PATTAYA, Thailand – Ariya Jutanugarn and Amy Yang both shot 6-under 66 in the first round Thursday to take a share of the lead at the LPGA Thailand.

Jutanugarn, a Thai ranked second in the world, had six birdies while Yang, the 2015 champion, had seven birdies and a bogey at the Siam Country Club Pattaya Old Course.

“In the middle, during the round, I had some time I couldn’t control the ball, but I still had a lot of good shots,” said Yang, who is from Taiwan. “Gave myself a lot of good opportunities out there.”

Ryann O’Toole, Sei Young Kim, Minjee Lee and Shanshan Feng were a stroke behind the leaders.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko (70) had five birdies and three bogeys, while former No. 1 Inbee Park shot a 72 in her first action since winning the Olympic gold medal last year.

“I don’t feel much of the injury anymore,” said Park, the winner in Pattaya in 2013. “Ball-striking was really good today. Just around the greens wasn’t as sharp as I wanted. Obviously that’s just going to happen. Just got to be patient.”

LA QUINTA, Calif.  – Kimberley, B.C., product Jared du Toit has been knocking at the door for some time with the Arizona State Sun Devils, before finally breaking through on Wednesday with a victory at the Prestige at PGA WEST.

The Team Canada Amateur Squad member finished the 54-hole event at 9-under par (67-67-70), four strokes clear of runner-up Sam Burns of LSU. The 21-year-old posted 13 birdies en route to the victory—his first with the Sun Devils. The team’s captain came up just shy of earning medallist honours earlier this month, where he finished tied for first after falling in a playoff.

Prior to his time at Arizona State, du Toit collected a pair of first place finishes playing for the Idaho Vandals. He captured a T1 finish in his sophomore season at the Wyoming Southern Dunes before capping off his year in stellar fashion with a victory at the Big Sky Championship.

du Toit will lead the Sun Devils into action next on Feb. 27-28 at the NIT Invitational.

Click here for full scoring.

Got. That. Trophy. (and @Jareddutoit plans to get more)@MattThurmond@vanwilliamsgolf@ASUKarsten@TheGolfCanada @RBCCanadianOpen @AZ_GOLF pic.twitter.com/SLx47bPWdt

— ASUmensgolf (@asumensgolf) February 23, 2017

Finally a victory wearing the Maroon and gold. Thanks to all for the love! #ForksUp https://t.co/Lk2RdAYF85

— Jared du Toit (@Jareddutoit) February 23, 2017

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada and Acura have announced a three-year extension and expansion of their partnership in which Acura will become the Presenting Sponsor and Official Vehicle of Future Links – Canada’s national junior golf program.

Future Links, driven by Acura, is a joint grassroots initiative of Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and the provincial golf associations which offers a full suite of junior golf programs for boys and girls ages 6 to 18—from beginners to those with more experience or greater playing ability.

For Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer and interim CEO Jeff Thompson, Acura’s enhanced support of Canada’s national junior golf program will help to deliver quality golf experiences to youth from coast to coast.

“Acura has been a tremendous partner since aligning their respected brand with Canada’s national junior golf program in 2014 and we are thrilled with their deepened commitment to Future Links, driven by Acura,” said Thompson. “With world-class junior golf curriculum that is internationally revered by golf federations around the world, we are proud that Acura will continue to drive the program’s success moving forward.”

Future Links, driven by Acura includes a comprehensive suite of junior golf activities for children of all ages and skill level. The program has been restructured under three core areas of focus—in-school programming, facility programming and community outreach.

Elements under the Future Links junior golf umbrella include Learn to Play, Junior League, Girl’s Club, Mobile Clinics, Junior Skills Competition, and Community Golf Coach, along with six regional Future Links Junior Championships.

