Graham DeLaet was the big mover among Canadians vying for spots on the 2017 Presidents Cup International team. DeLaet, a member of the 2013 International Presidents Cup team, tied for 10th at the PGA TOUR’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, last week.

It was the three-time Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada winner’s fifth top-10 of the 2016-17 season but his first since tying for sixth at the RBC Heritage in April.

Adam Hadwin remains the top Canadian in The Presidents Cup standings. Hadwin is 11th, remaining where he was last week after missing the cut at the Memorial.

The top-10 players from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of September 4 will make Captain Nick Price’s team. Mackenzie Hughes, at No. 30, is the next-highest Canadian in the standings. From those not qualifying, Price will then have two at-large selections.

The 2017 Presidents Cup will be held September 28-October 1 at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. The U.S. defeated the International team by one point at the 2015 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

In history, DeLaet and Mike Weir are the only Canadians who have played in The Presidents Cup. Weir is a five-time participant, with a 13-9-2 record in his 24 matches. In 2007, Royal Montreal Golf Club hosted the biennial event, with the U.S. winning 19.5-14.5.

Canadian Standings through June 4

Mack Duke of Camden, Maine, carded a 2-under par 70 to earn medallist honours at the final RBC Canadian Open Regional qualifier of 2017 at Club de Golf la Vallee du Richelieu – Vercheres Course.

Duke’s first place finish earns him a spot in the Final Qualifier taking place at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont., July 24^th.

A minimum of four golfers will advance through final Monday qualifying to the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, in Oakville, Ont., from July 24-30.

“Qualifiers are tough because one bad shot can kick you right out of it,” said Duke following his round.   “You have to be consistent and try to play smart. You can’t get too aggressive and you have to make putts when they are offered up.”

After going out in a bogey free 2-under par 34 on the front nine, Duke dropped two more birdies on the back nine to combat two bogeys. He felt confident with his putter all day.

“The greens were really good speed for making putts,” he added. “They weren’t crazy fast, and weren’t too slow, so you could hit all your putts pretty firm and aggressive. I just stuck to that and made a few putts today.”

Sixty-seven golfers competed in the Quebec qualifier. In addition to Duke, 15 players are also moving on to the Final Qualifier at Heron Point.

Seventeen-year-old amateur Griffin Jones from Manotick, Ont., finished second one stroke behind Duke at 1 under par. Quebec City’s Louis-Alexandre Pitre was solo third at even par.

Amateurs Cullen Chung (Westmount, Que.) and Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) finished in a tie for fourth with professional Francis Berthiaume (Valleyfield, Que.) at 1 over par.

The Quebec Regional Qualifier was the third and final Regional Qualifying event. Provided 100 or more players were in the field at a Regional Qualifier, the low qualifier received direct exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.

Otherwise, the top 15 percent of finisher at each qualifier are eligible to compete at the Final Qualifying event.

Additional information and the full leaderboard from Monday’s RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier at Vallee du Richelieu can be found here.

The Following Golfers Advanced Final Qualifer

1. Mack Duke, Camden, ME (34-36–70 -2)
2. Griffin Jones (a), Manotick, ON (36-35–71 -1)
3. Louis-Alexandre Pitre, Quebec, QC (38-34–72 E)
T4. Cullen Chung (a), Westmount, QC (36-37–73 +1
T4. Étienne Papineau (a), St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC (36-37–73 +1)
T4. Francis Berthiaume, Valleyfield, QC (38-35–73 +1)
T7. Marc Bourgeois, Dieppe, NB (36-38–74 +2)
T7. Benoit Boudreau, Longueuil, QC (37-37–74 +2)
T7. Gabriel Gingras (a), University of Ottawa Gee-Gees (36-38–74 +2)
T10. Vincent Blanchette, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, QC (37-38–75 +3)
T10. Cole Nead (a), Toronto, ON (37-38–75 +3)
T10. Marc Casullo (a), Aurora, ON (37-38–75 +3)
T10. Joseph D’Alfonso, Caledon, Ontario (38-37–75 +3)
T10. Yanik Laforest, Mirabel, QC (36-39–75 +3)
T10. David Iaderosa (a), Ottawa, ON (38-37–75 +3)

Full results

McMaster University’s Centre for Continuing Education (CCE) is entering the world of golf management education. Having recently acquired the Golf Management Institute of Canada’s (GMIC) successful online program in golf and resort management, McMaster will offer this program specifically designed for the global golf and resort industry beginning in August. With over 32,000 golf facilities in more than 200 countries, the launch of this unique program will be welcomed worldwide.

