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CPKC Women's Open

Sung Hyun Park wins hearts of the Ottawa Valley while helping CP raise needed funds for CHEO

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PHOTO BERNARD BRAULT, GOLF CANADA-Ottawa, Ontario:CP Women's OpenOttawa Hunt & Golf Club4th roundAugust 27, 2017

​Thanks to a masterful weekend performance, Sung Hyun Park has won the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open and helped young patients seeking care at the Children’s Hospital of Eastern Ontario (CHEO) in the process. Park shot 13 under par on her way to the victory and Canadian Pacific (CP) made a $2 million donation to a renovated catheterization lab and interventional suite at CHEO.

The total donation is the result of several fundraising efforts of the CP Has Heart campaign. Through CP Birdies for Heart, CP contributed $5,000 for each birdie made by a player on the 15th hole during tournament play. A total of 45 birdies represents a $225,000 donation. CP also matched all donations made online at www.cheoheart.com  from April 1 to the end of the tournament.

“I have not been to a golf tournament before that had this level of support from the community and the fans,” said Keith Creel, CP President and Chief Executive Officer. “It was a privilege to watch Sung Hyun Park lead the field of world-class talent, including CP ambassadors Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane, while simultaneously supporting CHEO’s important work. CP supports the cause of heart health because it’s an issue that touches so many Canadians. As part of ongoing Canada 150 celebrations, it’s our honour to leave a lasting charitable legacy here in the nation’s capital.”

To celebrate Canada’s sesquicentennial, CP launched the Beautiful Hearts campaign this year. In addition to the CP Women’s Open donation to CHEO, CP is sponsoring the Canadian Football League regular season, playoffs and the Grey Cup in Ottawa. That sponsorship will support the University of Ottawa Heart Institute.

Both of the Ottawa-based organizations CP is supporting with its Beautiful Hearts campaign are offering lifesaving care to Canadians who suffer from heart ailments. Children with congenital heart defects that benefit from CHEO’s work will later go on to receive care from the Ottawa Heart Institute.

“The CP Women’s Open coming to Ottawa is an incredible boost for our region, and all of us at CHEO are incredibly thankful that CP chose CHEO as the beneficiary of the CP Has Heart program,” said CHEO Foundation President and CEO Kevin Keohane. “The CP Has Heart campaign will help the doctors, nurses and staff provide the best care possible for patients and families at CHEO. CP, the LPGA, Golf Canada, the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, and the community have come together to support CHEO’s patients and for that we can’t thank them enough.”

CP ambassadors Lorie Kane and Brooke Henderson also contributed to the CHEO donation by participating in the Monday Brooke and Friends pro-am. Proceeds from the pro-am were split between the Golf Canada Foundation and the Team Henderson Foundation. Henderson also announced that her foundation will give back $5,000 to CHEO.


“On behalf of all the players this week, especially the Canadian contingent, I want to thank the fans and the community for the support,” said Smiths Falls, Ontario’s Brooke Henderson, the top Canadian at 7 under par and the new course record holder at Ottawa Hunt with her Saturday 63. “Joining Lorie as a CP ambassador and seeing the long-term impact of CP’s sponsorship of this tournament has been a privilege. A huge thanks to everyone who donated to CHEO and to CP for bringing the tournament and their charitable legacy to Ottawa.”

The 2018 CP Women’s Open will be played at the Wascana Country Club in Regina. For more details, visit www.cpwomensopen.com.

PGA TOUR

Late surge puts Spieth in control at Glen Oaks

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amie Squire/Getty Images)
Canadian Press

Jordan Spieth needed only three holes to leave a strong cast of challengers wondering what it’s going to take to catch him in The Northern Trust.

Spieth ran off three straight birdies on the back nine at Glen Oaks Club and finished with a pair of pars for a 6-under 64, matching the low score of the tournament and building a three-shot lead over Dustin Johnson.

It was the second straight day that Spieth filled his card with birdies on the easier back nine at Glen Oaks – a 30 on Friday, a 31 on Saturday.

Johnson, his regular partner at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, failed to take advantage until he stuffed his approach into 4 feet on the 18th hole for a birdie and a 67 to narrow the gap and get into the final group with Spieth.

Spieth was at 12-under 198, and his reputation – even for a 24-year-old in his fifth year on the PGA Tour – is as daunting as the size of his lead. Spieth has a 9-5 record with at least a share of the 54-hole lead, including nine of his last 10.

“Ten except for one hole,” he said with a smile, referring to the quadruple bogey he made on the 12th hole at Augusta National that cost him the 2016 Masters.

Paul Casey, who seems to play his best golf this time of the year, and defending champion Patrick Reed each hat a 66 and were next in line at five shots back, along with Jon Rahm (67) and Matt Kuchar (68).

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., the lone Canadian left in the field, shot a 73 for a share of 52nd place.

Missing from the mix are Jhonattan Vegas and Rickie Fowler, who started the third round as part of the four-way tie for the lead that included Spieth and Johnson. Vegas shot a 72 to fall eight shots behind. Fowler, playing with Spieth, opened with five bogeys in six shots and fell 10 shots behind after a 74.

“A five-shot lead requires two things – a really good round from whoever is coming from behind and the leader to stumble a little bit,” Rahm said. “And Spieth is not known for being one to stumble.”

That’s only partially correct.

Spieth lost a three-shot lead in four holes at the British Open last month, and he lost the lead with five holes to go until he answered with one of the strongest finishes in major championship history to win at Royal Birkdale. A month before that, he struggled badly with his putter in the final round at the Travelers Championship until he won in a playoff by holing a bunker shot.

What he would love on Sunday is the kind of boring round he put together at Pebble Beach – two birdies, no bogeys, no excitement, a four-shot victory.

“I don’t expect it, though,” Spieth said.

He didn’t have reason to believe he would have a three-shot lead when the third round began with so many players in the mix. Johnson took the early lead with a birdie from the bunker on the par-5 third hole, and then Spieth began the first of two big runs. He holed birdie putts of 20 feet, 12 feet and 25 feet over a four-hole stretch, and looked as though the lead would get even bigger when he settled over an 8-foot birdie chance on the ninth hole.

And then he three-putted with an aggressive stroke on a downhill putt. Spieth bounced back with a birdie on the 10th, and then after failing to birdie the lone par 5 on the back nine, he went back to work with the putter with a 10-foot birdie on No. 14, a 20-foot birdie on the par-3 15th and a shot into 4 feet on the 16th for three in a row.

Johnson stopped hitting it close and twice had to work hard not to lose ground.

At three shots behind, he still looms as a big threat as the No. 1 player in the world whose game is rounding back into the form that made him appear to be so unbeatable until his back injury before the Masters.

“Let’s be honest here – I’d rather have a three-shot lead,” Johnson said. “But it’s not that bad coming from three shots back, either, because that can change in one hole, really. But obviously, Jordan is playing really well, so he’s going to be tough to beat tomorrow. … If I can drive it well again tomorrow and maybe hole a couple putts, maybe some of his putting will rub off on me and I’ll start holing them.”

Spieth will be going for his fourth victory of the year, one that would make him the front-runner for PGA Tour player of the year.

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Spieth refait des siennes à Glen Oaks et mène le tournoi The Northern Trust

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amie Squire/Getty Images)
La Presse Canadienne

ordan Spieth a encore une fois réussi un deuxième neuf rempli garni d’oiselets et il s’est donné une avance de trois coups au sommet du tournoi The Northern Trust, samedi.

Spieth s’est emparé seul de la tête grâce à trois oiselets consécutifs, à partir du 14e trou du parcours du Club de golf Glen Oaks. Il a inscrit un 64 (moins-6) à sa carte, dont un 31 sur le neuf de retour, pour égaler la ronde la plus basse depuis le début du tournoi. Spieth n’a jamais perdu un tournoi du circuit de la PGA lorsqu’il mène par deux coups ou plus après trois rondes.

La veille, l’Américain de 24 ans avait réussi pas moins de cinq oiselets de suite sur le dernier neuf, se hissant à égalité au premier échelon avec Dustin Johnson. Spieth montre un pointage cumulatif de moins-12 après 54 trous.

