 and 17 to hand Woods the win.

"I was up early then down and up. There was a lot of ebb and flow in this match," Woods said. "It's not like we were playing great golf. Somehow I came out with the win." 

Fourth seed McIlroy, the 2015 WGC Match-Play winner coming off a Players Championship victory two weeks ago, downed US 64th and last seed Luke List 5&4.

McIlroy never trailed and never lost a hole and closed with back-to-back seven-foot birdie putts at 13 and 14 to secure the triumph.

"I rode my luck a litle bit," McIlroy said. "I had some missed shots but somehow got away with most of them. I played well. To birdie 13 and 14 to close the match out was nice.

"I needed to respond to what he did and I feel like I did that well so that gives me a little bit of confidence going into tomorrow."

US top seed Johnson, the 2017 winner who captured last month's WGC Mexico event, opened with a 4&3 win over US 55th seed Chez Reavie.

"I like the golf course. it sets up well for me," Johnson said. "It plays tough. The greens are tricky. They are firm. You've got to hit quality golf shots if you're going to get close to the hole."

- Rose, Casey win openers -

England's second-seeded Justin Rose downed Argentine 53rd seed Emiliano Grillo 2&1.

"I was fairly steady. I didn't give away much, took care of the par-5s for the most part," Rose said. "Not electrifying golf but just good enough to get the job done."

England's 10th-seeded Paul Casey, a two-time WGC Match-Play runner-up coming off his second consecutive PGA Valspar crown just three days ago, beat Mexico's 58th-seeded Abraham Ancer 5&3.

"I was trying to manage the energy," Casey said. "I was tired the past couple of days. Form and confidence are fine. I'm trying to get the energy back up.

"That was one of the best matches I've played around this golf course."

Also on his game was English 30th seed match-play wizard Ian Poulter, the 2010 champion who beat US 48th seed Kevin Kisner 2-up to avenge his ouster from last year.

"It was painful. I wasn't going to roll over like last year," Poulter said. "It was a match I wanted to win. Today was really important to come out strong and do whatever you need to do."

- Aussie No. 12 Day falls -

In the "Group of Death" where only one can advance, Australian 12th seed Jason Day blew a 3-up lead after eight holes and lost to US 52nd seed Jim Furyk 2-up while Swedish 37th seed Henrik Stenson beat US 20th seed Phil Mickelson 2&1.

Danish 50th seed Lucas Bjerregaard upset US fifth seed Justin Thomas 3&2 in the biggest upset while two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson lost 1-up to US 57th seed Kevin Na and reigning Masters champion Patrick Reed, the US 16th seed, lost to US 51st seed Andrew Putnam 3&2.

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Golf: Casey clings to one-shot PGA lead over No. 1 Johnson

MIAMI -- Defending champion Paul Casey clung to a one-stroke lead over top-ranked Dustin Johnson despite a closing bogey in Saturday's third round of the US PGA Tour Valspar Championship.

The 41-year-old Englishman missed a 14-foot par putt at the par-4 18th and settled for a bogey and a three-under par 68.

Casey stood on nine-under 204 after 54 holes at the Innisbrook Resort Copperhead course in Palm Harbor, Florida.

"It feels really good," Casey said. "I was patient for the most part and aggressive when I had opportunities."

Johnson, a winner at last month's WGC Mexico Championship, was next on 205 after a 67 with fellow American Jason Kokrak third on 206 after a hole-in-one on his way to matching the week's low round on 66.

Casey relishes the challenge of playing alongside the world number one in Sunday's last group.

"Playing with Dustin is going to be very exciting," Casey said. "Any time I've got a chance to go up against world number one I'm excited about that."

"I do what I do because I want to play against the best in the world. And obviously he's the prominent one in the group of guys near the lead.

"Who is the favorite tomorrow? Probably Dustin. So I actually feel very kind of little pressure... it's pretty simple. If I go out tomorrow and beat him I actually might win. Plain and simple. Great scenario."

Casey has struggled to defend titles and turn 54-hole leads into victories but he stands a chance of doing both on Sunday.

He has won only once in five tries, and never broken 70, when leading a US PGA event after 54 holes. The win came at the 2009 Houston Open with a bogey on the first playoff hole to beat American J.B. Holmes.

Casey, who edged Tiger Woods and Patrick Reed by a stroke for the 2018 Valspar crown, has never defended a professional title.

But the British star has taken back-to-back titles multiple times as an amateur. He won the 1999 and 2000 English Amateurs and three consecutive Pacific-12 Conference trophies while studying at Arizona State University.

"My mindset now is I've won it, I have nothing to lose," Casey said. "I'm feeling a good position, like I don't have really any pressure. Now I've got one of those trophies. Yeah, I want another one, but it's not as much urgency."

Casey opened birdie-bogey, added a six-foot birdie putt at the par-4 sixth and made back-to-back birdie putts from three feet at the par-5 11th and eight feet at the par-4 12th.

Casey made a 10-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th, but at 18, Casey found a greenside bunker and blasted out before rolling his par putt just off the right edge of the cup.


- 'Big birdie' -

Johnson fired his 14th consecutive round in the 60s, the longest such run of his career or by any tour player this season.