According to a recent study conducted by the National Allied Golf Association (NAGA), golf in Canada is a $19.7 billion industry employing over 300,000 people at 2,500 facilities nationwide.

Adult learners and professionals looking to enter this exciting global industry now have the opportunity to sharpen their management skills through this  diploma program offered by McMaster University’s Centre for Continuing Education (CCE). Students who complete the 10-course online program will earn both a diploma from McMaster University and an industry credential from the GMIC.

“I am delighted that we are able to offer this program,” says Lorraine Carter, Director of McMaster University Centre for Continuing Education. “It is an important complement to our existing business programs and a commitment by McMaster’s Centre for Continuing Education to offer new and diverse programs. In particular, this program demonstrates our emerging interest in learning opportunities not only in business but in specific areas of business practice.”

Students will take courses in a wide range of areas pertaining to golf and resort management, including golf club governance, finance, strategic management, marketing, human resources, turf management, golf course design and entrepreneurship.

“The original GMIC online program in golf management was developed in 1999 to train future leaders of the Canadian golf industry,” says Grant Fraser, founder of the GMIC. “Over the past 18 years, the GMIC has successfully done this.

“Now, through McMaster’s Centre for Continuing Education, the program will only get better. McMaster University has a world-class reputation, and to be able to offer this unique program through one of Canada’s best universities is truly an exciting opportunity for anyone looking to pursue a management career in the global golf and resort industry.”

The program is well suited for working professionals looking to advance their careers and pursue something they are truly passionate about. With a flexible, part-time schedule, students who wish to earn their diploma in less than a year can do so by taking two online courses at a time.

“Studying online provides learners with the convenience and flexibility to pursue new career options so they don’t need to quit their jobs,” explains Fraser.“We’ve always described the program as one that brings the business of golf to the student. It’s very user-friendly.”

Graduates of the program will enter a highly diverse job market with many career opportunities available including public and private golf club management, sales and marketing, tournament coordination, golf association administration, as well as positions within the hospitality/resort sector in Canada and around the globe.

The courses offered in this program will provide participants with the practical knowledge to perform better at their current job or to attain a wide variety of higher positions within the golf industry, such as general manager, food & beverage manager, marketing specialist, sales representative, golf professional or golf course superintendent.

At a senior management level this program will also prepare owners or prospective owners of golf businesses to make more sound decisions.

The program is an open enrollment program which means that no application is required. Interested students are invited to register now at www.mcmastercce.ca

PUMA Golf Canada and Golf Town have joined forces to pledge their support for PGA TOUR star and Puma Golf ambassador Graham DeLaet and his wife Ruby’s charitable efforts to improve the health and wellness of children, as well as the development of junior golf across the Country.

PUMA Golf and Golf Town have developed a Graham & Ruby DeLaet Foundation signature tee Shirt collection that will be sold exclusively at Golf Town locations throughout Canada, with proceeds from the sale of the shirts being donated to the Foundation.

“Both Graham & Ruby have been amazing ambassadors for PUMA Golf and for the Canadian golf community as a whole,” said Adam Cox, General Manger for COBRA PUMA Golf Canada. “We are extremely honoured to have them both as part of the PUMA Golf family and are particularly grateful that we can support such an amazing foundation.”

“It’s exciting for us to partner with COBRA PUMA in support of the Graham & Ruby DeLaet Foundation. Growing the game of golf and connecting with our community of golfers starts with fostering passion for the game in juniors and giving back, so we are proud to play a small part at Golf Town by launching this in our stores and online.” said Chad McKinnon, President of Golf Town.

The limited edition collection of signature shirts will be available as of June 5^th, 2017 at each of Golf Town’s retail locations throughout Canada and via their website at golftown.com. The shirts will come in four separate colour ways and will encompass the Graham & Ruby DeLaet Foundation logo on the left sleeve and a Canadian maple leaf on the right – tying back to DeLaet’s Canadian roots.

“I am happy to be working with Puma again on this initiative at Golf Town stores across Canada,” said Graham DeLaet, PGA Tour Player and PUMA Golf Athlete. “Our previous campaign was extremely successful from an awareness and fundraising standpoint, and we hope to grow it further this year to continue enabling our Foundation’s ability to give back.”

