Johnson goes low for 63, leads by 2 at LIV Golf Tulsa

Johnson, a two-time major winner and former No. 1 player in the world, won the points title in LIV Golf’s first season. But he has yet to finish closer than five shots of the winner in the five events of the Saudi-funded league this year.

His 63 at Cedar Ridge came with a bogey on the final hole. Johnson was at 14-under 126, two shots ahead of Branden Grace of South Africa. Grace, who opened with a 61, had a 67.

Bubba Watson shot 64 and was four shots behind. No one else was closer than five shots going into the third and final round.

Talor Gooch, who grew up in Oklahoma and played at Oklahoma State, won the last two LIV Golf events. He shot a 71 on Saturday and was 13 shots behind.

Charles Howell III had the low round among the six players with Oklahoma ties. Howell, who played at Oklahoma State, was eight shots behind at 134 along with fellow Cowboy alumnus Matthew Wolff (68) and former Oklahoma Sooner Abraham Ancer (66).

Phil Mickelson, a runner-up at the Masters, had four bogeys in his round of 69 and was near the bottom of the leaderboard in the 48-man field.

Johnson could be peaking at just the right time with the PGA Championship next week at Oak Hill. Brooks Koepka won the LIV event in Orlando, Florida, a week before the Masters and then was runner-up with Mickelson at Augusta National.

Seventeen players at Cedar Ridge are playing the PGA Championship next week.

Former PGA champion Martin Kaymer also is eligible but has withdrawn as he eases his way back from a wrist injury. LIV goes to Trump National outside Washington the week after the PGA Championship, which would have meant three weeks in a row.