PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Ted Potter Jr. beat three of the biggest names on the PGA Tour at one of the most famous golf courses in America, and then his day got even better.

Walking out to the 18th green for the trophy presentation at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, he stopped to chat with Clint Eastwood.

“It was pretty awesome to meet him out there today,” Potter said. “Big fan of a lot of his movies he’s done, and it was just incredible to meet him, too.”

In some respects, Potter starred in his own show with an ending not many imagined.

He turned pro out of high school and groomed his game on the mini-tours, sometimes earning barely enough money to pay for a week’s worth of food and gas. When he first got onto the Web.com Tour, he missed the cut in all 24 tournaments he played. Two years after he broke through on the PGA Tour by winning the Greenbrier Classic, he broke his right ankle stepping off a curb and sat out for two years.

The injury was so severe he had two surgeries – one to insert two plates and 12 screws, the other to remove all that hardware.

He played in the final group Sunday with Dustin Johnson, coming up on a full year at No. 1 in the world. Potter was No. 246.

Potter overcame a three-putt bogey on the opening hole by not dropping a shot the rest of the way. He closed with a 3-under 69 and left the mistakes to everyone else, a cast of challengers that included Johnson, Phil Mickelson and Jason Day. They all finished second, along with Chez Reavie.

Hollywood stuff, for sure.

“I’m so happy right now to get it done today, especially against the world No. 1, playing with him today,” Potter said. “The win here at Pebble is just unbelievable.”

There is nothing fancy about Potter’s game or how he won for the second time in his career.

He birdied both the par 5s on the front. He chipped in for birdie behind the seventh green, which gave him a two-shot lead. And then he was never out of position the rest of the way, knowing he had the lead and that someone would have to catch him.

Mickelson made a late charge with three birdies in a four-hole stretch through the 17th hole. But trying to make eagle on the 18th for a chance at winning, Lefty came up just right of the green and into a bunker, leading to par and a 67.

It was his best finish since that duel at Royal Troon with Henrik Stenson in the British Open in 2016. Mickelson, who tied for fifth in Phoenix last week, had consecutive top 5s for the first time since the summer of 2013, his last victory.

“I made a few good birdies coming down the stretch there to feel the nerves again,” Mickelson said. “Unfortunately, it’s not enough, but it was a great week, a lot of fun, perfect weather and really had a great time.”

Day also made a late run with two birdies on the 15th and 16th, but then his tee shot on the par-3 17th went to the right and the pin was all the way to the left. He made par, then hit onto the beach with a driver off the deck on the 18th. Day kept it entertaining by playing off the beach, over the sea wall and over the green. He still managed to get up-and-down from a bunker for par and a 70.

Johnson was never really in it after his bogey on No. 8 to fall three shots behind. He kept missing in the wrong spots, and he dropped two more shots when he couldn’t afford to drop any. He closed with a 72.

“A few iron shots cost me a few bogeys,” said Johnson, who played Pebble in 70-72 on the weekend. “Two under in 36 holes is not too good as well as I thought I was playing. I’d like to have put a little more pressure on Ted.”

Potter was the last man standing, remarkable considering it was only two years ago when he couldn’t stand at all.

He slipped off a curb at the Canadian Open in 2014 and broke his ankle. Through the surgeries, he wasn’t sure if he would ever be able to play again, or at least play the way he once did.

“It’s been a struggle,” he said. “You break your ankle and you don’t know what’s going to happen with your swing, with your career. It’s unbelievable right now. … This has been a blast this week.”

Now he has a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. He gets into the Masters for the second time. He gets into the PGA Championship in August, and he starts next year on Maui for the Sentry Tournament of Champions.

The ultimate underdog? Potter wasn’t sure about that. He had an opportunity and grabbed it.

“It’s golf,” he said. “All you can do is try as hard as you can. Just keeping grinding. I don’t know what to say.”

Spanish Bay, CA — Today, RBC announced its newest brand ambassador – Dustin Johnson. Ranked #1 in the world and sitting 5^th in all-time PGA TOUR Career earnings, Johnson is the latest high profile golfer to join Team RBC, including players Matt Kuchar, Ryder Cup Captain Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker and Brooke Henderson.

Johnson has had an incredible career to-date, including 17 tournament wins on the PGA TOUR, and being named 2016 PGA Player of the Year. He is also only the third player in PGA TOUR history to win a title in all of his 11 seasons since his debut.

Team RBC was established in 2009 and is now comprised of 14 elite male and female golfers who embody the pinnacle of golf performance. Along with wearing the RBC branding on his apparel and golf bag, Johnson and his RBC teammates support many of the bank’s marketing initiatives and client experiences.

In addition to being the title sponsor of the RBC Heritage and RBC Canadian Open, RBC is also proud to be the Official Banking and Financial Services partner for all Team RBC ambassadors.

Proud to be joining @RBC! pic.twitter.com/tgWBn29Yal

— Dustin Johnson (@DJohnsonPGA) February 7, 2018

Quotes:

“My goal is to be the best in the game and win as many championships as possible, and I’m grateful for RBC’s support and belief in me. I have enjoyed getting to know them better over the past few years through playing in the RBC Canadian Open. Now that my relationship with RBC has expanded to brand ambassador, I can’t wait to achieve more milestones together.”