Golf Canada and RBC today announced Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Si Woo Kim and Bryson DeChambeau have made early commitments to compete at the 2017 RBC Canadian Open from July 21-27 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Johnson, who has been No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings since February of 2017, has three PGA TOUR victories this season to lead the FedEx Cup standings.

Bubba Watson last competed at the RBC Canadian Open in 2015, where he finished runner-up to Jason Day.

Si Woo Kim is coming off the biggest win of his career, taking top spot at the 2017 THE PLAYERS Championship to climb to No. 32 in the Official World Golf Ranking and 22^nd on the FedEx Cup Standings.

DeChambeau, a popular player with fans, enjoyed a career-best PGA TOUR finish at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open, where he tied for second with Retief Goosen and Bill Lunde.

Ten members of Team RBC have also committed to compete at Canada’s National Open Championship, including Canada’s Adam Hadwin, Graham DeLaet, Nick Taylor and David Hearn. The Canadians will be joined by teammates Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer and Brandt Snedeker.

In addition, a sponsor exemption has been extended to Jared du Toit of Kimberly, B.C. The Golf Canada Amateur Team member sprung to notoriety thanks to a stellar showing at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, where he finished 9th.

The field also features all three Order of Merit winners from the first three seasons of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, including Canadian and 2013 Order of Merit winner Mackenzie Hughes, along with Joel Dahmen (2014) and J.J. Spaun (2015). Other early Canadian player commitments include Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Honoured Member Mike Weir.

“Our field is coming together and we’re thrilled to welcome some of the best player in the world, a good mix of top international talent and a solid list of Canadians as early commitments for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin.

A Canadian has not won the RBC Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. However, Mackenzie Hughes (The RSM Classic) and Adam Hadwin (Valspar Championship) each have PGA TOUR wins this season.

“This will be an exciting year for Canadian golf fans for sure,” added McLaughlin. “We’ve come close in recent years with David Hearn finishing 3_^rd in 2015 and du Toit’s terrific run last year. This may be the year the drought finally comes to an end.”

Team Canada member Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., won the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to earn an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open, while NHL Referee and Elmira, Ont., native Garrett Rank won his spot by claiming the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. In mid-May, Matt Hill of Brights Grove, Ont., won the Ontario Regional Qualifier to earn his spot.

Additional player announcements will be made in the coming weeks. Players have until 5 pm ET Friday before tournament week to confirm their participation with the PGA TOUR.

Information regarding tickets, free 17-and-under junior passes, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open can be found at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

Tampa, Florida’s Lee McCoy claimed victory in his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada start on Sunday, cruising to an eight-shot victory at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, the first event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

McCoy, a former amateur and college star at the University of Georgia, shot a final round 6-under 66 to turn a three-shot overnight lead into an eight-shot win over Mequon, Wisconsin’s Jordan Niebrugge and Lexington, Kentucky’s Hunter Stewart.

“This is certainly one of the most memorable weeks in my life,” said McCoy. “To play in front of a crowd and with this many good players is certainly special. I knew nobody was going to lay down out there, and to get away by as many as I did was something I could have never predicted.”

Beginning the day with a three-shot advantage over fellow competitor Scott Vincent, McCoy wasted no time in setting the tone for the day, making birdie at the first and turning in 3-under on the front nine to lead by four.

That winning feeling…@LeeMcCoyGolf is a winner in his first start on the #MackenzieTour ? pic.twitter.com/hG2zPWawH2

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) June 5, 2017

With none of his chasers able to mount a charge, the 23-year old McCoy continued to pull away and birdied his final two holes to reach 20-under par for the week and win by eight, representing the largest margin of victory ever on the Mackenzie Tour.

“People don’t understand how good the players are on this Tour. There’s so many good players in this field, and I knew I had a tall task today with Scott in my group, and Niebrugge and Jake (Knapp) right behind me. Those guys have so much firepower and they’re all very accomplished players,” said McCoy of his pursuers.

For McCoy, the win represents a sharp turnaround in his fortunes from the end of 2016, when he broke his wrist in two places in a car accident before the Second Stage of Web.com Tour Q-School. Now, he’s one step closer to earning Web.com Tour status for 2018.

“It sure beats sitting on my couch, I can tell you that,” said McCoy with a laugh. “My goal is to try to simply win as much as I can. I’m 1-for-1 I guess, but you certainly can’t win every week with this many good players, but I’m going to try to win as many times as I can.”

McCoy becomes the fourth straight player to make the Freedom 55 Financial Open his first win on the Mackenzie Tour, joining Joel Dahmen (2014), Drew Weaver (2015) and Dan McCarthy (2016).

