Canadian, Adam Svensson, of Surrey, B.C continued his solid play at the Web.com Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship Saturday. He fired a three-under par, 69, and is one shot back of leaders, Kyoung-Hoon Lee, and Rafael Campos.

For the second straight day, Svensson was four-under par after the front nine, thanks to four birdies and no bogeys.

A double bogey on the par-4 15th dropped him to 2-under for the day. He rebounded with a birdie on the par-4 18th to finish the day three-under.

Svensson – who will tee off in the penultimate group tomorrow – is looking for his first career victory on the Web.com Tour. He has two career top-10s, his best result a T9 at the 2016 LECOM Health Challenge.

He told the PGA’s Adam Stanley after his round that he’s happy to be in a chasing position heading into Sunday.

. @WebDotComTour Svensson tells me he’d rather be chasing going into tomorrow rather than following. Enjoys being able to fire at flags on this course.

— Adam Stanley (@adam_stanley) May 6, 2017

The full leaderboard can be seen here

Santiago, Chile’s Horacio Leon shot a 2-under 70 on Friday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Comox, British Columbia to earn medalist honours at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Canada Q-School.

The 27-year old, whose older brother is two-time Mackenzie Tour winner Hugo Leon,
cruised to victory by five shots over Bear, Delaware’s Eric Onesi and Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz to secure exempt status for the 2017 season.

“I feel great. I didn’t play my best, but I knew yesterday was good enough to give me
some space to go around and be able to not stress about any putts that didn’t go in,”
said Leon, who built three-stroke lead yesterday with a sparking 65. “All in all, I’m super
happy to have exempt status this year.”

The win completes an arduous journey back from arthroscopic ankle surgery just over
three months ago, with this week’s Q-School representing Leon’s first tournament since
the procedure.

“It’s never good to get any kind of surgery done, but after trying to come back as fast
possible and in the best shape I could, it really gave me something that I didn’t have
before,” said a smiling Leon.

Onesi, who claimed medalist honours at Crown Isle in 2015 and competed in Canada over the past two seasons, carded a 72 to guarantee a return to the Mackenzie Tour this year, while Ruiz returns after having conditional status in 2015.

Three Canadians earned status at Crown Isle this week. The top Canadian, Riley Wheeldon, of Comox, B.C – who grew up playing Crown Isle – finished 6th at 11-under par, earning exempt status for the first four events of the season in the process.

“It wasn’t my best week, but I did what I needed to do. Now my goal is to play as well as
I can early and ideally turn those four events into an entire season,” said Wheeldon.

Former Team Canada National Squad member, Blair Hamilton, finished T22 at -4 under par to earn conditional status in his first full season as professional. Robbie Greenwell also earned conditional status finishing T33 at 1-over par.

Other notable qualifiers include Derek Barron who will be competing at the RBC Canadian Open Qualifier at Bear Mountain Resort on Monday, and fifth place finisher, Max McGreevy, a 3rd-team NCAA All-American at Oklahoma in 2016.

Below is a breakdown of the exemptions won at Crown Isle this week.

1st – Exempt for 2017 season
5th – Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle
16th – Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle
40th – Conditional status.

The full leaderboard can be seen here

Billy Hurley III and Seamus Power of Ireland were atop the leaderboard after a day of wind, rain and a second round at the Wells Fargo Championship that didn’t finish.

A violent storm overnight and into Friday morning dumped nearly 2 inches of rain on Eagle Point Golf Club and forced a three-hour delay. Hurley had a 3-under 69, while Power shot 71 and joined him at 5-under 139.

Jon Rahm of Spain was among those one shot back.

Dustin Johnson, in his first tournament since his slip down the stairs that knocked him out of the Masters, was 2 over for the round, five shots behind. He was through 13 holes.

Phil Mickelson made double bogey on his last hole for a 72 and was at 143.

Canadian’s Nick Taylor and Mackenzie Hughes are both T12 at -3.

See who finished their round and the full leaderboard here.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C recorded eight birdies on route to a 7-under par round (65) at the Web.com Corales Puntacana Resort and Club Championship. He’s 12-under par for the championship and is two shots back after 36-holes.

Svensson rebounded well after dropping four strokes in his final two holes on Thursday. He went out in bogey-free 4-under par 32, thanks to back-to-back birdies on holes three and four, then again on holes seven and eight.

He got as low as 8-under for the day before making his lone bogey on the par-4 16th.

When he’s finding the fairway, @adamsvensson59 is tough to beat.