– Dustin Johnson, PGA TOUR Golfer

“RBC is a longstanding supporter of golf and we celebrate the traditions and passion of the game. We’re proud to welcome Dustin to Team RBC as our newest ambassador. He’s an exciting player that has thrilled fans around the world and a great asset to the RBC brand.”

– Dave McKay, President and CEO, RBC

“Dustin’s unique and natural talent on the course, combined with his high caliber of play, makes him an ideal Team RBC ambassador. He shares our commitment to hard work, strength and determination – and we’re happy to have him on our team.”

– Mary DePaoli, EVP and Chief Marketing Officer, RBC

Get tickets for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open by visiting www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Gary Woodland was surprised to see infant son Jaxson with wife Gabby late Sunday afternoon at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

“My wife kind of surprised me with him,” Woodland said. “I didn’t think he was going to be there. I thought it would just be her. For her to bring him out, that was special and something I’ll never forget.”

Jaxson was born prematurely in June after a twin girl was lost in a miscarriage. On Sunday at TPC Scottsdale, he was in his father’s arms at the trophy celebration after a playoff victory.

“For him to be here, it’s obviously a miracle,” Woodland said. “I’m just so excited to share this with him and my family. Hopefully, it’s the start of something special.”

Woodland beat Chez Reavie with a par on the first extra hole.

Playing three groups ahead of Reavie, Woodland birdied three of the last four holes for a 7-under 64 – the best round of the day – to finish at 18-under 266. He opened with rounds of 67, 68 and 67 after getting some advice from instructor Butch Harmon.

“Butch sent me a text Thursday morning before I played and said, ‘Forget about everything else, let’s just put four rounds together. Don’t worry about what you shoot, don’t worry about winning, just put four good rounds together,”’ Woodland said. “I don’t know if that put me at ease or what, but I definitely put four good rounds together this week.”

Reavie, who got his lone victory at the 2008 RBC Canadian Open, made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-4 18th to force the PGA Tour’s fourth straight playoff and the event’s third overtime finish in a row.

“It’s right up there with the putt I made to win in Canada,” the 36-year-old former Arizona State player said. “It was a lot of fun. Fortunately, I walked up and I really got a good read off it right away.”

In the playoff on 18, Woodland hit short of the green from the left fairway bunker and chipped to 2 feet to set up his third PGA Tour victory and first since 2013.

“It’s been coming. We knew it the last month,” Woodland said. “And sure enough today it all clicked and I made some putts early, gave me some confidence and really hit the ball well coming down the stretch.”

Reavie missed the green left in the playoff and couldn’t get an 11-footer to fall.

“I carried the sign board here growing up when I was in high school and junior high and to have a chance to win the tournament this week was a lot of fun,” Reavie said.

The crowd was estimated at 64,273 for a record weeklong total of 719,179. On Saturday, 216,818 jammed the grounds, the biggest turnout in golf history.

“They were great,” Reavie said. “Being a hometown guy, everyone’s rooting me on.”

He finished with a 66. After a bogey on the par-3 16th, he chipped to 3 feet for birdie on the par-4 17th.

Woodland two-putted for birdie on the par-5 15th, curled in an 8-footer on the par-3 16th, made a 5-footer on the par-4 17th and parred the par-4 18th.

“I was in the zone,” Woodland said. “I really had it going.”

Woodland birdied three of the first five, holed a 30-foot chip to save par on the par-4 sixth and added birdies on Nos. 8 and 9. He bogeyed the par-4 11th after hitting left into the desert, and got the stroke back with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 13th. He bogeyed the par-4 14th before making the late run.

Woodland also won in 2011 at Innisbrook and in 2013 in Nevada. He played college basketball at Washburn in Topeka, Kansas, as a freshman before transferring to Kansas to play golf.

Ollie Schniederjans (65) and Brendan Steele (67) tied for third at 15 under.

Adam Hadwin (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian at 4 under. Ben Silverman (72) of Thornhill, Ont., was 3 under and Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (69) was 2 under.

Phil Mickelson had the fans roaring with three straight birdies, the second a 30-footer on 16. But, needing an eagle on 18 to tie Woodland, he drove left into the church pew bunker that Woodland hit into in the playoff and made double bogey. The 47-year-old Hall of Famer tied for fifth at 14 under after a 69.

“I just didn’t get it going early,” Mickelson said. “It was fun to be in contention. I had a great time coming down the stretch. I didn’t like, obviously, the last hole. … I hate finishing like that.”

He made his record-tying 29th start in the event he won in 1996, 2005 and 2013.

Chesson Hadley (68), Matt Kuchar (67) and Bryson DeChambeau (70) matched Mickelson at 14 under.

Third-round leader Rickie Fowler (73) and second-ranked Jon Rahm (72) were six strokes back at 12 under. They played in the final group with Reavie.