Beginning in 2017, Golf Canada has also integrated the popular Golf in Schools program under the Future Links suite of junior golf activities. With more than 400,000 children currently learning golf at nearly 3,400 schools (elementary, intermediate and high schools) as part of the Canadian Physical Education curriculum, Future Links, driven by Acura is supporting quality junior golf experiences from in-schools to on-course at clubs across Canada.

“Acura is committed to supporting various youth initiatives across Canada and we are delighted to expand our commitment to Golf Canada and their respected programs, as this partnership is a natural alignment of the two brands,” said Dave Gardner, Senior Vice President of Operations, Acura, a division of Honda Canada Inc. “With luxury comfort, dynamic performance and a versatile passenger and cargo cabin, the Acura MDX luxury SUV will help drive the future success of the Mobile Clinics across Canada.”

As the official vehicle of Canada’s national junior golf program, Acura will also provide each of the 10 provincial golf associations with the current model year MDX vehicle—decaled in Future Links, driven by Acura branding—to deliver Mobile Clinics across Canada.

Each fully equipped vehicle will be staffed with a PGA of Canada professional travelling to locations across each province to teach juniors golf introductory lessons. Future Links, driven by Acura Mobile Clinics will bring golf to children at almost any location including parks, recreation centres, schools and golf facilities.

Under the leadership of PGA of Canada golf professionals, Future Links driven by Acura programs help young golfers develop the technical skills, appropriate attitude and self-confidence to succeed on the golf course, while instilling positive life lessons to succeed off the course.

“This is an exciting extension and expansion for the Future Links brand,” said PGA of Canada CEO Gary Bernard. “Since the program’s inception in 1996 the PGA of Canada and Golf Canada have seen more than 1-million kids go through Future Links and I feel this terrific initiative will only enhance the world-class junior golf program.”

In 2016, 85,000 junior golfers participated in one or more elements of Future Links, including 60,000 juniors who took part in more than 750 Future Links Mobile Clinics across the country.

Acura’s enhanced support for Future Links returns the junior golf program to solid footing after long-time partner Canadian National Railway (CN) stepped away following 11 years of sponsorship.

“Thanks to Acura, Canadian junior golf is well positioned for success moving forward for 2017 and beyond,” added Thompson. “Future Links has had the good fortune of strong supporting partners since its inception and that will surely continue going forward with Acura’s shared vision to support junior golf activities across Canada.”

Future Links, driven by Acura junior golf programming is fully aligned with the Canadian Golf Long-Term Player Development Guide. Developed by Golf Canada in partnership with the PGA of Canada, LTPD provides an age- and stage-based blueprint for golfer development rooted on research, statistics and expert insight.

Since launching in 1996, Canada’s national junior golf program has introduced golf to more than 1.3 million children, providing junior golfers across Canada with affordable and accessible golf activities in their community. More information is available at golfcanada.ca/futurelinks

With no status on the PGA Tour this year, Mike Weir spent Wednesday at a place filled with good memories – Augusta National Golf Club.

The 2003 Masters champion tried to qualify Monday for this week’s Honda Classic in Florida but missed by five shots. He also tried last Monday to qualify for the PGA Tour’s Genesis Open in Los Angeles. Again, he missed by five.

He headed to the storied layout in Augusta, Ga., for the first time in 2017 on Wednesday morning.

“Every time I get there, I love that place,” Weir said Tuesday night. “It’s always really special.”

Having used both exemptions available to him because of his place on the all-time money list – the 46-year-old currently sits 32nd with almost $28 million in career winnings – Weir is left with few options to try to get into PGA Tour fields.

As a Masters champion, however, he receives a lifetime exemption into that tournament in April and can play the legendary course as often as he wants.

“I don’t have any status to play so in order to stay sharp I have to try to qualify,” said Weir. “Going to Augusta to play some rounds and get ready for that event that I know I’m in will be good.”

Unlike in years past when Weir has been battling injuries, the native of Brights Grove, Ont., said he’s feeling healthy now. It’s living in the cold climate of Utah that has been tough on his preparation, he said.