He’s just two back in Punta Cana. ?? pic.twitter.com/hfPm6JnH7d

— Web.com Tour (@WebDotComTour) May 5, 2017

The 23-year-old had two top-10s on the Web.com Tour last year and his best result this season was a T20 at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER. His round of 65 is one off his career best of 64 on the Web.com Tour.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Ariya Jutanugarn won a sister showdown Friday in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play, and Lydia Ko, Michelle Wie and Cristie Kerr also advanced at Club de Golf Mexico.

The third-ranked Jutanugarn edged older sister Moriya 2 up in the second round.

“Today we had fun because we are sisters – and we always have fun,” Ariya said. “She plays so good. I can’t believe I beat her today because she’s so good.”

Ariya will face Pernilla Lindberg in the round of 16 in the event that switched from stroke to match play and from November to April.

Ariya never trailed against Moriya.

“We always say, ‘Just have a good day,”’ Moriya said. “We know that we both are going to try our best, play our games. We don’t try to be easy on each other. Hopefully, next time we are not on the same pool and don’t have to see each other so early in the week.”

Ko beat Jennifer Song 1 up to guarantee staying No. 1 in the world.

Wie topped Laura Gonzalez Escallon 3 and 2, and Kerr defeated Jenny Shin 4 and 3.

Wie eagled the par-5 second hole for the second straight day. She made a 20-foot birdie putt on No. 11 to take a 3-up lead.

“I’m happy with how I played,” Wie said. “It was a fun but tough match. I am happy the way I’m playing, and just happy to survive.”

Kerr won three weeks ago in Hawaii and lost to Haru Nomura on Sunday on the sixth hole of a playoff in Texas.

Ko will play Mi Jung Hur, a 20-hole winner over Suzann Pettersen.

Wie set up a match against friend Marina Alex.

“We are already texting each other. We do dinner every night,” Wie said. “It’s going to be fun, it’s going to be a lot of gifs sent tonight or over in the course of the day.”

Alex beat Brittany Lang 5 and 4.

Kerr will face Cydney Clanton, a 19-hole winner over Caroline Masson.

Charley Hull beat Pornanong Phatlum 2 and 1, a day after a fainting spell midway through the back nine in her first-round victory over Nelly Korda.

“It was probably a bug in the morning and it got worse and worse in the afternoon, probably from dehydration,” the 21-year-old Englishwoman said.

Hull will play Sei Young Kim, a 3-and-2 winner over Danielle Kang.

Shanshan Feng outlasted Sarah Jane Smith in 22 holes. She will play Brooke Henderson, a 2-and-1 winner over Ryann O’Toole. Henderson was 2 down after 11.

“I knew I had some work to do,” Henderson said. “I was able to do make four birdies in a row that helped my momentum. I played great today … and she played great too. It was just an awesome match.”

“We both played really well — It was an awesome match” Brooke Henderson after she defeated Ryann O’Toole 2&1 @LOYMEXICO pic.twitter.com/Uch1I7mnV0

— LPGA (@LPGA) May 5, 2017

Angela Stanford beat Olympic champion Inbee Park 3 and 2.

Carlota Ciganda, the November winner in stroke play at Club de Golf Mexico in the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational, dropped out with a 21-hole loss to Karine Icher. Stanford will play Icher.

Lindberg beat Brittany Lang 4 and 3.

The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012.

Below are the match-ups for tomorrow’s round of 16. Click here for full leaderboard.

LORENA OCHOA BRACKET
7:30 a.m. – Lydia Ko, NZL vs. Mi Jung Hur, KOR
7:40 a.m. – Shanshan Feng, CHN vs. Brooke Henderson, CAN

ANNIKA SORENSTAM BRACKET
7:50 a.m. – Ariya Jutanugarn, THA vs. Pernilla Lindberg, SWE
8 a.m. – Cydney Clanton, USA vs. Cristie Kerr, USA

JULI INKSTER BRACKET
8:10 a.m. – Michelle Wie, USA vs. Marina Alex, USA
8:20 a.m. – Sandra Gal, GER vs. Angel Yin, USA

SE RI PAK BRACKET
8:30 a.m. – Angela Stanford, USA vs. Karine Icher, FRA
8:40 a.m. – Sei Young Kim, KOR vs. Charley Hull, ENG

The 117th U.S. Open Championship continues to fill its field in preparation for the second major tournament of the season. Golf Canada, in collaboration with the USGA, and Beacon Hall Golf Club in Aurora, Ont., are set to host a U.S. Open Qualifier for the first time on May 8.

The 18-hole tournament will be one of 114 local qualifiers across 44 states and Canada, and it serves as the first of a two-step process to qualify for the U.S. Open. The Canadian Qualifier is a reaction of the growing number of Canadians who travel to the U.S. to participate in the qualifiers every year.

