AVONDALE, La. – Jordan Spieth showed off his stellar short game. Ryan Palmer contributed momentum-saving par putts. They turned out to be quite the team Thursday in the Zurich Classic, the first official team event on the PGA Tour in 36 years.

Spieth hit a bump-and-run from 100 feet to a front pin to set up birdie on the par-5 11th, chipped in for birdie on the 14th and closed out their foursomes round with a 15-foot birdie for a 6-under 66 to share the lead with 18-year-old Ryan Ruffels and Kyle Stanley.

Nick Watney made a 60-foot eagle putt from well off the green at the par-5 18th as he and Charley Hoffman were among four teams at 67.

Even in the tough alternate-shot format, benign conditions at the TPC Louisiana allowed for good scoring with 43 of the 80 teams breaking par, and 18 teams in the 60s.

“Alternate-shot format with these conditions, anything 3 under or so was a solid score,” Spieth said. “Grab a few extra and be in pole position , it’s fantastic. We’re just going to try and have as much fun as we had today.”

The partnership of Spieth and Palmer, close friends who live in Dallas, took root late last year when Palmer’s caddie, James Edmondson, said they would have to play together if Edmondson beat Spieth in a friendly match. He got Spieth on the last hole, and Spieth decided to add the Zurich Classic to his schedule.

Spieth said his partner didn’t miss a shot over the first 10 holes, and Palmer pitched in with key putts. They hit only two of the last seven greens in regulation and still played that stretch in 3 under par.

“It’s great watching his short game,” Palmer said. “It’s one of the best in the world. And when the putter is rolling, it makes it not has hard to make those 5-footers. We both had our fair share, and we poured them in.”

Palmer made a 6-foot par putt on the 13th hole and, after Spieth chipped in on the 14th, Palmer made a 12-foot par putt on the 15th.

Ruffels, who turns 19 on Saturday, was an amateur in Australia when he played with Stanley at the Australian Masters. They got along well, are now represented by the same management firm and decided to play together in New Orleans.

Ruffels had never played foursomes until nine holes of practice on Tuesday, but it sure didn’t show. Starting on the back nine, they began the round with four straight birdies, with Stanley making three of those putts.

“We both keep it in play, and we both hit it quite long, and we gave ourselves a lot of opportunities,” Ruffels said. “So all it took was someone to start rolling a few putts in, like we both did.”

Some teams getting most of the attention didn’t fare too well.

Justin Rose and Henrik Stenson, the gold and silver medallists at the Olympics last summer in Rio, played the par 5s in 2 over and opened with a 72. Jason Day and Rickie Fowler, who have a corporate relationship with Zurich, could only manage a 71.

The cut will be made after Friday fourballs to the top 35 teams and ties. The winners will each get credit for a PGA Tour victory, just as it was in 1981 at the Walt Disney World National Team Championship in 1981, the most recent official team event.

Brian Stuard, who won the Zurich Classic last year on his own, has Chris Stroud as a teammate. They had a chance to tie for the lead on their final hole, the par-3 ninth, until Stuard hit into the water. He made a 20-foot putt to at least escape with bogey and a 68.

Also at 68 were Steve Stricker and Jerry Kelly, a pair of 50-year-olds from Wisconsin who still have full PGA Tour status. They also had a chance to join the leaders until Kelly missed a 3-foot par putt on the 17th.

Brooks Koepka and his younger brother, Chase, who received a sponsor exemption, were among those at 69.

Spieth headed to the practice range after the round, and then the two-time major champion and Palmer had plans Thursday night. New Orleans coach Sean Payton invited them to the Saints’ team room for the NFL draft.

Both are Cowboys fans, but Palmer is friends with the coach and played the pro-am with Payton and quarterback Drew Brees.

“It’ll be really cool just kind of sitting in the back and watching that process take shape,” Spieth said. “I’ve always wondered what it’s like.”