The World No. 1 sank a 33-foot birdie putt at the par-5 14th and curled in a tricky 10-footer for birdie at 18 to join Casey in the last pairing.

"It was a big birdie," Johnson said. "I'm in a good position going into the round tomorrow. I played a solid round. Missed a couple birdie opportunities but other than that I played really well."

Kokrak, seeking his first PGA crown after 197 starts over eight seasons, aced the par-3 15th with an 8-iron from 218 yards.

Kokrak delivered only the third ace in tournament history at 15 when his ball bounced twice and rolled 25 feet into the cup, briefly giving him a share of the lead at seven-under.

"We had 194 to carry it into the downgrain part," Kokrak said. "It was into the wind. We knew if we flushed it, it would go right in and it was perfect."

Britain's Luke Donald, a former world number one who has battled a back injury, began and ended with birdies in shooting 70 to share fourth on 207 with American Scott Stallings.

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Dustin Johnson extends lead as world number one

PARIS, France -- American Dustin Johnson extended his lead over Justin Rose as world number one on Monday, after easing to victory in the Canadian Open the previous day.

The former US Open champion has now won three PGA Tour titles this year and spent 72 of the last 76 weeks at the top of the world rankings.

The world's top 50 will all be in action this week at the 19th and final WGC Bridgestone Invitational event to be held at Firestone Country Club in Ohio.

World top 20

1. Dustin Johnson (USA) 10.34 average pts

2. Justin Rose (ENG) 8.75

3. Justin Thomas (USA) 8.16

4. Brooks Koepka (USA) 7.54

5. Jon Rahm (ESP) 7.40

6. Francesco Molinari (ITA) 7.28

7. Rory McIlroy (NIR) 7.18

8. Jordan Spieth (USA) 7.13

9. Rickie Fowler (USA) 6.61

10. Jason Day (AUS) 6.26

11. Tommy Fleetwood (ENG) 6.07

12. Patrick Reed (USA) 5.45 (+1)

13. Alex Noren (SWE) 5.45 (-1)

14. Bubba Watson (USA) 5.23

15. Paul Casey (ENG) 5.22

16. Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 4.78

17. Henrik Stenson (SWE) 4.67

18. Xander Schauffele (USA) 4.49

19. Marc Leishman (AUS) 4.46

20. Webb Simpson (USA) 4.26 (+1)

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Johnson turns quick start into Canadian Open win

OAKVILLE, Ont. - World number one Dustin Johnson broke free from the leading pack with birdies on his opening two holes and stayed out front the rest of the way to capture the Canadian Open and his third PGA Tour title of the season on Sunday.

After two runners-up finishes, Johnson finally snatched the Canadian crown with a workmanlike final round of six-under 66 that left the big-hitting American three shots clear of Kim Whee and An Byeong-hun

The South Koreans both birdied the final hole for matching 69s to share second on 20-under-par.

Keegan Bradley made a rousing final round rally, carding the round of the day with an error free eight-under 64 to finish alone in third a further shot back.

"Obviously I have a lot of fans out there thanks to Wayne and the family and I appreciate all the support," said Johnson, who is married to Canadian hockey great Wayne Gretzky's daughter Paulina.

"With my ties to Canada, Paulina and her dad being Wayne Gretzky I definitely get a lot of fans that pull for Wayne, pull for me.

"I definitely helped. The fans are great. I definitely feel like an honorary Canadian."

Coming off his first missed cut of the year last week at the British Open, Johnson rebounded in some style to clinch his 19th career title with a winning tally of 23-under 265.

Johnson becomes the first player since Tiger Woods in 2009 to win three or more times in three consecutive years.

There was a logjam at the top of the leaderboard at the start of the final round with Johnson, An, Kim and Kevin Tway all sitting on 17 under and holding a four-shot advantage over the chasing pack.

Johnson's experience provided the early edge as he wasted no time breaking free with birdies at one and two, while the three co-leaders, who were all chasing their first PGA Tour titles, picked up early bogeys.

"It was definitely good to get off to a fast start," said Johnson.

"I birdied the first and had a really good look at eagle on the second, it's definitely good especially when the leaderboard is so bunched up.

"I just needed to get out in front, if I could get ahead I felt like I could play well and keep myself in the lead for the rest of the day which I did."

With his challengers off to a shaky start Johnson calmly seized control, opening up a three-shot lead after just four holes.

But the American's charge stalled as he struggled with his putter and he had to settle for five consecutive pars before rolling in a 12-footer at the eighth.

As Johnson and An stepped onto the ninth tee, the horn sounded halting play due to stormy weather in the area.

When play resumed following a nearly two-hour delay, the gap tightened as Johnson recorded a par and An and Kim picked up birdies to cut American's lead to two.

After Johnson took his only bogey of the day at the 12th, his lead was trimmed to a single shot but the 34-year-old was unshakeable, answering with a birdie at 13 to get back on track.

(Editing by Clare Fallon and Nick Mulvenney)

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Top-ranked Johnson grabs share of Canadian Open lead

TORONTO -- World number one Dustin Johnson, aiming to bounce back from British Open disappointment, fired a seven-under par 65 on Saturday to seize a share of the USPGA Tour Canadian Open.

Johnson, who missed the cut at Carnoustie, got off to a sizzling start at the Glen Abbey golf course Oakville, Ontario with birdies at five of the first six holes.

