TULSA, Okla. – Maddie Szeryk hasn’t relinquished an NCAA lead in over two weeks.

The Team Canada National Amateur Squad member doubled down on Tuesday, winning the Dale McNamara Invitational to collect her second consecutive NCAA title in as many weeks.

The Texas A&M senior demonstrated a consistent approach in the 54-hole event, opening with an even-par 70 to share the outright lead. The 21-year-old London, Ont., resident followed with rounds of 71-71 to complete the wire-to-wire victory with a final score of 2 over par.

Szeryk finished two strokes clear of the pack, a stat that isn’t much of a surprise for Team Canada Women’s Head Coach, Tristan Mullally.

“Maddie has been doing the right things, giving her a chance every week,” said Mullally. “Her consistency is credit to her game and mental strength—which keeps the wins coming.”

#TeamCanada dragon @mszeryk goes back-to-back with her second consecutive NCAA title for @aggiewomensgolf ???

? https://t.co/7mb8peelg9 pic.twitter.com/Jw8vxR1xSh

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) April 11, 2018

With the win, Szeryk collects her fourth career NCAA victory and becomes the first Aggie to win back-to-back events since 2015. Szeryk is gaining momentum at the right time. She’ll lead the Aggies into the SEC Championship from April 18-22.

Collectively, the Aggies finished second at 30 over par, five strokes shy of Oklahoma State.

Click here for full scoring.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – For the first time in more than 20 years, the PGA TOUR is launching a new advertising campaign designed to capture and celebrate the energy and spirit of today’s TOUR.  Titled “Live Under Par,” the campaign plays on golf’s unique scoring language to portray the relentless pursuit of excellence by TOUR players, both competitively and in how they embrace the values of the game like sportsmanship and respect, as well as the PGA TOUR’s ingrained mission of giving back.

The thematic of “Live Under Par” immerses spectators into the contagious excitement of the sport, showcasing its vast 360-degree impact both inside and outside the ropes. As part of the current integrated marketing strategy of the TOUR, the campaign aims to reach beyond the core golf fan and attract new and diverse fan segments to the sport. Further, it will serve as a call to action for dedicated golf fans to share their passion for the game and invite newcomers to “join the PGA TOUR.”

“The ‘Live Under Par’ campaign goes beyond capturing the incredible ability of PGA TOUR players to score below par each week by showcasing and celebrating that same attitude of excellence that exists between players, players with fans, and players interacting with communities and charities,” said Joe Arcuri, Chief Marketing Officer of the PGA TOUR.  “The new campaign captures not just a way to play, but a way to be.”

You don’t need a club in your hand to #LiveUnderPar. pic.twitter.com/FvMqP25Y0s

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) April 10, 2018

Developed in collaboration with new roster agency Troika of Los Angeles, “Live Under Par” becomes the TOUR’s first new theme and tagline since “These Guys Are Good,” the longest-running advertising campaign among major sports, debuted in 1997.

“’Live Under Par’ is an invitation for both players and fans to participate, no matter which side of the ropes you’re on,” said Gilbert Haslam, Executive Creative Director, Troika.  “The campaign provides fans with new ways to engage in all the PGA TOUR has to offer and celebrates the shared mindset and spirit behind the constant pursuit of greatness. ‘Live Under Par’ is unique to the game, but with meaning that resonates far beyond it.”

The PGA TOUR has been proactively shaping marketing plans through a fans-first lens to reach beyond the core fan. The TOUR has analyzed real-time fan consumption across all media platforms to further understand and enhance the areas where target segments are most engaged.

One of the first initiatives the TOUR made under the fans-first approach was relaxing cell phone and social media guidelines at tournaments – providing both fans and players with the opportunity to create and share personally captured content. “Live Under Par” is a testament to the success of those changes and prominently features fan-captured content throughout the exhilarating commercial spot debuting in conjunction with the campaign.

“We consider this campaign more of an evolution, growing from how our players’ competitive excellence was presented so effectively through ‘These Guys Are Good’ to doing that and so much more,” Arcuri said. “We are pulling the camera lens out, so to speak, to highlight the fun and excitement on TOUR and highlight the special interaction we see every week between our players and fans. We believe this, in turn, will help spur broader interest among a more diverse group of fans.’”

