Tour Championship: Three spotlight rounds

Johnson threatened to run away with the tournament when he got to 8-under par with four birdies in the first 11 holes. However, he ran into trouble at No. 12 when he couldn’t save par out of a green-side bunker. He gave back a birdie at No. 16 with a bogey at No. 17. Finally, Johnson needed to scramble to save par at No. 18 when his tee shot and approach found the round. He rolled in a 6-footer to end the day still atop the leaderboard.

RORY MCILROY

38-32-70 (E)

For McIlroy to get back to even par was quite accomplishment after he bogeyed four holes on the front nine – Nos. 1,2,5 and 9. There was also a birdie. He ended his up-and-down round with three back-nine birdies. The move got McIlroy to 2 under for the tournament and tied for fifth place. “It could have been much worse that what it was but at the same time I felt like a few out there,” he said.

JIMMY WALKER

38-36-74 (+4)

Walker was tied, with Kevin Na, for the high round of the day. It could have been worse. He had three bogeys on the front nine, all on the stretch of hole Nos. 7-9. He had three more bogeys on the back nine before he got to No. 17. It was there Walker made birdie when he holed a 28-foot chip shot from off the green with a one-handed swing. A birdie at No. 18 ended the round.