A day of dominance and survival at Match Play

IN BRIEF

AUSTIN, Texas — Dustin Johnson and Phil Mickelson showed the simple side to the Dell Technologies Match Play. For three straight days in warmth, wind or rain, they built early leads and never let anyone get close to them in advancing out of their groups to the knockout stage. For just about everyone else, it was a matter of surviving. Johnson won, 5 and 3, and goes into the weekend having led after all 46 holes he has played this week. He and Alex Noren (No. 8) were the only top 10 seeds left going into the weekend. Rory McIlroy (2) was mathematically eliminated on Thursday; Day (3) withdrew; Hideki Matsuyama (4) didn’t win a match all week; and Jordan Spieth (5) didn’t make it out of group play for the second time in three years.