“Just couldn’t buy a putt,” Fowler said. “That’s one of the best clubs in my bag. I felt like I hit a lot of good putts, so it was a little disappointing to not see really anything go in on the back nine.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rickie Fowler birdied the last three holes to take the lead in the Waste Management Phoenix Open, overcoming a sluggish start in front of the largest crowd in golf history.

Justin Thomas went the other way, wasting a brilliant opening run with another late meltdown.

Fowler shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to reach 14-under 199 with a round left at TPC Scottsdale’s Stadium Course, the fan-friendly layout packed with an estimated 216,818 fans on an 80-degree afternoon.

“I really made some good swings coming in,” Fowler said. “I just wasn’t getting the ball close enough and finally on the last few there I was able to get some good looks.”

The fourth-ranked Thomas, the PGA Tour player of the year after winning five times last season, birdied the first six holes to take the lead. But instead of making a run at his second sub-60 round in a little over a year, Thomas had to fight for an even-par 71 that left him eight shots back. He dropped six strokes in a three-hole stretch, making a bogey on the par-4 14th, a triple bogey on the par-5 15th and a double bogey on the rowdy par-3 16th. On Thursday in the first round, he had a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 17.

Thomas left the course without speaking to the media.

Former Arizona State players Jon Rahm and Chez Reavie were a stroke back along with Bryson DeChambeau. Phil Mickelson was two shots behind, another former Sun Devils star riding the crowd support.

“It means a lot to me,” Mickelson said. “It’s very helpful and very important to my success. I think it’s been a big instrument in allowing me to get into the round and play and have fun and get out of the technical side.”

The crowd pushed the week total to 654,906, just short of the record of 655,434 set last year.

Fowler is trying to finally win in the desert. He finished a shot behind Hunter Mahan in 2010, lost to Hideki Matsuyama on the fourth extra hole in 2016, and tied for fourth last year.

“It’s just a matter of time,” Fowler said. “It would just be nice if it was sooner rather than later.”

The four-time tour winner began his birdie run with a 17-footer on 16 and connected from 9 feet on the par-4 17th and 18th holes. He also birdied 13 after playing the first 12 in even par with a birdie and a bogey.

“I just kind of had to fight through it,” Fowler said. “The swing was just a fraction off. It wasn’t bad, still made some good swings out there, but just had to try and get the ball in the short grass, get some looks and try not to make many mistakes.”

Rahm had a 65, playing alongside Mickelson and Schauffele for the third straight day. The 23-year-old Spaniard had five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the back nine. He won two weeks ago in the California desert at La Quinta to jump to No. 2 in the world.

“I hit the ball really well off the tee, gave myself a lot of opportunities,” Rahm said. “But the main key today was my iron play. My game was a lot more accurate than the first few days and thanks to that I had a couple better birdie chances and a couple more went in.”

Reavie birdied the final two holes for a 67.

“To win tournaments out here is great, but to win one that you grew up going to would be very special,” Reavie said. “For me, this is a fifth major.”

DeChambeau shot 68. He lost the lead with a bogey on 17 after driving into the water.

“Tempo and rhythm,” DeChambeau said. “If I can control that and control my golf swing like I have been the past three days I think that I’ll be fine.”

Mickelson birdied the final two holes for a 66. He’s making his record-tying 29th start in the event he won in 1996, 2005 and 2013.

“If you look at it, it looks like a very simple, solid bogey-free round, 5 under,” Mickelson said. “It was anything but that. I made some really nice up-and-downs to keep the round going and when I did hit some good tee shots and hit some good shots into the fairway I was able to get aggressive and make some birdies.”

Xander Schauffele and Daniel Berger also were 12 under. Schauffele shot 66, and Berger had a 68.

Ben Silverman (70) of Thornhill, Ont., and Adam Hadwin (74) of Abbotsford, B.C., were the low Canadians at 4 under. Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (73) is even.

“I’m getting the full experience playing with Phil and Jon,” Schauffele said. “Especially when all of us are playing well.”

Fowler is wearing a pin on his hat with a picture of Griffin Connell, the area boy he befriended at the event who died last week at age 7. Griffin was born with a rare airway disorder.

“We actually had a ball go a little left on 11 today and we joked about it that Griffin took one in the chest and kept it out for us,” Fowler said.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Rickie Fowler took a share of the lead into the weekend in the Waste Management Phoenix Open. He knows from experience the party is just getting started.

“Just keep the gas pedal down,” Fowler said.

Fowler has had a lot of success at TPC Scottsdale without winning. He finished a shot behind Hunter Mahan in 2010, lost to Hideki Matsuyama on the fourth extra hole in 2016, and tied for fourth last year.

“From the first couple times I played it, I knew it was just kind of a matter of time before I would win here,” Fowler said. “I know I can win here. I put myself in position plenty of times.”

Fowler was tied with Bryson DeChambeau, with each shooting his second straight 5-under 66.

The festive tournament drew an estimated Friday-record crowd of 191,400 fans, bringing the week total to 439,088. The third-round mark of 204,906 set last year is expected to be shattered Saturday, and the week record of 655,434 from a year ago could fall with a day to spare.