“Live Under Par” will debut with a combination of television, digital, social, print, radio and advertising, along with tournament activation and support of PGA TOUR players. To experience the campaign, visit www.liveunderpar.com.

VICTORIA, B.C. – The Toyota Junior Golf World Cup Qualifier makes its return to Canadian soil on Tuesday, with four nations competing for a spot in both the Boys and Girls divisions at Bear Mountain Golf Resort & Spa, Team Canada’s National Training Centre.

The 54-hole stroke play tournament is comprised of teams from host nation Canada, Mexico, Guatemala and Puerto Rico. The Boys division consists of four athletes per team, each submitting a cumulative total from the three lowest scores per round (omitting the highest score). The two lowest team scores after Thursday’s final round will qualify for the 2018 Toyota Junior Golf World Cup.

Canada will be represented by Development Squad members Nolan Thoroughgood (Victoria, B.C.), Johnny Travale (Stoney Creek, Ont.), Christopher Vandette (Beaconsfield, Que.) and Peyton Callens (Langton, Ont.).

The Girls Division is made up of three athletes per squad, each submitting a team score counted from the lowest two per round, with the lowest team score moving on. Flying the flag for Canada are Team Canada Development Squad members Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-lîle-Perrot, Que.), Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.) and Alyssa DiMarcantonio (Maple, Ont.).

The squad is a couple months into the new centralized program at Bear Mountain, providing athletes an immersive, focused centre of excellence, surrounded by world-class technical coaching staff and experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics and nutrition.

All teams will be competing for a spot to play in the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup, taking place from June 10-15 at the Chukyo Golf Club in Toyota City, Japan. The event features 24 international teams from around the world competing over 72 holes of stroke play. In 2016, the Canadian boys team finished 11th.

The first round gets underway on Tuesday at 8 a.m.

Click here for pairings.

OAKVILLE, ONT. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada is pleased to announce its 2018 championship schedule which includes a record-30 amateur and professional competitions plus qualifiers hosted at golf facilities in communities across Canada.

The 2018 schedule is headlined by Golf Canada’s premier professional championships—the RBC Canadian Open from July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., and the CP Women’s Open at Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask. from August 20-26.

The 2018 competition calendar includes eight National Amateur Championships, six Future Links, driven by Acura regional junior competitions and the World Junior Girls Championship.

Golf Canada will also host 11 qualifying events in 2018 including qualifiers for prestigious international competitions such as the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup and the U.S. Open (Local Qualifying), as well as the U.S. Amateur and U.S. Women’s Amateur.

As the National Sports Federation and governing body of golf in Canada, Golf Canada conducts the country’s premier amateur and professional golf championships as part of its mandate to promote the sport and support the development of the nation’s top talent through world-class competition.

“Competing in a national championship is an incredible accomplishment for each of the more than 3,000 talented Canadian and international golfers who take part in our competitions,” said Golf Canada’s CEO, Laurence Applebaum. “The depth of talent, engagement among thousands of volunteers, the quality of our host venues and the committed support of corporate partners who have aligned their respected brands with our properties have been core to our competitions for more than a century. We are excited to welcome the next wave of Canadian golf champions.”

#GolfCanada is proud to announce our 2018 competitions schedule, with 30 events taking place from coast to coast ??⛳️ • • • #CDNAm #CDNWAm #CDNJrBoys #CDNJrGirls #CDNMidAm #CDNWMidAmSr #CDNUniCollege #CDNSr #FutureLinks #golf

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Apr 9, 2018 at 11:51am PDT

Golf Canada’s championship season kicks off April 9-12 with the Toyota Junior Golf World Qualifier at Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, B.C. (home to Golf Canada’s National Training Centre) and concludes in September with the World Junior Girls Championship at Camelot Golf and Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

“We’re proud to be working with many of Canada’s most renowned golf clubs from coast to coast,” said Adam Helmer, Director of Rules, Competitions and Amateur Status with Golf Canada. “Our 2018 venues are set to showcase an exciting season of competitive golf in communities across Canada and we thank our host clubs for their support.”

To view Golf Canada’s 2018 championship schedule including all host venues, registration requirements and volunteer opportunities please click here.