“Everything feels good, I haven’t had any setbacks. I just haven’t played a whole lot,” he said. “I’ve tried some of these Monday qualifiers coming out of the cold in Utah, only hitting balls indoors. I haven’t had a lot of work except for indoor work, really. My body feels good right now though.”

He is a two-time champion of the Genesis Open but his request for a sponsor’s exemption into that tournament was declined, which is why he tried qualifying instead.

His long-time relationship with RBC has also ended, meaning it’s up in the air if he will get into the RBC Heritage the week after the Masters. While the loss of sponsorship has meant blacking out the RBC logo on his golf bag, he will likely play in this summer’s RBC Canadian Open, where he remains a fan favourite.

Despite the uncertainty of his upcoming schedule, he said he felt like be belonged on the tour when he was playing Pebble Beach a few weeks ago.

“Without a doubt I feel that,” he said. “I hadn’t played very much and I was coming out of the cold not playing a lot of rounds so I was a little rusty. My game was very good, especially the last couple of rounds. There were some definite improvements. The things that I had been struggling with were getting much better. I felt like I was very competitive.”

Weir has battled personal and injury issues in the past few years, making just one cut since the 2014 season when he earned $854,413. He said he could relate to the current struggles of Tiger Woods, who has been in and out of the PGA Tour over the last 18 months and has an uncertain future.

“I hope for his sake that his body can move correctly and he can get back to being Tiger Woods again, whatever that looks like at 40-plus years old,” said Weir. “Clearly right now he’s not feeling good and his game isn’t feeling good. I can commiserate because that’s a tough thing to go through. In this day and age, every shot is scrutinized and picked apart and that’s probably not the best scenario for him to come back to, but that’s unfortunately the world he lives in.”

It’s not certain if Woods will return in time for this year’s Masters, but Weir will definitely be there. And he hopes a return to Augusta this week will re-energize his game and get him back playing on tour more frequently.

“This year I’m a little more intent on getting some extra practice in,” he said. “I don’t think this will be the first trip I make to Augusta before the Masters. I plan to come in a few times which I haven’t done in a few years. I plan on playing a few more rounds before the tournament. My body feels good right now though, and hopefully I’ll get a chance to play again soon.”

A total of 114 local qualifiers will be conducted in 44 states and Canada for the 117th U.S. Open Championship, which will be contested June 15-18 at Erin Hills in Erin, Wis. The 18-hole qualifiers are scheduled to take place from May 2-18. Golf Canada is hosting a local qualifier for the first time.

“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 for the first time in Canada as we continue to expand qualifying opportunities around the globe for all of our USGA championships.”

Beacon Hall Golf Club, in Aurora, Ontario, will host the local Canadian qualifier on Monday, May 8. The course, designed by Bob Cupp, opened for play in 1988. The outward nine is lined by stands of pine trees while the inward nine features fescue and waste bunkers.

Those players who advance out of local qualifying will compete in sectional qualifying, which will be conducted over 36 holes at 10 U.S. sites on Monday, June 5. For the 13th consecutive year, Japan and England will host international sectional qualifying, both scheduled in late May.

In 2016, the USGA accepted 9,877 entries for the championship at Oakmont (Pa.) Country Club. The record of 10,127 was established for the 2014 championship at Pinehurst Resort & Country Club’s Course No. 2, in the Village of Pinehurst, N.C.

Thirty-eight courses return as U.S. Open local qualifying sites from last year and several have a long history as hosts. Illini Country Club, in Springfield, Ill., has conducted a U.S. Open qualifier in 43 of the last 44 years. Maketewah Country Club, in Cincinnati, Ohio, has been a local site in 40 of the last 41 years. Riverton (Wyo.) Country Club has hosted local qualifying since 1998, while Collindale Golf Course, in Fort Collins, Colo., has been a host site since 2003. Ironwood Country Club, in Palm Desert, Calif., has held a local qualifier in 18 of the last 19 years.