The Rules of Golf state that if a player causes his or her ball in play to move there is a one-stroke penalty and the ball must be replaced. It’s a rule that dates back decades and is one with a few exceptions. However, over the last few years, it has also become increasingly difficult to enforce with both players and officials struggling to definitively determine what caused a ball’s movement.

The game’s governing bodies have taken notice and, effective January 1, 2017, a committee (committee in charge of a competition or committee in charge of a course) may adopt a new Local Rule that modifies Rule 18-2. The following wording is recommended:

Accidental Movement of a Ball on a Putting Green

“Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1 are modified as follows:

When a player’s ball lies on the putting green, there is no penalty if the ball or ball-marker is accidentally moved by the player, his partner, his opponent, or any of their caddies or equipment.

The moved ball or ball-marker must be replaced as provided in Rules 18-2, 18-3 and 20-1.

This Local Rule applies only when the player’s ball or ball-marker lies on the putting green and any movement is accidental.

Note: If it is determined that a player’s ball on the putting green was moved as a result of wind, water or some other natural cause such as the effects of gravity, the ball must be played as it lies from its new location. A ball-marker moved in such circumstances is replaced.”

Implementing this Local Rule will absolve a player of penalty if a ball in play on the putting green is accidentally moved. It should also be noted that this Local Rule would modify Rule 18-3 and Rule 20-1, providing no penalty in match play to an opponent accidentally causing a player’s ball or ball-marker to move, as well as no penalty for an accidental movement of a player’s ball-marker on the putting green.

The desire to act immediately by introducing a Local Rule instead of waiting for the next code of the Rules of Golf in 2020 was mainly due to the alarming number of situations that arose where players’ balls were moving on the putting green. Most notably, this occurred during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open.

Lining up a par putt on the fifth hole at Oakmont last year, Dustin Johnson’s ball slightly shifted on the green causing him to back away. After studying video and talking to Dustin after his round, the USGA ruled Johnson’s actions caused the ball to move and served him a one-stroke penalty despite his denial. Ultimately, it didn’t affect the outcome of the event as the American won his first major by three shots.

In today’s game though, the speed, slope and shape of putting greens is exponentially increasing the likelihood of balls moving. Globally, all the major golf tours worldwide will implement this new Local Rule, including the PGA Tour, European Tour, LPGA Tour and the PGA of America.

In Canada, all the provincial golf associations will be implementing this Local Rule as part of their Standard Local Rules, as well as Golf Canada, whose Rules and Amateur Status Committee formally ratified it at our annual general meeting.

This new Local Rule has been widely praised and is in fact one small piece of a greater effort to make the Rules of Golf easier to read, understand and apply. Golf’s governing bodies have been reviewing the rules for some time now and are considering a fundamental change to the Rules of Golf. The first iteration of the new Rules of Golf, through golf’s Rules Modernization Project, was announced to the public on March 1st.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

IRVING, Texas – Lexi Thompson paused, tears welling up in her eyes, when asked about how difficult things have been since a viewer-cited penalty cost her what appeared to be a sure victory in the LPGA Tour’s first major of the year.

Thompson stopped for more than 30 seconds after starting to answer the question Wednesday, a day before teeing off in Texas for her first tournament since the ANA Inspiration in California.

“That’s one of my favourite tournaments, and it’s always a dream of mine to just see myself jumping into Poppie’s Pond,” said the 22-year-old Thompson, who got to do that after winning at Mission Hills in 2014. “I played amazing that week. I don’t think I’ve ever played better, and just for that to happen it was just, it was kind of a nightmare.”

On the 13th hole in the final round April 2, Thompson had a three-stroke lead before being informed that she was being penalized four strokes for an infraction on the 17th hole the previous day that was pointed out by a television viewer by email.

Thompson, in her first media session since losing in a playoff at the ANA, said she didn’t intentionally put her ball back down in the wrong spot before making the 15-inch par-saving putt on the Dinah Shore Course with absolutely perfect greens.

“I have seen the video and I can see where they’re coming from with it. It might have been, I guess, me rotating the ball,” she said. “I have always played by the Rules of Golf. … I did not mean it at all.”

