Johnson leads at East Lake

ATLANTA — Dustin Johnson is playing better than anyone in the world, and Kevin Chappell can’t wait to watch him at the Tour Championship.

Even if that mean shaving to beat him.

Johnson powered his way down the fairways and occasionally out of the brutal rough at East Lake on Friday for a 3-under 67, giving him a one-shot lead over Chappell and moving him one round closer to the $10 million FedEx Cup prize.

Even on a demanding test like East Lake this year — only 10 players remain under par— Johnson is hitting his driver long and straight.

His wedge game has gone from a weakness to a strength. A new putter he put in play two weeks ago when he won the BMW Championship is giving him a better feel for alignment.

Johnson was at 7-under 203. Kevin Kisner (70) and Hideki Matsuyama (71) were four shots behind, while Rory McIlroy over came another rough start on the front nine to post a 70.

Jason Day, the world’s No.1 player, with drew in the middle of a round at the second straight tournament, citing the same nagging back issues that he hopes will be cured by rest.

By Day withdrawing, Johnson won the pointsbased PGA player of the year award and is likely to win the player vote as PGA Tour player of the year because of his three victories, with perhaps another to follow.

Bear Mountain Championship

VICTORIA, British Columbia — Scott McCarron birdied five of the first six holes and finished with an 8-under 62 to take the firstround lead Friday in the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship.

The 51-year-old McCarron birdied all four par-5 holes— Nos.1,12,13 and18— in chilly conditions at Bear Mountain Resort, the firstyear venue in the PGA Tour Champions event that was played in Hawaii from 2012-14.

Web.comTour Finals

COLUMBUS, Ohio— Tag Ridings shot a 6-under 65 on Friday for a share of the second-round lead with Martin Flores in the Web.com Tour Finals’ Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship.

The 42-year-old Ridings was 52nd on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list.