The Country Club of Detroit, in Grosse Pointe Farms, Mich., will serve as a U.S. Open local qualifying site for the third time since 2012. Arnold Palmer won the 1954 U.S. Amateur at the club, defeating Robert Sweeny, 1 up, in the final. It was the first of three USGA championships for Palmer, including the 1960 U.S. Open. The club also hosted the 1915 U.S. Amateur, won by Robert A. Gardner.

Several local exemptions for the U.S. Open were amended prior to the 2014 championship. The top 500 point leaders and ties from the Official World Golf Ranking™ (as of March 8) will be exempt from local qualifying. Any player in the OWGR’s top 500 (as of April 24) who has filed an entry prior to the deadline of 5 p.m. EDT on Wednesday, April 26, will also earn a local exemption. In the past, only the top 150 point leaders were exempt. Additionally, any player who has had multiple finishes in the top 400 of the year-ending OWGR in the past five calendar years (2012-2016) is exempt from local qualifying.

Ken Venturi (1964) and Orville Moody (1969) are the only players to win the U.S. Open after qualifying through both local and sectional play. Last year, 27 players advanced through local and sectional qualifying to the 156-player U.S. Open Championship field at Oakmont. Of those 27, five players made the 36-hole cut, including Brandon Harkins, who started his journey at The Club at Ruby Hill, in Pleasanton, Calif., which will host a local qualifier for the ninth consecutive year.

Several U.S. Open champions have advanced to the championship through both local and sectional qualifying at some point in their careers, including Lucas Glover, David Graham, Lou Graham, Hale Irwin, Tony Jacklin, Lee Janzen, Tom Kite, Johnny Miller, Corey Pavin, Curtis Strange, Lee Trevino and Fuzzy Zoeller.

To be eligible, a player must have a Handicap Index® not exceeding 1.4, or be a professional.

There are 16 local qualifying sites in the state of Florida, the most of any state. Fourteen local qualifiers are scheduled in California, while Texas will host seven local qualifiers.

Online player registration for the 2017 U.S. Open will begin in the first week of March (https://champs.usga.org/index.html).

VICTORIA, BC (February 21, 2017) – Pacific Links International and PGA TOUR Champions announced today that the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship is now accepting volunteer submissions. The event will once again be hosted at Bear Mountain Golf Resort in Victoria, British Columbia from September 11-17th, showcasing a field of 78 international players, and a US $2.5 million purse. 

More than 600 volunteers donated their time and worked to make the 2016 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship a resounding success, with approximately 500 of the volunteers coming directly from Victoria and Langford, many of whom live within the Bear Mountain – Ecoasis communities.

“The amount of support and involvement that the local community demonstrated was truly remarkable,” said Rudy Anderson, President of Pacific Links International. “With such a large-scale event as the Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship, volunteers are the beating heart at the centre of the tournament that makes it run seamlessly. We could not have done it without everyone who was involved.” 

The Event was more than just a golf tournament for volunteers; it was a symbol of pride in their community and being part of a property that showcased their home city and province on the global stage that is PGA TOUR Champions and the Golf Channel. Volunteers were also personally thanked by 2016 Champion Colin Montgomerie and received a visit from runner-up Scott McCarron during the Volunteer Appreciation party after the final round on Sunday.

VOLUNTEER REGISTRATION

Volunteers must be at least 13 years of age to be considered for a volunteer position at the tournament. Each volunteer must commit to a minimum of three days during Event week and shift lengths vary (at least 6 hours per shift) between committees. All volunteers are required to purchase the Volunteer Package for $49, which covers a portion of the cost of the volunteer uniforms, daily volunteer food and beverage, and enables the tournament to contribute to local charities in the community. The volunteer package includes:

• Volunteer Credential allowing access to the tournament grounds from Wednesday to Sunday
• Two (2) transferable Any-One-Day Tickets allowing access to the grounds on any one day
• Official Pacific Links Championship Volunteer Golf Shirt of high quality
• Official Pacific Links Championship outerwear piece of high quality
• Official Pacific Links Championship golf cap or visor
• Souvenir program
• Complimentary parking
• Continental breakfast and lunch provided, on a voucher system, on days volunteered
• Invitation to the Volunteer Appreciation Party hosted after the conclusion of play on Sunday

The Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship team of volunteers consist of avid golfers, fans of the game and people looking for a fun and exciting experience. To register as a volunteer simply visit the recently resigned tournament website at www.pacificlinkschampionship.com  and click on the ‘Volunteer Tab’. 

Committee placements are made on a first come first serve basis and Committee Directors will contact each volunteer and confirm which committee they have been placed into.

PRE-SALE TICKETS

Pre-Sale Tickets will also be available for the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship starting Friday, February 24 at 10am PT. Fans can enjoy 10% off all ticket types until March 31, 2017. Tickets for this premier event and can be purchased at www.pacificlinkschampionship.com  by clicking on the ‘Buy Tickets’  tab. Fans can choose from the following ticket options:

• WEEKLY PASS – WEDNESDAY TO SUNDAY: $99 (INCLUDES FREE PARKING & OFFICIAL PROGRAM)
• DAILY PASS – FRIDAY, SATURDAY OR SUNDAY: $40
• PRO-AM DAILY PASS – WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY: $25
• CHAMPIONS CLUBHOUSE VIP PASS – FRIDAY THROUGH SUNDAY: $200.00

For information on corporate hospitality, sponsorship opportunities or group packages for the 2017 Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship, please contact McKenzie Clarke at mclarke@sportboxgroup.com or (647) 468-3500.

LOS ANGELES – Dustin Johnson’s raw talent and a trophy case that keeps growing allowed him to believe he was the best player in golf.

Now he can say it.

Even if he doesn’t understand the math involved with being No. 1.

Johnson extended a remarkable run, which began with his first major at the U.S. Open last summer, with a five-shot victory in the Genesis Open that was never in doubt Sunday. That elevated the 32-year-old American to No. 1 in the world for the first time.

Johnson doesn’t spend a lot of time crunching numbers, especially the computations for the world ranking. But he said he would look at it first thing in the morning.

“I don’t really understand it,” he said. “But I can read 1-2-3. I guess that’s all that matters.”

In a 36-hole Sunday brought on by weather delays at Riviera, all it took was five holes to put Johnson in charge. He finished the third round in the morning with three straight birdies for a 7-under 64 to build a five-shot lead. He started the final round with two straight birdies and eventually stretched his lead to nine shots.

He went 49 straight holes without a bogey.

Johnson didn’t know he was in range of the 72-hole scoring record at Riviera that dates to 1985, the longest standing on the PGA Tour schedule. He wasn’t thinking about reaching No. 1 in the world. All he cared about was winning at Riviera, one of his favourite courses where he had four chances to win in the last five years.

“Winning the golf tournament … that’s what I was here to do,” he said.

Johnson, who made three meaningless bogeys over the last 10 holes for an even-par 71, became the 20th player to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986. He ended Jason Day’s 47-week stay at the top.

“He deserves it because he’s been playing great golf,” Day said.

Johnson won for the fourth time against some of golf’s strongest fields in the last eight months – the U.S. Open at Oakmont, a World Golf Championship at Firestone, a FedEx Cup playoff event at Crooked Stick and the best field so far this year at Riviera. He has finished no worse than third in eight of his last 16 tournaments.

“No surprise to us players, and I don’t think too much surprise to many others,” Jordan Spieth said.

And it’s not a surprise to Johnson.

Asked if he ever looked at himself as the best in the world even without the No. 1 ranking, Johnson smiled and said, “All the time.”

“I mean, I think I’m a good player,” he said. “Everybody has their own opinion. I believe in myself. I think I’m a great player. The best in the world? I mean, until now I probably wouldn’t have said I was the best in the world. But now I can say it.”