Johnson a réussi un oiselet sur un coup roulé d’une distance de quatre pieds au 18e trou et il a remis une carte de 67. Il fera partie du dernier groupe en compagnie de son jeune compatriote.

Spieth tentera de signer une quatrième victoire cette saison et il a notamment remporté l’Omnium britannique, il y a un mois.

Paul Casey (66), Patrick Reed (66), Jon Rahm (67) et Matt Kuchar (68) se retrouvent à égalité en troisième position, à moins-7.

Mackenzie Hughes est le seul Canadien à prendre part aux rondes du week-end. Il a joué 73, samedi, et il a glissé de 27 rangs jusqu’en 52e place, à plus-2. Il est à égalité avec quatre autres golfeurs.

Cliquez ici pour le classement complet.

CPKC Women's Open

Brooke Henderson shoots course-record 63 to make big move at Ottawa Hunt

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(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press

OTTAWA – Brooke Henderson said that it would take a miracle for her to get into contention at the CP Women’s Open after barely making the cut. She got that miracle on Saturday.

Henderson fired a course record 8-under 63 at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club to rocket up the leaderboard into a temporary tie for second at 7-under par before several players passed her. Still, finishing the day tied for sixth, three shots behind co-leaders Mo Martin and Nicole Broch Larsen, was a big improvement after needing a birdie on her final hole Friday to even play in the third round.

“Having the cut out of the way kind of gave me a little bit of a scare yesterday, being so close and almost not even playing the weekend,” said Henderson. “So I knew I had to get going.”

She added with a laugh: “Today is moving day, so I moved, that’s for sure.”

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., was the only other Canadian left in the field after Friday night’s cuts. She shot a 1-over 72 to finish the day at 1-under par tied for 45th.

“It does a lot for my confidence no matter how the weekend goes,” said Marchand, who was a sponsor exemption that usually plays on the Symetra Tour. “Maybe today a few mistakes here and there. But overall I’m happy I’m playing the weekend. To know that I can play out here gives me confidence when I go back to Symetra.”

Henderson, who is from nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., and an honorary member at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, doesn’t normally keep score when she’s playing the course for fun. The history books are telling though: the previous course record was a 64 set by Yani Tseng in 2008 before the course was redesigned in 2013. The men’s record was a 65 set by golfing legend Jack Nicklaus in 1960 as an amateur at the America’s Cup.

It looked like Henderson was going to earn her only bogey of the day on the 381-yard, par 4 No. 16.

Her approach shot shanked a little, falling on the green 70 feet from the hole. A long putt settled about 20 feet away from the pin, making par seem unlikely. But Henderson steadied herself and drained the shot, her knees buckling slightly from relief as the hundreds of fans trailing her from hole to hole burst into applause.

“I was really disappointed with that second shot. I kind of mentally got in my way there, and then that two-putt, when I went up to it, I was hoping for a two-putt and I was able to get it,” said Henderson. “Just kind of fell in the side door there, and then it led to two more birdies on 17 and 18.

Marchand was also frustrated on No. 16, bogeying before recovering on the next hole with a birdie.

“I three-putted on 16, and that was just frustration because I was mad that I missed my birdie putt again. Then I go and three-putt from ten feet. Just little things like that, I think those are the frustration parts a few times. But then I’m glad I bounced back with a birdie and little things.

The crowds following Henderson around the course have been the talk of the tournament. Although the 19-year-old Henderson admitted on Friday that she felt a lot of pressure as the star of the show, she was more relaxed and happy on Saturday and enjoying the support of the fans.

“Coming up 18 I kind of just took a peek around and I didn’t see any green grass outside of the ropes,” said Henderson. “Everybody was everywhere. So it’s such an incredible feeling. Being so close to home makes this week so much more special.”

CPKC Women's Open

Press conference with Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum

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(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum held a press conference on Saturday at Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club during the third round of the 2017 CP Women’s Open.

Todd Fanning remporte le Championnat canadien mid-amateur masculin en prolongation

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(Josh Schaefer/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada

REGINA, SK ─ Todd Fanning a rendu vendredi une carte de 69, moins 2, pour remporter le Championnat canadien mid-amateur masculin au Wascana Country Club.

Âgé de 49 ans, ce Manitobain de Winnipeg était à égalité à 274 avec Steven Diack (Coquitlam, C.-B.) et Garrett Rank (Elmira, ON) après 72 trous, et une prolongation de quatre trous s’est avérée nécessaire pour le consacrer champion.

Fanning, qui revendique maintenant trois titres nationaux, a aussi fini en tête de la division mid-maître réservée aux 40 ans et plus.

« Quelle semaine! s’est exclamé le champion. J’ai remporté deux titres juniors dans les années 1980 et voici que je décroche un troisième titre national. À 49 ans, c’est la concrétisation d’un rêve. »

Fanning a été sacré champion junior du Canada deux années de suite, en 1985 et 1986. Il a aussi remporté le titre mid-amateur du Manitoba en 2017.

Le Manitobain a dû batailler ferme pour conquérir le titre puisqu’au départ de la troisième ronde, il accusait un retard de cinq coups sur Diack. Vendredi, Diack s’est contenté d’un score de 74, plus 3, tandis que Rank, triple champion mid-amateur du Canada, a signé la meilleure carte de la journée, 66, moins 5.

Fanning a dû réussir un oiselet au 18e trou pour provoquer la prolongation à trois.

Au 1er trou supplémentaire, Diack et Fanning ont inscrit un oiselet, ce qui a éliminé Rank qui a joué la normale. Les deux survivants ont eu la chance de gagner le tournoi sur les trois trous suivants, mais c’est finalement le golfeur de 45 ans qui a eu raison de son cadet – Diack a 25 ans – en calant un roulé de 8 pieds pour la normale au 76e trou.

Rank, 29 ans, a raté sa chance de devenir le premier golfeur de l’histoire à remporter quatre années de suite le titre mid-amateur canadien. Tout s’annonçait comme un duel entre Diack et Fanning jusqu’à ce que Rank reprenne vie sur le neuf de retour en réussissant cinq oiselets.

Le champion a obtenu un laissez-passer pour l’Omnium canadien RBC 2018 qui aura lieu au Glen Abbey Golf Club d’Oakville, en Ontario.

CPKC Women's Open

Canadians Henderson, Marchand advance to weekend at CP Women’s Open

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(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

OTTAWA – Brooke Henderson’s sister and caddy Britt asked the gallery to be quiet, no pictures even, as the Canadian golf superstar settled over the ball. She was 25 feet away from an eagle putt that would guarantee she made the cut at the CP Women’s Open. A birdie might work too, with the cutline wavering around 1-over par.

“Nobody was doing anything. They all wanted me to have the best opportunity to make it,” said Brooke Henderson, who grew up in Smiths Falls, Ont., just over 60 kilometres from the Ottawa Hunt andGolf Club.

She struck the ball and the crowd started to cheer, with calls of “come on!” as the ball followed the contours of the green on No. 9. But then it tailed a little and came up less than a foot short. Henderson strode over, looked at her grouping partners to ask if she could finish, then sank the putt to finish the second round at 1 over.

“I was just trying to give myself an easy tap-in to make birdie,” said Henderson. “I didn’t want anymore pressure on myself. I just wanted to nestle it up close. It looked really good. As soon as I hit it I was like that’s going to go in, but a little bit short.”

After Henderson, Cristie Kerr and So Yeon Ryu signed their scorecards, the cutline moved up to 2-over par, guaranteeing the Canadian would play in the third round of Canada’s national women’s golfchampionship.

The 19-year-old phenom admitted after the dramatic final hole on Friday that the pressure of playing in front of what amounts to her hometown crowd was getting to her.

“I feel like I’ve handled it pretty well so far,” said Henderson. “I think now that the cut is kind of over with, I can focus on my game and try to shoot maybe 4- or 5-under these next two and see if I can be in the top 10 or just climb that leaderboard a little bit more.”

Playing in front of the large red-and-white clad crowds didn’t just affect Henderson. She and Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., were the only players from the field of 14 Canadians to make the cut.

Marchand, who was playing two groupings back of Henderson, often had dozens of fans waiting for her at every hole after Henderson moved on. Although Henderson got the lion’s share of the attention, Marchand actually finished the second round as the low Canadian, tied for 23rd at 2-under par, six shots back of leader In Gee Chun.

“I like playing for the Canadians and playing at home,” said Marchand, who earned a sponsor exemption for the tournament. “Having my family and people turn out. It’s nice when people cheer for you.

“On the Symetra Tour we don’t often have anybody. Maybe your host family, maybe your mom comes. It feels like it really boosts your mood and gives you confidence. Because no matter how well you do, they’re probably going to cheer for you because you’re Canadian.”

Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Augusta James of Bath, Ont., as well as amateurs Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee tied at 7 over.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was 8 over, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 9 over, amateur Grace St-Germain of Ottawa was 10 over and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was 12.

Hannah Hellyer of Sterling, Ont., was 14 over, Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., was 15 over and amateur Naomi Ko from Victoria was 16 over. Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane finished the day at 19 over.

Although she does feel like she’s under a microscope, Henderson wants the crowds following her to get even bigger.

“I look around and the whole green is covered, the fairways are covered. Not just covered, they’re like eight people deep, which is truly amazing,” said Henderson. “I just hope they continue to grow over the next two days.”

CPKC Women's Open

In Gee Chun takes lead at CP Women’s Open with American trio two shots back

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(Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)
John Chidley-Hill/ Canadian Press

OTTAWA – Brittany Lincicome and Mo Martin will spend their Friday night splitting a pizza and probably talking about what it will take to catch In Gee Chun.

The two Americans were both 6-under par and leading after two rounds at the CP Women’s Open before Chun passed them on the leaderboard for a two-stroke lead by the end of the day. Lincicome and Martin had plans for a pizza party with their caddies and some other golfers about the same time Chun was finishing her 4-under round to sit at 8 under on the tournament.

Lincicome relies on her caddy, Missy Pederson, to make pizza from scratch at most tournaments. She even has an unusual go-to toppings combo.

“Sausage and pepperoni, and then this Mascarpone, which is like a sweet cream which is super weird,” said Lincicome in the early afternoon. “Everyone’s like, ‘oh, my gosh, what is that?’ But it’s delicious.

“My caddy found it at the British Open a few years ago, and now it’s a whole thing.”

Martin had four birdies on the back nine, including one on No. 18, to take over first from first-round leader Marina Alex, who teed off in the afternoon. Alex had a 1-under round to join Lincicome and Martin in second.

“Super-solid finish,” said Martin after her round. “It’s nice that things are coming together. I think I’ve been playing better than I’ve been scoring this summer, so nice to see those things connect.”

Lincicome tied it two groups later when she drained her own birdie on the par-5 523-yard final hole. Martin’s biggest concern after resting all afternoon was getting too lethargic from the pizza.

“It should be a fun night. Just need to stay active,” said Martin. “Try not to sleep in too much tomorrow morning, and I’ve got the same game plan and I’ll be ready to go. Just conserve energy for the weekend.”

Chun said that she doesn’t need to relax because she enjoys playing in Canada so much. Instead, she’ll stick to her usual practice routine.

“I will do the same,” said Chun. “I really enjoy playing on the course, I really like playing in Canada. So I’m just enjoying everything.”

Alex is going to spend her Saturday morning focusing her ball striking at the windy Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

“Just get a few better drives on the fairway and just a couple more closer iron shots and give myself better percentage putts,” said Alex. “I’m putting well, but I just want to give myself as many great chances as I can going through this weekend.”

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., and Brooke Henderson of nearby Smiths Falls, Ont., were the only two Canadians from a field of 14 to make the cut.

Henderson had to birdie on her final hole of the day to slip under the cutline and finish at 1 under. The teenage phenom was followed from hole to hole by hundreds of fans, most wearing red and white, a tradition at professional golf tournaments in Canada. She acknowledged that there was extra pressure playing just an hour away from her hometown.

“I feel like I’ve handled it pretty well so far,” said Henderson. “I think now that the cut is kind of over with, I can focus on my game and try to shoot maybe 4- or 5-under these next two and see if I can be in the top 10 or just climb that leaderboard a little bit more.”