Golf’s ruling bodies just this week issued a new decision that limits the use of video evidence and could spare players from being penalized even if they violated a rule. The decision went into effect immediately on all tours around the world.

Players can avoid a penalty if the violation could not be noticed with the naked eye. Rules official also can eliminate penalties if they feel players made a “reasonable judgment” in taking a drop or replacing their golf balls on the putting green.

Thompson said she hadn’t read too much into the changes, but said, “any rule that’s made to make the game more simple, I think, is great for the game of golf.”

The U.S. Olympian also hadn’t spoken to any LPGA Tour rules officials about the new rule, and didn’t know if she would have been penalized had the new standards been in effect three weeks ago.

On the placement that got her penalized, Thompson said she was trying to take her time and make sure she made that putt after a birdie attempt that came up short on the 27th of 28 holes she had to play that Saturday at Mission Hills because she also had to finish her second round.

“I got up to it and thought about tapping it in, but I was pretty mad after my first putt because I put a terrible stroke on it,” she said. “My dad always told me I’ve missed a lot of putts by just going up and tapping them in. I’ve stubbed a few, done all that. I was just like ‘Lexi, just relax, mark the putt, it’s a major championship, you don’t need to go up and miss this little putt.”

So Thompson marked her ball, took a practice stroke, took a deep breath and made sure she made the putt.

Thompson, the fifth-ranked women’s player in the world, has three top-four finishes in her six starts on the LPGA Tour this season.

“I’m very excited. I’m happy to be here in Texas,” she said. “I’m really focused on this week to just get back playing again. My game is in a great spot. … I’ve been working hard the last three weeks, so I’m excited to tee it up and get this all behind me.”

The sun has nearly disappeared at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla., and there is a smattering of collegiate golfers wrapping up practice for the day. A mix of kids in pink, white and dark blue shirts mingle and then depart the large putting green, heading back to their rooms or maybe, because it’s Monday and the chicken wings are on special, to Houligan’s, a multi-level sports bar adjacent to the Daytona International Speedway.

But not Grace St-Germain.

She’s still on that practice green, knocking in a couple more putts before swatting away some mosquitoes — out for blood once the sun goes down — and flashing a big smile at a lingering reporter.

One of those mosquitoes catches her left arm, revealing for the first time a tattoo, visible only as she tries to flick away the pesky bug under the lights of the nearby parking lot where her teammates are waiting.

Written in script, it says, ‘I believe in good things coming.’

“No matter what you’re going through, or how bad it is, good things are always coming,” she says of her chosen ink. “If you have a bad hole, good things are coming. It’ll be OK.”

St-Germain, who spent two years on Golf Canada’s Development Squad and one year with Team Ontario, was named a member of the National Amateur Squad for 2017. She’s in her first of two years at Daytona State, a junior college, but has already committed to the University of Arkansas for the fall of 2018 thanks to some impressive accomplishments on the international stage.

At 16, she got those motivational words permanently etched on her arm. But since she was a minor, she had to get parental consent first.

“Grace is an old soul and I know that whatever she wants to do she has thought it out very well,” says her mom, Kathy. “I loved how it had a meaning for her life, but also for golf. We had an agreement that she had to write the quote on her arm and if after a month she still loved it, then we would go get it. The quote sums up Grace’s personality and I have to say, I love it on her.”

To this day, Kathy St-Germain is unaware of how Grace’s golf skill came to be. She says she doesn’t golf, and her husband is a casual, once-a-summer player.

St-Germain’s grandparents, however, ran the junior program at Hylands Golf Club — the host of the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada’s National Capital Open to Support our Troops — and encouraged all their grandchildren to play.

“One of the members told us that Grace should start playing tournaments, and we were like, ‘Oh, why?’” relates Kathy with a laugh. “People said she had a nice swing, but we figured it was just something she could do for fun and it’s a sport you could play until you were 70 or 80 years old. We just had no clue.”