He heard it, too, as the gallery on the hill surrounding the 18th green began chanting, “No. 1.”

Johnson finished at 17-under 267. Lanny Wadkins won at Riviera in 1985 at 20-under 264. Johnson said he didn’t know what the record was, and once he made the turn with a seven-shot lead, he started playing away from trouble and at the middle of the greens.

“I didn’t finish the last 10 holes the way I’d like to, but I had a pretty good lead. I was on cruise control,” Johnson said.

Told the record score, he said, “Next year.”

Thomas Pieters of Belgium and Scott Brown tied in the other tournament. No one had a chance to win as soon as Johnson began the final round with two straight birdies, but Pieters closed with a 63 and Brown shot a 68 to share second place at 12-under 272.

That’s a big step for Pieters to earn a PGA Tour card, and it assured him a spot in the next two World Golf Championships. Cameron Tringale, who played the final 36 holes with Johnson, also was at 12 under until a double bogey on the final hole dropped him to a tie for eighth.

Graham DeLaet (68) of Weyburn, Sask., finished in 17th at 7 under while Adam Hadwin (69) of Abbotsford, B.C., was 34th at 4 under. Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (73) was 55th at 1 under.

PGA Tour rookie Wesley Bryan shot a 63 in the third round Sunday morning and got within two shots of Johnson, but only until Johnson finished off the third round with his stretch of birdies. Bryan shot 72 in the afternoon and tied for fourth.

Bryan went to the same high school as Johnson – Dutch Fork in South Carolina – though he played most of his golf with Johnson’s younger brother, Austin. He has seen enough of Johnson to realize this was inevitable.

“Honestly, I’m surprised it took so long for him to get to No. 1 in the world,” Bryan said. He’s got all the talent that you could ever want in a golfer.“

Pat Perez saw it all day. He also was in the final group for the last 36 holes, and on the ninth tee, Perez stood to the side as Johnson’s tee shot was headed for a bunker. Johnson dipped his knees and urged it to cut, as if that mattered – it cleared the sand by some 20 yards.

Perez shook his head, smiled. Later in the final round, Perez was standing behind the 10th green when he said, “The guys hits it 40 yards by me, hits his short irons great and makes 30-foot putts. What do you?”

NAPLES, Fla. – Fred Couples won the Chubb Classic on Sunday for his 12th PGA Tour Champions title and first since 2014, rallying to beat Miguel Angel Jimenez at TwinEagles.

The 57-year-old Couples shot a bogey-free 5-under 67 to finish at 16-under 200 on the Talon Course, three strokes ahead of second-round leader Jimenez.

“It’s never easy to win a golf tournament,” Couples said. “This is a good course. You have to hit a lot of good shots.”

Also the 2010 event winner at The Quarry, Couples won for the first time since the 2014 Shaw Charity Classic in Alberta. The Hall of Famer, long hampered by back problems, won 15 times on the PGA Tour – his lone major coming in the 1992 Masters.

“I felt a little pressure, but I wasn’t under gobs of pressure because you’ve just got to keep making birdies,” Couples said. “Sometimes when you’re trying to make pars it’s hard to hit really, really quality shots to make pars.”

Couples had three birdies on the front nine, and matched Jimenez’s birdies on the par-4 14th and par-5 17th. Jimenez, a stroke ahead of playing partners Couples and Kevin Sutherland entering the round, shot a 71. The 53-year-old Spaniard bogeyed the par-4 18th.

“He played very well, very solid, very nice,” Jimenez said about Couples

Jerry Kelly closed with a 66 to tie for third at 11 under in his senior debut. The three-time PGA Tour winner turned 50 in November.

“We learned a few things,” Kelly said. “You’ve got to go balls out all the time. I played a shot out of the rough to the right, smart like I should have, but that’s not the way you play out here.”

Jeff Sluman (68) and Canada’s Rod Spittle (69) also were 11 under.

