Denver, Colorado’s Wyndham Clark and Sydney, Australia’s Cameron Davis each opened with a 5-under 66 on Tuesday at the Country Club at Soboba Springs to share the first round lead at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA West #2 Q-School.

Clark, a senior at the University of Oregon playing as an amateur, carded three birdies, two eagles and three bogeys, while Davis, the reigning World Amateur Individual champion, rebounded from an early double bogey with seven birdies to co-lead by one over Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp and Mililani, Hawaii’s Jared Sawada through one round.

Clark was 1-over through eight holes before making an eagle on the 18th hole (his ninth), part of a stretch that saw him go 7-under for six holes.

“The eagle really got my round started. I had it really going for about six holes after that. It was good,” said Clark.

Davis, meanwhile, bounced back from his early stumbles with a flawless finish to his round to reach 5-under.

“I was hitting the ball pretty well all day,” said Davis. “I had a bit of a stumble on the third hole – I hit it right up against a tree I was actually aiming for. After that I played the back nine really well and didn’t make any mistakes.”

Golf Canada National Amateur Squad member Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver opened with a 3-under 68. Read his Q&A with the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada here.

CURRENT SCORES FOR MACKENZIE TOUR STATUS: After 72 holes this week, every player inside the top 40 and ties will earn Mackenzie Tour status for 2017. Below is a breakdown of where the cut-offs stand:

1st (Exempt for 2017 season): -5/T1

5th (Exempt for first 8 events, subject to 2nd reshuffle): -3/T5

16th (Exempt for first 4 events, subject to 1st reshuffle): -1/T7

40th (Conditional status): +1/T35

If you’re a Tiger Woods fan, you will not be disappointed when The 1997 Masters: My Story (256 pages, Grand Central Publishing) is released on Monday, March 20. Actually, you don’t need to keep reading this. Just buy the book.

But if you’re more a fan of the fine and literate writing we have been accustomed to during the long and highly respected career of Tiger’s collaborator on the book, Lorne Rubenstein, well, you might want to read on.

I’ve known Rubenstein, an honoured member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, for more than 30 years. So when he tells me, “I’m not doing any interviews for the book. It’s Tiger’s book, not mine,” he means it. Even the note from the publisher accompanying my review copy did not mention Rubenstein’s name.

Disappointing, to be sure, as Rubenstein was the ideal choice to lift, clean and place all the interviews with Tiger and other historical information into what is unquestionably an interesting read.

More of that process can be gleaned by a publicity piece Rubenstein wrote for the publisher, citing the time they spent together in Tiger’s office as well as the many phone calls.

“I was provided the opportunity to dig deep into the mind of a golfer who had accomplished amazing things in the game,” says Rubenstein, who was at that 1997 Masters.

“Tiger’s recollections went from one story to another, and from one period in his career to another. We were having a conversation as much as I was conducting an interview. This led to many time shifts in the book. Tiger reflected on other majors he won, and as he considered matters both on and off the course: his workout regime, the equipment he used, and changes in equipment over the years, his childhood and relationship with his parents, incidents of racism that he had encountered, his views on where he is now in his game and life off the course.”

As the title states, the book is a blow-by-blow account of the 1997 Masters where Tiger, just 21 years old, won by an astounding 12 shots. Guided by video of that historic victory, Tiger walks the reader through not only every shot, but also the mental and psychological machinations that produced an astounding rebound from that 40 on his opening nine holes.

It also gives, as Rubenstein states above, guarded glimpses into his early life, amateur career, and his off-course existence which, as we all know, had more than its share of notoriety. Architectural buffs will enjoy his opinionated evaluation of the changes to Augusta National since he won there for the first time.

It is written in the first-person and represents as close as any of us, except Rubenstein, will have to a conversation with one of the game’s most fascinating and talented and, simultaneously, infuriatingly private individuals.

So, in hindsight, you have to respect Rubenstein, the author of 13 previous books, for his editorial laryngitis. Now you can go buy the book.

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Canada’s top-ranked male amateur Jared du Toit continued his impressive streak on Monday, nabbing his fourth NCAA top-5 finish in his last five events at the Thunderbird Invitational.