DeChambeau birdied the final two holes, hitting a wedge to 8 inches on the par-4 18th late on another 80-degree afternoon.

“I missed a few short putts on the back nine, so definitely didn’t play my best,” DeChambeau said.

He won the John Deere Classic last year. In 2015, the former SMU star became the fifth player to win the NCAA individual title and U.S. Amateur in the same year.

Daniel Berger and former Arizona State player Chez Reavie were a stroke back.

Berger had a bogey-free 65.

“This is the fourth time I’ve been here, so I’ve kind of figured it out a little bit,” Berger said. “Mostly, it’s just about just enjoying yourself.”

Reavie eagled the 17th in a 65. He’s the only player without a bogey after two rounds.

“This is my home tournament, growing up here my whole life and coming to the tournament and carrying the sign board,” Reavie said. “So this is like the fifth major for me.”

Adam Hadwin (65)of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian in a tie for eighth at 7 under. Ben Silverman (68) of Thornhill, Ont., was in a group tied for 37th at 3 under and Nick Taylor (71), from Abbotsford, was tied for 50th at 2 under. Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., missed the cut.

The best shots and highlights from Round 2 @WMPhoenixOpen. pic.twitter.com/SpfjeklwKD

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) February 3, 2018

Fowler birdied four of the first six holes. He bogeyed his old nemesis, the 317-yard 17th, after driving short of the green to the left and chipping across and off the green.

“Funky little chip where we were in a good position to make birdie,” Fowler said.

Two years ago, he blew a two-stroke lead on 17 in regulation when he drove through the green and into the water, then handed the playoff to Matsuyama when he hit into the water again.

Fowler is wearing a pin on his hat with a picture of Griffin Connell, the area boy he befriended at the event who died last week at age 7. Connell was born with a rare airway disorder.

“I don’t think it’s a coincidence he’s playing so well this week, either,” said Griffin’s father, Jim Connell. “Griffin, he’s not here with us, but we know he’s watching from above.”

Scott Stallings (65), Chesson Hadley (68) and Chris Kirk (68) were 8 under, and Phil Mickelson (65) and fellow former Arizona State player Jon Rahm (68) topped the group at 7 under.

The 47-year-old Hall of Famer is making his record-tying 29th start in the event he won in 1996, 2005 and 2013. He birdied the last three holes – getting the stadium-enclosed No. 16 for the second straight day – and four of the final six.

“There’s no question that I play better down the stretch with people here,” Mickelson said. “I can feel their energy and it helps me focus.”

Justin Thomas and first-round leader Bill Haas were 6 under.

The fourth-ranked Thomas had his second 68. He was bogey-free after dropping three strokes late Thursday with a double bogey on 16 and a bogey on 17.

“I was pretty upset and mad about that last night because I really let a good chance get away to shoot, I felt like, 7 or 8 under,” Thomas said. “But stretches like that are going to happen over the course of four days.”

Haas followed his opening 64 with a 72. He made a double bogey on the par-5 third.

The tournament lost some star power when Jordan Spieth missed the cut and two-time defending champion Matsuyama withdrew because of a left wrist injury.

Spieth shot 72-70, playing alongside Thomas. The third-ranked Spieth last failed to advance to weekend play in May, when he missed consecutive cuts in The Players Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson. Matsuyama’s injury ended his bid to match Arnold Palmer’s event record of three straight victories.

Robert Garrigus had the shot of the day, a drive on the 17th that hit the flagstick and stopped inches away. He’s 2 under after a 69. Andrew Magee aced the hole in 2001, the only hole-in-one on a par 4 in PGA TOUR history.

SAN DIEGO – Jason Day calmly sank an 18-inch birdie putt at 8:17 a.m. Monday in front of empty grandstands on No. 18 at Torrey Pines for his first PGA Tour win in 20 months.

There were no roars, just cheers from Day’s family and a handful of mates.

In a rare Monday morning finish, Day took all of 13 minutes to navigate the par-5, 570-yard 18th on the South Course to finish a six-hole playoff against Alex Noren to win the Farmers Insurance Open.

Day and Noren had to return after grinding through five playoff holes Sunday before it got too dark to continue.

Spectators weren’t allowed in the next day because organizers said they didn’t have time to arrange for security.

“It was a little strange, but we did have a few people up in the stands, which was nice,” Day said. “It’s great to finish the tournament and all, but it would have been nice to finish yesterday with all the people there.

“I’d play until Wednesday if I needed to get that win,” Day said. “It’s why we get up every morning and practice. This win is just as special as the first one.”

Day also won here in 2015, in a four-man playoff that took only two holes. That victory propelled him to a five-win season, including the PGA Championship, and the world’s No. 1 ranking.

After contending with a balky back the last few weeks, he hopes this victory also is a springboard after a dreadful 2017 season.

Day’s tee shot landed in the right rough and Noren’s in the first cut to the left.

Noren tried an aggressive second shot, but his ball landed short of the green and rolled into Devlin’s Billabong, a pond that protects the hole.

Day shot over some trees and laid up onto the fairway before hitting a lob wedge approach of about 85 yards, with the ball rolling down several feet to set up the winning putt.

