SHANGHAI – Justin Rose posed with the trophy from the balcony high above the 18th green at Sheshan International, a moment that didn’t seem possible.

He started the final round eight shots behind Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world.

“The beginning of the day, I was playing for second,” Rose said.

The HSBC Champions turned into a shocker in Shanghai when Johnson went into the PGA Tour record books for all the wrong reasons.

Instead of becoming the first player to win three World Golf Championships in one year, he tied a record for losing the largest lead in the final round. Six shots clear of the field, Johnson didn’t make a single birdie on a wild, wind-blown Sunday for a collapse that even Rose didn’t see coming.

Only when he saw a leaderboard behind the 14th green and realized he was three shots behind did Rose think he might have a chance. He got up-and-down with a tough bunker shot for birdie. He made a 10-foot par save at the 15th to stay in the game. He birdied the next two holes.

As Rose was signing for a 5-under 67, he looked up and saw Johnson’s last hope for eagle on the 18th tumble off the side of the green and into the water.

“It’s the kind of day you certainly don’t expect,” Rose said after his two-shot victory. “It’s the kind of a day you hope for – dream for – but a lot of things need to go your way in order for a day like today to happen, coming from eight shots behind, especially going against a player like DJ.”

He overcame an EIGHT-shot deficit for his 8th win on the PGA TOUR! ?@JustinRose99 claims the WGC-HSBC Champions! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/eo32mFc7OB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 29, 2017

Johnson certainly did his part. He shot 77, his highest final round with the lead since an 82 at Pebble Beach in the 2010 U.S. Open.

“I just could never get anything going and didn’t hole any putts,” Johnson said. “It was pretty simple.”

It was simply stunning.

Johnson matched the record for losing a six-shot lead, most recently by Sergio Garcia at Quail Hollow in 2005, most famously by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters.

The one-man show turned into a four-man race in the final hour, and Rose seized on it with a 31 on the back nine. He finished at 14-under 274. Johnson tied for second with Henrik Stenson (70) and Brooks Koepka (71), who also had their chances.

Only two other players in PGA Tour history have come from more than eight shots behind on the final day to win – Paul Lawrie (10 shots) in the 1999 British Open and Stewart Cink (nine shots) at Hilton Head in 2004.

“It was the perfect type of weather conditions to make a comeback,” Rose said. “This is the type of day when you are playing with a lead, every hole seems difficult. Obviously, someone is still capable of playing a special round of golf. And my back nine was just amazing today.”

The signature shot was a 5-iron he purposely threw up into the wind on the par-3 17th and watched it land some 3 feet behind the hole. That gave him the lead over Stenson, and no one caught him.

Stenson, who tied for the lead with a two-putt birdie from just short of the 16th green, ballooned his tee shot on the 17th and was well short and to the right, leading to a bogey. Koepka was within one shot of the lead until the wind switched on him at the 15th and deposited his shot into a plugged lie in the bunker. He blasted out to the fringe and took three putts from 30 feet for double bogey.

Rose won for the first time since capturing the gold medal at the Olympics last summer in Rio de Janeiro. He now has won every year since 2010.

The HSBC Champions sure didn’t look like a tournament where he would keep that streak going, not when he was eight shots behind going into the final round against Johnson, who has been No. 1 in the world since running off three straight victories against strong fields in the spring.

Nothing went right for Johnson.

He made bogey on No. 1. He drove into the water on the par-5 second and had to scramble for bogey. Still, he made the turn at 15 under and had a three-shot lead, and he was driving it down the middle and long on every shot. He fell apart on the par-5 14th, when he chunked a short iron for his second shot and had to get up-and-down for par, bogeyed the 15th from the bunker, and then hooked an iron into deep rough on the 16th.

His flop shot was a yard short of being perfect. Instead, it went into a bunker and he made another bogey.

“That wind was blowing hard,” Stenson said. “On this golf course, if you hit the wrong shot at the wrong time, it’s going to penalize you. Certainly it penalized DJ a number of times today. That’s why he came back to the rest of us. I played pretty strong, and then I hit one bad shot with possible the wrong club on 17. That kind of ended my chances to win the golf tournament.”