The Kimberley, B.C., product opened an early lead in the 54-hole event with a tournament-low 64 (-7) on Sunday, highlighted by an eagle on the par-5 14^th. He went on to card two rounds of 70 (-1) to close the event at 9-under par, four strokes back of medallist Collin Morikawa.

du Toit, the captain of Arizona State, put forward one of many strong efforts by the host Sun Devils, with all five members finishing inside the top-10. The all-aronud team effort led the Sun Devils to a convincing 20-stroke margin—their second victory of the season.

du Toit will lead the Sun Devils into action again from April 8-9 at the Western Intercollegiate in Santa Cruz, Calif.

Click here for full scoring.

PHOENIX – Anna Nordqvist caught up with some college friends – and left everyone else behind Sunday on another hot afternoon at the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.

The 29-year-old former Arizona State player shot a 4-under 68 to hold off fellow major champions Ariya Jutanugarn, Stacy Lewis and In Gee Chun by two strokes in record 96-degree heat at Desert Ridge.

“I have so many friends and family here. They feel like family, my U.S. family,” the 6-foot Swede said. “Couldn’t think of a better place to be. I’m just so happy to be back. I wasn’t even going to play a couple weeks ago and just ended up adding it last minute. Maybe it was meant to be.”

Nordqvist won her seventh LPGA Tour title and first since successfully defending the ShopRite LPGA Classic title last June. In the U.S. Women’s Open in July, she lost a three-hole playoff to Brittany Lang after being penalized two strokes for touching the sand with her club in a fairway bunker on the second extra hole.

“Of all the wins probably this is the one that’s going to be more special,” Nordqvist said. “If it wasn’t for me getting an opportunity to come to Arizona State University about 10 years ago, I wouldn’t be here today. This truly still feels like home, even though I’m based in Florida.”

She finished at 25-under 263, two shots off the LPGA Tour record that Sei Young Kim matched last year at Desert Ridge. The Swede had a tournament-record 61 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead into the final round.

Jutanugarn matched Nordqvist with a 68 in the final pairing, playing the back nine in 5 under. The second-ranked Thai star had a bogey-free week. She won five LPGA Tour titles last year and topped the player of the year points race and money list.

Lewis also shot 68, and Chun had a 66.

Lewis is winless in 67 events since June 2014. The 32-year-old Texan finished second for the 25th time in her career and the 12th since her last victory. She won at Desert Ridge in 2013 to reach No. 1, was second in 2014 and 2015 and tied for fourth last year.

Nordqvist made a 4-foot birdie putt on the par-4 10th to take a one-stroke lead, and pushed the margin to two with an 18-footer in the par-4 13th.

She made a 25-footer on the par-3 17th and closed with a bogey after failing to get up-and-down from the left greenside bunker on the par-4 18th.

“Saw the leaderboard on 15, but I just tried to keep my head down and do my thing,” Nordqvist said. “Felt like I played pretty solid on the front and made two good putts on 13 and 17. A little interesting at the end, but I’m so happy and proud of myself this week.”

She earned $225,000 and is projected to jump from 13th to 11th in the world ranking.

Ha Na Jang (63), Inbee Park (67) and So Yeon Ryu (69) tied for fifth at 21 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko also had a bogey-free week, closing with a 68 to tie for eighth at 20 under. Moria Jutanugarn, Ariya’s older sister, also was 20 under after a career-best 63.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Marc Leishman holed a 50-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole to take the lead Sunday, and he stayed there with two tough pars at the end to win the Arnold Palmer Invitational and earn a trip to the Masters.

In a final hour that featured four players having at least a share of the lead, Leishman is the only one who didn’t blink.

His final act was a pitch-and-run from 45 yards away on the closing hole at Bay Hill that ran out to 3 feet. He calmly made the par putt for a 3-under 69 and one-shot victory over Kevin Kisner and Charley Hoffman.

Canadian Adam Hadwin, fresh off his first PGA victory at the Valspar Championship last weekend, finished in sixth place, three shots back of Leishman.

The only thing missing was a handshake from the King. This was the first Arnold Palmer Invitational since the September death of the beloved tournament host.

“You see guys win and he’s waiting there on the back of the green,” Leishman said. “And to not have that is obviously very sad, but to win here is just a dream come true.”

Rory McIlroy had as good a chance as anyone, storming into a share of the lead by hooking a wedge around a tree, over the water and over the green on the 16th, then nearly holing the eagle chip.