He cooled off with bogeys at the 10th and 13th before following birdies at 14 and 15 by ramming in a 23-foot putt for eagle at the par-five 16th.

The American was tied on 17-under par 199 with overnight leader Kevin Tway and South Koreans An Byeong-hun and Kim Whee.

"I was playing well," said Johnson, who is chasing a third title of the season and the 19th of his career. "I didn't drive it quite as well as I'd like to today. It was a little bit windy today, so it made it a little bit tougher to hit fairways.

"But I felt that when I was in the fairway I hit good shots and made a lot of birdies."

Kim held a one-shot lead after rolling in a 31-footer for eagle at the 16th, but he dropped a shot at 17 -- where he was unable to get up and down from a fairway bunker.

An had six birdies in his six-under 66 while Tway had six birdies in his four-under 68.

"I had a lot of up-and-downs today, like between holes seven to 12," said An, who birdied all three of the par-fives on the back nine. "It's been one of those nice up-and-down days, and then I grinded pretty well and I stayed patient. That's why I was able to finish with three birdies on the par-fives."

Johnson did much of his damage on the front nine. Although he missed the fairway at the first his approach left him eight feet for birdie and he was off.

After a poor tee shot at the par-five second meant he couldn't reach the green in two, he pitched uphill to set himself up for a four-foot birdie.

A textbook birdie at the third saw take a share of the lead and he followed with two more birdies at five and six.

Despite the difficulties with his driver, and the fact that he played the three par-fives on the back nine in just one-under, Johnson was encouraged after his shock early exit at Carnoustie.

"I felt like I was playing well going into the Open Championship and felt like I played well at the Open, I just scored really bad," said Johnson. "I felt like my mental game wasn't there. So I came here and practised a little bit and got my focus back right and have played a little better this week."

Tway, hoping to follow in the footsteps of his father, 2003 Canadian Open champion Bob Tway, had fallen off the pace before birdies at 15, 16 and 18 pulled him into the leading group.

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Johnson falls back into four-way tie for U.S. Open lead

SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. - Dustin Johnson three-putted the final hole to fall into a four-way tie for the lead with fellow Americans Brooks Koepka, Daniel Berger and Tony Finau after the third round at the U.S. Open on Saturday.

Johnson carded a seven-over-par 77 but still found himself sharing the lead after surviving brutal conditions as Koepka set himself up for a shot at successfully defending his title.

Johnson steadied himself after squandering a four-shot advantage on the front nine at Shinnecock Hills as the field bunched up like rush hour traffic on the Long Island Expressway.

The 2016 champion negotiated the back nine in one-over on a day when strong winds and low humidity baked the greens dry and left some on the verge of being unplayable.

Americans Johnson, Koepka (72), Daniel Berger (66) and Tony Finau (66) led Englishman Justin Rose (73) by one stroke, and Swede Henrik Stenson (74) by two.

Koepka oozed confidence about his chances of becoming the first since Curtis Strange in 1988-89 to win consecutive titles.

"There's nobody more confident," he told reporters. "I feel you've got to take it (the title) from me to be honest."

Berger and Finau beat the worst of the conditions, finishing before the leaders had even teed off.

Few could have predicted at the start of the day that Berger and Finau would find themselves in the final pairing on Sunday.

"As the day went on it continued to get more tough," said two-times PGA Tour winner Berger, who noticed the course starting to become more difficult on about the 12th hole.

"It started to get a lot firmer and faster," he said. "The speed of the greens picked up. It's going to be tough (for the leaders)."

Little did he realise how true that would be.

Finau soon matched Berger's 66.

"I feel my game is made for championship golf," said the extremely long-hitting Finau, who believes he is developing a complete, all-round game.

"Today I needed something special to happen to have an outside chance. Whether I do or not I'm happy with the day."

Saturday showed that no lead is safe at the toughest test in golf.

Nothing was likely to create more discussion than Phil Mickelson hitting a moving ball on the 13th green.

The astonishing moment occurred after the five-times major champion missed the hole with a short downhill putt, and his ball kept trickling and trickling down the slope.

He trotted after it and when the ball was about 15 feet beyond the hole, and still trickling, he hit it back towards the cup.

Mickelson said he knew the action would bring a two-shot penalty, and that he had hit the ball to prevent it from rolling off the green.

He finished the day, his 48th birthday, with an 81, 11-over par.

(Reporting by Andrew Both; Editing by John O'Brien)

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Johnson regains world number one ranking with win in Tennessee

Dustin Johnson reclaimed the world number one ranking by cruising to a six-shot victory in the FedEx St. Jude Classic in Tennessee on Sunday.

The 33-year-old, knocked off the top of the rankings last month by fellow American Justin Thomas, mixed three birdies, a bogey and a stunning final-hole eagle to finish on 19 under par.

It was Johnson's 18th career PGA Tour victory and his second at the St. Jude Classic, which he also won in 2012.

Johnson finished with a flourish when his 171-yard second shot on the par-four 18th found the bottom of the cup, sending the crowd at the TPC Southwind in Memphis into a frenzy on a sweltering day.

"What a cool way to end the day to hole that shot on 18," Johnson said.

"I knew coming in this week that I was swinging really well and had a lot of confidence in my game. I played really well all week."