Rose won his second World Golf Championships title – the other was at Doral in 2012 – and moved to No. 6 in the world. Johnson gets a month off to consider one that got away from him in an ugly manner.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Cristie Kerr fired a 6-under 65 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Feng Shanshan at the Sime Darby.

The American veteran, who posted the tournament’s lowest score of 63 on Friday, had five birdies in the opening nine holes of the third round and got two more for an overall 15-under 198.

“I’m just going to enjoy it,” Kerr said of Sunday as she aims to clinch her first title in six months. “I’m just going to try to not put too much pressure on myself. I try to do the best on every shot, so that’s my mantra tomorrow.”

Former top-ranked Lydia Ko, the first-round leader, saw her title challenge all but end after posting a 70 to end the day tied for 12th on 7-under 206.

Feng stays in firm contention after the Chinese shot 3-under 68, despite only managing three birdies in tropical conditions at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

“It was really hot with no breeze,” Feng said. “I almost felt like I was going down, but I tried my best … I mean, my ball-striking wasn’t as accurate but I think overall 3-under, bogey-free round is still a very good score for Saturday.”

South Korea’s Kim Sei-young is four shots behind Kerr in third, while American duo Stacy Lewis and Jacqui Concolino are tied for fourth.

Canadian Brooke Henderson shares a four-way tie for 19th place at 6 under par.

SHANGHAI – As part of a promotional stunt for the HSBC Champions earlier in the week, Dustin Johnson was among three players wearing superhero capes on a hotel roof, suspended by ropes a few feet in the air against a backdrop of downtown Shanghai at night.

“I should have pushed him off the platform,” Henrik Stenson said with a laugh.

That might have been the only way to stop the world’s No. 1 player from more domination in the World Golf Championships.

All it took was one hole Saturday for Johnson to seize control on a blustery day at Sheshan International, along with some help from Brooks Koepka. A four-shot swing on the par-5 eighth hole – a birdie for Johnson, a triple bogey for Koepka – sent Johnson on his way to a 4-under 68 and a six-shot lead going into the final round.

His only big number was not all his doing.

Johnson’s drive down the right side of the 10th hole hit a cart path and took a hard bounce over a wall and into the bushes, leading to double bogey. Otherwise, it was the same recipe that took him to No. 1 in the world – big tee shots, control of his short irons and just enough putts to make him look tough to catch.

“I’m not going to change anything – play the golf course just how I’ve been playing it,” said Johnson, who has 22 birdies in 54 holes and was at 17-under 199. “I’m in a good position going into tomorrow, but I’m still going to have to go out and play a really solid round if I want to get it done.”

At stake is a chance to become the first player to win three World Golf Championships in the same year, a feat not even Tiger Woods with his 18 World Golf Championships managed to accomplish.

Johnson won the WGC-Mexico Championship and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas.

He has made this look like a formality.

“He’s going to wake up in good shape and go ahead and play a solid round of golf. If he does that, the tournament is over,” said Justin Rose, who played in the final group with Johnson and stumbled to a 72 to fall eight shots behind. “Other than that, playing for second barring something crazy from him.”

The crazy part belonged to Koepka.

Koepka, the U.S. Open champion and Johnson’s close friend and neighbour, ran off three straight birdies to start the third round and built a two-shot lead. Johnson answered with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth. His drive on the par-4 seventh came up just short into the rough, and he hit a nifty flop-and-run to about 3 feet for another birdie to tie for the lead.

And then after a lengthy wait on the tee at No. 8, it all changed.

With the wind at the players’ backs, and with sheer power of Johnson and Koepka, the line of the tee shot was over trees that have grown so tall in recent years they block the view of the landing area. Johnson hammered his tee shot and knew from experience he was fine.

Koepka caught his drive on the toe and it turned over from right-to-left and knew he was in trouble.

His caddie ran down toward the area to see if he had a shot, and quickly realized it was gone. Koepka hit his third shot from the tee, and then his fourth turned left into the hazard again. Koepka thought about a high-risk attempt out of the mess, but figured his best option was to take another penalty and go back to the fairway. It worked well until Koepka missed a 6-foot putt and took his 8.