“It was really unfortunate for him to hit it in the water because I know how good of a shot he actually hit there because that’s really tough to go with a 3-wood into a green like that,” Day said.

“I think it’s almost a blessing that I actually missed the fairway knowing that I had to lay up and knowing that I kind of worked on that number before. I was on the range hitting that exact same number.”

Noren, a 35-year-old Swede trying for his first PGA Tour win, bogeyed the hole.

“I had a perfect yardage,” said Noren, who played at Oklahoma State and has nine victories on the European Tour. “And the greens are not super firm in the morning like this so I thought it was the perfect play in the middle of the green and have a putt at eagle and a few yards short, so it’s tough.”

? No. 11 after six playoff holes!

Congrats to @JDayGolf on his victory at the @FarmersInsOpen. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/4PT3FYUxvO

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) January 29, 2018

Day and Noren matched each other with birdie, birdie, par, par and birdie through five playoff holes in the twilight Sunday on the blufftop course overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Ryan Palmer was eliminated on the first extra hole with a par.

“Myself, Ryan and Alex all hit some nice shots coming down the stretch in the playoffs,” Day said. “Going shot for shot with Alex was pretty cool over that five-hole stretch, and unfortunately we just couldn’t get it. We just didn’t want to give it up.”

Day was on his “third-string” caddie. He said Luke Reardon, who caddied for him at the end of last year, and David Lutterus, who was going to be on the bag, had trouble securing visas.

His third in line, childhood friend Rika Batibasaga, “he’s marrying an American and I knew that he’s in here already,” Day said. “So I was like, ‘I’ve got to grab someone, either grab him or grab someone out of the crowd.”’

Day hopes this victory leads to a turnaround from a miserable 2017, which included his mother recovering from lung cancer and a game that lost some discipline and focus.

“I think last year was a good kick in the butt, you know, not really being talked about and being talked about for the wrong reasons,” the 30-year-old Australian said. “Obviously take my mum and stuff out of the equation, but just I see the guys winning, Jordan (Spieth), and Dustin (Johnson) is playing some tremendous golf, Jon Rahm’s playing some tremendous golf, and I feel like I should be there as well, winning.”

Day is currently ranked No. 10 in the world. Getting back to the top is the goal.

“I got there for 51 weeks, but I’ve always wanted to be a dominant No. 1 player in the world and that is going to take time,” he said. “That’s going to take a lot of hard work and dedication because I know how hard it is to get to No. 1 in the world and I know the quality of play that is fighting to get to No. 1 as well.”

SAN DIEGO – Jason Day watched the flight of his wedge for as long as he could and had to listen to the crowd to realize he nailed it.

“I can’t see,” he said to his caddie.

Alex Noren was 5 feet away from extending the playoff Sunday at the Farmers Insurance Open, a putt he could easily have missed except that the Swede could rely on experience. He had a similar putt in regulation and knew it broke off to the right.

Day and Noren went at it for 77 holes at Torrey Pines, and after five sudden-death playoff holes, it still wasn’t enough to crown a winner. They matched birdies in the dark on the par-5 18th, and then had no choice but to return Monday morning to decide the longest playoff in the 67-year history of the event.

“We both played some pretty good golf, especially down 18 going back and forth, back and forth, which is good entertainment for the fans,” Day said. “It’s good to be back in the action, good to be back where I’m at right now. But I’ve got to get some rest.”

Day has gone 20 months since his last victory.

Both players had a good chance to end it _ Noren from 12 feet on the 18th in regulation, Day from 12 feet on the third playoff hole at the par-3 16th.

“It’s so important over every shot, and maybe not as much as stroke play, you know, you can play safe sometimes and you can play aggressive here,” Noren said. “Here, you need to play aggressive to finish it out.”

Ryan Palmer began the playoff with them at 10-under 278. He was eliminated with a par on the 18th on the first extra hole.

Day closed with a 2-under 70. Palmer hit wedge to 2 feet for birdie for a 72 to get into the playoff. Noren, who had a one-shot lead at the start of the final round, closed with a 73.

By then, Tiger Woods was long gone.

It was the third playoff in three weeks on the PGA Tour, all of them lasting at least four holes. And while it was entertaining, thousands of fans weren’t around to see it. They left after Woods finished his round. In only his second PGA Tour event since August 2015, Woods closed with a 72 and tied for 23rd, seven shots out of the lead.

Woods said it was a mostly positive week, and it was hard to argue considering he was returning from his fourth back surgery. He at least was closer to the fairway in the final round, but hit only three fairways for the third straight day.

“I got a lot out of my rounds,” Woods said. “The short game wasn’t something I was worried about. I knew what I could, what I’ve been doing at home. That wasn’t going to be an issue. It was going to be, ‘Can I shoot low scores?’ I didn’t, but I grinded out some good rounds.”

Correy Conners (76) of Listowel, Ont., was 2 under and tied for 29th while Adam Hadwin (74) of Abbotsford, B.C., tied for 35th at 1 under. Ben Silverman (78) of Thornhill, Ont., finished 6 over and Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (76) was 10 over.