Johnson had led the rankings for 15 months before Thomas took over on May 13 and the win also moved him into second place in the PGA FedEx Cup standings.

Johnson started the day tied with Andrew Putnam but the 29-year-old American stumbled with a double bogey on the par-four first hole.

Although Putnam went bogey free for the final 13 holes, he was unable to match Johnson's brilliance and finished on 13 under par.

J.B. Holmes had five birdies and two bogeys for a final round 67 to end in third place. Stewart Cink and Richy Werenski tied for fourth at eight under par.

Johnson will be among the favourites to win the U.S. Open starting on Thursday at the Shinnecock Hills Golf Course in New York and he is confident of repeating his 2016 victory in the year's second major.

"I feel like my game is in good shape," he said.

"I'm driving it well, I'm really hitting my irons well, my wedges are really good, so I'm really looking forward to going into next week.

"I haven't seen the golf course yet but I'll get in 18 holes tomorrow and go from there." 

(Reporting by Rory Carroll, editing by Ed Osmond)

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Golf: World No.1 Johnson crashes out at WGC Match Play

World number one Dustin Johnson crashed out of the World Golf Championships Dell Technologies Match Play on Thursday after suffering his second defeat of the tournament.

Defending champion Johnson, who suffered an upset loss to Austrian Bernd Wiesberger on Wednesday, was beaten 4&3 by Canada's Adam Hadwin at the Austin Country Club in Texas.

The loss made it impossible for Johnson to progress from Group One in the round-robin phase to the weekend's knockout rounds, with Hadwin -- who halved his opening match with Kevin Kisner -- assured of finishing above the top seed.

Johnson trailed from the opening hole against 38th seed Hadwin, who set up a simple birdie chance after hitting his iron from the fairway to within four feet.

Johnson birdied the fifth to draw level but Hadwin edged back in front on the sixth after draining a 13-foot eagle putt on the 590-yard par-five.

The 30-year-old from Moose Jaw went two up at the turn with another superb putt, rolling in a 38-footer.

Johnson then found himself three down after three-putting on the par-three 11th, and his problems mounted on the 13th when his tee shot found the water hazard to help Hadwin go four up.

Hadwin sealed victory at the 15th when Johnson conceded.

A delighted Hadwin admitted he had expected a tougher challenge from Johnson.

"Obviously I really expected Dustin to play a lot better than he did, I think everybody did coming into this week," Hadwin said.

"I played extremely solid all day long. I made the putts from five and seven feet when I needed to to keep the momentum on my side.

"I knew if I played well it would be a good match. And I played well."

- Rahm out, Poulter wins -

Also eliminated with a defeat was Spain's third-seeded Jon Rahm, who lost to Johnson in last year's final. Rahm fell 1 up to US 43rd seed Chez Reavie.

European Ryder Cup star Ian Poulter once again demonstrated his penchant for match play with his second win, defeating US 26th seed Daniel Berger 2 & 1.

Poulter, seeded 58th, has reverted to the putter that he used during Europe's "Miracle at Medinah" Ryder Cup win in 2012.

The Englishman is aiming for a high finish in Austin this week as he tries to snare a place in the Masters by breaking into the world top 50.

"Today I holed some putts at the right time," said Poulter. 

"Match play is a confidence game. If you can get out there and establish a lead early and continue to hit good shots you can put pressure on your opponent," he added.

Poulter will face 33rd seed Kevin Chappell on Friday aiming to seal his place in the last 16.

US Ryder Cup teammates Jordan Spieth and Patrick Reed set up a winner takes all showdown in Group Four with their second wins of the competition.

Spieth was a 4&2 winner over China's Li Haotong while Reed defeated South Africa's Charl Schwartzel 1 up. Reed and fourth seed Spieth meet Friday with the winner reaching the last 16.

- McIlroy, Casey win -

Northern Ireland sixth seed Rory McIlroy kept his advancement hopes alive by beating Venezuelan Jhonattan Vegas 2&1.

"I drove the ball well again," McIlroy said. "I turned 2 up through nine and just kept putting pressure on him."

England's 10th-seeded Paul Casey beat Kyle Stanley 4&2 to go 2-0.

"I don't make a lot of mistakes and that's tough to play against," Casey said. "I never feel like I'm out of a hole and it's tough to beat me. I'm on the rise. I feel confident. But you don't want to get ahead of yourself."

Phil Mickelson, seeded 14th, was ahead only once but that was when it mattered in a 1-up win over Japan's Satoshi Kodaira.

"I've been walking with my head down. You know what happens to animals who do that -- they get eaten," Mickelson said.

"I didn't have great energy. I was lucky to turn it around. I've got to get my attitude better. I wasn't very positive. I was whiny. I have to change that." 

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Johnson, McIlroy lose on first day of Match Play

World number one Dustin Johnson and four-time major winner Rory McIlroy suffered surprise defeats on Wednesday as the WGC-Dell Match Play got off to a typically unpredictable start in Texas.

Austrian Bernd Wiesberger, seeded 52nd at the tournament, beat defending champion Johnson 3&1, while Peter Uihlein (57th) defeated McIlroy (sixth) 2&1 at Austin Country Club.