Golf Canada’s Championship Season at a Glance…

British Columbia will be a hotbed for Canadian golf in 2018, with the province hosting 11 Golf Canada events including the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships as well as the Canadian University/College Championship and the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship.

The 114th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be contested at Duncan Meadows Golf Course in Duncan, B.C. and Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C., August 4-9. A field of 240 players will be cut to the low 70 players and ties after 36 holes, with the final two rounds contested at Duncan Meadows. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, as well as an invitation to the 2018 U.S. Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive an exemption into local qualifying for the 2019 U.S. Open, and if applicable, the U.S. Junior, U.S. Mid-Amateur or USGA Senior Amateur Championships.

The 105th Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship takes place July 23-27 at Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver with the champion earning an exemption into the 2018 CP Women’s Open, as well as an exemption into the 2018 U.S. Women’s Amateur Championship. Additionally, the winner will receive exemptions into the U.S. Girls’ Junior, U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur and USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championships, if applicable.

The 16th Canadian University/College Championship will be held May 28 to June 1 at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C. The national championship features both a team and individual component and will serve as the Canadian team qualifier for the 2018 FISU World University Golf Championship.

The Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur will be held August 20-24 at Victoria Golf Club in Victoria, B.C. with the champion earning entry into the 2019 RBC Canadian Open.

On Saturday, July 21, as a kick-off event to the 2018 RBC Canadian Open, Glen Abbey will also open its fairways to junior competitors from across Canada for the 10th annual Future Links, driven by Acura Junior Skills Challenge National Event. Click here for qualifying info.

The 2018 RBC Canadian Open on the PGA TOUR will be contested July 23-29 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. and will mark the 109th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. As part of a two-stage qualifying process, a trio of RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers will take place in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario. The regional qualifying event in B.C. will be held at Ledgeview Golf Club, home course of Canadian PGA TOUR stars and Team Canada alumni Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor.

The CP Women’s Open will make its first-ever stop in Saskatchewan as Wascana Country Club in Regina will host the stars of the LPGA Tour from August 20-26.

At the junior level, the 80th Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be contested from July 29 to August 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta., with the winner earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. That same week the 64th Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be contested at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B., will host the Canadian Men’s Senior Championship September 3-7 with the winner earning an exemption into the 2018 USGA Senior Amateur. The Canadian Women’s Mid-Am and Senior Championship will be held August 27-30 at Lookout Point Country Club in Fonthill, Ont., with the champion earning an exemption into the 2018 USGA Senior Women’s Amateur Championship.

Ottawa’s Camelot Golf & Country Club will open its fairways to elite talent from across the globe when it plays host to the World Junior Girls Championship from September 9-14, 2018. This year marks the fifth playing of the annual event. Camelot has previously hosted the Canadian Junior Girls Championship as well as qualifying for the CP Women’s Open. Admission and parking for the World Junior Girls Golf Championship is free. For more information, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

For the second straight year, Golf Canada, in collaboration with the USGA, will host a U.S. Open Local Qualifier at Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont. The 18-hole event conducted on May 7 will be one of 112 local qualifiers across 45 states and Canada which serve as the first of a two-step process to qualify for the U.S. Open.

The U.S. Women’s Amateur Local Qualifier will run June 27 at the Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto, while the U.S. Amateur Local Qualifier will take place July 16 at Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

The Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event will be held at The Thornhill Club on September 24. The one-day event is a celebration of the success of all Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru events held nationwide during the 2018 season. To date, the fundraising efforts of thousands of golfers have totaled more than $6 million for breast cancer research since the program’s inception in 2003. The program’s goal is to drive women’s participation in the game of golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Click here to learn more about Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru.

GOLF CANADA AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPS
Golf Canada annually conducts championships nation-wide which play host to more than 3,000 domestic and international athletes from all corners of the world. In partnership with our host clubs, thousands of volunteers, provincial golf associations and our proud sponsors, Golf Canada is dedicated to supporting player development through world-class competition since our inception in 1895. Officiated by certified Canadian Rules of Golf officials, Golf Canada’s amateur competitions are fully compliant with golf’s international governing bodies and include marquee events such as the Canadian Men’s and Women’s Amateur Championships, as well as the Canadian Junior Girls and Junior Boys Championships. Golf Canada’s amateur championships are proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific, Sport Canada, Levelwear, Titleist and FootJoy. For more information and scheduling visit www.golfcanada.ca/competitions.