Koepka had company in making a big number. Patrick Reed opened with a triple bogey and had four double bogeys on his way to an 82. Si Woo Kim made an 11 on No. 8.

More bothersome to Koepka was missing birdie chances on Nos. 9 and 11 and par chances on Nos. 10 and 12, which he felt could have helped him stay close.

“It was definitely windier today,” he said. “I didn’t think it was playing that difficult. Definitely should be able to shoot 4 under out here, minus a triple and whatever else I had, a lot of bogeys.”

There were too many bogeys to keep up with Johnson, who never let anyone closer to him the rest of the day.

Koepka went from the bunker into the water on the 18th and had to scramble to save bogey, giving him a 73. He’s still in the final group with Johnson, just like he had hoped. They have never competed against each other down the stretch, and barring a great start by Koepka or a stumble by Johnson, that probably won’t be the case Sunday.

Stenson, who is finally starting to round into form, birdied three of his last five holes for a 69.

“If Dustin keeps on playing the way that he’s done this week, I think it’s going to be a one-man show tomorrow,” Stenson said. “But you never know. Tough wind, and this golf course has a couple of holes where you can certainly have a number. It’s never over until it’s over.”

JACKSON, Miss. – Ryan Armour shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Friday.

The 41-year-old Armour has never won on the PGA Tour and has only four top 10s in 104 career events. He made four straight birdies on the back nine and finished just before a wave of thunderstorms swept over the Country Club of Jackson and suspended play for the day.

There were 30 players still on the course when play ended. They’ll finish their second rounds on Saturday in what’s expected to be much colder weather.

Armour is at 10-under 134. Tyrone Van Aswegen is one back after shooting a 65 on Friday. Vaughn Taylor shot 66 and is two shots back, along with Seamus Power, who has two holes left to play.

Canadian duo of David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) and Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.) sit tied for 9th at 6 under par.

A year ago, Bob Thompson and his wife, Lynn, began discussing a 2017 trip to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Living in Sundre, Alta., travelling to Atlantic Canada was something the couple had been eager to cross off their bucket list. It was a long way from home but for pure pleasure and personal reasons they always dreamed of getting to St. John’s, N.L., Halifax and Pictou, N.S., among other places.

Then last fall, Thompson was alerted that he was the lucky winner of Golf Canada’s inaugural East/West Contest, for which he received a grand prize package that included four nights of accommodation, air travel and car rental. And, of course, golf.

His choice of a round at either Banff Springs Golf Course in Banff, Alta., or Cabot Links or Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, N.S., was an easy one. With Fairmont Banff Springs just a couple hours southwest from Sundre, and having already played the Stanley Thompson gem a handful of times, the retired IT worker mapped out a dream vacation to Canada’s east coast.

“Cabot is so far away from here that, other than looking at the Canadian golf course rankings, you don’t think too much of places like that,” Thompson explained.

From late August to early September, the Thompsons’ eastern escape finally came to fruition. They bookended their trip as desired with stops in Newfoundland and around Nova Scotia but, for a golfer who typically plays his home track of Sundre Golf Club three to four times a week, Bob was anxious to get on the tee at the two Cape Breton beauties.

“It was breathtaking,” he said. “As far as the views from some of the fairways, I had a hard time keeping my mind on the task of golfing. The scenery was just outstanding, and that’s probably because if you’re landlocked like we are (in Sundre), you don’t get to see the ocean.”

Though the contest prizing included just one round at either the Links or Cliffs course, Thompson wasn’t going to venture across the country without experiencing both acclaimed tracks, which are ranked Nos. 1 (Cabot Cliffs) and 3 (Cabot Links) on SCOREGolf’s list of Canada’s Top 59 Public Golf Courses. Despite the slightly lower ranking Thompson found the Links layout, with its firm and fast greens and rugged fescue, to be a little more challenging and enjoyable. Meanwhile, the incomparable views and stunning scenery of the Cliffs course were not enough to offset the 72-year-old’s fatigue from walking up and down the imposing fairways.

Not even Mother Nature could spoil the memorable outing for the Thompsons, who got rained out halfway through their first day at the Links before getting back out a couple hours later. Instead, they were treated to the vacation of a lifetime simply by inputting scores into Golf Canada’s Score Centre. Each round logged this season, up until October 31, counts as a contest entry for this year’s draw, which takes place November 10, 2017.