In another surprise, American Julian Suri, the lowest ranked of the 64 men in the field, beat Australia's world number 15 Marc Leishman, seeded 11th, 3&2.

McIlroy's defeat came three days after he won the Arnold Palmer Invitational with a barnstorming final round.

The Northern Irishman said he had been a "little flat" early on, though rallied late with five consecutive birdies to make it close before a relieved Uihlein closed it out with a par at the 17th.

"I made him earn it at least. I made the scoreline a little more respectable," McIlroy told reporters.

"I got down early and he didn't make a bogey all day. So it was hard to sort of claw my way back."

McIlroy and the other Wednesday losers will get a chance to make amends over the next two days as the tournament no longer uses a knockout format until the weekend.

The 64 players are divided into 16 groups of four, with everyone in each pod playing each other over the first three days. The winner of each group advances to the final 16 and the elimination stage.

Wiesberger said he played more freely without any burden of expectation against top seed Johnson.

"I thought it was the easiest game I could have," said the four-times European Tour winner.

"I'm the underdog playing the defending champion, so it was just go out there and see what happens.

"We both didn't have a great day. He gave away a couple of holes quite unexpectedly."

American Suri was another who revelled in the underdog role.

"I like to think I play my best with a little chip on my shoulder," said Suri, who plays mainly on the European Tour where he won the Made in Denmark tournament last August.

"A lot of people are saying congrats on being in the field. I don't think any other tournament they'd say congrats. I want to do more than just be here and take pictures."

Second and fourth seeds Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth won their contests while third seed Jon Rahm halved with Keegan Bradley.

Two-times Masters champion Bubba Watson made a hot start to beat South African Branden Grace 5&3.

"It was perfect," Watson said of his front nine, after racing to a 6-up lead at the turn.

"You couldn't ask for better. He (Grace) was under par on the front nine and somehow I just made a few more. I felt like McIlroy on Sunday."

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Peter Rutherford )

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Top-ranked Spieth primed for $10 million bonus at East Lake

Jordan Spieth feels good about the quality of his game heading into the season-ending Tour Championship starting in Atlanta on Thursday, even if he is not holing as many long putts as when he won the event in 2015.

Spieth will tee off at East Lake in top spot in the PGA Tour ranking, his sights set on staying there and finishing FedExCup champion to collect the $10 million bonus awarded to the winner of the season-long points race.


A final round 65 at the BMW Championship on Sunday came too late to challenge for victory at that event outside Chicago, but it was a welcome tonic.

“I was pumped to have the round I had on Sunday, to maintain the number one spot,” British Open champion Spieth told reporters at East Lake.

“I was a little off to start the week in my striking. I feel now close to the way I was hitting it the first two playoff events. If it was a major I’d feel very pleased with where things are.”

The top five players in the standings -- Spieth, Justin Thomas, Dustin Johnson, Marc Leishman and Jon Rahm -- control their own destiny, meaning that if they win the tournament they also win the FedExCup.

The other 25 in the elite field all have a mathematical chance of being crowned champion, but it would take a freak confluence of circumstances for those outside the top 15 to do so.

Spieth struggled with his swing when he won in 2015, but his short game was sublime.

“It was one of my worst ball-striking rounds of the year,” he recalled. “I just chipped and putted so well I was able to win.

"I don’t want to emulate that at all. That’s a lot more stressful and I haven’t been making putts from outside 10 feet like I did that year consistently, so I can’t rely on that.”

Fellow American Rickie Fowler, sixth in the standings, is also playing well, coming off a tie for second behind Australian Leishman last Sunday.

Fowler thinks a score of 14 or 15 under par might be needed to win at East Lake, his prediction made with the proviso that rain or strong wind could alter his thoughts.

“You can’t fake it at East Lake,” Fowler told Reuters in a telephone interview on the tournament's eve. “There’s some rough there but the course is playable.”

Rory McIlroy shot 12-under before winning in a playoff last year, while Spieth won with nine-under in 2015.

McIlroy has endured a lean season, and this week offers him a final chance to taste victory on the PGA Tour in 2017.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Toby Davis)

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Johnson storms into early lead at PGA playoff event

NORTON -- Dustin Johnson continued his hot streak Friday, firing an opening round five-under 66 at the Dell Technologies Championship for the one-stroke lead over the star-studded PGA Tour playoff field.

World number one Johnson picked up where he left off last week when he won the Northern Trust event, making another roaring start in the second leg of the FedExCup Playoffs.


"When you win, you're playing well, so it gives you a lot of confidence," said Johnson. "For me, that was one thing that was probably lacking a little bit the last few months.

"I wasn't seeing the shots that I wanted to see. I wasn't hitting them consistently. So the confidence was just down a little bit.

"But you know, after last week, obviously I've got a lot of confidence now."

The 33-year-old American is in good company at the top of the leaderboard as Aussie Marc Leishman, American Kyle Stanley, Jon Rahm of Spain and reigning Masters champion Sergio Garcia share second after shooting 67s.

Johnson birdied the 10th hole to begin his opening round in cool windy conditions at the TPC Boston. He converted a putt from five feet for eagle at No. 18 to make the turn at four-under.

Johnson won last week's playoff opening tournament, snapping a five month winless drought which was exacerbated by a back injury. He is vying for his fifth win of the year, which would break a tie with PGA champion Justin Thomas for most on the US Tour this season.