FUTURE LINKS, driven by Acura
Future Links, driven by Acura is Canada’s national junior golf program conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations. Proudly supported by Acura, Puma, The R&A, NGCOA Canada, ClubLink and Sport Canada, the program is designed to forge a link between Canada’s youth and golf to ensure the future of the game in Canada. The program features three core areas of focus—in-school programming, facility programming and community outreach—including elements such as Golf in Schools, Learn to Play, Girl’s Club, Mobile Clinics, Junior Skills Competition and Community Golf Coach, along with six regional Future Links Junior Championships.  Since the inception of the program in 1996, more than 1.3 million young Canadians have taken part in Future Links. For more information, visit golfcanada.ca/futurelinks.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Patrick Reed became famous playing for his country. He won for himself Sunday and became a Masters champion.

It was never easy, just the way Reed likes it.

Rory McIlroy came after him early. Jordan Spieth roared to life with a final-round charge and briefly caught Reed with a 35-foot birdie putt. The last challenge came from Rickie Fowler, who birdied the last hole to leave Reed no room for error.

Reed never flinched throughout a raucous afternoon at Augusta National.

Clinging to a one-shot lead, his 25-foot putt down the slippery slope on the 18th green ran 3 feet by the hole as Reed pressed down both hands, begging it to stop. From there, the 27-year-old Texan calmly rolled in the par putt for a 1-under 71 and a one-shot victory.

“To have to par the last hole to win my first major, it definitely felt right,” Reed said from Butler cabin, right before Sergio Garcia helped him into a green jacket.

The loudest cheers were for everyone else. Reed earned their respect with two big birdie putts on the back nine, one crucial par putt and plenty of grit. He also had a little luck when his 80-foot putt across the 17th green hit the hole, keeping it only 6 feet away. He made that for par to stay in control.

Reed won for the sixth time in his PGA Tour career, though he was best known for the trophies he shared at the Ryder Cup and Presidents Cup. He is ferocious in match play, especially the team variety, and his singles victory over McIlroy at Hazeltine in the 2016 Ryder Cup led to the nickname of Captain America.

The clinching putt.

Congratulations to @PReedGolf, 2018 #themasters Champion. pic.twitter.com/zEkWleSeRK

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2018

Captain America is now the Masters champion.

“He’s not scared. I think you guys have seen that previous from the Ryder Cups and the way he plays,” said Fowler, who closed with a 67. “He won’t back down. I don’t necessarily see him as someone that backs up and will let you come back into the tournament. You have to go catch him.”

Fowler did his best with three birdies in a four-hole stretch, and an 8-foot birdie on the final hole. It still wasn’t enough. Fowler was runner-up for the third time in a major. He left the scoring cabin when Reed tapped in for par.

“Glad I at least made the last one, make him earn it,” Fowler said with a grin as he waited to greet the newest major champion.

“You had to do it didn’t you?” Reed told him as they exchanged a hug. “You had to birdie the last.”

Spieth put up the most unlikely fight and was on the verge of the greatest comeback in Masters history. He started nine shots behind going into the final round, and was inches away on two shots from a chance at another green jacket.

His tee shot on the 18th clipped the last branch in his way, dropping his ball some 267 yards from the green. His 8-foot par putt for a record-tying 63 narrowly missed on the right. He had to settle for a 64.

“I think I’ve proven to myself and to others that you never give up,” Spieth said. “I started the round nine shots back and I came out with the idea of just playing the golf course and having a lot of fun doing it and try to shoot a low round and finish the tournament strong and see what happens, if something crazy happens.”

McIlroy, meanwhile, will have to wait another year for a shot at the career Grand Slam.

Trailing by three shots to start the final round, he closed to within one shot after two holes. That was as close as he came. McIlroy’s putter betrayed him, and he was never a factor on the back nine. He closed with a 74 and tied for fifth.

The gallery was clearly behind McIlroy, even though Reed led Augusta State to a pair of NCAA titles and briefly lived in Augusta.

