Johnson’s big finish gives him 5-shot lead at TPC Boston

NORTON, Mass. — Dustin Johnson could have used a finish like this for a record score. The birdieeagle ending to his round Saturday at The Northern Trust gave him a 7-under 64 and stretched his lead to five shots in the FedEx Cup playoffs opener.

Johnson, coming off a remarkable day in which he was 11 under through 11 holes and finished with seven pars for a 60, pulled away from Harris English and Scottie Scheffler with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a 40-footer for eagle on the closing hole at the TPC Boston.

He was at 22-under 191, his lowest 54-hole score by three shots.

“I’m in a great position and like where I’m at, but I’m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score,” Johnson said. “You can go low out here and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have — perfect greens, golf course is in great shape and not a lot of wind.”

English had three birdies in a four-hole stretch early on the back nine and was tied for the lead when Johnson made his lone bogey of the round on the 13th hole when he failed to get upand-down from a bunker.

Scheffler closed with a birdie to follow his secondround 59 with a 67. He played in the final group with Johnson, just like he did two weeks ago on the final day of the PGA Championship.

Even so, they’re five shots behind Johnson, who is going for his second victory of the year and could go to No. 1 in the world — provided Jon Rahm doesn’t finish second — for the first time since May 2019.

“Try to make as many birdies as I can and see what happens,” English said.

Louis Oosthuizen (68) was seven shots behind.

Tiger Woods predicted Friday there would be low scoring in the third round, and he was right — just not from him or Rory McIlroy. Woods birdied the last hole for a 73. McIlroy made two triple bogeys in his round of 74. They get to play again Sunday morning.