Johnson opens with 70 and 4 shots out of lead

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 20foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.