With a 7-under total and a T20 finish, Sarnia, Ontario’s Matt Hill earned Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $25,000 prize.

Hill is a member of Freedom 55 Financial’s Team Freedom along with fellow players Ryan Williams, Mackenzie Hughes, Taylor Pendrith, Adam Svensson and Albin Choi.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Céleste Dao went wire-to-wire on Sunday to win the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship, while William Duquette cruised to victory in the boy’s division at Club de golf Milby.

Dao finished her championship run with a 1-under-par 72 – her second under-par score of the tournament. The 16-year-old started her up-and-down final round by only recording one par on the front nine before she calmed her game down after the turn.

“My start was kind of tough,” she said, after her victory. “I didn’t drive the ball very well and it took me a couple of holes to figure my swing out. I started with a lot of bogeys and birdies, but didn’t stop attacking the pin. In the middle of my round I decided to hit my three-wood and cruised in from there.”

The move to her three-wood paid instant dividends as she recorded a par on each of the first five holes after heading to the back nine.

Ellie Szeryk, from London, Ont., maintained her second-place finish with a 4-under-par 69 – the lowest score of the tournament in the girl’s division – which saw her finish at 1-over-par for the tournament, four strokes back of Dao. She made only two bogeys on Sunday and recorded an eagle on the par-5 fifth hole.

Brigitte Thibault finished in third place at 3 over par. The Rosemere, Que., native shot a 70 on Sunday after she recorded four birdies in five holes on the back nine.

Rounding out the top six, all of-whom are advancing to the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship held Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont., are: Haley Yerxa (+5) from Ottawa, Ont., Sarah Beqaj (+9) from Toronto, Ont., and Emily Zhu (+10) from Richmond Hill, Ont.

In the boy’s division, Duquette cruised to the victory with a comfortable seven-shot lead. He was the co-leader after the first round and then captured the outright lead by carding a 6-under-par 67 in his second round. On Sunday, he shot a 2-under-par 71 to notch his third consecutive round under par.

“I was just trying to play safe today,” he said. “I wanted to hit a lot of greens and that’s what I did. I made a lot of putts in the first five holes and that really helped me through the whole day. I had a big lead after two rounds, so that made it a little bit easier.”

Finishing in second after a 3-under-par 70 was Jared Dandy from Vankleek Hill, Ont. The 18-year-old registered four birdies on Sunday paired with only one bogey – on the final hole of the tournament.
Christopher Vandette, the 15-year-old from Beaconsfield, Que., who won the Ontario Championship last week, scored a 5-under-par 68 to move him to even par for the tournament and into a tie for third with Louis-Alexandre Jobin-Colgan.

Eric Byun dropped a couple of spots after his 2-over-par 75 on Sunday. The Richmond Hill, Ont., product finished in sole possession of fifth at 1 over par for the tournament.

Three players participated in a playoff to determine the sixth golfer in the boy’s division to earn an exemption for the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship held July 31 – Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ont.,

Callum Davison, the event’s defending champion, outlasted Shaun Margeson, from Falls River, N.S., and Antoine Roy, from Rimouski, Que., after two playoff holes. Davison, from Duncan B.C., shot 1 under par to force the extra holes while both Margeson and Roy were 2 over on the day, allowing Davison to sneak into the final exemption spot.

In-Kyung Kim held off two-time defending champion Anna Nordqvist on Sunday in the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her fifth tour title.

Tied with Paula Creamer for the second-round lead, Kim closed with a 2-under 69 in windy conditions for a two-stroke victory over Nordqvist at Stockton Seaview.

“Just so windy. … It was tough,” Kim said. “I feel really pleased with how I played today. Was really tricky and challenge out there, but I gave my best.”

Kim was making her sixth start since bruising her tailbone falling down stairs. The 28-year-old South Korean player won the Reignwood LPGA Classic late last season in China.

“That took a long time. Now I feel much better,” Kim said. “But actually helped me to work on my upper body – more stronger – while I couldn’t work on my low body. But I’m really happy to come back stronger than was I before.”

Nordqvist shot a 69.

“Just having the honour to back-to-back defend is quite amazing,” Nordqvist said. “There is a little bit of pressure coming into it, but it’s just been fun. I’m trying to embrace it. I love this golf course, I love hitting the shots. … It’s been really windy the last two days. The way I’m controlling the ball I’m really happy with. Just seem to be doing the right stuff, so I’m excited for the next couple weeks.”