“The support provided by state and regional golf associations, along with Golf Canada, will allow thousands of golfers from around the world, both professional and amateur, to take part in the two-tiered process of U.S. Open qualifying,” said Stuart Francis, USGA Championship Committee chairman. “We are pleased to conduct an international local qualifier in conjunction with Golf Canada for the first time as we continue to expand qualifying opportunities around the globe for all of our USGA championships.”

In 2016, over 100 Canadians travelled to the U.S. to play in the local qualifiers — 14 earned a trip to the sectional qualifiers but none made it to the U.S. Open Championship. On Monday, a field of 75 golfers will compete for five spots to move on to sectional qualifiers.

“We are extremely excited that Golf Canada will be partnering with the USGA in running the first local qualifier for the U.S. Open Championship on home soil in nearly 20 years,” said Tournament Director Adam Helmer. “We are grateful for Beacon Hall Golf Club, one of the most beautiful courses in the country, to host the field of 75 golfers.”

NOTABLES

Danny King of Milton, Ont.
A five-time PGA of Canada major championship winner and only PGA of Canada professional to win three majors in one calendar year back in 2015, the same year he won player of the year. The 49-year-old is the second Ontario PGA player to win the PGA Ontario Championship more than four times and is currently ranked at No. 5 in the PGA of Canada.

Mitch Sutton of London, Ont.
The 25-year-old former Team Canada member captured his first national title back in 2008 at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship in Edmonton and defended his title in 2009. His best finish on the Mackenzie Tour in 2016 was a T44 at the Cape Breton Open.

J.C. Deacon of Toronto, Ont.
Is the current head coach of the Florida Gators golf team at the University of Florida in Gainsville, Fla., and he played on the Canadian Tour for three years between 2008-10 during which his highest finish was a T4 at the Saskatchewan Open in 2008.

Matt Lemay (a) of Barrie, Ont.
21-year-old amateur who made it through the 2016 qualifying round with a T3 at Mendon Golf Club in Mendon, N.Y. He is coming off a 3rd place finish at the CCAA PING Golf National Championship on Oct. 19-21.

FAST FACTS

First international local qualifier held on Canadian soil since 1999 when the Golf Association of Michigan held a qualifier in Windsor Ont., at Essex Golf and Country Club.

Top five in the field of 75 move on to sectional qualifying where 980 golfers will compete for a to-be-determined number of slots.

Qualifying is open to any professional or amateur golfer with a handicap factor not exceeding 1.4.

The last person to complete the qualifying process and go on to win the U.S. Open was Orville Moody in 1969.

Of the 14 Canadians who made it to the sectional qualifiers in 2016, only three (Drew Nesbitt, Matt Lemay and Brian Churchill-Smith) are competing on Monday.

Mackenzie Hughes (2013) and Brad Fritsch (2015) are the only two Canadians currently on the PGA TOUR who have gone through the qualifying process and made it to the final field.

Monday’s pairings.

More information on the event can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

No. 3 ranked Canadian course by U.S. Magazine Golfweek for courses built after 1960, and No. 11 on ScoreGolf’s 2016 list of Canadian golf courses.

Yardage: 7,037 yards, Par 72.

Rating/Slope: 74.8/148.

Opened in 1988 and designed by famed golf course architect Bob Cupp.

Santiago, Chile’s Horacio Leon shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Crown Isle Resort and Golf Community in Comox, British Columbia to take the 54-hole lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Canada Q-School.

The 27-year old, whose older brother is two-time Mackenzie Tour winner Hugo Leon, carded eight birdies against just a single bogey on the day to build a three-shot lead over Bear Delaware’s Eric Onesi with one round to go.

“I started great. I hit a great lag putt on one and a good birdie putt on two, and that kind
of steadied me,” said Leon, who found momentum around the turn, making six birdies in seven holes during the middle of his round.

“I wasn’t hitting it great, but then on nine I chipped in and from then on I was ready to go.”

The later portion of Leon’s round was highlighted by a tremendous up-and-down at the
par-3 16th, where the Chilean missed the green well to the right but produced an
incredible flop shot to walk away with an unlikely par.

“It was kind of not the greatest of lies. It was a tough flop shot, but I pulled it off and hit it to six inches,” said Leon. “I went at it and pulled it off, and those are the shots
sometimes that change the round.”

Local product, Riley Wheeldon who hails from Comox, continued his strong play and was tied for fourth after recording his second consecutive 69 to sit at 10-under par.

Onesi, who claimed medalist honours at Crown Isle in 2015, carded a 67 for his third
straight round in the 60s to sit solo second, while Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz
was in solo third at 11-under.