Kevin Na, of the US, and Sweden's Jonas Blixt are part of a group of a half dozen golfers at 68. Three-time Masters winner Phil Mickelson, South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen and 2014 US Open runner-up Rickie Fowler are three shots off the lead after posting two-under 69s.

Garcia collected five birdies on the front nine and finished with six against two bogeys before scrambling for par on his final hole.

"I was very happy to see that I hit a lot of good shots, a lot of good putts," Garcia said. "I made some nice putts here and there early on. And the ones that I didn't make, they looked like they were going to go in. So a lot of positives."

- Strong finish -

Rahm notched four birdies on his final five holes to join the four-under group.

Leishman, of Warrnambool, Victoria, recorded his second-best opening round on this season. He shot a 66 at Quicken Loans National.

Defending champion Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, shot a one-over 72 and is tied for 42nd with world number two Jordan Spieth.

McIlroy won here last year and in 2012 to become one of just two players, along with Fiji's Vijay Singh (2004, 2008) to win this event more than once.

Open Championship winner Spieth, who lost to Johnson in a sudden-death playoff Sunday in New York, didn't make a birdie until his 13th hole.

The postseason field is now down to the top 100 players this week. The top 70 players on the FedExCup points list after the Dell advance to the BMW Championship in Lake Forest, Illinois.

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Johnson confident this Players Championship will be different

Sterling play has been a challenge for Dustin Johnson at The Players Championship, but the American world number one is hoping this week's tournament will be more indicative of his recent success.

"I think my game as a whole has gotten a lot better," Johnson, whose previous best finish in eight starts at The Players has been a tie for 28th, told a news conference in Ponte Vedra, Florida on Wednesday.

Three victories and a tie for second in his last four starts have given the big hitter plenty of confidence, but he admitted TPC Sawgrass, where accuracy off the tee is often more important than length, will be a challenge.

"I haven't had a lot of success around here, so it's definitely a challenge for me," Johnson said. "But I feel like if I'm going to play well here, this is the time.

"Everything throughout my whole game is in really good form right now."

Johnson rebounded from an unlucky fall that ruled him out of the Masters to tie for second in last week's Wells Fargo Championship, coming on strong over the last 36 holes after barely making the halfway cut.

His confidence -- and game -- are continuing to improve, Johnson said, as he prepares to face Masters winner Sergio Garcia, newlywed Rory McIlroy and defending champion Jason Day.

"I played a lot better on the weekend," Johnson said. "I've had a couple good practice days the last two days, so I'm excited to get the tournament started."

But Johnson, who has only broken 70 twice in 26 rounds at TPC Sawgrass, knows the Florida layout can challenge the best.

While a couple of holes have been lengthened since last year, the course still favours precision over power, especially when conditions are firm, as they were on tournament eve.

"This golf course is tough," he said. "You've got to have all facets of your game working if you want to contend around here.

"You've got to be doing everything well because you've got to hit all kinds of different shots, every club in your bag, and you've got to really control your golf ball."

(Reporting by Gene Cherry in Raleigh, North Carolina; Editing by Andrew Both)

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Harman makes stunning birdie to beat Johnson, Perez by one

Diminutive left-hander Brian Harman turned into a giant-killer when he rolled in a 30-foot birdie putt at the final hole to win the Wells Fargo Championship on Sunday and snuff out Dustin Johnson’s hopes of winning a fourth consecutive start.

With Johnson watching on TV in the clubhouse at Eagle Point in Wilmington, North Carolina, Harman stroked a beautiful putt and erupted in delight when it dropped into the cup.

He carded 68 to finish at 10-under-par 278 for his second PGA Tour victory, one stroke ahead of fellow Americans Johnson (67) and Pat Perez (68).

Spaniard Jon Rahm (71) finished two strokes behind, while overnight leader Patrick Reed (75) struggled with his driver and faded to end five strokes behind.

World number one Johnson, playing for the first time since falling down stairs on the eve of the Masters a month ago, was seeking to become the fifth player in PGA Tour history to win at least four consecutive starts.

After sinking a 15-foot birdie at the par-five 18th, he looked set to be part of a playoff until Harman birdied the final two holes, a five-footer at the 17th setting up his final-hole heroics.

Harman said it would be wrong to call his winning putt unbelievable.

“I could believe it because I’ve been rolling it so well this week but when that thing was about a foot short I said, 'That thing’s going home’,” Harman, 30, said in a greenside interview after collecting his second PGA Tour victory.

“I’ve been working really hard... just trusting that I’m pretty good at what I do. This feels really good. It’s a lot of emotion for sure.”

Harman expected his 2014 John Deere Classic victory to open the floodgates, but instead spun his wheels until recently.

“After I won the first one I thought I was going to be there a lot and it didn’t work out that way,” he said.

“I struggled over the next two years, never really got into the hunt. I started getting into the hunt at the beginning of this year and started feeling like it was coming around, so I’m glad to get it validated.”

Despite not winning, Johnson, 32, was happy with the state of his game in his first tournament after five weeks off.

“I didn’t know what to expect this week,” he said. “The first couple of days I didn’t play that great but really played nicely on Saturday and Sunday so I’m happy with where the game is going into next week."