Kim finished at 11-under 202.

.@SWEET_IKKIM wins the 2017 @ShopRiteLPGA!! pic.twitter.com/pTY32fNxp0

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 4, 2017

Michelle Wie had a 65 to tie for third at 7 under with Jenny Shin (69), Jacqui Concolino (70) and Jeong Eun Lee (71).

“I just stuck it in there close today,” Wie said. “I was kind of frustrated after my first round. Couldn’t get my wedges in close at all, so I spent a lot of time on the range afterward just working on my wedge game. I’m glad it paid off today. I hit it a lot closer today, which felt good.”

"It felt good today to crush all of it and keep building momentum." @themichellewie with another top-10 finish for the season! #ShopRiteLPGA pic.twitter.com/JcjYbEJ4YM

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 4, 2017

Creamer had a 74 to drop into a tie for seventh at 6 under.

“You can’t shoot over par on Sunday, that’s for sure,” Creamer said.

Creamer’s group with Kim and Moriya Jutanugarn were put on the clock for slow play on the back nine.

“We were on the clock for four holes,” Creamer said. “That’s just not going to cut it. That’s unfortunate, because I said early on to the girls we got to try to keep up. I know we’re getting behind. But for four holes, that’s a long time. We just couldn’t get a rhythm. And especially with some of these pins and with the wind and everything, it’s all happening so fast and you kind of can’t regroup. I didn’t do a very good job of that.”

After making a birdie on the par-4 13th, Kim bogeyed the par-4 14th.

“Last group, wind like this, but we were I think little slow and we were on the clock on those tricky holes,” Kim said. “I had to rush one time. The bogey I made was 150 (yards) front and I hit 170 club. My caddie was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘I had no idea. I was rushing.”’

Jutanugarn closed with a 72 to also tie for seventh at 6 under.

On Saturday, sister Ariya Jutanugarn took the No. 1 spot in the world ranking to be released Monday. Taking the week off, Ariya Jutanugarn replaced Lydia Ko atop the ranking when So Yeon Ryu missed the cut. Ko, also skipping the event, was guaranteed to lose the top spot to Ariya Jutanugarn or Ryu, and Ariya Jutanugarn got the position when Ryu failed to finish solo third or better.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jason Dufner never lost sight of the big picture even after losing a big lead. It paid off for him Sunday when he rallied from a four-shot deficit and holed a 30-foot par putt on the 18th to close out a victory in the Memorial.

Dufner lost a five-shot lead in the third round. He started the final round facing a four-shot deficit. And then he played his best golf on the back nine, and kept his composure during two rain delays, to close with a 4-under 68 and win by three shots.

“Yesterday was not my best day,” Dufner said of his 77. “But I had to get over it quick. It’s a 72-hole tournament, there’s a lot of things that can happen out there. I knew I was still in the mix.”

Dufner finished at 13-under 275 for his fifth PGA Tour victory, and he joined tournament host Jack Nicklaus as the only Ohio-born winners of the Memorial.

The only two Ohio-born players to win @MemorialGolf?@JasonDufner and @jacknicklaus. pic.twitter.com/clpNDpZnCj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 5, 2017

Not since Nick Faldo in the 1989 has anyone shot 77 in the third round and still won on the PGA Tour.

Rickie Fowler, in prime position to force a playoff on the 18th hole by making birdie, instead made bogey after Dufner ended it with his big par putt. Fowler shot 70 and tied for second with Anirban Lahiri, who closed with a 65.

Justin Thomas missed consecutive short birdie putts that stopped any momentum he had. Matt Kuchar fell back with three bogeys on the back nine. They finished another shot behind. Daniel Summerhays, who began the final round with a three-shot lead, began the back nine with two straight bogeys, and he finished with a double bogey for a 78 to tie for 10th.

Dufner set the 36-hole scoring record at Muirfield Village. No one would have been surprised Friday afternoon that he would be shaking hands with Nicklaus at the end of the tournament.

But what a ride in between.

Dufner got back into the mix quickly when Summerhays lost his three-shot lead after four holes. Over the next five hours – with 2 1/2 hours’ worth of rain delays – four players had at least a share of the lead and seven players were in the hunt.

Dufner had one stretch on the front nine of bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey. He played the front nine in even par, and then he came to life. Not only did he hit every green until the 18th on the back nine, all but one of his birdie chances came from 12 feet or closer.