Up for grabs is a once-in-a-lifetime retreat to either The Links at Crowbush Cove in Morell, P.E.I., or Fairmont Chateau Whistler in Whistler, B.C., with the prize trip to be fulfilled in the 2018 season. Bob Thompson wasted no time making his choice and has no regrets about the decision either.

“Seeing Peggy’s Cove would rank No. 2 to seeing both the Links and Cliffs. Being a golfer, nothing compares to being there and golfing there,” he concluded.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

UXBRIDGE — Six players are returning to Team Ontario (U19) in 2018 and will be joined by eight new faces as Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the newest installment of the squad. The 2018 team will see an even split of seven boys and seven girls.

Leading the returning players for 2018 is Markham’s Victoria Zheng who captured the 2017 Ontario Juvenile Girls’ title at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie. Zheng will be joined by fellow returnees: Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj, who represented Ontario at the Canada Summer Games, Mississauga’s Matthew Anderson, Mississauga’s Robbie Latter, Markham’s Hailey McLaughlin, and Tillbury’s Hailey Katona.

The new members of the squad bring some impressive credentials from this past season. Sudbury’s Tristan Renaud won the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship, Fonthill’s Freddy D’Angelo was the Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Champion, Aurora’s Vanessa Chychrun captured the Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play title, and Caledon’s Raesa Sheikh was the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Champion. Also new to the team are: Waterloo’s Dylan Henderson, Windsor’s Shawn Sehra, Waterloo’s Bennett Ruby, and Windsor’s Jasmine Ly.

Entering his fifth season as the Head Provincial Coach is Milton resident Reggie Millage. Millage is joined by Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko and Mental Skills Coach Charles Fitzsimmons. Delaney Howson will act as the Team Coordinator.

“The start of a new season is always exciting but this year even more so,” said Millage. “This group is filled with talented, young athletes that are striving to be better and willing to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. I expect one of the hardest working teams this year and I have no doubt that they will show their off-season work next spring.”

The team will train throughout the winter at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. They will have a pair of local camps, followed by three winter warm weather camps including the Can/Am Matches, during March Break with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Shanshan Feng had three birdies before a lengthy rain delay and three more after it, shooting a 6-under 65 Friday to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the Sime Darby.

Play was halted for close to four hours because of heavy rain at TPC Kuala Lumpur. But Feng, a two-time champion from China, managed to stay steady on both sides of the interruption to lead at 11-under 131.

“I didn’t have as many birdie chances as yesterday, but I think I actually made more putts,” Feng said. “So that actually made me happy, and I think 6 under is still a very good score here.”

Madelene Sagstorm (66) is in second place, followed by Cristie Kerr (63) at 133. Kerr’s round was the lowest of the day.

“I have an easy time starting to think too much, so it’s about finding the right position,” Sagstrom said. “It’s not the job on the course. I’m just trying to get back into what I know works, and I kind of got back in that rhythm afterwards.”

Overnight leader Lydia Ko (72) couldn’t maintain her first-round form and carded four bogeys in the second.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson posted a 2-under-par 69 to sit tied for 23rd midway through the championship.

Maddie Szeryk’s recent success on the golf course not only provides reason for optimism amongst her supporters, but it also offers an indication of a bright future ahead for the amateur standout as a professional.

Currently in her senior year at Texas A&M University, the 21-year-old is eager to follow up on her record-setting junior year.

In her 2016-2017 season with the Aggies, the Canadian national team member ranked fourth in the NCAA with a school-record 71.24 season stroke average.

To put it in perspective her 71.24 stroke average ranks fourth all-time in the SEC and 14th all-time in NCAA Division I history.

Overall, Szeryk had nine top-10 finishes and six top-5 finishes in 12 events. Perhaps the biggest highlight of her junior year came in March when Szeryk captured the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in Hawaii with a score of 9 under par.

Her remarkable season at Texas A&M University would score Szeryk First-Team All-American honours.

After completing her junior year in May, the national team member continued her stellar play into June as she won the Western Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship at the River Forest Country Club – becoming the first Canadian to do so.