Sutherland followed his second-round 63 with a 73 to drop into a tie for sixth at 10 under with Bernhard Langer (69), Scott McCarron (67) and Jerry Smith (69).

Langer won in 2011 at The Quarry and 2013 and 2016 at TwinEagles. The 59-year-old German star won the season-opening event in Hawaii for his 30th tour victory. He has 29 rounds in a row under par.

McCarron won last week in Boca Raton.

Colin Montgomerie ran his under-par streak to 30, shooting a 71 to tie for 20th at 7 under.

John Daly tied for 30th at 5 under, shooting 68-74-69.

Couples opened with rounds of 68 and 65. He has broken 70 in all eight tour rounds this season, shooting 65-65 to finish second in Hawaii and 68-65-69 to tie for sixth in Boca Raton.

“I love playing golf, I really do. I like this tour,” Couples said. “So to play on it is always fun, and when you’re not playing on it, for me it’s a struggle because I know my back’s bad. So far this year I’ve felt way better than I did last year. I still hate to say it, I don’t feel perfect out there, but right now my swing is good enough that when I’m a little stiff I can get around it. And three tournaments for some people is nothing. For me, it’s a huge goal because I just don’t last that long and I feel good.”

ADELAIDE, Australia – Ha Na Jang boldly predicted she’d finish at 10-under on Saturday evening; little did she realise it would be enough to lift the Patricia Bridges Bowl in the most dramatic circumstances.

In a rollercoaster final round during which no fewer than five players held or shared the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open lead, Jang unleased a closing salvo that will long be remembered by all in a huge gallery at Royal Adelaide.

The Korean hadn’t made a birdie in almost three hours on a day of trying, gusty winds as the overnight leaders imploded and left 17 people within three shots of the lead as birdies became a rare commodity.

But in a truly incredible final hour from the 13^th hole, the effervescent 24-year-old from Seoul went birdie-birdie-par-par-eagle-birdie to close out a remarkable back-nine 31 that simply left the field in her wake.

Jang’s explosive finish left her a three-shot winner for her fourth career LPGA Tour title – all in the past 13 months.

Maude-Aimée Leblanc finished at 5-under par (71-68-73-75) to close with a share a seventh place – a career best for the Sherbrooke, Que., product. Fellow Canadian Alena Sharp also had a strong performance Down Under, finishing T16 at 3-under for the tournament.

Brooke Henderson had an electric front nine with five birdies to shoot 32, but would play the back nine at 3-over par to finish at 2-under for the tournament in a tie for 21st.

Unheralded Dane Nanna Madsen was one of few among the third-round leader to hold her ground and her even-par 73 was eventually good enough for seven under and second in a blanket finish for the minor placings.

World No.2 Ariya Jutanugarn came from the clouds to momentarily lead, but a three-putt bogey on the 15^th consigned her to a share of third at six under alongside defending champion Haru Nomura (73) and Australian pair Minjee Lee (70) and Sarah Jane Smith (75).

Third-round leader Lizette Salas had recovered from an early lapse and led by three shots as she strolled the 11^th fairway until four bogeys in five holes reduced her to a 78 and a share seventh.

Her playing partner, Melbourne’s Su Oh, was also flattened by three back-nine bogeys and finished T14 after carding a 77.

Hannah Green was the other Australian in the mix and briefly shared the clubhouse lead after her 71 left her at five under and her most impressive finish in her three-month professional career.

But the day belonged to Jang, whose magnetic demeanour has won a horde of Australian fans in her third visit to the national championship, including five singing fans who supported loudly throughout her 69 strokes, most notably after her breathtaking eagle on the penultimate hole.

“I’m just looking for the score board (early on the back nine) and it’s not really good scores for the other players,” Jang said.

“I said, ‘OK, you can do it, just you try simple’.

“Then on hole number 13 and 14 (I made) birdie.  I’m starting more, like my mind is more exciting and I can do it more,” she bubbled.

