FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Patrick Reed didn’t break anything Thursday except par.

Two days after Reed broke the gavel during the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the American kept a clean card and shot 5-under 66 to share the lead with Martin Laird at The Barclays.

Reed was dressed in a blue blazer with an American tie when he was asked to bang the gavel three times at the stock exchange closing on Tuesday. On the third hit, the top of the gavel flew off into the crowd, and Reed later made a joke at his own expense on Twitter.

“They told me to give it 3 good hits, so I did!” he tweeted.

He was much better with a golf club in hand at Bethpage Black, running off three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close out his 66.

The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, with a $10 million bonus waiting at the end, was more about a cup that doesn’t pay a dime. A dozen or so Americans are still in the mix to make the Ryder Cup team. Qualifying ends after this week for the top eight, and then Davis Love III has four captain’s picks over the next month.

Reed is winless this year and holding down the No. 8 position in the Ryder Cup standings.

“Of course it’s on my mind,” Reed said. “But really at the end of the day, it’s just trying to get better and play this tournament. Because if I play well, that means those other guys are going to have to play even better to try to catch me.”

Reed and Laird, who also played bogey-free, were one shot ahead of three other Ryder Cup hopefuls – Rickie Fowler, Kevin Chappell and J.B. Holmes, whose 67 was the best score among those who played in stronger wind in the afternoon. Defending champion Jason Day, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, was among those at 68.

Of the 18 players who broke 70, five played late.

Chappell likely would have to win The Barclays to make the team, while Fowler needs at least a two-way tie for fourth to have a mathematical chance. Fowler went from Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics to North Carolina for the Wyndham Championship to help his cause, but only tied for 22nd.

“That’s the No. 1 priority coming into the year,” Fowler said. “I’d say that’s always one of the main goals coming into a Ryder Cup year. Even in the off year, you’re thinking about it. That was the whole reason playing last week, trying to get more points. It would be nice to have a chance to make that team without having to get picked.”

Holmes dropped to No. 9 last week. He has made his points mainly through the majors – a tie for fourth at the Masters, third at the British Open – but as he got closer to making the team, the pressure has increased. He has missed the cut in his last three events, and he couldn’t afford another one.

He spent two hours on the putting green looking for a solution, and might have found it.

“It was really good,” he said. “Had to stay calm today and tried to let go of the results,” Holmes said.

Laird is only interested in the FedEx Cup.

The Barclays is the start of a four-tournament series in which the field size shrinks until 30 qualify for the finale at the Tour Championship. Laird started at No. 89, and with only the top 100 in the standings advancing, starting well was crucial.

He also played bogey-free at Bethpage Black on a warm day with the wind picking up late in the morning as he was making the turn.

U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, the No. 2 seed in the FedEx Cup, recovered from a bogey-bogey start to post a 70, while Adam Scott (No. 3) shot 69.

Abbotsford, B.C., native Adam Hadwin trails Scott by one stroke in a tie for 20th following a first-round 1-under 70. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., recorded a 73, while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., closes out the Canadian contingent at 75.

Jordan Spieth played for the first time since the PGA Championship and didn’t feel much rust as he made three birdies in seven holes. Bethpage is relentless, and so was the wind, and when the Texan struggled to find fairways, he started dropping shots. Spieth wound up with a 71.

“It’s up there in the top few toughest courses I’ve ever played,” Spieth said. “If they made the greens firm today, it would have been unplayable on a few holes. It was very tough, challenging, but fair today. We just had it really, really tough in the afternoon with those winds so high.”

Henrik Stenson (right knee) and Brett Stegmaier (wrist) withdrew, dropping the field to 119 out of 125 players. Stenson is No. 14 in the FedEx Cup and was always planning to skip one playoff event. Stegmaier is No. 101, so his season is over. … Russell Knox, battling bad congestion, opened with a 73. The Scot is hopeful of being a captain’s pick for Europe’s team. Darren Clarke makes three selections on Tuesday. Graeme McDowell opened with a 72, while Luke Donald had a 69.