Later that month Szeryk would go on to capture the B.C. Women’s Amateur by finishing at 9 under par – winning the tournament by four strokes.

“I’m just really happy about being able to play at a level where I’m always in contention.  I’m just trying to play consistent and steady golf and it’s good to know that I’ve been able to do that recently,” said Szeryk during an interview in August at the CP Women’s Open.

Looking back on her journey thus far, the 21-year-old is quick to credit her dad for getting her started.

“I started when I was about seven. My dad played a little bit and he took me out one time just to hang out with him and I was like ‘oh I want to try it out also’ and I really liked it,” recalled Szeryk who is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.

Born in Allen, Texas, Szeryk – whose parents Neil and Karen relocated from London, Ont., just after getting married – took some time during the CP Women’s Open to reflect on her humble beginnings.

“I remember my dad initially signed me up for lessons at a summer camp and I went out with everyone; and then after I got an individual coach. I really liked the sport and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

Szeryk is proud of her strong blood ties to the London, Ont. area.

“I grew up in the Dallas area but was back and forth from Dallas and London quite a lot as a kid.  I love going back to London to see all my relatives there,” she said.

As a youngster growing up, Szeryk not only found her passion on the links, but she also found a lot of success as well.

“I remember really enjoying being out on the golf course and I also remember winning a lot of local tournaments growing up and it made me want to stick with it; and I just wanted work as hard as I could to continue getting better,” said Szeryk, who today holds the distinction as Canada’s top amateur golfer.

Now in her fourth year with the national team program, Szeryk says she’s benefitted a great deal from her time on the team.

“We have a great coach in Tristan and have so much support in all aspects of our game. Being on the national team has given me the opportunity to travel and compete in so many prestigious tournaments around the world that I would not otherwise has a chance to,” she said. “It’s definitely played a big part in my development as a golfer.”

Canadian women’s national team head coach, Tristan Mullally, is someone who is familiar with Szeryk’s game and speaks very highly of it.

“Maddie is someone who is very aggressive and gets it close to the greens and is a fantastic putter. Once she gets it going, she can get it super low,” said Mullally about Szeryk who won the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls title and the 2015 Ontario Amateur title.

Mullally notes that since joining the national team program, Szeryk has been able to elevate her game to another level.

“She’s gotten a lot more consistent.  In the past she’s been sort of streaky. She would play extremely well in a tournament and then not so well in the next one. But this year she’s been super consistent.”

Mullally is also glad to see the 21-year-old gain valuable experience playing with the world’s best professionals this year as she competed in the Manulife LPGA Classic in June, the U.S. Women’s Open in July and the CP Women’s Open in August.

“She fired a 5 under in the second round of the Manulife which was very impressive; and she got to play in the U.S. Open and the CP Women’s Open so she’s had a chance to experience the travel and get a taste of what life would be as a pro,” he noted.

“It’s a big learning journey for her to go through and it’s great that she’s been able to get a bit of a head start.”

Mullally believes the amateur standout has the talent and all the intangibles to translate her amateur success onto the professional ranks when the time comes.

“I know she’s got goals to be on the LPGA and she’s played awesome recently and has gotten a lot of valuable experience that’s going to help her on that journey,” said Mullally.

“She’s definitely trending in the right direction and she’s a fierce competitor so if she keeps doing what she’s doing and continues to work hard then she’s going to have a bright future ahead as a professional.”

SHANGHAI – Dustin Johnson and Brooks Koepka, close friends who live down the street from each other in Florida, are in the final group going into the weekend at the HSBC Champions. They are separated by one shot, so it might feel like one of their money matches when they play together at home.

There’s just one problem with that.

“We don’t really play much golf,” Johnson said after his 9-under 63 for a one-shot lead Friday at Sheshan International. “We go to the gym and we hang out, but we don’t go to the golf course together. We played last Saturday, and that was the first time we played in … I couldn’t tell you how long. All year, probably.”

They won both their matches as partners at the Presidents Cup, and Koepka says they saw each other for 14 out of their 21 days at home.

It just didn’t involve much golf.

That figures to change at the final World Golf Championships event of the year, and it could be quite a show.

Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world who has been alternating between two putters over the last few putts, brought a third option to Shanghai. This had a mallet head, and it lasted all of one round. So he got a fourth one – a TaylorMade Spider with a metal insert that wasn’t quite as soft as the version he used to win three straight times in the spring. He hit a few putts, went onto the course and made just about everything.

“The guys here in China made me one. I got it right before I walked to the tee,” Johnson said. “I hit a few putts on the practice green with it and I was like, ‘Oh, this will work pretty well.’ Went out and holed a lot of putts today, so I kind of like it.”

Two of his closing birdie putts were in the 15-foot range, and he finished with a 5-foot slider on the 18th to reach 13-under 131.

Koepka, who led after the first round with a 64, had what he referred to as a relatively boring day, at least in the middle. He opened with two straight birdies, followed with 13 consecutive pars, and then birdied two of his last three holes for a 68.

They will be joined by Justin Rose (68), making that three of the last five U.S. Open champions in the final group Saturday.

Johnson and Koepka are naturals as friends. Both cut supremely athletic figures and are among the biggest hitters in golf. Neither gets overly worked up over anything. Their celebrations are subdued, even when winning U.S. Opens.

Koepka talks a little more, which is not much. He was one shot behind going into the final round of the U.S. Open and Johnson called him that Saturday night. Koepka described it as a “long phone call for us. It was like two minutes.” It was a rare conversation about golf. Johnson simply told him that he was playing well and not to worry about anything else.

“We both kind of have the same attitude,” Koepka said. “We’re not going to take things too seriously. We like to relax. We like to work out. We’ve got the same interests, and that makes it easy. To be honest with you, I don’t think we’ve ever really talked about golf. Maybe when we play practice rounds, that’s about the only time we ever talk about golf. When we’re away, we’re away and I think that’s kind of one of the beauties of our friendships.”

Johnson won the HSBC Champions in 2013, and he looks formidable when he’s making putts, as was the case on Friday. After a relatively slow start, with birdies on both par 5s on the front, he ran off seven over his last nine holes for a 29 on the back nine. The two holes he failed to birdie were No. 11, where he missed a 10-foot birdie putt, and the par-5 14th, where he had 6-iron into the green for his second shot.

Koepka felt as though he left his share of shots out there, too. On three of the par 5s, he missed birdie chances from 8 feet or in.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand had a 70 and joined Rose at 9-under 135. Patrick Reed, who has gone 14 months without winning, shot 70 and was six behind.

Johnson and Koepka first played together in the third round of the 2014 U.S. Open at Pinehurst No. 2, a vague memory for Koepka. He just remembers Johnson having to hit one shot left-handed, and neither of them having much of a chance against Martin Kaymer that week.

They last played together in the opening two rounds at Firestone in the Bridgestone Invitational, though they are regulars in practice rounds at the majors. Koepka would like nothing better than for them to have a chance on the final nine Sunday.

“I have no problem breaking Dustin’s heart. I can promise you that. I’m sure he’d say the same thing if he was sitting up here,” Koepka said. “We both have a lot of fun off the golf course, but when it comes to golf, I think we both want to kick each other’s butts. There’s no mercy out there. When we both show up, I think we’re both expecting to win.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., slipped 17 spots down the leaderboard following a 2-over-par 74 to sit T38.

JACKSON, Miss. – Andrew Landry and J.J. Spaun are among five players who shot a 6-under 66 to share the lead after the opening round of the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Smylie Kaufman and 2015 Sanderson Farms winner Peter Malnati are part of a group of four players who are one back after shooting a 67.

The 30-year-old Landry got off to a blazing start at the Country Club of Jackson, shooting 6-under through the first five holes after starting on No. 10. The highlight was on No. 14 when he made eagle from 110 yards on a gap wedge shot that bounced once and into the hole.

Spaun made seven birdies and one bogey. He’s in his second year on the tour after having three top 10 finishes last season.

The other co-leaders are Conrad Shindler, Ryan Armour and Wyndham Clark. None of the five leaders have ever won on the PGA Tour.

Canadians David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) and Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.) both shot 4-under-par 68s to hold shares of 10th place.