““I don’t know what it is. The shapes of the holes set up perfect for me, and I’m swinging
really well. I gave myself a lot of chances, and 5-under was probably the worst I could
have shot today.”

Going into the final round, two other Canadians are in position to earn status. Team Canada National Squad graduate Blair Hamilton and Russell Budd are both T28 at 2-under par.

Hamilton is in his inaugural professional season after turning pro in September following a strong four years at the University of Houston, while Budd is coming off a top-10 finish at a PGA Tour latinoamérica event in April.

Below is a list of the exemptions available this weekend at Crown Isle.

1st – Exempt for 2017 season
5th – Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle
16th – Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle
40th – Conditional status

The full leaderboard can be viewed here.

Canadian Peter Campbell of Baddeck, N.S., is leading the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica’s Essential Costa Rica Classic after setting a course record at Reserva Conchal Golf Club with an opening-round 64 (-7).

The event was suspended due to darkness, with only half the field completing the first round. Players will resume positions tomorrow at 6:30 am local time.

Campbell had four top-10 finishes on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica last year and finished 44th on the Order of Merit. He will look to continue his strong play into the weekend and make his second cut of the season.

You can see the full leaderboard here.

Lydia Ko beat home favourite Ana Menendez, and the Jutanugarn sisters set up a second-round showdown in the Lorena Ochoa Match Play.

The top-ranked Ko edged Menendez 3 and 2 on Thursday at Club de Golf Mexico in the event that switched from stroke to match play and from November to April.

“I am going to try to give myself as many birdie opportunities as I can,” Ko said. “I think a big key going forward is that you need to have many birdies opportunities, because some of them will end up falling.”

Third-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn will face older sister Moriya in the second round.

“I think playing against her will be fun, because even if I don’t make a putt in that hole and she does I’ll feel happy for her,” Ariya said.

Ariya beat Amy Anderson 5 and 4, and Moriya topped Alena Sharp 2 and 1.

“Is a little too early this week to see my sister, but … tomorrow will be fun,” Moriya said.

Ko will face Jennifer Song, a 3-and-2 winner over Mi Hyang Li.

Ko took a two-hole lead with birdie win on the par-5 second and par-4 fourth. Menendez took the par-3 fifth with a birdie, and Ko rebounded with birdies on the par-4 seventh and eighth to make it 3 up. Menendez won the par-5 10th with a birdie, Ko took the par-3 14th with a par and ended the match with a birdie halve on the par-3 16th.

“Hopefully, that last birdie is good momentum going into tomorrow,” Ko said.

The event is the LPGA Tour’s first match-play tournament since 2012.

Carlota Ciganda, the November winner in stroke play at Club de Golf Mexico in the then-Lorena Ochoa Invitational, topped Mexico’s Gaby Lopez 5 and 3.

Michelle Wie routed Lizette Salas 6 and 5.

“I love match play,” Wie said. “It reminds me of Solheim Cup. It brings back lot of memories. I love it. I had fun today and Lizzete was a really good opponent. I chipped down for eagle twice.”

Wie will play Laura Gonzalez Escallon, the Belgian player who knocked off fourth-ranked In Gee Chun 2 and 1.

Cristie Kerr topped Brittany Altomare 2 and 1. Kerr won three weeks ago in Hawaii and lost to Haru Nomura on Sunday on the sixth hole of a playoff in Texas.

“I didn’t really have my full game today and I still got it done,” Kerr said. “I made some really clutched-outs coming in and I was able to get it done.”

Olympic champion Inbee Park beat Peiyun Chien; Shanshan Feng had a 7-and-5 victory over Laetitia Beck; and Brooke Henderson outlasted Katherine Kirk in 20 holes. Stacy Lewis dropped a 1-up decision to Ayako Uehara.

Second-ranked So Yeon Ryu, the ANA Inspiration winner, is taking the week off.

The Royal and Ancient Golf Club of St. Andrews (R&A) announced that Bruce Mitchell will serve as captain in 2017/2018, the first Canadian to ever hold the position.

Mitchell was nominated by the past Captains of the Club and will officially begin his position on Sept. 22, 2017, which will be signified by the traditional driving-in ceremony on the first tee of the Old Course.

The duties of the captain include representing the R&A and aiding its effort in developing golf around the world as well as attending all R&A championships while embracing the role of ambassador for the club.

The 71-year-old is the founder, owner and president of Permian Industries and his impressive business resume includes serving on the board of directors of the Bank of Montreal and other public, private and not-for-profit organizations.

He served as president of the Toronto Golf Club in 1996-97 where he continues to be a member today and has been a member of the R&A since 1988.

Mitchell graduated from both Queen’s University (Bsc engineering) and Harvard University (MBA). He currently resides in Toronto.