Wells Fargo Championship leaderboard 2014: Phil Mickelson falters, J.B. Holmes holding off Jim Furyk

There’s been movement on the first page of the leaderboard at the Wells Fargo Championship, just not from the big names you might have expected at the start of the day. Phil Mickelson has struggled to get any momentum going, failing to catch the kind of birdie streak he had on Saturday and made him the favorite for Sunday. As the last groups hit the back nine, J.B. Holmes holds a two-shot lead over Jim Furyk and Martin Flores.

Fuyrk is the early pacesetter, playing 90 minutes ahead of the leaders and turning in a final round score of 65 (the lowest of the day so far) to get in the clubhouse at 13-under. Furyk started the day outside the top 10 at 6-under, the same place Rory McIlroy was expected to charge from following his dazzling third round. But it wasn’t Rory, and rather Furyk to put the early pressure on all the players behind him. He made three birdies on the front nine to get within striking distance, and then things started to get real with an eagle chip-in on the 15th hole (via PGATour.com).

The momentarily put him in a share of the lead before Holmes pushed the number to 14-under with a birdie at the 10th. He avoided any blow-ups or dropped shots in the difficult “Green Mile” finishing stretch, and now he’ll wait and hope for a Holmes stumble.

Mickelson, who’s playing in the penultimate group, has dropped two shots to fall to 9-under, five shots back with opportunities rapidly running out on the back nine. Mickelson could not get any rhythm going on the front nine, which he played in 29 on Saturday with five birdies and an eagle. There were more chances for red numbers on Sunday, but Phil went the other way, particularly at No. 8. That’s an easier birdie hole, but Mickelson three-putted from just 15 feet. His par putt, which was inside four feet, hit the lip and that might have been it for his Sunday hopes:

Whether Mickelson was able to get anything going may not have mattered, as Holmes has it running again with two birdies to start his back nine. At 15-under, he’s got seven more holes to hold on and end a six-year win drought. After brain surgery and elbow and ankle injuries, it would be a remarkable comeback story for the Kentucky bomber. Here’s the leaderboard of chasers as he comes down the back nine: