Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario) handled the pressure of her first Sunday lead like a veteran that has won many times before. She posted a bogey-free 4-under, 68 at Brown Deer Park to win the PHC Classic by three shots. Marchand finished with a three-day score of 13-under, 203.

After a 1-under, 71 on Friday, Marchand made 13 birdies and just one bogey over the final two rounds to earn her first win on the Symetra Tour and her first win as a professional. Marchand pockets the $15,000 and moves from 41st to 17th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with six events remaining. She has now earned $28,680 in 14 starts this year.

Marchand also earns a spot in The Evian Championship, the final major on the LPGA schedule from September 14-17. The top two finishers at the PHC Classic earned spots. Marion Ricordeau, a native of Laon, France, finished in second place at 10-under, 206 to stamp her ticket to compete in her first Evian Championship.

How sweet is the win?!

41st to 17 on @volvikUSA Race for @LPGA and she’s in @EvianChamp!!

Congrats again, @Britt_Marchand! pic.twitter.com/DdA4c8dRkg

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) August 7, 2017

“It’s a really special moment,” said Marchand, a second-year pro. “I know that I have the ability and I know it’s in me, it’s just really cool to see it shine through.”

Marchand never once showed signs of struggling with the nerves and she credited the experience at the Manulife LPGA Classic, when she made the cut and was in the top 10 after three rounds.

“The experience there where I was up in a really good position really helped me today,” said Marchand, who slipped on Sunday at the LPGA event, but still finished T46. “It really helped me today to keep calm and just keep doing my thing. This is pretty awesome and pretty surreal at this point.”

Marchand started a little slow with pars on the first two holes, but then made a critical birdie from just on the second cut of grass on the par-3 third. She decided to use the flatstick and hit a 20-footer.

“When you are nervous, eliminating a lot of hand movement is key so that is why I decided to putt instead of hitting a fine chip shot,” explained Marchand. “That helped me relax and it made me think that if I play like I did yesterday I would be fine.”

.@Britt_Marchand wins with birdie!!!! pic.twitter.com/fDD7NPxhLu

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) August 6, 2017

On hole nine, Marchand hit what she described as a “bad drive”, but recovered with a 5-iron to 15 feet.

“After making that putt on nine I felt really good,” said Marchand, who built a three-stroke lead to the back nine. “I was really pleased with three-under on the front and the putt gave me a boost to end strong. Even though I didn’t drop many putts on the back, I felt like I played really solid.”

Marchand has had a bit of inconsistent year by her own standards. She felt the win comes at a perfect time.

“I feel like I’ve been very up-and-down this season and it has knocked my confidence down a bit because I know I am there, but I haven’t been able to see it shine through, “ said Marchand. “It definitely gives me a good boost going into the last six events feeling confident to make a push for my (LPGA) card.”

Marchand still has some ground to make up. She is approximately $14,000 short of No. 10 on the money list. The good news is that the next Symetra Tour event is the Sioux Falls GreatLIFE Challenge, which offers the highest purse ($210,000) and winner’s payout ($31,500) on Tour. The Tour will take three weeks off before heading to South Dakota.

The top ten remained completely unchanged after the PHC Classic with Nanna Koerstz Madsen (Copenhagen, Denmark), Benyapa Niphatsophon (Bangkok, Thailand) and Erynne Lee (Silverdale, Washington) holding the top three spots. No. 11 Lindsey Weaver (Bellefontaine, Ohio) was unable to close the gap on No. 10 Kendall Dye (Edmond, Oklahoma) as they both finished in a tie for 14th.

Click here to view the full leaderboard.

Hideki Matsuyama warmed up poorly and then turned in the best round of his career at the Bridgestone Invitational, a 9-under 61 that tied the course record and gave him another blowout victory in a World Golf Championship.

It was the lowest final round in four decades at Firestone Country Club and led to a five-shot victory over Zach Johnson.

Matsuyama knew from experience that the course record was a 61 because he was in the same group when Tiger Woods shot 61 in the second round in 2013. All it would take was birdies on the last three holes, and like everything else Sunday, the 25-year-old from Japan made it look easy.

“I knew 61 was the number,” Matsuyama said through his interpreter. “I was thinking about that at 16. I knew if I birdied 16, 17, 18 I could get there.”

Five wins at the age of 25.

Life is good for Hideki Matsuyama. pic.twitter.com/jYwQucXcgw

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 6, 2017

He spun a wedge back to 4 feet on the par-5 16th for birdie. He holed an 8-foot putt on the 17th hole and then closed with another approach and settled 6 feet away. Matsuyama, who began the final round two shots behind Johnson and Thomas Pieters, finished at 15-under 265.

He now has won two World Golf Championships by a combined 12 shots, having captured the HSBC Champions by seven shots in Shanghai last fall. It was his fifth PGA Tour victory, and third this season, tying him with Dustin Johnson and Jordan Spieth.

Johnson, winless since his British Open victory two years ago at St. Andrews, pulled within one shot with a long birdie putt at the 11th, but he could do no better than pars the rest of the way and shot 68.

Pieters was never in the game after missing 4-foot par putts on successive holes to close out the front nine. He closed with a 71.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 69 to finish the tournament at 7 under and tied for fifth. He began the day three shots back. Mackenzie Hughes (68) of Dundas, Ont., was 9 over for the event.

The only other player with a chance was Charley Hoffman, who also was one shot behind on the back nine. Hoffman was three shots behind on the par-5 16th hole when his caddie suggested laying up because there was no place to get it close by going for the green 282 yards away.

“I’m trying to win a tournament,” Hoffman said. “I’m tired of finishing second.”

"Why not?"

From 282 yards away, @hoffman_charley takes on The Monster head on. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/klgM2CLoHa

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 6, 2017

He ripped a 3-wood onto the green and over the back into light rough, chipped weakly to 15 feet and made par anyway. He wound up with a 66 to finish third, though it was a big step in trying to make his first Presidents Cup team.

Matsuyama’s final birdie broke by one shot the lowest final round by a winner at Firestone. Fulton Allem shot 62 when he won the old World Series of Golf in 1993.

Matsuyama stays at No. 3 in the world by a fraction behind Spieth, though he takes plenty of momentum into the PGA Championship next week as he tries to become the first player from Japan to win a major.

He’ll carry plenty of pressure, too.

Matsuyama moved into elite company last fall in a stretch of six tournaments in which he won four times and was runner-up the other two times. He added to his profile with a playoff victory to win the Phoenix Open for the second straight year.

The winning scorecard.

6️⃣1️⃣ ? pic.twitter.com/VKD9HAgIYQ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) August 6, 2017

And while he has played well in the majors, including a runner-up finish to Brooks Koepka in the U.S. Open, he has yet to seriously contend.

“I haven’t really played well at Quail Hollow, but hopefully I can keep my game up and do well there,” Matsuyama said. “All I can do is my best. I know a lot of us have tried from Japan to win majors. Hopefully, some day it will happen.”

Rory McIlroy got within one shot of the lead on the front nine with three birdies in six holes until his momentum stalled with a few missed putts. He stumbled on the back nine and shot 69, leaving him in a tie for fifth with Russell Knox, Paul Casey and Adam Hadwin.

Spieth closed with a 68 and tied for 13th in his last tournament before he goes for the career Grand Slam in the PGA Championship. After the Bridgestone Invitational, add one more player – Matsuyama – to the list of major obstacles in his way.

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I.K. Kim banished the haunting memory of missing a 14-inch putt to win a major and replaced it with the sweetest sensation.

Finally, she can call herself a major champion.

Staked to a six-shot lead in the Women’s British Open, Kim never led anyone get closer than two shots at Kingsbarns Links and sealed victory with a bold hybrid over the burn to the 17th green. She made nine pars on the back nine and closed with a 1-under 71 for a two-shot victory.

“I cannot describe my feelings,” Kim said. “I just tried to have some fun, but it wasn’t fun on the back nine.”

The whole world wants to give @SWEET_IKKIM a hug after her @RICOHWomensBrit win! pic.twitter.com/hd0zg0hrNd

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 6, 2017

Jodi Ewart Shadoff made her work for it by charging home with a 64 to put pressure on the 29-year-old South Korean. Kim didn’t falter over an increasingly soggy course, however. She finished at 18-under 270 to capture the $487,500 prize.

Michelle Wie went out in 30 to give Kim something to think about, but the 27-year-old from Hawaii stalled and closed with a 66 to tie for third with Caroline Masson (67) and Georgia Hall (70).

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., tied for 31st at 3 under.

Kim now has won three times, the most by anyone on the LPGA Tour this year, all in the last two months.

But this was the biggest by far.

.@Jodi_Ewart fired a final round 8-under 64 to finish 2nd @RICOHWomensBrit. .@TheAmyRogers spoke with her after her round ==> pic.twitter.com/6mqkPfVLPb

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 6, 2017

She was no more than 14 inches away from winning the 2012 Kraft Nabisco Championship for her first major when she clasped her hand over her mouth in disbelief when it spun out of the hole. She lost in a playoff, and it was a tough memory to shake.

Until Sunday.

“I almost cried when I won. Winning is great,” Kim said. “It’s a long process to get over 2012. A lot of people helped me. Now I enjoy playing golf again. What it did teach me is to to give the same effort to every shot, even the shortest of putts.”

Armed with a six-shot overnight advantage, Kim was rarely threatened throughout a four-and-a-half hour round in which she crucially made only one bogey.

Ewart Shadoff matched the course record _ reached earlier this week by Wie and Olympic gold medallist Inbee Park _ and got within two shots of Kim with her eighth birdie of the round that put her at 16 under.

“I didn’t think starting the day that I would have a shot,” she said. “I had a great stretch in the middle of the round to get me going. My plan at the start was just to take the opportunities when I got them and that’s what I did.”

Wie was the only other player to get closer than five shots of Kim.

.@TheMichelleWie is taking a lot of confidence into #SolheimCup2017 after her great play this week @RicohWomensBrit! More with @TheAmyRogers pic.twitter.com/Ielr2wNewm

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 6, 2017

Seemingly impervious to the pressure of leading, Kim sailed along in the damp, overcast conditions, her steady play offering little encouragement to a chasing pack that also included the likes of Lexi Thompson, Stacy Lewis, Park and Moriya Jutanugarn.

A birdie at the par-3 opening hole, where her tee-shot nearly found the bottom of the cup, set Kim on her way. She made birdie on the par-5 eighth, and then had her first bogey in 44 holes with a three-putt at the turn.

Kim’s clinching shot, however, came as late as the penultimate hole, when a beautifully struck hybrid from the fairway sailed over the burn fronting the green and finished 15 feet from the flag. A routine par at the last completed her five-year journey between missing and making.

Click here for the full leaderboard.

Fresh off the RBC Canadian Open, the third-oldest continually held tournament on the PGA TOUR, Canadian golf fans are presented this week with the Canadian Men’s Amateur, the third-oldest national amateur championship in the world.

The British Amateur, first held in 1885, is the granddaddy, followed by the Australian Amateur in 1894. While both the Canadian and U.S. Amateurs were born the following year, the Canadian version arrived first by a matter of months.

In contrast to the first Canadian Amateur where about 30 golfers competed at Royal Ottawa Golf Club, the 113th Canadian Amateur which runs Monday through Thursday will feature 264 of the top players from nine countries. Toronto Golf Club will play host for all four rounds (for a record ninth time) while Islington Golf Club will co-host for the first two rounds prior to the 36-hole cut.

A lot has transpired since 1895. Three years in, Toronto’s George Lyon whipped his opponent (whose name we will not mention out of respect) 12&11. (The Amateur has vacillated between match play and stroke play over its long history and currently is a stroke-play tournament.) Lyon, perhaps best known for his gold medal in the 1904 Olympics, would win a total of eight times between then and 1914.

His record would be challenged by Ross (Sandy) Sommerville who won six times between 1926 and 1937 and was four times the runner-up. Nick Weslock and Doug Roxburgh each won four times. Brent Franklin won three in a row from 1985 to 1987. Jim Nelford won back to back in 1975 and 1976 and finished second in 1977. Richard Scott won three out of four from 2003 to 2006 and Cam Burke won two straight in 2008 and 2009. (Burke is in the field this week.)

While most winners retained their lifelong amateur status, some chose to turn pro, with varied success. Nelford, for example, was on a promising path on the PGA TOUR when an accident ended his career. Thus far, 11 Canadian Amateur champions have won on TOUR, including Canadians Ken Black, Richard Zokol, Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes. Rod Spittle, who defeated Nelford in the 1977 Amateur and won again in 1978, won the PGA TOUR Champions AT&T Championship in 2010.

This year’s field is packed with talent, as usual. Defending champion Hugo Bernard of Mont St-Hilaire, Que., is coming off medallist honours at the U.S. Amateur qualifier in Maine. Florida’s Andy Zhang, 19, finished second to Bernard last year and is ranked 37th in the world. Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., winner of three straight Canadian Mid-Amateur Championships, recently set a course record at Ontario’s Granite Golf Club on his way to medallist honours at the U.S. Amateur qualifier held there. Austin James of Bath, Ont., a member of Team Canada’s national amateur squad, won the NCAA’s Big South Men’s Championship in 2016. A sentimental favourite would be Jimmy Jones of Tampa, Fla., son of the late Dawn Coe-Jones, an LPGA standout who is an honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame. A junior at the University of South Florida, he posted six top-25 finishes in 2016-2017 to lead the team.

There’s more on the line for the winner this week than the title and the Earl Grey Trophy. He will earn exemptions into this year’s U.S. Amateur at the Riviera Country Club in California and next year’s RBC Canadian Open. If applicable, the champion will also be eligible for an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur.

For more information on the Canadian Amateur including field, starting times and love scoring, click here. Spectators are welcome and there is no admission fee.

RENO, Nev. – Greg Owen of England had nine birdies on Saturday to take five-point third round lead of the Barracuda Championship.

Owen had eight birdies and three pars on 11 holes before a double-bogey on 18 to finish a 14-point round in the modified Stableford scoring system that gave him 37 points going into Sunday’s final round.

Stuart Appleby and Derek Fathauer both had birdies on 18 to finish round three tied for second with 32 points. Ricky Barnes had 15 points, including five consecutive birdies, to move up 14 spots into fourth place with 31 points. Second-round leader Richy Werenski had three of his four bogies on the back nine and fell into a tie for fifth with Tom Hoge, Ben Martin and Dicky Pride with 30 points apiece.

The tournament is the PGA Tour’s only Stableford scoring event. The system awards eight points for a double eagle, five points for an eagle, two points for a birdie and deducts a point for a bogey and three points for a double bogey or worse.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was tied for 55th at 16 points, while Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch was 68th at eight points. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., withdrew from the competition.

MILWAUKEE, Wisconsin – Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario) made nine birdies and posted the lowest round of her career to vault into the 36-hole lead at the PHC Classic on Saturday at Brown Deer Park. Marchand turned in an 8-under, 64 to get to 9-under, 135. She has a two-stroke lead over Krista Puisite (Riga, Latvia), Laura Wearn (Charlotte, N.C.) and Rachel Rohanna (Waynesburg, Pa.).

The 64 is a tournament record for the PHC Classic, which started in 2015.

Marchand took full advantage of ideal scoring conditions. After cool and windy conditions on Friday, players were greeted with warm and calm weather on Saturday. There were a total of 28 rounds in the 60’s on Saturday.

There will be 70 players competing on Sunday as the cut was made at 1-over, 145.

Marchand, 25, started on the back nine with a string of three birdies in a row on holes 11, 12 and 13. She also made birdie on 15 and then made her lone bogey of the day on hole 17. Marchand made five birdies on her inward nine including finishing with birdies on holes six, eight and nine.

“I don’t really have many words for the round, it was one of those experiences that just happens and you don’t force it,” explained Marchand. “I told my caddy that I wanted to make some putts today and they just started dropping. I didn’t force anything and it turned out great.”

Marchand, who turned in a 1-under, 71 on Friday, said the early start gave her confidence for the rest of the round.

“I was making better contact today and I started to feel more comfortable with my swing,” said Marchand. “I wasn’t doubting anything, everything was just happening. I built a lot of confidence on the front.”

Marchand will sleep on the lead for the first time in her career on the Symetra Tour.

“I take it as a challenge,” said the former N.C. State golfer. “I want to be in these positions to gain experience and try and come out on top. I want to do my same routine tonight and tomorrow morning and act like it is any other day. I think it is possible, I know I can play well.”

Marchand said she would lean on the experience at the Manulife LPGA Classic when she went into the final-round in the top 10 and had the pressure of playing in her home country on a sponsors exemption.

A win would serve two purposes. The $15,000 first-place payout would move her from 41st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list to likely inside the top 20. A victory would also send her to The Evian Championship, the fifth major on the LPGA schedule.

“Being able to play in the Evian would obviously be a great experience,” said Marchand. “I have a sponsors exemption into the Canadian Open at the end of August so getting another opportunity the next week would be awesome. Anytime I can play up there (LPGA) is great because that is the goal. To go to France would be great too because I have never been there.”

Marchand has four career top 10 finishes on the Symetra Tour including one this season. Her best result is a third place finish at the 2016 Garden City Charity Classic in Kansas.

Marchand and Puisite will play in the final group on Sunday starting at 1:10 p.m.

DORI CARTER EYES EVIAN AFTER WHIRLWIND WEEK: Dori Carter (Valdosta, Georgia) flew to
Scotland last week to compete in the Aberdeen Asset Management Ladies Scottish Open. She made the cut and then flew back to the U.S. to compete in the PHC Classic and arrived in Milwaukee on Monday night.

She carded a 3-under, 69 on Saturday to get to a tie for 12th.

“A week ago I woke up in Scotland and I’m here now playing in Milwaukee so I’ve had a crazy last two weeks,” explained Carter, who has made 117 career starts on the LPGA. “I was a little jet-lagged and
never quite adjusted to what we had over in Scotland. It was a last minute trip, but I had fun.”

Carter is playing the PHC Classic to try and qualify for The Evian Championship.

“It’s a major on the LPGA so it’s a huge deal,” said Carter. “It would be a big confidence boost to help me finish the year strong.”

Carter plans on being in full attack mode with quite a few stokes to make up Sunday.

“Honestly, being in attack mode is not a bad way to play regardless of the situation,” said Carter. “I don’t have anything to lose, I’m here to win a golf tournament and I’m also here to maintain the
competitiveness.”

LORI BETH ADAMS 16 STROKES BETTER: Lori Beth Adams (Burlington, N.C.) shot an 8-over, 80 on Friday and was in a tie for 147 (out of 156 golfers). Only seven golfers turned in scores higher than 80 on Friday. Beth Adams not only made the cut, but moved all the way up to a tie for 38th with an 8-under, 64 on Saturday.

It was an incredible turnaround that saw her improve by 16 strokes. She made eight birdies on Saturday compared to just one on Friday. She made seven birdies and a double on Friday compared to a bogey-free card on Saturday.

“I just made a bunch of long putts,” said Beth Adams. “I saw one go in and it continued from there. It was definitely a different feeling.”

Her longest putt of the day was a 60-footer on hole five.

“I just proved to myself that I know I can post low scores,” said Beth Adams, who has two top 10 finishes this season. “I hope the putts continue to fall on Sunday.”

FRENCH NATIVE STILL IN HUNT AFTER 25-FOOTER ON 18: French native Marion Ricordeau (Laon, France) didn’t have the putter going like she did on Friday when she turned in a 6-under, 66, but she
ended her round with a 25-footer on nine to post a 1-over, 73. She is four shots off the lead at 5-under through 36.

“Finally, I made one,” said Ricordeau, who was in good spirits after the round. “I was just hoping I could make one today as I had only three birdies and they were all in close range. The hole seemed to be very big yesterday and very tiny today. I’m just glad the last one dropped. I just didn’t have the pace today.”

Ricordeau said she didn’t sleep well last night. She woke up at 1:30 a.m. and couldn’t go back to sleep. She was scared of over sleeping so when she woke up at 1:30 a.m., she didn’t go back to sleep and was at the course by 6:15 a.m. for her 7:30 tee time.

“I hope I’m not too far back to play for the spots in Evian and even for the win,” said Ricordeau. “I just want to do my normal routine and hopefully I get more rest.”

Ricordeau is a tie for sixth.

RACHEL ROHANNA IN MIX FOR SECOND WIN: Rachel Rohanna started slow with two bogeys over her first six holes, but finished with four birdies and no bogeys over her final 12 holes.

She is in a tie for second into the final-round.