The final hour of the tournament was a big grind.

Day, Noren, Palmer and J.B. Holmes _ the latter three in the final group _ were tied for the lead with six holes to go.

Day twice missed the green with a short iron in his hand, and one of those shots led to bogey. He didn’t make a birdie on the back nine in regulation. Noren appeared to have the steadiest game until he pulled his tee shot into the hazard on the 14th hole and did well to escape with bogey. Noren also made a pair of 7-foot par putts to stay in a share of the lead, and then he missed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole in regulation.

Palmer, trying to win for the first time in eight years, made consecutive bogeys from the bunker on No. 14 and short of the 15th green. He came up big on the 72nd hole with a wedge to 2 feet to get into the playoff.

Holmes effectively fell out of the hunt when he missed the 15th green with a wedge and took bogey, and then missed a 4-foot par putt on the 16th hole. He needed an eagle on the final hole, and took some 4 minutes trying to decide on which club to hit. He finally, curiously, decided to lay up and try to make his 3 by holing a sand wedge. He laid up in the rough and didn’t come close to holing the shot.

Noren went next and hit his fairway metal over the green, into the tunnel below the TV tower and out the other side. He took his relief, and smartly played away from the flag to keep it from running by the hole and possibly down the slope into the water, though he missed the putt.

The Sony Open took six holes before Patton Kizzire won. The CareerBuilder Challenge went four holes before Jon Rahm prevailed.

Rahm had a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a repeat victory at Torrey Pines. He was two shots out of the lead until going into the water and making double bogey on the 18th hole of the third round. On Sunday, the 23-year-old Spaniard fell back early and never recovered. He closed with a 77.

Day’s last victory was in May 2016 at The Players Championship when he was No. 1 in the world.

“I’ll play all day tomorrow if I need to get the win,” Day said.

Noren is a nine-time winner on the European Tour who is No. 19 in the world, trying to make his mark in America. He already has left quite an impression.

SAN DIEGO – Alex Noren of Sweden has all the credentials to be on the fringe of the elite in golf. He is a nine-time winner on the European Tour, including the flagship BMW PGA Championship, and he cracked the top 10 in the world when he won four times in 2016.

Now he has a chance to make his mark in America.

Noren surged on the closing stretch as so many challengers crumbled Saturday in the Farmers Insurance Open. He bounced back from a double bogey with three birdies over the final six holes for a 3-under 69 and a one-shot lead going into the final round at Torrey Pines.

“To win would be very, very big for my confidence, I think,” Noren said. “And playing around these courses … we’re going to have the U.S. Open here in a few years, so it would be massive.”

But even as he took his first 54-hole lead in his first PGA Tour event as a member, it was easy to overlook the 35-year-old Swede.

For starters, Tiger Woods takes up almost all the attention. Woods was at his scrambling best in the third round, and he had to be. He hit only three fairways, only had a birdie putt on nine holes and still managed a 70. Woods was eight shots behind.

Beyond golf’s top attraction was the long list of players chasing Noren.

Two dozen players were separated by five shots going into the final round. That started with Ryan Palmer, who lost momentum from his 45-foot eagle by making two late bogeys and a lazy swing with a wedge that kept him from a good chance at birdie on the 18th.

And it still includes Jon Rahm, who hit into the water front the green on the par-5 closing hole and took double bogey for a 75. He was still just four shots back – Rahm was three behind when he won last year – and still in range of a victory that would give the 23-year-old Spaniard the No. 1 ranking.

It most likely doesn’t include Woods, who was no less entertaining.

Woods was so wild off the tee that he hit only one fairway on the back nine at the start of his round. Without a deft short game, Woods figures he might have shot something in the 80s.

“It’s not the driver, it’s my swing,” said Woods, who has hit only six fairways since Thursday. “Some of my go-to shots aren’t there. Some of the shots I like to hit under certain circumstances aren’t there, either. The only thing I have is my short game and my heart, and that got me through today.”

Corey Conners (70) from Listowel, Ont., was the low Canadian at 6 under. Adam Hadwin (72) of Abbotsford, B.C., is 3 under, Ben Silverman (76) of Thornhill, Ont., was even and Nick Taylor (79) of Abbotsford, was 6 over.

Noren, who played his college golf at Oklahoma State, ran in a long eagle at the par-5 sixth and closed out his round by drilling his second shot over the pond and to the back fringe on the 18th for a two-putt birdie. He was at 11-under 205.

Not being as well known in these parts was the least of his concerns.

“All I’m trying to do is play some good golf and my goal is to win a tournament,” Noren said. “I don’t care too much if they know me or not. It’s quite nice if they don’t know me. But they’re very nice to me.”

Palmer began the third round with a one-shot lead and had two bad stretches. He made consecutive bogeys late on the front nine, and then after stretching his lead to two shots with his eagle, he made two bogeys over the next three holes.

Even so, he’ll be in the final group Sunday going for his first victory in eight years. He is in a good place, on the leaderboard and at home, with his wife getting clean scans in her battle with breast cancer and Palmer taking off the fall to get bone spurs removed from his shoulder.