He had a 30-foot birdie putt to tie for the lead on the 18th, and after seeing that Leishman had made eagle on the 16th, gave it a good run. The putt went 8 feet by and three-putt for a 69 to finish two shots back.

“These things happen,” McIlroy said. “But I’m pleased with how I went. Ten under for the weekend around here is good scoring, and I can take a lot of positives from it going into next week.”

Kisner and Hoffman also squandered away their chances.

Kisner had a three-shot lead at the turn, but failed to made another birdie the rest of the way. His lead began slipping away when Kisner missed the green on the par-5 12th with a sand wedge, pitched over the other side of the green and took bogey. He closed with a 73.

“I had it right there in the palm of my hand to win, and I didn’t get it done,” Kisner said.

Hoffman rallied from a 39 on the front nine to catch Kisner for the lead, only to three-putt for par on the 16th and then drop another shot from the bunker on the 17th. He made birdie on the 18th that gave him a tie for second.

“Proud of fighting back and making a birdie on the last to finish second, but obviously not what I wanted,” Hoffman said.

The timing was ideal for Leishman, beyond what he described as an honour to win at Bay Hill in the first tournament without Palmer. Instead of a blue blazer, the winner this year received a red cardigan sweater that Palmer favoured.

And instead of seeing Palmer, Leishman at least was able to share it with his family.

His two sons, ages 5 and 3, ran out to the 18th green when he finished, and his wife was off to the side. Audrey Leishman nearly died two years ago when she suffered from toxic shock syndrome, causing Leishman to hastily leave the Masters.

Now he’s going back.

He was No. 62 in the world and had only two weeks left to secure a spot in Augusta National. The victory takes care of that.

“Mr. Palmer was an awesome guy who I was lucky enough to meet a few times,” Leishman said. “To honour him was huge. And it was the first time I won a tournament with my family here. It’s all come together.”

Leishman finished at 11-under 277 and earned a three-year exemption on the PGA Tour.

For everyone else, it was a matter of falling apart.

Kisner was at 12 under and it good position to add to his lead on the par-5 12th when he pulled his wedge, then sent it across the green and had to scramble. That brought Hoffman, Leishman and McIlroy back into the tournament, and Kisner lost the lead when he took three putts from short of the 14th green.

Kisner birdie chip from the 15th green hit the flag. His approach to the par-5 16th from a fairway bunker turned away to the right and rolled out behind a bunker, leaving him no reasonable shot at getting up-and-down. His flop shot came up short and into the bunker, and he had to scramble for par.

Needing birdie to force a playoff on the 18th, he missed the fairway and the green to the left.

Tyrrell Hatton of England shot 71 to tie for fourth with McIlroy.

Adam Hadwin, Canada’s latest PGA TOUR champion, teed up yesterday’s Hockey Night in Canada introduction. The Abbotsford, B.C., product and Vancouver Canucks fan narrated the opening three-minute segment to begin last night’s broadcast.

Click here to watch the segment.

PHOENIX – Anna Nordqvist was right at home on another hot, low-scoring day in the Valley of the Sun.

The former Arizona State player shot a tournament-record 11-under 61 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn into the final round of the Bank of Hope Founders Cup.

“They always say that home is where the heart is, and my heart is definitely still here,” Nordqvist said. “I always say I’m a West Coast girl and people remind me I’m from Sweden. But even though I live in Florida now, this definitely feels like home.”

Playing in record 95-degree heat at Desert Ridge, Nordqvist broke the tournament 54-hole record of 19 under set by Ai Miyazato in 2013.

Lewis and Jutanugarn each shot 66 in their third straight round together – after they played alongside Nordqvist the first two days. Lewis and Jutanugarn have had identical scores each day, with Jutanugarn getting the spot in the final twosome with Nordqvist on Sunday because she was listed first on the tee sheet Thursday.

“We both played great the last three days and kind of fed off each other,” Lewis said. “We were able to kind of club off each other on par 3s and things like that.”

Nordqvist needed to hole her second shot on the par-4 18th to shoot 59, but hit left of the pin and went through the green to the edge of the grandstand.

“Sat on a pretty good sidehill and I had a 7-iron in, so came off a little bit more left than I expected, but long is not going to be bad spot, especially with the grandstand there,” Nordqvist said.

Her putt from the fringe slid by to the left.

“Thought I had it,” Nordqvist said. “But it’s not the end of day, I still shot 61.”