BROMONT, Que. – Winds gave way to a light drizzle at Golf Château-Bromont as defending champion Garrett Rank shot a third-round 7-under 65 to claim a share of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur lead alongside Jordan Irwin.

Rank of Elmira, Ont., began his climb from fourth place following a consecutive trio of birdies on holes 2 to 4 to make the turn at 3-under.

“I played really well today. My putter was hot really early,” said Rank. “I missed three chances on 6, 7, and 8 which cooled the round down, but I finished with an eagle and a birdie, so that was fun.”

The 28-year-old collected birdies on holes 11 and 13, but lost the lead with a bogey on No 15. An eagle on the par-5 17th followed by a birdie on No. 18 pushed Rank into a share of the lead at 14-under 202. The University of Waterloo alumnus won this event back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, and is determined to earn his third-straight exemption into the RBC Canadian Open.

“I’m going to be really aggressive again tomorrow. For me in this event, I’m either first or I’m last. You get the [RBC] Canadian Open exemption if you win, so finishing second or sixth, it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, I’ll be playing for first place.”

Coming off a commanding second-round 7-under performance, Irwin faltered early with bogeys on holes 2 and 8. The 36-hole leader from Banff, Alta., carded four birdies through the back nine to finish the day 2-under.

A six-birdie day propelled Mattoon, Ill., native Derek Meinhart into sole possession of third, while Nashville’s Joseph Deraney registered a bogey-free 66 to follow in fourth at 9-under alongside Woodbridge, Ont., native Dave Bunker.

In addition to his three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur titles, Bunker was also crowned the 2015 Mid-Master champion at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S. The 51-year-old currently leads the 40-and-over division by one stroke.

Matthew Sim (Oakville), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) combined to finish 15-under 273 in the inter-provincial team competition – contested over the first 36-holes – to claim a second consecutive victory for Ontario.

The 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The final round of competition will see the first groups tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

The first stage of LPGA Qualifying School began today at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., where 19 Canadians are among the 347 competitors looking to advance to the second stage of the qualifying tournament.

The format is a 72-hole stroke-play event, including a cut after 54 holes. The Top-90 and ties from the week will advancing to stage II, held at the Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice, Fla., from Oct. 17-23.

Behind the United States, Canada leads the way with 19 competitors in the field:

• Aram Choi
• Maya Parsons
• Jamie Oleksiew
• Muriel McIntyre
• Caroline Ciot (a)
• Jessica MacPhee
• Lisa Meldrum
• Kyla Inaba
• Casey MacNeil
• Robyn Doig
• Laura Welch
• Anna Kim
• Taylor Kim
• Sabrina Sapone
• Krista Fenniak
• Eileen Kelly
• Josee Doyon (a)
• Anna Young
• Melissa Mabanta

Click here for scoring.

PONOKA, Alta. – Sunny skies and mild temperatures greeted players as the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship got underway at Wolf Creek Golf Course. Hélène Chartrand capitalized on the fair weather to card a 1-under 71 and lead by a single stroke.

The native of Pincourt, Que., collected four birdies on the day, including two back-to-back on her final two holes to take possession of the lead.

“The course was playing so much better than the first two practice rounds – at least I enjoyed myself around the course,” said the 59-year-old. “It’s tough, the pins were in tough spots at some points. You have to maneuver around some fairways, it’s not easy, it’s very tight. You have to stay patient.”

The welcome conditions arrived following two windy, rain-soaked days. Despite some inclement forecasted in the coming days, Chartrand remains steadfast in her approach to the competition.

“I’ve played so many rounds in my career in the rain, so it doesn’t really bother me. The wind is sometimes tougher than the rain. You have to prepare, you have to stay focused. But it’s the same course for everyone, so I don’t really mind it.”