St-Germain says she was the only one of the grandchildren to stick with the junior golf program after she started playing at seven.

“You couldn’t play on the golf course until you were eight, so I would play around on the putting green and the driving range,” Grace recalls. “I wanted to keep getting better and better until I got to play on the big course. That got me into (golf) and motivated to play.”

St-Germain, an only child, grew up as a figure skater. She says the individualistic aspect of skating helps her now on the golf course.

“I have to put the effort in. I don’t have a team to support me. I have to do all the work on my own, and performing in front of crowds, (figure skating) helped too,” she explains. “I started figure skating when I was four, so I was used to crowds.”

Despite watching Grace grow up with sports, Kathy admits her and her husband still can’t grasp how she does what she does on the golf course.

“Even now, we’re in shock,” states Kathy. “We go out and we love watching her play so much. As long as she’s happy, there’s never been a where-will-this-take-her moment. When she won (the 2016 Ontario Women’s Amateur) we knew she could do it. Even then, we were standing around saying, ‘Oh my God, what just happened?’”

Kathy says Grace’s involvement in Golf Canada’s program has been the “best thing that’s ever happened to her” and St-Germain points to the support of Ann Carroll on the Development Squad as being important in her own growth as a golfer, calling her a “mother figure” and a “best friend.”

She’s excited, though, to move on and work with Tristan Mullally.

“The thing about Grace is that I see a lot of potential for growth,” says Mullally, head coach of Team Canada’s women’s squad. “Strategy is always a strong element of how she plays her game. There are some technical improvements that could be made but it’s awesome that she has been able to play as well and score as well, even though she can improve. She can get a lot stronger, there are a lot of positive elements that can grow.”

Being from Ottawa, St-Germain admits seeing local hero Brooke Henderson have the success she’s had so far has been motivating as well.

“I want to get there,” she says. “Seeing someone have such great success and being from (my) area is great.”

“With Brooke and all the other Canadians doing well, that opens up the gates,” adds Mullally. “It brings a familiarity of the level of play you need to be successful. It’s someone from your home country you can reach out to and look up to.”

Although St-Germain has not yet played in a professional event, she says if she was invited to or qualified for one, it would be great experience.

Through early 2017, she already has a win under her belt, as Team Canada — along with Maddie Szeryk — captured the team title at the 2017 Mexican Amateur (she finished third in the individual portion).

So while the sun sets on another day of practice for Grace St-Germain, jumping in her teammates’ car and home in time for some homework and dinner, it will rise again tomorrow as she continues to chase her dream.

Another day to believe in good things coming.

This article was originally published in the April 2017 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

Emily Leung and Chris Crisologo—both British Columbia natives and students at Simon Fraser University—captured their respective NCAA Division II individual titles on Tuesday at the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Championship.

Leung (Richmond) carded a tournament-low 70 to open the tournament with a comfortable lead, eventually leading to a six stroke victory over teammate Kylie Jack. The Simon Fraser University Clan also defended the women’s team title, winning by a margin of 19 strokes at Idaho’s Coeur d’Alene Resort Golf Course.

On the men’s side, Crisologo (Richmond) closed with an even-par 71 to finish at 5-under par (70-67-71), hanging on for a two-stroke victory over Western Washington’s Chris Hatch. The win marks Crisologo’s first individual victory in the Great Northwest Athletic Conference.

Click here for women’s scoring.
Click here for men’s scoring.

The USGA and The R&A have issued a new Decision on the Rules of Golf to limit the use of video evidence in the game, effective immediately.

The two organizations have also established a working group of LPGA, PGA Tour, PGA European Tour, Ladies European Tour and PGA of America representatives to immediately begin a comprehensive review of broader video issues, including viewer call-ins, which arise in televised competitions.

New Decision 34-3/10 implements two standards for Rules committees to limit the use of video: 1) when video reveals evidence that could not reasonably be seen with the “naked eye,” and 2) when players use their “reasonable judgment” to determine a specific location when applying the Rules. The full language of the Decision can be found here.