He stuffed his approach on No. 10 to 4 feet and holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. After missing a pair of birdie chances in the 12-foot range on the next holes, he hit the par-5 15th in two and two-putted for birdie from 40 feet to take the lead.

Fowler fell back when he missed the 14th green long and took bogey, and then hit his fairway metal into the gallery on the 15th and failed to make birdie. Dufner gave himself a cushion on the 17th with his best drive of the day and a wedge to 3 feet.

A birdie on No. 17 gives @JasonDufner a two shot lead heading to the 18th. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/YIuNpmKBOk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 4, 2017

He made it more exciting than he preferred on the 18th by driving into thick rough just short of the bunker, and hacking out into more rough.

He put his third shot to just over 30 feet on the 18th. Fowler, who pulled his wedge left of the green, had Dufner go first to make sure Fowler would have needed to hole the birdie chip to have a chance. Dufner ended the suspense with a putt and a rare show of emotion, slamming down his fist.

Suddenly, he can start thinking about reaching the Tour Championship and possibly playing in the Presidents Cup.

“I’m pumped to be in the mix again,” Dufner said. “It’s been a good year so far, but this has made it nice.”

Fowler lost a chance to win, and so did Thomas, who already has three victories this year. Thomas saved par on the 12th to stay within one shot of the lead, but then he missed from 4 feet on the 13th and 8 feet on the 14th, two birdie chances that could have tied him with Dufner.

And after a big drive on the par-5 15th, Thomas sent his iron well right and was lucky to still be in play. He made par, then dropped a shot on the next hole and his chances were over.

The two rain delays softened the course slightly and ended what would have been a rare week of perfect weather at Muirfield Village. It still finished with a champion everyone would have expected two days ago – just not the way Dufner got there.

Weyburn, SK. native Graham DeLaet was the top Canadian finishing T10. DeLaet fired a final round 68 (-4) to jump 17 spots up the leaderboard.

For the full results click here.

Tampa, Florida’s Lee McCoy surged up the leaderboard at the Freedom 55 Financial Open on Saturday, shooting a 5-under 67 at Point Grey Golf and Country Club to take the 54-hole lead at the first event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 23-year old former University of Georgia standout reached 14-under through three rounds, turning   two-stroke deficit into a three-stroke lead heading into Sunday over Harare, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent.

“It’s always nice when the leaders come back to you a little bit, but that’s totally out of my control and it was a nice little surprise when I was starting to see the leaderboards late in the round,” said McCoy, who steadily made his move with six birdies against a single bogey on the day.

McCoy, who made headlines when he finished fourth as an amateur at the 2016 Valspar Championship on the PGA TOUR, was boosted by a comfortable pairing with friend and fellow Mackenzie Tour rookie Jordan Niebrugge.

“We were Walker Cup teammates and Palmer Cup teammates, and we played a lot in college together. We’re going down to U.S. Open Sectionals together and then driving up to the next event, and we’ll be spending plenty of time,” said McCoy of Niebrugge, who was tied for third at 10-under after a 71.

“I was hoping he was going to make that birdie putt on the last hole and we’d get paired together again.”

Niebrugge, from Mequon, Wisconsin, shared third place with Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp, who had a 68.

After concluding a brilliant amateur career last year, McCoy looked primed to head straight to the Web.com Tour and was preparing to compete at the Second Stage of Q-School when disaster struck.

He had just finished T41 while playing on a Sponsor Exemption at the PGA TOUR’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, but got into a car accident on the way to the course, fracturing his wrist in two places and ending his season.

“To sit at home and know that my game just disappeared in the matter of two or three seconds was really tough,” said McCoy, who was fortunate to avoid surgery, instead wearing a cast for two months.

“It was tough because my game was really starting to come back around at that point. I had just made a cut at the Shriners the week before I had my car accident. I was heading to Second Stage, and I had already figured in my mind that I was headed to the Web.com Tour,” said McCoy.

Now, with a clean bill of health and his game firing on all cylinders, the Georgia alum looks to make the first step back towards the Web.com Tour with a win this week in Vancouver.

“Once I got the cast off after two months, it was pretty easy. I did therapy for like two weeks, and right now it feels like I never broke it, so it’s a total, 100 per cent non-issue. I’m really lucky to not have had surgery or anything like that,” said McCoy.

McCoy was an NCAA All-America selection three times at Georgia, including 1st team selections in his junior and senior seasons. He represented the United States at the Walker Cup in 2015.

For the full leadearboard click here