Chartrand leads the 25-and-over Mid-Amateur, the 40-and-over Mid-Master and the 50-and-over Senior divisions. She claimed the 2013 and 2014 Mid-Master titles, as well as the 2014 Senior championship.

“It gives me confidence that I can do it,” she said, when asked about the experience of being a past champion at this event. “I know the game is there, but you have to make the putts and stay in the present – which is always so classic to say, but it’s so true. But it’s so difficult to do, as well. It’s so easy to project yourself in the future and you don’t want to do that.”

Chartrand singled out her play on the green and stressed the need for similar performances in the coming days if she is to keep finding success.

“I putted extremely well from 3-feet…from 5-feet. Even though I missed two of them, I made several of them, too. I putted really good and that’s what I’m going to try to do; relax, take the tension away from my arms and focus on putting. I think I drove the ball pretty good, too, but putting is key because the greens are so tough.”

Trailing Chartrand by one stroke is Thornhill, Ont., native Judith Kyrinis. The 51-year-old finds herself in a familiar position, having finished runner-up in the trio of divisions last year. Margo Dickinson from Hartland, N.B., sits third in the Mid-Amateur division following a 1-over 73 showing. The trio of Penny Baziuk (North Saanich, B.C.), Terrill Samuel (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Holly Horwood (Vancouver) hold shares of fourth in the Mid-Amateur divisions, as well as shares of third in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions. Samuel claimed victory in the three divisions in 2015 at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie, Ont.

At 2-over, Horwood leads the Super Senior division by three strokes. Anna Schultz of Heath, Texas holds second, while Ruth Maxwell from Dartmouth, N.S., and Albertan Sharon Peart of Red Deer are T3 after matching 79s.

The trio of Baziuk, Horwood and two-time Senior champion Jackie Little of Port Alberni, B.C., lead the inter-provincial team competition at a combined 4-over 148. Teams Ontario and Quebec trail the 36-hole competition played concurrently with the championship’s first two rounds by one and two strokes, respectively.

Following the opening two rounds, the field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties from the senior division. In addition, all players eligible for the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions posting 36-hole scores equal to the final qualifier in the Senior division will advance to the final round of competition. A minimum of 10 Mid-Amateur and five Mid-Master competitors will make the cut.

The 2016 Canadian Women’s Senior champion will gain an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to be played at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, Mass., from September 17-22.

The second round of competition will see the first group of competitors tee off at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the championship can be found here.

BROMONT, Que. – The second day of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship saw Team Ontario capture the R. Bruce Forbes Trophy after reclaiming their province’s 2015 team title with a 15-under 273 showing. Team Alberta’s Jordan Irwin carded a 65 through persistent winds at Golf Château-Bromont to sit alone atop the leaderboard.

Matthew Sim (Oakville) led the Ontario contingent – including Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) – with a 5-under 67 performance.

“It’s my first time on Team Ontario and it’s just been so much fun. It’s nice to bring this title back,” said Sim, a University of Waterloo alumnus. “Playing with a team is different because there’s a little more pressure behind it that you definitely feel, but it’s just like university golf.”

The 29-year-old recorded a single bogey through his six-birdie day to sit T2 at 8-under in the individual standings alongside 18-hole co-leader Jacob Peterson of Montréal.

Kings carded a bogey-free 68 to claim a share of fourth at 7-under alongside Philip Arci (Vaughan, Ont.) and two-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.). The 39-year-old Kings enjoyed the novelty of representing his home province alongside the people against whom he typically competes.

“I’ve never played on a golf team before so it’s nice to form some camaraderie with the guys. I loved representing Ontario and I hope I can do it again next year.”

First-round co-leader Jordan Irwin (Banff) shot 65 to lead Team Alberta to a runner-up result. Irwin and teammates Paul Briske (Calgary) and Gerry MacDonald (Chestermere) finished five strokes behind the leaders with a combined 10-under 278.