He was met with polite applause on the first tee. The throaty cheer was for McIlroy, and it looked as though the 28-year-old from Northern Ireland atone himself from shooting 80 in the final round and losing a four-shot lead.

Reed scrambled for a bogey on the opening hole. He failed to get up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 second as McIlroy had a 4-foot eagle putt to tie for the lead. McIlroy missed badly, a sign of what would to come. He missed four putts inside 10 feet on the front nine, and he missed a 3-foot par on the 14th.

Different about this victory for Reed was the fuchsia shirt he wore as part of a Nike script. Reed always wears black pants and a red shirt because that’s what Tiger Woods does, and Reed has long modeled his mental game after Woods. “Be stubborn,” he once said about learning by watching Woods.

Reed went to the back nine with a four-shot lead over four players, and they all had their chances. That included Jon Rahm, the 23-year-old from Spain, whose chances ended when he went after the flag on the par-5 15th and came up short in the water. He shot 69 and finished fourth.

Reed’s only bogey on the back nine was at No. 11 from a tee shot into the trees. He answered with a 25-foot birdie on the 12th, and a shot into 8 feet at No. 14 for a birdie that broke the tie with Spieth. He made all pars from there. That’s all he needed.

He became the fourth straight Masters champion to capture his first major.

Reed once claimed after winning a World Golf Championship at Doral that he was a top 5 player in the world, which subjected him to ridicule. This victory moves him to No. 11. It also comes with a green jacket, which earns far more respect and notoriety.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Patrick Reed est en bonne posture pour mettre la main sur un premier titre majeur, mais son avance de trois coups après la troisième ronde du Tournoi des Maîtres aurait pu être encore plus importante.

Reed a signé une carte de 67 (moins-5), samedi, pour passer à moins-14 au pointage cumulatif. Il a réussi trois oiselets consécutifs après avoir été rattrapé à moins-9 par Rory McIlroy en milieu de ronde, puis a ajouté deux aigles sur le neuf de retour. Cependant, Reed a raté de courts roulés aux 16e et 18e trous pour un boguey et une normale.

À sa pourchasse, on retrouve McIlroy à moins-11, Rickie Fowler à moins-9 et Jon Rahm à moins-8. Ils ont tous joué des rondes de 65, le meilleur pointage de la semaine.

McIlroy a évité les bogueys et a réussi un des beaux coups du jour en calant une approche de plus de 20 verges pour un aigle au huitième trou.

Cet aigle permettait à McIlroy de grimper à égalité en tête du classement avec Reed à moins-9. Ce dernier a toutefois répliqué avec trois oiselets consécutifs lors des huitième, neuvième et 10e trous

à l’Augusta National.

C’était la cinquième fois en 46 trous que Reed connaissait une séquence de trois oiselets consécutifs.

Personne n’a joué quatre rondes sous les 70 lors de la même édition du Tournoi des Maîtres. Dimanche, le Texan de 27 ans aura aussi l’occasion de battre le record du tournoi de moins-18, établi par Tiger Woods en 1997 et égalé par Jordan Spieth en 2015.

De son côté, McIlroy vise un cinquième titre majeur, mais un veston vert lui permettrait aussi de compléter sa collection du Grand Chelem.

Fowler et Rahm ont également évité les bogueys en plus de réussir un aigle chacun.

Pour sa part, Woods grimpera _ au classement mondial, pas au tableau du Tournoi des Maîtres.

Woods devrait percer le top-100 mondial pour la première fois depuis belle lurette à la suite du premier tournoi majeur de la saison.

Woods a joué la normale en troisième ronde samedi à l’Augusta National et se trouve à plus-4 au pointage cumulatif. Il a de nouveau éprouvé des ennuis avec ses fers, notamment au niveau de la distance.

Il a dit que son élan “est tout simplement erratique avec (mes) fers”.

Le vétéran âgé de 42 ans dispute le Tournoi des Maîtres pour la première fois depuis 2015. Il est de retour au jeu à la suite d’une quatrième intervention chirurgicale au dos.

Il a commencé la semaine au 103e rang mondial, mais devrait grimper de quelques échelons après avoir franchi le seuil de qualifications pour les rondes du week-end à ce tournoi majeur.