“I started rough with a bogey on the first hole, but I brought it back with a 2-putt birdie on my 9th hole (the 18th),” said Rohanna. “Overall, I’m hitting the ball really well and putting great.”

Rohanna is hoping for a win or second place finish to qualify for The Evian Championship.

“It would be my first time to France and it would be my second major championship in two years so it would be really exciting,” said Rohanna. “To have LPGA status and give myself a shot to play Evian and move up the money list would be big. I just have to keep it going and keep smiling.”

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland – I.K. Kim stood on the first tee at the Women’s British Open and seemed to have everything going against her.

The wind was rising. Heavy rain was falling. The temperature was dropping. If that wasn’t enough, Inbee Park had just toured Kingsbarns Links in a course record-tying 64 and was one shot behind. Stacy Lewis, another past Women’s British Open champion, was another shot back after a 65.

Kim answered every challenge Saturday.

In weather that turned out better than expected – only one heavy shower – Kim shot a bogey-free 66 by converting a string of birdie putts. With one round to play, the 29-year-old South Korean was at 17-under 199 and had a six-shot lead over Georgia Hall (70) and Moriya Jutanugarn (67), the older sister of defending champion Ariya Jutanugarn.

Lexi Thompson, who started the third round just two shots behind, stumbled to a 74 and wound up 10 shots back. Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 71 and is 5 under.

Kim, five years removed from infamously missing a 1-foot putt to win the Kraft Nabisco Championship, now is poised for redemption with her first major.

Even armed with such a substantial lead, there will be pressure on her stamina and usually reliable putting stroke. Even five years on, the memory lives on of her clasping her hand over her mouth when she missed her tap-in for victory, eventually losing in a playoff to Sun-Young Yoo.

“I have finally been able to let go of that,” Kim said. “I was disappointed with my golf after 2012. I criticized myself too much, which is not healthy. So it was tough. I never stopped liking the game, but what happened did take away some of the joy. I certainly don’t get surprised by anything anymore.”

Should she falter in the race for her first major and the $487,500 first-place prize, there is plenty of experience in her wake – from Park, the biggest star on the LPGA Tour over the last decade, and from Lewis.

Both took advantage of the benign morning weather to make substantial progress up the leaderboard. Park rose from a tie for 48th to a tie for fourth alongside Ally McDonald, who shot a 70. Lewis moved all the way up to a tie for sixth.

“I putted great and hit the ball great,” Park said. “That’s something I have been really struggling with for the last month. It doesn’t matter how many shots I’m back. I’ll just try to play my golf tomorrow. That’s all I can do.”

Lewis also credited an improved performance to her putting – and her mother.

“I really putted pretty poorly the first two days,” Lewis said. “My mom told me I needed to take my putter straighter back. And that’s what I worked on today.”

In contrast to the success of those players still owning a vague chance of victory, Thompson ended her chances with a sloppy display both on and off the greens. Despite three birdies on the back nine, Thompson took a double bogey on the 16th hole on her way to 74.

She was tied for 13th, along with Michelle Wie, who rallied from a 76 on Friday to post a 69.

AKRON, Ohio – Thomas Pieters finds golf to be a lot more enjoyable when he’s playing from the fairway.

Sometimes, that includes another fairway.

The big hitter from Belgium ripped a fairway metal from the third fairway at Firestone over the trees and onto the green at the par-5 second hole, leading to one of his three straight birdies to start the third round at the Bridgestone Invitational. Pieters needed another long shot – this one a 30-foot birdie putt that rammed into the back of the cup – to cap off a wild day with a 4-under 66 and a share of the lead with Zach Johnson.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is three shots back following a 67. He finished his round with birdies on Nos. 16 and 17. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 73 and is 11 over.

Johnson, who watched Rory McIlroy blast drives 300 yards or more all day, showed that an efficient wedge game works, too. Just like Pieters, he had eight birdies in a round of 65 and holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the last hole.

Johnson now figures to get another front-row seat to the power game.

Pieters and Johnson were at 9-under 201 going into the final round, and it’s particularly meaningful for both of them.

Johnson hasn’t won since he captured his second major at St. Andrews, and he’s just now starting to find some form with his short game. Pieters is a three-time winner on the European Tour who showed his awesome potential at the Ryder Cup last year, and now has his best chance to win in America since he captured the NCAA title at Riviera while playing for Illinois.