The 6-foot Swede played the first 12 holes in 8 under, capping the run with an eagle on the par-5 12th. She added birdies on the par-3 14th, par-5 15th and par-3 17th.

Nordqvist successfully defended her ShopRite LPGA Classic title last season for her sixth LPGA Tour victory. She nearly won the U.S. Women’s Open for her second major, but lost a three-hole playoff to Brittany Lang after being penalized two strokes for touching the sand with her club in a fairway bunker on the second extra hole.

The 61 matched her career best set in the 2013 Mobile Bay LPGA Classic.

“I feel like I enjoyed it a little bit more today than I did that time,” Nordqvist said. “I’m in a better place.”

Lewis is winless in 66 events since June 2014 and has slipped to 14th in the world. She won at Desert Ridge in 2013 to reach No. 1, was second in 2014 and 2015 and tied for fourth last year.

“With the way this golf course is playing, two back is not a big deal,” Lewis said.

She bogeyed the par-4 14th after a short putt horseshoed out, then rebounded with birdies on 16 and 18.

“It wasn’t great, but it was good,” Lewis said. “Definitely would’ve liked to have birdied those couple par 5s on the back nine. Felt like I didn’t play those very well. But making those two birdies coming in was huge.

Jutanugarn was bogey-free for the third straight day. The second-ranked Thai star won five LPGA Tour titles last year and topped the player of the year points race and money list.

“I just really like the course,” Jutanugarn said. “The course not that easy. Some hole pretty challenging for me.”

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 69 and is 11 under.

So Yeon Ryu had a 64 to get to 18 under, and In Gee Chun (66) and Angel Yin (65) were 17 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko had a 63 to join Inbee Park (67) Nelly Korda (64) and Vicky Hurst (68) at 16 under. Ko birdied the final six holes, closing with a 15-footer on the par-4 18th

“I just gave myself a lot of good opportunities,” Ko said. “I don’t know if I’ve had that string of birdies in a row before. … I just got to focus on my game tomorrow, and hopefully I have another low one.”

Michelle Wie, a stroke back entering the round, had a 72 to drop into a tie for 24th at 12 under. She’s winless in 62 events since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open.

ORLANDO, Fla. – Charley Hoffman would have been happy to get off the 18th hole at Bay Hill with a par and go into the final round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational within one shot of the lead. With one big putt, Saturday turned out better than he could have imagined.

From trampled grass left of the 18th fairway, a tree slightly in his way, Hoffman chose to punch a 7-iron and have it run down the firm fairway. As long as it didn’t run straight and into the water, he figured he would have a chance for par.

The ball settled 70 feet away on the fringe, and Hoffman made the putt for a birdie, a 1-under 71 and a share of the lead with Kevin Kisner.

It was quite a wild ride, even by Orlando’s standards.

Kisner, who made three birdies in a four-hole stretch around the turn, wound up three-putting from above the hole on the fringe and shot 68.

They were at 11-under 205, three shots clear of anyone else, both in position to win the first Arnold Palmer Invitational since the September death of the iconic tournament host.

“To be in a position at Arnie’s event is a special spot,” Hoffman said. “It’s right up there with competing in a major championship, there’s no question. Mr. Palmer was the King. There’s a reason why he had the name. … To keep his legacy going and his event would be something special.”

Tyrrell Hatton (67), Marc Leishman (71) and Matt Fitzpatrick (72) were three shots behind.

Rory McIlroy, who started the weekend 11 shots out of the lead, birdied his last two holes for a 65 and climbed back into contention. He was five shots behind. Rickie Fowler, also playing early before the afternoon breeze picked up, also shot a 65 and was six behind.

Kisner for so long looked to have a chance to create a big cushion. He got there with a 7-iron into 10 feet on the par-3 second, an 8-iron to 4 feet right of the flag on the eighth and a lob wedge that spun back near the hole for another short birdie putt on No. 10.

Kisner had birdie chances inside 20 feet on four of the next five holes and couldn’t convert them, and his eagle putt from just over 20 feet on the par-5 16th was short.

Even so, he was in contention, something he hasn’t felt since winning at Sea Island for his first PGA Tour title at the end of 2015.