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Ken Ferris)

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Johnson holds on to beat Rahm in Match Play final

American Dustin Johnson became the first player to win all four World Golf Championships events when he claimed the WGC-Dell Match Play in Texas on Sunday.

World number one and top seed Johnson beat Spanish 21st seed Jon Rahm 1-up in the 18-hole final at Austin Country Club.

Johnson built a 5-up lead after eight holes and held on, though only barely, after a late Rahm rally that cut the lead to 1-up after 16 holes.

“Today was a really tough day. I’m proud of the way I played, the way I stayed in there, even though he (Rahm) made some birdies on the back nine,” Johnson told NBC television after sinking his winning putt from inside three feet at the final hole.

Johnson earlier barely survived his semi-final against 54th seed Hideto Tanihara, winning 1-up after the Japanese player missed a good chance to win the 18th hole.

Rahm beat American 42nd seed Bill Haas 3&2 in the other semi.


It was Johnson's third consecutive victory, after he won the event formerly known as the Los Angeles Open and then the WGC-Mexico Championship.

Johnson's five WGC titles puts him second behind Tiger Woods, who has 18.

Johnson said the key to victory had been avoiding mistakes.

“I didn’t give him any holes, except for 10 (where) I three-putted. It was tough out there. The greens got really fast, the wind was affecting all the putts. Jon played really well. I just didn’t really give him anything.”

In a final that matched two of the game’s longest hitters, Johnson looked set to cruise to victory thanks to his big early lead, but it got interesting near the end.

Rahm, 3-down with four holes left, came to life, winning the par-four 15th with a birdie before taking the par-five 16th with another birdie, sinking a 30-footer after an astonishing second shot from the rough that he somehow threaded through an oak tree.

Rahm then drove through the green at the par-four 18th, ending up over the back, from where, perhaps distracted by a loud sudden banging noise just as he started his swing, he misjudged his 80-foot chip shot and could only par, allowing Johnson to escape with the win.

In the match for third place, Haas beat Tanihara 2&1, though the loser at least enjoyed a hole-in-one at the par-three seventh.

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina, editing by Gene Cherry)

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Johnson handed major challenge at WGC-Dell Match Play

World number one Dustin Johnson has the hottest hand in golf and will need to keep that form heading into Wednesday's WGC-Dell Match Play tournament after being grouped with a trio of major champions.

Johnson, who has won on his last two starts, has been placed in a group with U.S. PGA Championship title holder Jimmy Walker, twice major winner Martin Kaymer and former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson.

They represent one of 16 four-player groups that will play round-robin matches from Wednesday through Friday at the Austin Country Club with the winners of each group advancing to a single-elimination bracket at the weekend.


"I've got a lot of confidence in the game," Johnson. "I feel like I'm controlling my ball very well and I feel I’m starting to drive a little straighter."

Defending champion Jason Day and Marc Leishman, fresh off a victory at Bay Hill, are the two Australians in the event and they have been grouped with England's Lee Westwood and American Pat Perez.

The winner of their group will face one of Phil Mickelson, J.B. Holmes, Daniel Berger or South Korean Kim Si-woo.

"When it comes time to play match play you've just got to go out and try and beat them," said world number three Day. "You're not really friends for 18 holes and then when you get off the course you're back to being mates."

Rory McIlroy, who lost to Day in last year's semi-final but replaced the Australian as world number two this week, has been impressive since returning from a rib injury, finishing in a tie for seventh and share of fourth in his last two tournaments.

The 27-year-old Northern Irishman is grouped with Argentine Emiliano Grillo, American Gary Woodland and Dane Soren Kjeldsen.

Japan's Hideki Matsuyama has one of the most difficult draws as he will face South Africa's Louis Oosthuizen, who is 13-3 in this event over the last three years, veteran American Jim Furyk and Britain's Ross Fisher, who tied for third at the WGC-Mexico.

Should Matsuyama advance from the group stage, he could face twice U.S. Masters winner Bubba Watson in the round of 16, twice major winner and former world number one Jordan Spieth in the quarter-finals and Johnson in the semi-finals.

With only two weeks to go until the Masters, only four of the world's top 50 golfers have opted to skip this event to prioritise their preparations for the year's first major.

(Reporting by Frank Pingue in Toronto, editing by Nick Mulvenney)

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Johnson wins in Mexico to cement world number one ranking

Dustin Johnson started his reign as world number one in the best possible way by winning the WGC-Mexico Championship in Mexico City on Sunday.

The long-hitting American surrendered a big lead on the back nine before securing a one-stroke victory over Englishman Tommy Fleetwood at Club de Golf Chapultepec.

Johnson finished at 14-under 270 for his second consecutive victory, after winning the Genesis Open two weeks ago.

That five-stroke victory at Riviera in California vaulted Johnson to the number one world ranking for the first time. If he felt the pressure in Mexico, it hardly showed.


"It means a lot," Johnson, who shot 68, said in a greenside interview when asked how it felt to win in his debut as number one.

"It’s a tough spot to be in. There’s a lot of pressures on you. I came out and played really well."

Johnson's victory was a reward for patience, after he started the tournament by hitting his drive out-of-bounds at the very first hole.