The first standard states, “the use of video technology can make it possible to identify things that could not be seen with the naked eye.” An example includes a player who unknowingly touches a few grains of sand in taking a backswing with a club in a bunker when making a stroke.

If the committee concludes that such facts could not reasonably have been seen with the naked eye and the player was not otherwise aware of the potential breach, the player will be deemed not to have breached the Rules, even when video technology shows otherwise. This is an extension of the provision on ball-at-rest-moved cases, which was introduced in 2014.

The second standard applies when a player determines a spot, point, position, line, area, distance or other location in applying the Rules, and recognizes that a player should not be held to the degree of precision that can sometimes be provided by video technology. Examples include determining the nearest point of relief or replacing a lifted ball.

So long as the player does what can reasonably be expected under the circumstances to make an accurate determination, the player’s reasonable judgment will be accepted, even if later shown to be inaccurate by the use of video evidence.

Both of these standards have been extensively discussed as part of the Rules modernization initiative.  The USGA and The R&A have decided to enact this Decision immediately because of the many difficult issues arising from video review in televised golf.

The standards in the Decision do not change any of the current requirements in the Rules, as the player must still act with care, report all known breaches of the Rules and try to do what is reasonably expected in making an accurate determination when applying the Rules.

Video-related topics that require a deeper evaluation by the working group include the use of information from sources other than participants such as phone calls, email or social media, and the application of penalties after a score card has been returned.

USGA Executive Director/CEO Mike Davis said, “This important first step provides officials with tools that can have a direct and positive impact on the game. We recognize there is more work to be done. Advancements in video technology are enhancing the viewing experience for fans, but can also significantly affect the competition. We need to balance those advances with what is fair for all players when applying the Rules.”

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We have been considering the impact of video review on the game and feel it is important to introduce a Decision to give greater clarity in this area. Golf has always been a game of integrity and we want to ensure that the emphasis remains as much as possible on the reasonable judgment of the player rather than on what video technology can show.”

The USGA and The R&A will consider additional modifications recommended by the working group for implementation in advance of Jan. 1, 2019, when the new code resulting from the collaborative work to modernize golf’s Rules takes effect.

There was good reason to smile on the weekend for a pair of Team Canada members, who both finished tied for fifth at their respective NCAA Conference Championships.

Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee—a sophomore at Ohio State—shot a 2-over score at the River’s Bend course in Mainville, Ohio to close the Big Ten Championship in a three-way share of fifth place. Lee led the Buckeyes to a third place result overall.

To add to her strong weekend, the four-year National Amateur Squad member was also named to the Big Ten All-Tournament Team.

Jaclyn Lee named to the All-Tournament Team at the Big Ten Championships. #GoBucks pic.twitter.com/Pnqikk3oQ2

— Ohio State W Golf (@OhioState_WGOLF) April 23, 2017

Down in Alabama, Maddie Szeryk mirrored the success of Lee with a matching T5 result at the Southeastern Conference Championship in Birmingham. Szeryk—a junior at Texas A&M—carded a final-round 71 to finish at 5-under par, helping the Aggies to finish T5 overall.

The result marks another strong performance from the 20-year-old Szeryk, who earned back-to-back SEC Golfer of the Week honours in March. She has posted seven top-10 victories for the Aggies in the 2016-17 campaign.

Both Szeryk and Lee will tee-it-up at the NCAA Columbus Regional from May 8-10, held at Ohio State University’s Scarlet Course.

Victoria, B.C. native and Team Canada teammate Naomi Ko—a sophomore at N.C. State—will be in action at the Albuquerque Regional, also taking place from May 8-10.

The top-six teams and top-three individual scorers (not on advancing teams) from regional events will earn tickets to the NCAA Championships from May 19-24.

While it’s often said that hard work and dedication pays off, there’s another saying that closely correlates which suggests that patience is a virtue – and for 29-year-old Adam Hadwin, his breakthrough success this year on the PGA TOUR serves as a prime example.