“These guys are not afraid and they’re going to make a lot of birdies and there’s no protecting leads,” Kisner said. “So I saw I got the lead early and then tried to make as many birdies as I could on the back nine. And had a lot of chances, just didn’t hole the putts. But I hit a lot of nice putts and I’m going to build off that tomorrow.”

Along with the trio who were three shots back, Valspar Championship winner Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover were four shots behind.

Hadwin is seeking to become the first player since Camilo Villegas in 2008 to win his first two PGA TOUR tournaments in back-to-back weeks. Hadwin is currently No. 4 in the FedExCup standings. He has advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs each of his first two seasons on TOUR, finishing 107^th in 2015 and 85^th in 2016.

And perhaps the most daunting name was McIlroy, hopeful of finding his form with the Masters around the corner.

“At least I’ve given myself a decent chance tomorrow,” McIlroy said.

At stake is a red cardigan sweater, a favourite of Palmer’s, which replaces the blue blazer that previously went to the winner.

Hoffman doesn’t have one, and wouldn’t plan to wear it even if he were to win.

“I’m not a cardigan guy. I got zero cardigans and hopefully add one,” he said. “And it wouldn’t be in the closet, it would be on the wall.”

Emiliano Grillo probably won’t have to worry about that. One shot behind going into Saturday, the Argentine opened with a pair of soft bogeys and then fell back with three shots into the water – two of them were golf balls, one of them was his golf club.

Grillo’s first approach to the par-5 sixth came up just short and splashed down. His next shot, from about 10 yards closer, also went into the water. The third attempt was still in the air when he flung his club into the lake. Grillo made a 9, and later put another ball into the water on No. 16. He wound up with a 78 and fell eight shots back.

Hoffman wasn’t even planning to be at Bay Hill. He only needed to finish 41st last week in the Valspar Championship to secure a spot in the Match Play field for next week, and instead missed the cut. Given the tribute to Palmer, it was an easy choice for him to play Bay Hill.

Now, he has a chance to win in consecutive seasons for the first time in his PGA Tour career.

The final round of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship saw numerous lead changes, but a birdie on the last hole gave American Chris Ward the win.

Standing on the tee of the final hole, Ward was tied with fellow American and clubhouse leader Jimmy Lytle at 4-under. Ward’s tee shot sailed over the flag, setting up the birdie opportunity from about six feet.

“I had a pretty good idea that putt on the last was for the win,” Ward said. “For a six-foot putt I had to play it outside of the hole, so luckily I hit it at the right pace and it turned at the end to fall in the hole.”

With the win, Ward will take home not only the champion’s first place prize money of $10,000 (USD), but a ton of confidence and experience as well.

“I was fortunate enough to play in the final group today with Chip Beck and learned so many invaluable things just from watching him,” Ward said. “I actually thought I was going to be more nervous today, but Chip’s such an easy-going guy that it made it really easy for me to stay calm.”

Beck, the four-time PGA Tour winner and three-time American Ryder Cup member, lead heading into Saturday’s final round, but slipped on Satuday to T8 for championship.

Lytle finished just one-shot back, while PGA of Canada member Oliver Tubb rounded out the top-three at 3-under. PGA Tour veteran Tom Gillis, 19-time Ladies European Tour winner Trish Johnson, former PGA Tour member David Morland IV and American Michael Murray all finished T4.

For the full leaderboard, click here.

With radiant sun and little-to-no wind, conditions were ideal for Saturday’s final round and players definitely appreciated it.

“This golf course is just awesome and the greens are about as pure as any that I’ve putted on in many years,” Tubb said.

Fellow PGA of Canada member Mark Kitts, who tied the course record Saturday with a 4-under-par 50, agreed with Tubb’s thoughts of Turtle Hill Golf Club.

“This is just a gem of a par-3 golf course,” Kitts said. “You’re staying at the Fairmont, the weather is perfect and it’s way better than being back home in the cold.”

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

Spencer Wideman of Bermuda captured the men’s amateur championship, while Tariqah Walikraam, also of Bermuda, won the women’s amateur championship. A third Bermudian, Craig Christensen took home the senior men’s championship.

Past champions of the GREY GOOSE World Par 3 Championship include Bermudian Daniel Augustus, PGA Tour winner Nick Taylor, PGA of Canada member Ian Doig, American Jordan Mitchell, Mark Mouland of the European Senior Tour, Thomas Curtis and last year’s winner from Brazil, Rafael Becker.