He also avoided getting frustrated by the bumpy greens, unlike many of his rivals, and worked his way back to build a four-stroke advantage over young Spaniard Jon Rahm with eight holes remaining on Sunday, only to give up his lead with back-to-back bogeys.

Johnson again remained calm, avoided any further dropped shots in a three-under-par round and tapped in at the last from a few inches.

Fleetwood (66) birdied the last to claim second place on 13-under. Rahm faded late to tie for third with Englishman Ross Fisher on 12-under.

Overnight leader Justin Thomas faltered with a 72 to finish three strokes behind, equal fifth.

Expected challenges from Rory McIlroy and Phil Mickelson never left the launch pad.

McIlroy and Mickelson started the day two strokes from the lead, carding 71 to tie for seventh on 10-under.

Johnson has now won 14 times on the PGA Tour, including four victories in World Golf Championships events.

"I felt like I hit the ball great all week," Johnson said.

"The greens, they’re tough to putt on. I didn’t putt my best but I really hit the ball well and played just well enough I guess, because I’ve won by one."

(Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Toby Davis/Gene Cherry)

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Johnson replaces Day as world number one with LA win

Dustin Johnson took over from Jason Day as the number one player in world golf on Sunday following his victory at the PGA Tour's Genesis Open in Los Angeles and said it had been quite a journey to reach the peak of his sport.

The American had been third in the world rankings before leapfrogging Australian Day, who had held the honor for 47 consecutive weeks.

U.S. Open champion Johnson needed to win the tournament and see Day finish worse than a tie for third to claim the number one ranking. He won by five strokes while Day finished in a tie for 64th.

Johnson, the 20th player to hold top spot since the inception of the rankings in 1986, said he liked the way "world number one" sounded.

"It sounds good," he said in a green-side interview after his victory at Riviera. "It gives me a lot of confidence. It’s going to push me to work even harder and try to get even better."

He has come a long way from talented teenager in South Carolina to the top ranked player in the world.

"It's been a long journey," said the 32-year-old. "Growing up as a kid playing golf, the dream is to play on the PGA Tour.

"I never really thought about being number one on the world. Once I got up in the top 10 in the world I knew it was definitely do-able and here I am."

Johnson grabbed top spot only two years after taking six months off to deal with what he described as "personal challenges." He left the Tour in August 2014 and returned to competition the following February.

When Johnson announced his decision to step away from golf, rumors about his lifestyle swirled. The PGA Tour, which initially said it did not comment on speculation, subsequently released a statement saying he had taken a voluntary leave of absence and had not been suspended.

American Tiger Woods holds the record for the longest time at number one -- 684 weeks in total including one stretch of 281 consecutive weeks.

Australian Greg Norman (331) is the only other player to have been number one for more than 100 weeks.

Johnson jumped to third last June when he won his first major, the U.S. Open, and moved up to second for much off the second half of 2016 before ending the year ranked third.

Though Johnson vows to defend his top spot as best he can, he knows it will not be easy.

"The guys out here are so good," he said. "It's going to be hard to maintain it."

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Johnson keeps mojo going to share first-round lead

Top seed Dustin Johnson continued his "good mojo" to earn a tie for the first-round lead with Kevin Chappell and Hideki Matsuyama at the Tour Championship in Atlanta on Thursday.

The power-hitting U.S. Open champion continued to make a fickle game look easy, compiling five birdies in a seemingly-effortless four-under-par 66 in ideal conditions at East Lake.

"I felt like I had good mojo going all day and swung it very nicely," Johnson told Golf Channel. "I hit a lot of great shots with the irons and drove it nicely. That puts together a good score."

Johnson, fellow American Chappell and Japan's Matsuyama headed Australian world number one Jason Day, South Korean Kim Si-woo and American Kevin Kisner by one stroke in the elite 30-man field.

Day continued to feel occasional twinges of the back pain that forced him to pull out of the previous playoff event, the BMW Championship, after three rounds.

The season-ending Championship is the only event on tour that hands out two trophies -- one to the tournament winner and another to the winner of the season-long FedExCup points race.

The FedExCup champion will receive $10 million and Johnson, a three-time winner this season, is in pole position. He will win the FedExCup if he also wins the tournament, as would the next four seeds -- Patrick Reed, Day, Adam Scott and Paul Casey.

Casey made a 30-foot eagle putt at the par-five 18th for two-under 68, while Scott finished poorly with two late bogeys for a 69 and Reed struggled to a 73.

Johnson hit a couple of wayward drives, but was otherwise a model of consistency.

His sole bogey came at the par-four 13th, his drive there ending up behind a pine cone from where he could advance the ball only 30 yards.

Four holes later, Johnson's drive almost struck Sky Sports on-course reporter Wayne Riley, a former professional who took his on-course role a little too literally by wandering down the fairway instead of staying in the rough.

Johnson's drive landed within a couple of paces of a surprised Riley, who came in for some light-hearted ribbing by his fellow commentators.

Joint leader Matsuyama, meanwhile, made a nice start on the more difficult front nine and picked up two more shots on the inward half.

"I was a little bit lucky on that front nine but got into a good rhythm," said the world number 18. "I putted well today and that's what made the difference." (Reporting by Andrew Both in Cary, North Carolina; Editing by Mark Lamport-Stokes)

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