After turning pro in 2009, Hadwin – who was born in Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan and raised in Abbotsford, British Columbia – made a successful progression from the Vancouver Golf Tour to the Web.com Tour and onto the PGA TOUR by the 2014-2015 season.

While his first two seasons on the PGA TOUR have been respectable, the University of Louisville alum has elevated his game to another level this year.

“My observation is he is much more patient and composed than in past years.  That comes from maturity and from having a good team around him.  And he’s putting incredibly well which can’t hurt,” noted Canadian men’s national team head coach, Derek Ingram.

“It takes so much longer on the men’s side on average.  It is just so deep and difficult.  29 is not old; but probably closer to the norm,” Ingram added.

It was in January at the CareerBuilder Challenge when the former Canadian national team member garnered the attention of the entire golfing world by carding a 59 – only the ninth sub-60 round in PGA TOUR history.

In a sport where so much is played between the ears, the sub-60 round undoubtedly provided the talented 5 foot 9 inch Canadian golfer with a higher level of self-belief and confidence which translated nicely to his first career PGA win at the Valspar Championship.

After claiming the title last month and over US$1.13 million for his efforts, Hadwin spoke candidly about his journey as well as the dedication and patience required along the way.

“I can’t say that I’ve been through a lot, but I’ve worked my butt off to get here,” pointed out Hadwin, who married his longtime girlfriend, Jessica, and bought a house within three weeks of his first PGA victory.

“I’ve slowly improved each and every year. I’ve won at every TOUR level that I’ve been on – and now I can call myself a PGA TOUR winner.”

On a recent Golf Canada conference call, Hadwin also spoke about what has contributed to his breakthrough win in 2017.

“What’s made me successful this year is that I stay aggressive, but I’m conservatively aggressive.  I think I’ve done a great job especially on par fives this year,” he said.

“When it calls for it and when it warrants it, I’m aggressive. When I feel comfortable with the shot, I’m aggressive.  Otherwise, I just lay off.”

Given his outstanding start to 2017, perhaps finishing in a tie for 36^th spot was not the result he was hoping for in his recent Masters debut.

Still, as the only Canadian to play into the weekend at Augusta National, there were plenty of reasons for Hadwin to be optimistic – including a 2 under par final round where he posted seven birdies.

Besides striving for the opportunity to showcase his “A” game at the other majors this year, the former national team member also has his sights set on securing a spot on the International Team for the Presidents Cup.

“I think it’s kind of firmly planted in there as a goal for the rest of the year.  I have September 4^th marked on my calendar – that’s the last day to qualify. I want to make sure that I’m in the top 10… I don’t want to rely on a captain’s pick,” Hadwin pointed out.

“It would be the icing on the cake of a great year.  If I can stay inside the top ten, if not move up further, it would be a tremendous honour to represent Canada on such an international stage,” he added.

With six Canadians competing on the PGA TOUR and many talented prospects in the pipeline, Hadwin acknowledges that Canadian golf fans have plenty of reason to be optimistic.

“We’ve got guys playing well on the Web.com Tour and are ready to take that next step; and guys in behind that are moving up in to the Web.com Tour… I think Canadian golf is in great hands and I think it’s just going to continue to get better,” noted Hadwin.

Ingram acknowledges the achievements of 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir combined with the recent success of the five full-time Canadians on the PGA TOUR does a lot to inspire the younger golfers in the pipeline.

“Especially when guys like Mac (Hughes), Nick (Taylor) and Adam – who were all national team athletes – break through, it has deepened the belief in others that are up and coming,” noted the head coach of the Canadian men’s national squad.

Specifically on Hadwin’s stellar start to 2017, Ingram says it just serves as a simple reminder that with a little bit of patience, hard work does indeed pay off.

“Adam has really matured and grown as a person and player and his hard work and dedication over the years has paid off,” he said.

“Lots of the guys on the national team know Adam and like him.  They love seeing another Canuck play great; and more and more players are starting to realize that they can also do it.”