“Wasn’t the best year last year, and taking the fall off, but my game is in good shape,” Palmer said. “It’s ready. If we hit the ball a little bit better, a little more consistent, we’re going to have a chance.”

J.B. Holmes had a 65 to reach 9-under 207 and joins Palmer and Noren in the last group. Michael Kim also was two shots behind and has some course knowledge from going to Torrey Pines High School and playing the South more times than he can remember.

Left out of the mix was Phil Mickelson, who was three shots out of the lead until he shot 41 on the back nine. Mickelson had a 4-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole that would have put him in the same group as Woods on Sunday. He missed.

Woods again tees off on the back nine for the final round and is too many shots behind with too many players ahead of him to have a realistic chance. But it’s been a good week for someone playing the PGA Tour for only the second time since August 2015 because of his three back surgeries. And he certainly gave his back a good test as many times as he was thrashing out of the rough.

“A good 12 months away from playing out of the rough, I don’t know what this body is going to do,” he said. “But I think it did great today.”

One goal for Sunday is to give his back a rest, and maybe even try to break 70.

“See if I can shoot something in the 60s,” he said with a smile, “but make it a little bit easier on myself than today.”

SAN DIEGO – Ryan Palmer is the 36-hole leader in the Farmers Insurance Open. Jon Rahm is right behind, poised to reach No. 1 in the world. And for the first time in 29 months, a PGA Tour event will feature Tiger Woods on the weekend.

Palmer finished eagle-birdie on the North Course at Torrey Pines for a 5-under 67. That gave him a one-shot lead over Rahm, the defending champion who birdied two of his last three holes on the North for a 66.

The biggest buzz, as usual, was for Woods. He kept his fairway-lined following in suspense over his closing stretch on the front nine Friday simply by trying to make the cut, and it came down to the very last hole .

A wild drive was saved by a perfect flop shot to escape with par on No. 6. Another superb chip on the reachable par-4 seventh set up a birdie, the first time all week he was under par. A chip that bounced hard and rolled off the back of the green led to bogey and left him one shot outside the cut line. From gnarly rough right of the fairway on the par-5 ninth, he hammered a 6-iron to the wrong side of the green, leaving him two putts from 75 feet to make birdie and get to the weekend.

A beautiful lag for a tap-in birdie gave him a 71.

“It was a grind. I fought hard,” Woods said. “Typical. Just me going out there and fighting for whatever I can get. It’s all good.”

There’s a reason Woods has gone so long _ August 2015 at the Wyndham Championship – without making a cut. This was only his second PGA Tour since then, the greatest reminder of back surgeries that effectively cost two full years of golf.

He won the first battle – two more days.

The next one is a bit more ominous. He still was 10 shots behind Palmer, who is going through a minor resurgence of his own. Palmer, who was at 11-under 133, spent the last 18 months on life at home after his wife was diagnosed with breast cancer. After her last dose of chemotherapy a year ago, followed by 35 radiation treatments, Jennifer Palmer has had nothing but clean scans.

Then, Palmer had surgery on his left shoulder to clean out bone spurs and had not played since August until he headed to Honolulu two weeks ago.

“A lot of distractions behind me,” he said. “So we’re definitely playing a little more free and clear.”

The biggest distraction on another gorgeous day at Torrey Pines was a pair of bogeys early. He kept his patience, chipped in for eagle at the turn, and then finished with a beautiful approach to 12 feet on the par-5 eighth and a 20-foot birdie putt on the ninth.

And now he has to deal with a big presence in golf – Rahm.

The 23-year-old Spaniard won in a playoff last week in the California desert, moving him to No. 2 in the world. If he were to win this week, Rahm would go to No. 1.

He didn’t have his best stuff from tee-to-green. Rahm made enough key putts to keep him pointed in the right direction.

“I was able to get up-and-down for par, and not making mistakes and taking advantage of the birdie putts,” he said. “I probably shot the lowest I could shoot today.”

Palmer and Rahm will be in the final group with Luke List, who had a 66 on the South.

Ben Silverman (71) of Thornhill, Ont., and Corey Conners (68) of Listowel, Ont., were the low Canadians at 4 under. Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., is 3 under while Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford is 1 under. Mac Hughes (73) of Dundas, Ont., and David Hearn (70) of Brantford, Ont., missed the cut.

And even with Woods lingering toward the bottom, there are plenty of big names lingering going into the weekend. Jason Day had a 64 and was four shots behind. Phil Mickelson, who hasn’t fared all that on the South Course since the redo ahead of the 2008 U.S. Open, ran off a string of birdies on the front nine, salvaged a few mistakes with an eagle on No. 13 and finished with a birdie for a 68. He was five shots behind.

Rahm was five shots behind going into the weekend last year and closed with a 65, holing a 50-foot eagle putt on the final hole. That was his first victory, and he has added three more worldwide. Few players have more confidence at Torrey Pines.

Even when he wasn’t sure where the ball was going off the tee, he didn’t drop a shot.

“Things are going well, you’re playing good so you’re trying to get a little higher, a little higher,” he said.