Pieters headed for the driving range after the round to figure out his driver. He was 5 under through eight holes and led by three shots when his accuracy took a turn in every direction – mostly to the left. He didn’t hit a fairway after the 10th hole, dropped three shots and fell out of the lead only as long as it took him to make his eighth and final birdie .

“First eight holes I was in the fairway, hit good shots, made putts,” Pieters said. “And the last 11 is a struggle. I just was out of position every hole. Tomorrow I’ve just got to figure out a way to hit fairways. That’s it.”

Johnson only missed two fairways. More importantly, he is giving himself chances and converted.

“Honing in the wedges with that distance control has been the key, and I think especially the scoring irons,” Johnson said. “And then on a course like this, you’ve got to hit the ball in the fairway. This is the best I’ve driven it probably all year. It’s probably the best driver I’ve had in my bag all year, if not ever.”

He said that after playing with McIlroy, who now has hit 39 out of his 42 drives at Firestone at least 300 yards. McIlroy, however, had to settle for a 68 and left him three shots behind in pursuit of his first victory since the Tour Championship last year.

“I felt like I could have got a lot more out of it,” McIlroy said. “I think if I would have walked off today with a 65 or a 66, I would have felt that was a fair reflection of how I played. But only three behind going into tomorrow, I can get off to a fast start and try and put a bit of pressure on the guys up ahead of me.”

One shot out of the lead was Scott Hend of Australia, who got into his first Bridgestone Invitational on a loophole and posted a 63 even with two three-putt bogeys. The World Golf Championship set aside one spot for the winner of a designated event on the Asian Tour. When that tournament never came together, organizers agreed to take the winner of the Order of Merit from the previous year.

Hend is making the most of his chances in his debut at Firestone. After his lone bogey on the par-3 seventh with a three-putt bogey, Hend took only 10 putts over the final 11 holes, three of them from 30 feet or longer, one of those for par.

“Just channeling my inner Jordan Spieth,” he said.

Hideki Matsuyama, already with one World Golf Championship he won last fall in Shanghai, had a 67 and was two shots behind.

Spieth, meanwhile, needed to channel his inner Hend. He took bogey on the last two holes for a 71 to slip seven shots behind in his bid to win his third straight tournament going into the PGA Championship next week.

Pieters has been looked upon as yet another player to add to the deepening talent pool of young players, especially after his 4-1 record in the Ryder Cup last year at Hazeltine. He has a big game and big expectations, and he can run hot when his game goes sideways.

Pieters made only three pars over his last 11 holes. He took solace going into the final round because he believes he can straighten out his driver, and because he’s in contention for a World GolfChampionship.

“My bad golf is getting better,” he said. “That’s always good.”

Sean O’Hara, Maxwell Ferrari, Riley Goss and nine others earned exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship weather-delayed qualifying event at The Toronto Golf Club on Saturday.
O’Hara shot the low round of the event with a 3-under-par 67 after he went bogey-free on the back nine with three birdies, largely due to a red-hot putter.

“I putted really well today,” he said, next to the 18th green. “I had 13 putts on the back nine which really came as a relief because I’ve putted poorly all year.”

Most impressively, the 20-year-old from Mississauga, Ont., booked his ticket into 113th playing of the event just two months removed from a six-month recovery period for a broken shin.

“I was injured from December to June,” he said. “I didn’t even touch a golf club. I started making little half swings two months ago but I was just really weak because I hadn’t move my leg in six months. I still don’t have my power back, I’m still down about 10 mph in clubhead speed, but I can’t complain much shooting 67.”

Maxwell Ferrari, from Farmingham, Mass., and Riley Goss from Toronto, Ont., shot matching 2-under-par 68s, both limiting themselves to just one bogey.

Ferrari, who started on the back nine, got off to a rough start after he put his opening tee shot into the trees on the right side of the 10th hole but managed to head to No. 11 unscathed.

“After my ball was in the trees, I hit a really nice wedge shot to within four feet and made that for par,” Ferrari said. “That kind of settled me down and put the round in the right direction.
From there I just stuck to my process and tried to stay calm the whole round and take it shot-by-shot.”