SAN ANTONIO – Kevin Chappell made an 8-foot putt on the final hole to win the Valero Texas Open by one stroke on Sunday.

Chappell had a 4-under 68 in the final round to finish at 12 under for the tournament, edging Brooks Koepka at TPC San Antonio to earn his first PGA Tour victory in his 180th career start.

“A big relief,” the 30-year-old Chappell said. “There’s been quite the monkey on my back for some time now about getting that first win. And to take that off and not have to answer those questions anymore is nice.”

Koepka, a member of the U.S. Ryder Cup team last year, was looking for his second PGA Tour win. He had the best round of the day at 7-under 65. Before Chappell came down the 18th hole, Koepka had birdied the hole with a 3-foot putt to tie him.

“It’s hard to win out here – everybody knows that,” Koepka said. “I’m knocking on the door to get my second win. It’s nice for Kevin to get his first win. That’s pretty cool.”

Second-round co-leader Tony Finau got in a position to tie Koepka when he birdied four of five holes on the back nine. But his par-bogey finish left him to settle for a final-round 69 and a third-place tie with Kevin Tway (69) at 9-under.

Australian Aaron Baddeley fired 68 to finish fourth at 8 under.

Brian Gay (70), Sung Kang (68), Ryan Palmer (71) and Cameron Smith (71) were tied for sixth at 7-under, five shots behind Chappell.

Nick Taylor (74) of Abbotsford, B.C. was the top Canadian. He finished 2 under in a tie for 22nd place. Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch tied for 69th and Adam Hadwin, also of Abbotsford, tied for 72nd.

Koepka, trailing Chappell by a shot coming up the 18th, took a 3-metal out of his bag and considered taking a crack at reaching the 606-yard par-5 in two. But he had 293 yards left with a slight uphill shot into the wind with a creek fronting the green.

“I really wanted to go for it – I really wanted to,” Koepka said. “But my caddy was kind of pulling the reins back and he wanted me to lay up, and it was probably a good thing that we did.”

He put the club back in his bag and laid up to create a 90-wedge approach. He stuck that to about three feet and made the birdie to go into the clubhouse tied with Chappell.

Chappell had almost the same distance for his approach on 18, and he landed it past the hole to set up the winning putt.

“I wouldn’t want it any other way,” said Chappell, a Californian who had been runner-up six times in his career. “Brooks kept me honest out there today. He made me had to do it the right way. There wasn’t any question I was going to make 4 (birdie) and win the golf tournament.”

Finau closed with birdies on four of five holes coming to the 17th. He was just a shot behind Chappell’s lead, but he parred there and drove next to a cactus bush on the 18th. He punched out to the fairway, removed cactus needles from his leg, then put his approach into the creek. He took a penalty drop, and his bogey ended his chances.

Chappell clung to a one-shot lead after Koepka birdied No. 11 with a 23-foot putt and another one at the next hole putting inside seven feet.

Koepka let a scoring opportunity get away at the 14th, a reachable par-5 at 567 yards. He tagged a 328-yard drive, but he found the rough and failed to get to the green with his second shot, and then missed a 4-foot birdie putt.

“It was an awkward little putt,” Koepka said. “I probably didn’t read enough break. It was probably the worst putt I hit all week and the worst I’ve hit in a long time.”

About 45 minutes later, Chappell came to the hole and sent his second shot 221 yards, about pin high on the green. Even though he lipped out the 11-foot eagle, his tap-in birdie gave him two strokes over Koepka.

Chappell gave Koepka new life when he bogeyed from a greenside bunker at the 15th, and it took until the 18th for Koepka to finally equalize.

Gay, who made it into the field thanks to a 27-event medical exemption due to thumb surgery, earned enough money to make good on the exemption and regain full status on the Tour.

Chappell had a one-shot advantage over first-round leader Branden Grace and John Huh entering the day, the first time he has led after 54 holes on the PGA Tour. Koepka, who won two years back at Phoenix, was four back and had 10 players between him and the lead.

