Off the wire

GOLF Johnson 4 shots off

Dustin Johnson showed more game than rust Thursday 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 in Wilmington, N.C. It was Johnson’s first time playing since he slipped and fell down the stairs at his rental house in Augusta, hurting his back and knocking him out of the Masters. 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 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th. That gave him a one-shot lead over Alex Noren of Sweden, J.B. Holmes, Grayson Murray and Brian Campbell. Phil Mickelson shot 71 in his first time out since the Masters. Ken Duke (Arkadelphia, Henderson State) shot a 68 and is tied for sixth. Bryce Molder (Conway) had a 3-over 75.

Ko tops Menendez

Lydia Ko beat home favorite

Ana Menendez, and the Jutanugarn sisters set up a second-round showdown in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play at Mexico City. The top-ranked Ko edged Menendez 3 and 2 at Club de Golf Mexico. Third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn will face older sister

Moriya in the second round. Ariya beat Amy Anderson 5 and 4, and Moriya topped Alena Sharp 2 and 1. Ko will face Jennifer Song, a 3-and-2 winner over Mi Hyang Li. The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012. Ayako Uehara beat Stacy Lewis (Arkansas Razorbacks) 1 up.

Arnold out front

Jamie Arnold shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to lead the Web. com’s Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship at Punta Cana, Dominican Republic. He leads eight players by one stroke. Ethan Tracy (Arkansas Razorbacks) had a 5-under 67. Taylor Moore (Razorbacks), Andrew Landry (Razorbacks) and Sebastian Cappelen (Razorbacks) each shot a 68. Matt

Atkins (Henderson State) had a 69. Zack Fischer (Little Rock) was at even-par 72. Austin Cook (Jonesboro, Razorbacks) was 1 over.

TENNIS

Top players missing

Defending champion Philipp Kohlschreiber and top-seeded

Gael Monfils lost at the BMW Open in Munich. Kohlschreiber, who had been going for an unprecedented fourth title at the clay-court tournament, failed to convert any of his three break points and lost to

Horacio Zeballos of Argentina 7-6 (5), 6-4 in the second round. Monfils, who received a first-round bye, lost to Chung Hyeon of South Korea 6-4, 6-2. The 78th-ranked Chung will next play Martin Klizan of Slovakia, who upset sixth-seeded Mischa Zverev of Germany 6-2, 6-1 in 49 minutes. Also, fourth-seeded Fabio Fognini lost to Argentine qualifier

Guido Pella 6-3, 6-2. Pella will meet Zeballos in the quarterfinals.

Strycova advances

Third-seeded Barbora Strycova overcame a second set scare on the way to beating eighth-seeded Katerina Siniakova 6-3, 5-7, 6-3 in an all-Czech quarterfinal at the Prague Open. Siniakova was treated for an apparent right thigh muscle problem at 3-4 in the second set. It was the first set Strycova lost at the tournament. Strycova moved on to meet Mona Barthel, the German who topped Camila Giorgi of Italy in another quarterfinal 7-6 (0), 7-6 (6). Kristyna Pliskova came from a set down to defeat 144th-ranked Beatriz Haddad Maia of Brazil 6-7 (5), 6-4, 6-2. Pliskova will face Jelena Ostapenko or Ana Konjuh in the semis.

Ferrer reaches quarters

Fourth-seeded David Ferrer of Spain defeated Frederico Ferreira Silva of Portugal 6-3, 6-4 to reach the quarterfinals of the Estoril Open at Estoril, Portugal. He will meet Ryan Harrison of the U.S., who advanced Wednesday after fifth-seeded Juan Martin del Potro withdrew because of the death of his grandfather in Argentina. Third-seeded Gilles Muller of Luxemburg defeated Pedro Sousa of Portugal 6-3, 6-2.

FOOTBALL

Jones: Change drug policy

Dallas Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones reiterated Thursday during an interview with Pro Football Talk that the Dallas Cowboys plan to the lobby the NFL to change the drug policy as it relates to marijuana. Owner Jerry Jones made a similar request to the NFL owners during a private meeting in March. The elder Jones even talked last week about suspended defensive end Randy Gregory’s chances of returning to the league hinging on a possibly change in the drug policy. Stephen Jones doubled down, saying it’s time for the NFL to review its outdated approach to marijuana in the best interest of the players and the league. He said that views regarding marijuana across the country, considering changes in its legal medicinal and recreational use in several states, should be part of the league’s consideration.

HOCKEY Crosby back on ice

Pittsburgh Penguins captain Sidney Crosby is skating again, but Coach Mike Sullivan provided no update on when his star will be ready to return from a concussion. Crosby sat out Pittsburgh’s 3-2 victory in Game 4 of its NHL Eastern Conference semifinal against Washington on Wednesday night. He was diagnosed with his second concussion of the season after taking a cross-check in the head from Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen. The Penguins were given a day off Thursday, but several players including Crosby gathered at the team’s practice facility for a workout. Sullivan said Crosby “is in the process of rehabbing” but declined to answer when asked if there’s a chance the two-time MVP will play in Washington on Saturday. The Penguins are 5-4 in the playoffs with Crosby out of the lineup during his career.