WILMINGTON, N.C. — Six weeks away from competition didn’t keep Dustin Johnson from extending one streak Thursday, with hopes of adding to another.

Johnson showed more game than rust at the Wells Fargo Championship, where he missed only two greens but plenty of putts for a 2-under 70 that left him four shots behind leader Francesco Molinari at blustery Eagle Point Golf Club.

It was Johnson’s 13th consecutive round at par or better.

Johnson wasn’t as flawless as he looked earlier this season while winning three straight tournaments, though he had few complaints under the circumstances. It was his first time playing since he slipped in his socks down the stairs at his rental house in Augusta, Georgia, hurting his back and knocking him out of the Masters.

“Since I hadn’t played in so long, I’m happy with the way I played,” Johnson said. “I didn’t score that great, didn’t really hole that many putts, but other than that, I played really well. I think I hit 16 greens and I hit the ball great.”

Molinari ran off five birdies in a seven-hole stretch on the front nine and closed out his round with a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th.

That gave him a one-shot lead over Alex Noren, J.B. Holmes, Grayson Murray and Brian Campbell.

• The Presidents Cup is returning to Royal Melbourne Golf Club in 2019 for the third time.

The PGA Tour previously had said the 2019 matches would be in Australia. Royal Melbourne was the site of the International team’s only victory, a nine-point rout in 1998. The U.S. won 19-15 at Royal Melbourne in 2011.

LORENA OCHOA MATCH PLAY: Lydia Ko beat home favorite Ana Menendez, and the Jutanugarn sisters set up a second-round showdown in Mexico City.

The top-ranked Ko beat Menendez 3 and 2 in the event that switched from stroke to match play and from November to April.

Third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn will face her older sister, Moriya, in the second round. Ariya beat Amy Anderson 5 and 4, and Moriya topped Alena Sharp 2 and 1.

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