Woods a mentionné qu’il “travaille graduellement là-dessus, peaufine (son jeu) tranquillement”, avant d’ajouter “ça s’en vient”.

Woods ne gagnera pas son cinquième veston vert et a dit qu’il avait un objectif bien plus modeste pour la ronde finale dimanche: “jouer la normale, ou un peu en dessous. J’espère que j’y arriverai”.

Phil Mickelson n’a guère fait mieux que son rival. Le vétéran a inscrit un score de 74 et se retrouvait à plus-7 avant la ronde finale.

Adam Hadwin, d’Abbotsford, C.-B., a joué une ronde de 72 et a glissé à égalité au 21e rang, à égalité à la normale.

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Patrick Reed and Rory McIlroy meet again, this time for a green jacket instead of a gold Ryder Cup trophy.

Reed seized control of the Masters on a wet Saturday at Augusta National with a pair of eagles on the back nine and a 5-under 67 that gave him a three-shot lead. McIlroy, who chipped in for eagle on the front nine to briefly tie for the lead, made an 18-foot birdie on the final hole for a 65 to nudge a little closer.

This is not match play as it was for their singles match in Ryder Cup at Hazeltine.

It sure feels like it.

And it sounded about as loud, too, especially with players taking advantage of greens slightly softened by the rain.

Reed ran off three straight birdies around the turn, and he stretched his lead to as many as five shots with his eagles.

He made a 15-foot eagle putt on the 13th, and then he showed he was not in the mood to play it safe on the 15th. From just under 270 yards, as the rain made the air heavy, Reed hit 3-wood just over the water and short of the bunker, and his chip from 80 feet slammed against the pin and dropped. Reed pumped his fist, the kind of emotion he typically saves for the Ryder Cup.

He narrowly missed a 10-foot birdie putt at the end and was at 14-under 202.

McIlroy can only hope he didn’t use up all his luck.

A chip that likely would have gone off the green at the par-5 eighth banged into the pin and dropped for eagle. He managed to find his second shot among the azaleas on the 13th to escape with par. And he got into the final group, an ideal position as he goes after the final leg of the career Grand Slam.

“There’s a lot more players in this tournament than just Patrick and I,” McIlroy said. “It won’t be quite as intense, but we’ll still be feeling it. Patrick is going for his first (major), and I’m going for … something else.”

He paused to smile when he heard a few chuckles. That “something else” is a collection of four majors that only five other players can claim.

“It’s going to be good fun,” McIlroy said.

On Sunday, golf will not be just a game. #themasters pic.twitter.com/2U8Tm3Uzgc

— Masters Tournament (@TheMasters) April 8, 2018

Rickie Fowler made eagle on the par-5 second and was 5 under through eight holes. He cooled until the end of his round, when a pair of birdies over the last two holes gave him a 65 and left him five shots behind. Jon Rahm of Spain also chipped in for eagle on No. 8 and saved par on the 13th after hitting into the creek in his round of 65. He was at 8-under 208.

Tiger Woods had to significantly lower his goal this week. He shot 72, was 18 shots behind and now hopes to finish the tournament under par.

So many others who started the third round with a chance didn’t do nearly enough to stay even remotely close to Reed. Justin Thomas (70), Jordan Spieth (71) and Dustin Johnson (71) all are at least nine shots behind. Adam Hadwin (72) of Abbotsford, B.C., was tied for 21st at even par.

Reed and McIlroy are linked so indelibly to that singles match at Hazeltine in 2016 when they produced the highest quality of golf amid ear-splitting cheers, making big putts on top of the other. Reed prevailed on the 18th hole in a rare U.S. victory at the Ryder Cup.

Now it’s about stroke play. Now it’s about history of their own, not a trophy they share.

“All the pressure is on him,” McIlroy said. “He went to Augusta State. He’s got a lot of support here. I’m hoping to come in and spoil the party.”

McIlroy has plenty on him, too.

The Masters is where he threw away a four-shot lead in the final round, and now it’s the missing piece of a career slam.

“Hopefully, all I did learn seven years ago, I can put into practice,” McIlroy said. “I’ve been waiting for this chance.”