The cut was at 1-under 143, which was starting to look out of reach for Woods. He missed two drives well to the left _ by 65 yards on his opening hole, and deep into a hazard on his fourth hole, which led to double bogey to put him 2 over. He made the turn three shots out of the cut line, and then holed a 50-foot birdie putt to start his back nine.

His short game carried him from there, setting up birdies on the par-5 fifth hole and the short seventh hole.

The biggest adjustment to having been gone for so long is scoring. He was amazed to see so many players under par through two rounds.

“These guys are all going low and I haven’t done that in a long time,” Woods said.

SAN DIEGO – Tiger Woods has been away from the PGA Tour too long to know for certain when a shot is as good as it looks.

This was a 6-iron on the par-3 16th hole on the South Course at Torrey Pines, from 188 yards to a slightly elevated green with a pin tucked behind a deep bunker. The sun was setting behind the Pacific late Thursday afternoon, and the glare made it tough to follow the flight of the ball.

“We can’t see anything land from back there, so we’re just listening for some noise,” Woods said. “And people started cheering.”

The ball rolled to the hole and broke a few inches in front of the cup for a tap-in birdie .

Woods brought big crowds back to golf in his latest return to the PGA Tour, and he even produced a few big roars.

There just weren’t enough cheers for his liking.

Playing for the first time since recovering from a fourth back surgery that cost him another year on the PGA Tour, Woods was mostly steady, sometimes spectacular and ended his day with an even-par 72 that left him seven shots behind Tony Finau.

“It was fun to compete again,” Woods said. “It was fun to be out there.”

The next trick is to stay at Torrey Pines beyond Friday. With virtually no wind making this a day for reasonable scoring, Woods was tied for 84th and will start the second round on the North Course just outside the cut line.

Finau birdied his opening two holes on the North and finished with a 35-foot birdie putt for a 65.

Woods had a few big moments that looked familiar to fans who stood as many as four-deep around the greens.

His three birdie putts were from a combined 30 inches. The longest of his birdie putt was from just inside 2 feet on No. 10 that got him back to even par for the round. He was one rotation away from making a long eagle putt on the par-5 sixth.

He was never under par the entire round, and his near ace on the 16th brought him back to even par.

But he needed those three birdies to offset his mistakes, and the sobering part of his return is that Woods didn’t make a putt longer than 4 feet. That was on the second hole, when his approach from the bunker landed 6 feet behind the hole and went over the back into light rough.

He also gave away a shot on the par-5 13th, when he laid up from the rough and hit a wedge that drifted right and went into the bunker. He blasted that out to 3 feet, which was the hard part. And then he missed the short par putt .

Woods made his other two bogeys from greenside bunkers, both times missing 12-foot putts.

He played the par 5s in even par, and didn’t give himself any other birdie chances inside 15 feet.

“It’s hard to make a lot of birdies when you’re not giving yourself any looks, and I didn’t do that today,” Woods said. “Tomorrow, hopefully, I’ll drive a little better, get my irons obviously a lot closer and we get the better of the two greens tomorrow. So we’ll see what happens.”

But there was no mistaking his presence.

Fans lined both sides of the opening fairway in anticipation of seeing Woods, who was playing the PGA Tour for only the second time since August 2015. That was right before he had a second and third surgery on his back, which kept him away for some 15 months. He returned at Torrey Pines last year and opened with a 76 on his way to missing the cut. A week later, he withdrew after a 77 in Dubai with back spasms and was gone again.

Regardless of the score, Woods looked as though he’s back for the long haul. The fusion surgery eliminated the pain. And while he wasn’t sharp, Woods hit the ball plenty far and saw at least a little bit of golf that made him such a dominant figure.

The South Course, which hosted the 2008 U.S. Open that Woods won, typically is far stronger than the North at Torrey Pines. That’s no longer the case with the North getting a makeover two years ago, with bent greens that are firm this week and narrower fairways.

The average score on the South was 71.62, compared with 71.31 on the North. Forty-one of the 73 players who broke par were on the South.

Finau birdied his opening two holes to set the tone for his round, and he wound up with nine birdies, the last one from 35 feet to take the lead.

“It played a lot tougher than it did in the past,” Finau said. “I think it’s just a credit to my start. From there I was just able to let the golf course come to me. The par 5s are very reachable for me hitting some irons in there. Again, I think it was just my start. I got off to a good start and was able to ride that momentum all the way through the round.”

He had a one-shot lead over Ryan Palmer and Ted Potter Jr., who each had a 66 on the South.

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was the low Canadian after a 3-under 69 and Adam Hadwin (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., was 1 under. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, and Mac Hughes of Dundas, Ont., all shot even rounds of 72 while David Hearn (81) of Brantford, Ont., was 9 over.

Defending champion Jon Rahm, who can reach No. 1 in the world by winning, opened with a 68 on the South. He hit into the water with his second shot on the par-5 18th, but he saved par with a 15-foot putt.

“Just unfortunate it happened, but I made a good putt, had a couple really good putts down the stretch and had a good finish,” Rahm said. “Good momentum going to tomorrow.”