Marchand, who was playing two groups behind Henderson, was tied for 23rd at 2 under.

Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay and Augusta James of Bath, Ont., as well as amateurs Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., and Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee tied at 7 over.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was 8 over, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 9 over, amateur Grace St-Germain of Ottawa was 10 over and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha was 12 over.

Hannah Hellyer of Sterling, Ont., was 14 over, Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., was 15 over and amateur Naomi Ko from Victoria was 16 over. Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane finished the day at 19 over.

PGA TOUR

Johnson, Spieth, Fowler part of logjam at Northern Trust

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Golf Canada

Two swings cost Dustin Johnson the lead. It wasn’t long before Jordan Spieth and Rickie Fowler caught up to him in The Northern Trust, setting up a weekend of star power in the opening FedEx Cup playoff event.

Johnson, finally looking like the No. 1 player who looked unstoppable in the spring, appeared on the verge of building a big lead at Glen Oaks Club until consecutive tee shots wound up on the wrong holes and forced him to scramble just to escape with bogey.

Fowler made up a five-shot deficit in six holes playing alongside Johnson, making a 15-foot birdie on the last hole for a 66 to join Johnson and Jhonattan Vegas (65) atop the leaderboard. And then Spieth put together a stretch Friday afternoon reminiscent of his British Open victory, minus a shot from the driving range, in a 65.

Spieth began the back nine with five straight birdies, matching his longest birdie streak on the PGA Tour. It ended with a bogey on the par-3 15th when his tee shot rolled back into the water, but then he answered with a 40-foot birdie putt up the slope on the 16th.

Even without his best year with his best club, Spieth has won three times and captured the third leg of the Grand Slam. But his putter doesn’t leave him for long.

“Putter has been streaky for me this summer, which is better than just kind of not-so-great, which it was before that,” he said. “So I’ve been able to mentally use one or two good putts to make me feel like I’m putting awesome.

“I got on the good side of the streak on the back nine today.”

Spieth made pars from the bunkers on the last two holes to join the others at 6-under 134.

He wasn’t alone in running off a string of birdies. Matt Kuchar looked as though he might miss the cut until his caddie encourage him to try to get back to even par. Kuchar ran off four straight birdies and kept right on rolling, ending his round of 64 with eight birdies on the last 10 holes.

Kuchar and two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (68) were one shot out of the lead.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was the lone Canadian to make the cut and is five strokes back after a 69. Adam Hadwin (72) and Nick Taylor (76), both of Abbotsford, B.C., missed the cut while Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., withdrew with a back injury.

Watson is at No. 113 in the FedEx Cup, and only the top 100 after The Northern Trust advance to the next playoff event at the TPC Boston. Watson says he won’t play the rest of the year once he is eliminating. A big finish this week could delay that another month, a nice problem to have.

Jon Rahm, who played with Johnson and Fowler, had a 68 and was two shots behind along with Justin Rose (68) and Russell Henley (72).

Seventy players made the cut at 2 over par. That included Geoff Ogilvy, who went bunker-to-bunker-to-bunker on his final hole and had to make a 4-foot putt for double bogey. If he had missed, then it would have let 11 players back into the tournament. Among those missing the cut were Hideki Matsuyama, the No. 1 seed going into the playoffs, who three-putted the last hole and missed by one.

The cut ended the season of 13 players, a group that included Presidents Cup captain Steve Stricker and former PGA champion Jimmy Walker.

Johnson looked so sharp early on that he didn’t have a birdie putt longer than 12 feet over his first six holes, though he converted just two of them. He reached 8 under when he hammered a driver and a fairway metal to the back of the green on the 629-yard third hole, two-putting for birdie.

But his tee shot on No. 4 was inches away from the third fairway, and his next shot struck a tree. He had to get up-and-down from 50 feet right to save bogey. The next tee shot was so far left it was in the rough on the fourth hole. He clipped branches, hit a poor chip and had to two-putt from 80 feet for his bogey.

“But other than that, I felt like it was a really solid day,” Johnson said. “I’m really pleased with the way the golf game is right now and I’m looking forward to this weekend.”