Goss got off to a hot start with birdies on holes four, seven and eight on Friday, but he, like most of the afternoon draw, was forced to put his round on hold due to dangerous weather conditions. Knowing that he was in a good spot at the resumption of play on Saturday, the 22-year-old played steady golf and finished up with one bogey and nine pars.

“After the rain delay went off I knew that I needed to par-in today and I’ll be fine,” he said. “I was playing well and I lost my momentum after the delay, but I played well enough to finish so I’m happy about that.”

The remaining players earning exemptions are: Sameer Kalia (Campbellville, Ont.), Mac Carter (Coburg, Ont.), John Burghardt (Oakville, Ont.), Austin Ryan (Waterloo, Ont.), Joshua Montgomery (Ancaster, Ont.), Conner Watt (Mississauga, Ont.), Andy Butler (Oakmont, Pa.), William Gallacher (Calgary, Alta.) and David Greenaway (Barrie, Ont.).

The first, second and third alternates are Brandon Mihalo (Windsor, Ont.), Dominic Schnepf (Ankeny, Iowa) and Chad Watts Denyes (Hamilton, Ont.), respectively.

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship takes place from Aug. 7-10 at The Toronto Golf Club and Islington Golf Club in Toronto, Ont., with a field of 264 players competing from nine different countries.

The field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties for the final two rounds contested at The Toronto Golf Club.

In addition to claiming the title of 2017 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2017 U.S. Amateur at The Riviera Country Club in Pacific Palisades, Calif., and the 2018 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Click here for full qualifier results.

HAYWARD, Calif. _ Stephen Curry missed the cut Friday night against professional golfers one notch below the PGA Tour.

But not before leaving some of golf’s best players impressed that a two-time MVP for the Golden State Warriors could enter their arena and look respectable.

Curry opened with a 4-over 74 on the TPC Stonebrae and needed a career round to stay for the weekend. He shot a 74 again on Friday to finish tied for 148th. He missed the cut by 11 shots.

Curry bogeyed two of the first three holes on Friday and shot a 39 on a 3-hour front nine. He made five straight pars and birdied No. 14 but he played the final three holes at plus-1 with two bogeys and a birdie on 17.

No matter.

“That was awesome what he did yesterday,” British Open champion Jordan Spieth said Friday at the Bridgestone Invitational. “I think he certainly beat most everybody’s expectations, but I don’t think that really surprised him. It was pretty cool _ really cool _ to see.

“You see him fist-pumping out there, and just him talking about how nervous he was when he heard his name called, it just makes us feel a little better when sometimes some of the stuff he does looks like a robot.”

Stanford alum Andrew Yun shot a 62 on Friday and finished two rounds at 8-under 127. Fellow American Brandon Harkins is two shots back after rounds of 64 and 65.

One of the highlights for Curry in the opening round was a long birdie putt and telling his caddie to “Go get that” from the cup. That was the famous line Spieth said to his caddie at Royal Birkdale two weeks ago after a 50-foot eagle putt to take the lead.

“To be honest, I think it’s pretty special for a two-time MVP to be able to shoot 74 at a pro event and beat other pros,” former PGA champion Jason Day said.

No one expected much from Curry, who last year played in the pro-am at the PGA Tour’s season opener in Napa. The field included players who have competed in majors this year and seven players who have won on the PGA Tour.

The question in some corners was how high his score would be.

“I was asked if I thought he was going to break 80, and that’s the hand grenade question,” Paul Casey said. “But 4 over is really good. It’s a lot of pressure, and he exceeded my expectations.”

Zach Johnson, a two-time major champion, said he has a friend who knows Curry and said he was a good player. The score in the first round was enough to make a believer out of Johnson.

“Clearly, he is,” Johnson said. “I don’t know that golf course. Someone said they shoot pretty low there often, but it doesn’t matter. You’ve still got to put the ball in the hole. First round as an amateur in a professional tournament? That’s pretty good.”

Johnson vaguely recalled the time Jerry Rice, the Hall of Fame receiver for the San Francisco 49ers, played in the tournament. Rice shot 90.

“He’s a good athlete. They’re both good athletes,” Johnson said. “I’m not going to be playing for the 49ers.”