But Koepka made the charge with birdies on his opening two holes, then a streak of three more starting with a 20-foot birdie putt at No. 6. He followed with birdie of almost 40 feet on the seventh green and knocked in one from 10 feet at the eighth to tie Chappell.

But while Chappell stuck his tee shot on the 189-yard seventh inside five feet and made birdie to get to 10-under, Koepka would make bogey even after hitting the green at the tough par-4 ninth. He left his putt from 42 feet well short and missed the 9-foot par putt he had remaining.

It gave Chappell a two-shot lead with nine holes to play.

SAN ANTONIO – Kevin Chappell found his swing late and moved a step closer to his first PGA Tour win.

Chappell birdied three of his final five holes and finished with a 1-under 71 on Saturday, giving him a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Valero Texas Open. He is 8-under through 54 holes. He was runnerup six years ago in the event and is ahead of first-round leader Branden Grace, who rallied with 2-under 70, and John Huh. After an eagle-birdie finish, Huh shot 71.

“It was about finding a rhythm,” Chappell said. “I knew when I found it, I could extend it. You can get it going on the finishing stretch.”

Ryan Palmer, a West Texas native who cut through winds as strong as 25 mph, had the round of the day with 4-under 68. He’s joined at 6-under by second round co-leaders Bud Cauley (74) and Tony Finau (74), Sweden’s Carl Pettersson (71), 2013 Texas Open champ Martin Laird (71), Kevin Tway (72) and Australian Cameron Smith (73).

Chappell tied for seventh with Rory McIlroy at the Masters this month, and he got his late charge going Saturday after leaving an eagle putt short at the par-5 14th. He tapped in to gain a stroke, and he made good two holes later with a 12-foot birdie. He chipped to two feet on the downwind, 318-yard 17th and had another tap-in birdie.

Chappell, 30, flirted with trouble on the 18th when his second shot rolled next to a brook, but he had enough room for a full swing and reached the green to set up a 2-putt par.

“I knew my game was in a good place,” said Chappell, who took the week off after Augusta to celebrate the second birthday of his oldest son, Wyatt. “I had played some really good rounds of golf.”

Grace lost his early tournament lead with a 2-over 73 in the second round. But the South African rallied Saturday and had a lead until a bogey at No. 15.

“It was pretty irritating out there,” Grace said. “Pars out there are good. Just have to be patient.”

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 71 for a 4-under total. Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (76) is 3 over and Adam Hadwin (82), also of Abbotsford, is 8 over.

Gusts that blew past 20 mph kept scores high – there were 14 scores below par Saturday. On Friday 49 rounds were under par, and 69 sub-par scores were recorded Thursday.

As notable as Palmer’s round was in the windy conditions, it fits with the Texans’ profile at this course. Since the tournament moved to TPC San Antonio’s Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course seven years ago, Palmer’s got three top-10 finishes including his best of a fourth-place tie last year.

“As hard as it was blowing today, and as exposed as this course can be, it made for a challenging day,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve had success out here when it’s blowing this way. I knew what to expect. I stayed patient and made a lot of putts.”

With the wind at his back, he drove the 318-yard 17th hole but was faced with a 93-foot eagle putt. He sank a 56-foot putt to birdie earlier at No. 6, so he 2-putted for the birdie at 17 and ran in another birdie at 18.

Palmer, originally from Amarillo, hasn’t won since Hawaii in 2010.

“The bomb at No. 6 went in like it was a 2-footer,” Palmer said. I felt like I could take it and run with it. You make a putt like that and it can get your momentum going.“

With these conditions, it didn’t take long for the second-round leaders to back up. Cauley bogeyed the first hole, and his co-leader Finau parred until bogey at No. 7 and a double bogey on the next hole after he was chipping for birdie from right in front of the green.

Cauley later was penalized a stroke when he double-chipped at No. 12 – he hit the ball a second time on the follow through of his greenside chip. He putted from 13 feet to save bogey.