Reed doesn’t have a major. He doesn’t have experience of a big stage, a big crowd and enormous pressure. That came from Hazeltine and a match described as “one of the best we ever played.”

“The biggest thing I can pull from it is going head-to-head with Rory and I was able to put together a good round,” he said.

But he shrugged off any other comparisons, starting with the decorum outside the ropes at Augusta National compared with a flag-waving crowd at the Ryder Cup.

Reed also doesn’t buy into the idea that the pressure is all on him.

“I am leading,” he said. “At the same time, he’s going for the career Grand Slam.”

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Adam Hadwin is one of those rare Canadians who never played hockey.

Like all Canadians, he was rocked by a tragic bus crash that claimed 15 lives in his home country.

Hadwin, a native of Saskatchewan who now lives near Vancouver, shot an even-par 72 Saturday in the third round of the Masters after learning of the catastrophic wreck involving the Humboldt Broncos, a junior hockey team on its way to a playoff game.

“It shows you how short life is,” Hadwin said minutes after walking off the course, just as the rain started falling again on a grey, overcast day in Georgia. “You need to appreciate every moment. You need to appreciate the people around you.”

A tractor-trailer truck slammed into a bus carrying the Broncos, a wreck of such devastating proportions that a doctor compared it to an airstrike . The impact was especially profound in a vast but close-knit country united by its love of hockey.

“We obviously don’t have that many people,” Hadwin said. “When something like this happens, a lot of people are enveloped in that hockey world. It touched a lot of people, a lot of friends of people. It’s difficult.”

Hadwin, who was born in the western Canada town of Moose Jaw, did not play hockey growing up. He said his small size – even now, at age 30, he’s just 5-foot-8 and 165 pounds – prompted his parents to steer him away from the rough, fast-paced game.

“I’m actually not considered Canadian,” he quipped. “But they still accept me sometimes.”

As a youngster, Hadwin stuck mostly to baseball and soccer. He didn’t get serious about golf until he was a teenager, taking lessons from his father, who is a teaching professional. He went on to play U.S. college golf at Louisville, earning his spot on the PGA Tour in 2015.

But Hadwin certainly understands the place that hockey holds in Canada, and how much the country is impacted by a crash that also left 14 people injured. The staggering toll is even more poignant on a team where the players are between 16 and 20 years of age, presumably with most of their lives still in front of them.

“It puts hockey into perspective,” said Hadwin, a Vancouver Canucks fan who is playing the Masters for the second time. “It puts golf into perspective.”

Other sports joined the hockey world in a state of mourning .

“Obviously this is something that transcends just one nation and one sport,” said John Axford, a reliever for the Toronto Blue Jays, who were in Texas to play the Rangers. “There are people all over the world that are feeling for these kids and their families and their friends and the entire community of Humboldt. It’s hard to talk about, in all honesty.”

Axford remembered plenty of long bus rides playing youth baseball and as he moved through the minor leagues. Even in the majors, teams need buses to get between the hotels and the stadiums while on the road.

“I was thinking about it last night on the bus on the way home from the game,” Axford said. “As an athlete, you spend a lot of time travelling to and from events, and when you start playing in higher leagues, you’re taking longer bus trips. That bus becomes a second home, a second locker room, a second place for you and your teammates and your brothers in arms there to learn, about each other, about the game, to talk, to laugh, to just enjoy life.

“It really hits home.”

LITCHFIELD PARK, Ariz. – Seven Canadians earned status on Friday at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying School event at the Wigwam Resort’s Gold Course.

Vancouver’s David Rose finished T4 at 6 under par, good for status through the first eight events of the season (subject to the second re-shuffle).

Jamie Sadlowski (St. Paul, AB), the two-time World Long Drive champion, finished T9 despite some up-and-down rounds. He opened with a 3-over-par 75, followed with a 5-under-par 67 and then posted another 3-over-par 75. However, he closed out the event with another 5-under-par 67 on Friday. He is exempt for the first four events, subject to the first re-shuffle.

James Seymour, Wil Bateman, Patrick Williams, Luke Moser and Team Canada graduate Blair Hamilton captured conditional status by finishing inside the top 40.

Michael McGowan (Southern Pines, NC) made a short birdie putt on the first playoff hole to defeat Evan Bowser (Dearborn, MI) to claim medallist honours.