“I try like consultation and conversation, too, and then hole number 17, I try to think about the speed and it (was) very, very exciting.

“(The putt is) feeling good, touching (my blade) solid, looks good, `Oh my God, that one is (to) make eagle — eagle, yeah!

“So my mind is more nervous, (the) pressure is gone. Hole number 18 is easy.  It’s very exciting today.”

If that sounds excitable, it was probably only half as pumped as the crowd who’d taken her theatrics to heart, most notably the five chanting men.

“I remember fan guy (as we were) starting hole No.1, saying, `Ha Na, let’s go. Ha Na Jang, you can do it”, like that.

“I play with Haru and she said, `You know that guy, right?’ and I said, `No, I think it’s an Australian guy’. She say, `Why is he a big fan for you … I think he likes you.”

“So that’s why big fans every hole and every hole is a good shot (with shouts), `Good shot Ha Na, you can do it.  Let’s go do it’, like that.

“Thank you so much … they’re good sport.”

Jang immediately promised to return to defend her title at Kooyonga next year.

“I love Australia because food is good, people (are) really kind, I love the golf course and the weather is so good, because it’s not really hot.  Strong windy and a little dry, I like dry arid conditions, so, really good,” she beamed before leaving with one final gem about her love of Aussie golf courses.

“I like the golf course because (they’re) firm.  I like fast green and firm green. Korea’s (courses are) really soft and (have) long grass, (with) little, soft green.

“But in Australia … every hole is happy, you know why? I hit driver 300 yard, because it’s long on the fairway.  Always I’m looking, and it’s oh, 300 yards, it looks like little girl’s Bubba Watson. That’s funny.”

World No.1 Lydia Ko fired a closing 75 to finish two over, playing alongside world No.8 Brooke Henderson who threatened early in reaching five under, but fell away late to shoot 71 and finish two under, just outside the top 20.

PERTH, Australia – Brett Rumford beat Phachara Khongwatmai of Thailand 2 and 1 in the final round of match play Sunday to claim the first World Super 6 tournament title near where he grew up in West Australia.

Rumford led by five strokes at 17-under 199 after 54 holes of stroke play in the experimental golf tournament at Lake Karrinyup Country Club in Western Australia, which is being sanctioned by the European, Asian and Australasian tours.

Eliminations during three rounds of stroke play whittled the field down to 24 for five six-hole rounds of match play on Sunday. The top eight seeded players, including Nova Scotia’s Austin Connelly, had a first-round bye.

Connelly’s strong debut on the European Tour came to a close in a 2&1 loss to Australian Matthew Millar. The Team Canada graduate will take home € 25,567 for his efforts.

Favourite Louis Oosthuizen, who had a share of second spot at 12 under going into the match play, lost to Adam Bland in the quarterfinals after hitting his tee shot into a bunker on the third shootout hole and then missing a long par putt.

Rumford beat Bland in the semifinals and then was too consistent against 17-year-old Phachara.

The 39-year-old Rumford underwent surgery in 2015 to have a section of his small intestine removed after falling ill in South Africa and lost his European Tour card last year during a long winless stretch, but has earned back full status with his first win on the tour since 2013.

“All I can say it has been a really, really tough week,” Rumford said. “You’re looking at the last six holes pretty much to win a 72-hole golf tournament _ so it comes down to the nitty gritty of that same feeling of trying to win a golf tournament.

“It was a unique challenge in trying to win a golf championship and feeling that same emotions, tension and pressure for six holes in four straight matches.”

Rumford said it was great to be back, and he was happy he could win in front of his wife and twin daughters.

“It has been a pretty tough road last year and the year before that was even tougher with my surgery,” he said. “I only saw my daughters, my twin girls, for four weeks in six months and I sort of completely fell out of love with the game and my direction in life.

“But it’s really nice to get my tour card back and I feel I’ve got back my worth back as a golfer again.”