Big names at top in Northern Trust

OLD WESTBURY, N.Y. — Two swings cost Dustin Johnson the lead. It wasn’t long before Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler caught up to him in The Northern Trust, setting up a weekend of star power in the opening FedEx Cup playoff event.

Johnson, finally playing like the No. 1 player who looked unstoppable in the spring, appeared on the verge of building a big lead at Glen Oaks Club until consecutive tee shots wound up on the wrong holes and forced him to scramble just to escape with bogey.

Fowler made up a fiveshot deficit in six holes playing alongside Johnson, making a 15-foot birdie on the last hole for a 66 to join Johnson and Jhonattan Vegas (65) atop the leader board. And then Spieth put together a stretch Friday afternoon reminiscent of his British Open victory, minus a shot from the driving range, in a 65.

Spieth began the back nine with five consecutive birdies, matching his longest birdie streak on the PGA Tour.

Spieth made pars from the bunkers on the last two holes to join the others at 6-under 134.

Matt Kuchar and twotime Masters champion Bubba Watson (68) were one shot out of the lead. In other golf news: • In Gee Chun took the lead in the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, and Canadian star Brooke Henderson did just enough to make the weekend at Ottawa Hunt. Chun closed with a birdie on the par-5 ninth for her second consecutive 4-under 67, giving the South Korean player a two-stroke lead over Americans Mo Martin (67), Brittany Lincicome (68) and Marina Alex (70).

Henderson, the 19-yearold from nearby Smiths Falls, followed her opening 74 with a 69 to make the cut on the number at 1 over.