Westwood leading at Sawgrass

One week later, the two leading characters and the roles they play are still the same. Only the stage — and the stakes — have changed.

Lee Westwood went from surprise to delight when his tee shot to the island green on the par3 17th stayed on the top ridge, and then he trickled in a 25foot birdie putt that carried him to a 4underpar 68 on Saturday at The Players Championship, a PGA Tour event in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. Bryson DeChambeau pumped his powerful arms twice when he made a 15foot par putt on the 18th hole, giving him a 67 and leaving him two shots behind and in the final group with Westwood.

That’s how it was a week earlier at Bay Hill, when DeChambeau came from one shot behind to beat Westwood with a par on the final hole at the Arnold Palmer Invitational.

“It’s like Round 2, the rematch,” said Westwood, 48, who was at 13under 203. Among those three back going into Sunday was Justin Thomas, who started with four birdies and capped off his 64 with a 5iron that stopped inches from the hole on the par5 16th for a tapin eagle.

Paul Casey had six birdies and an eagle to offset his mistakes in a 67, leaving him four shots behind with Jon Rahm (67) and Brian Harman (69).

One year later didn’t make world No. 1 Dustin Johnson change his mind. He’s not going to the Olympics.

Johnson didn’t want to go to Tokyo a year ago, before the COVID19 pandemic led to a oneyear delay, because of a crammed summer schedule and his desire to stay fresh for the PGA Tour’s postseason that culminates with the FedEx Cup, which he won for the first time.

“It’s a long way to travel,” Johnson said. “It’s a lot of traveling at a time where it’s important for me to feel like I’m focused playing on the PGA Tour.”