Fowler, meanwhile stuffed it on No. 4 and rolled in an 8-footer on the par-3 sixth over water, and just like that they were tied.

“Pretty stress-free,” Fowler said. “I’ve been driving it well this week, which is key around here. You don’t want to play out of the rough.”

Phil Mickelson limited his mistakes and made four birdies in a round of 68, which left him six shots behind but gave him two more rounds at Glen Oaks to post the kind of scores that would make him a viable pick for the Presidents Cup. Rory McIlroy chipped in for birdie on the tough par-3 second and shot 68. He was seven shots behind.

The focus was at the top with so many popular players contending _ Spieth, Fowler, Johnson at the top.

“That’s what tends to happen in the playoffs,” Spieth said. “As less guys make the next tournaments, you start to get players that are playing very well, and to no surprise, those guys are toward the top. … Should be an exciting weekend.”

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Canadian Men's Mid-Amateur Championship

Todd Fanning rallies to win Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship in playoff

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(Josh Schaefer/ Golf Canada)
Golf Canada

REGINA, Sask. – Todd Fanning shot a 2-under-par 69 on his way to winning the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at The Wascana Country Club on Friday.

The 49-year-old from Winnipeg, Man., captured gold-medal honours in both the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master division to capture his third career national amateur competition.

“What an amazing week,” he said, on the first green and final playoff hole. “I won a couple Canadian Juniors back in the mid 80s and to win another provincial and then follow that up with a national title is a dream come true for me at 49,” said Fanning, who captured consecutive Canadian Junior Boys Championships in 1985-86.

Fanning, who also won the 2017 Manitoba Mid-Amateur, won after a four-hole playoff against three-time champion Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.) and 54-hole leader Steven Diack (Coquitlam, B.C.), who entered the final round leading Fanning by five strokes and Rank by eight.

After the group made the turn, Rank and Fanning aggressively closed the gap.

“That was amazing,” said Fanning. “When I saw Rank drive it on the 10th green I knew he was going to come guns a blazing. After that, he and Diack were trading birdies and I was kind of just getting dragged along, but luckily I got a big break when I birdied 18 to force the playoff.”

“The last hour and a half I sunk every putt I looked at and that’s how you have to win.”

Prior to the playoff, the final group approached the final tee with Rank and Diack tied at 10 under par and Fanning sitting one stroke back. The co-leaders both missed the green with their second shots and Fanning found the fringe to set up an eagle opportunity.

Diack came within inches of holing out a chip for birdie which would have won the tournament in regulation, and moments later Fanning thought he had the win as his eagle putt skimmed the lip of the hole – Fanning had his arms in the air and was walking the putt in when he realized it missed.

“I hit the best putt I had all day, it was kind of breaking right and just skimmed the edge and stayed out,” he said. “Hands were up I was walking it in. I gave it the curse but after that I settled down and in the playoff hit some good shots.”

Diack was the most consistent golfer in the field through three rounds, but during the final round he shot a 3-over-par 74, his only round over par during the championship.

“It was pretty crazy,” said Diack. “Those guys came on strong. They both played such good rounds of golf today and under pressure they hit such good shots. I could feel them coming and I was kind of going the opposite way.”

“Obviously I would have loved to take it today, but it was such a good experience to go down the stretch with those guys and get in a playoff. It was lots of fun.“

Both Diack and Fanning registered birdies during the first playoff hole while Rank settled for par and was knocked out of the tournament. The two remaining golfers both had opportunities to win the championship over the next three holes, but it was the 49-year-old who bested the 25-year-old with an eight-foot putt for par.

Rank had the most impressive round of the day after he shot a 5-under-par 66. The 29-year-old won the championship in each of the last three years and made a stellar effort to become the first person to ever win four times in a row.

For much of the day, it looked like a two-horse race between Fanning and Diack, but Rank aggressively chipped away at the lead on the back nine where he made five birdies.

In addition to the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, Fanning receives an exemption into the 2018 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

On Wednesday, Team Ontario defended their inter-provincial title after they defeated the hometown favourite Team Saskatchewan in a playoff that secured the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy for the third straight year.