Despite an even-par 72 in his final round, McGowan was able to emerge from a crowded leaderboard to gain a spot in the playoff and then end it on the first extra hole.

McGowan posted the first 8-under-par of the two and then had to await the last group which included Bowser before beginning the playoff.

“Yeah, there were a few first-tee jitters before the playoff. Thankfully I had about 15-20 feet for eagle on the hole which kind of calmed me down,” said McGowan. “It was still kind of an up and down day for me kind of like the first three days.  I missed a lot of greens and made some great up and downs but also missed some. It’s golf.”

With the conclusion of the third of five Mackenzie Tour Q-Schools, two more remain on the schedule. The fourth will be staged at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, FL from April 24-27 followed by the fifth at Crown Isle Resort Golf & Country Club in Vancouver, BC from May 1-4. The season kicks off May 31-June 3 with the Freedom 55 Financial Open at the Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver.

Almost everyone who has picked up a golf club knows the feeling.

Shanking shot after shot into the woods. Approach shots continuously landing in the drink. Repeatedly trying to get your ball out of the bunker from hell.

Many a weekend hacker could relate to what Sergio Garcia went through during his disastrous turn on the 15th hole in his opening round at the Masters. The defending champion put five balls into the water on the par-5 hole and took a whopping 13 on the scorecard.

“I think that was a very, very unique situation yesterday where we witnessed one of the best players in the world kind of looking like a 30-handicapper for a minute there,” said former PGA Tour player Ian Leggatt.

Clearing hurdles that the golf gods put in place can be a stiff challenge on the local nine-hole track or in the bright spotlight at Augusta.

Either way, when emotions and stress levels run high, decision-making and performance can be affected. Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, a sport psychologist with Canadian Sport Centre Manitoba, said it’s important to back away a little when things start to go sideways.

Her advice for Garcia in that situation would be to get the mind and body in tune.

“If he’s able to breathe and calm his body down, then he’ll be able to think more rationally and slow things down on the course,” she said Friday from Winnipeg. “So I would definitely just tell him to breathe and calm your body down. We want to buy him some time to let him think of different options.”

Canadian women’s team head coach Tristan Mullally also preaches a mindset of re-evaluation over persistence.

“Good players naturally go to try and make up for their mistake,” he said from Westover, Ont. “That can lead to trying to hit the same perfect shot again and again.”

After Garcia’s first shot went in the water, he took a sand wedge from inside 100 yards and watched four more balls get wet. The Spaniard said he didn’t miss his shots – the ball just simply didn’t stop on the green.

Make no mistake: this wasn’t a duffer’s display with balls being sprayed in every direction. Garcia was burned by a pool table-fast green and just a little too much spin.

“Even the best players, having a mistake like that, there’s a little bit of shock,” Mullally said. “Their natural instinct and why they’re probably so good in the first place is to hit the next shot closer and move on.

“In an attempt to hit it really close, the margin for error is smaller especially at a place like Augusta.”

There comes a point for many players – whether you’re a top pro or just playing a casual round – where you simply have to try a different club or change the approach.

But as Leslie-Toogood notes, armchair quarterbacks aren’t living in that moment on the course.

“It just happens so quickly and he’s in such a different place as he’s processing it,” said Leslie-Toogood, who has worked with Golf Canada for years. “It’s not until later when he reflects back and realizes what other people are seeing, because we can see it very differently when we’re from afar.”

When Garcia eventually got a ball to stick, he hit the 10-foot putt for a rare octuple bogey.

“I think great players are guilty of the same things as an amateur,” Mullally said. “Sometimes the situation can take over and decisions get harder.”

Leggatt, a native of Cambridge, Ont., who won the Tucson Open in 2002, said players avoid laying up on that hole because they know the pitch shot can be very difficult.

“Sergio didn’t really hit any bad shots into that green,” he said from Richmond Hill, Ont. “It’s just the severity of it and being able to pick and choose the right type of shot you need to hit on that particular hole is going to be the most important (thing). But it was all set up by ultimately hitting that second shot in the water and then having to play that pitch shot into the green.

“It’s probably the most difficult shot on the whole golf course.”