Irwin recovered quickly from a bogey on his first hole with a trio of birdies through Nos. 3 to 8 and an eagle on the par-5 9th. A 3-under back nine vaulted the 2016 Alberta Mid-Amateur champion into a four-stroke advantage in the overall standings at 12-under 132.

“I didn’t hit the ball as well as I would have liked, but my putter was solid and my misses were pretty good,” said the 31-year-old. “I didn’t think about the cut all day, which is rare. I’m just going to keep trying to play well, work hard at every shot and enjoy it.”

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., and Darren Shaw of Stoney Creek, Ont., lead the 40-and-over Mid-Master division at 6-under 138. Bunker claimed the Mid-Master title in 2015 at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S.

The 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

A total of 70 players finished 149-or-better to advance to the final two rounds of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. The third round will see the first groups tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

Nestled against the Credit River, within shouting distance of Lake Ontario and a mere 17 minutes (without traffic, of course) from downtown Toronto, lays one of the country’s most iconic and celebrated layouts.

And when Mississaugua Golf and Country Club hosts the World Junior Girls Championship in late-September, all eyes will once again be on the Percy Barrett/George Cumming/Donald Ross/Stanley Thompson design.

How about that for a Murder’s Row of golf-course designers?

“If you look at our history, our club has always had a big amateur tournament every four or five years. We’re constantly looking to host something from an amateur perspective, and for the World Junior Girls, it was a no-brainer,” says Mississaugua’s Head Teaching Professional Nick Starchuk. “It’s pretty special from a member perspective.”

Mississaugua has hosted the Canadian Open six times, and the first two champions were Walter Hagen (1931) and Sam Snead (1938), while names like Jones, Hogan, Player, Palmer, and Nicklaus have all traversed the historic links. In it’s centennial year (2006), the club hosted the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship won by Richard Scott (his third).

The club has quite the golfing pedigree when it comes to great champions, and that’s not lost on those anxious to put the club once again on the world stage.

“It’s a old, traditional club. There’s a lot of tradition here,” says Starchuk. “Entering the grounds, you recognize this is a place that has been improving for the last 100 years. You know it’s going to be special.”

The course, a par 71, measuring 7,100 yards from the back tees (but more likely to play just under 6,000 yards for the World Junior Girls) features classic Stanley Thompson green sites meant to challenge and invigorate those who tee it up.

“The course is not going to give a flat lie, it’s not going to give a straight putt on the greens, and they’re going to have to deal with the Credit River,” explains Starchuck of the course’s many subtle challenges. “It’s a tighter course than this competition is used to.”

“It won’t be long for them, but it’s going to be challenging to hit the right tee shot, hit the right approach, and then make the putt. There are no easy pars out here,” he continues.

The holes that meander through the Valley will particularly be challenging for the girls. Holes four through 15, according to Director of Golf Dennis Firth, are ‘really strong.’

“They’re going to have to keep it in play all week,” states Firth. “Our rough has been very healthy all year despite the lack of rain and water. It’s a golf course that’s out in front of you, but it’s going to take just a complete effort from tee-to-green to score well.”

As far as the membership support goes, Mississaugua has been all-in since 2014 when the conversations first began to potentially host the event after Angus Glen and The Marshes the last two years.

“The momentum builds from the day you announce the event all the way to tournament week,” explains Firth. “(The excitement) continues to grow even though this tournament is relatively new in its lifespan. With Brooke (Henderson) competing just two years ago and seeing the meteoric rise of her and her game, it brings a lot of excitement.”

And not only will the Brooke Henderson Effect be on display in September, but Mississaugua is hoping one of their own makes the field as well.

Chloe Currie, a member at the venerable club, is in the running to be a part of Team Canada, having won some prestigious junior events this year. If she does make the team, Starchuck says it’s likely her private school in Oakville will take a day off to come and watch her making the potential “huge for the club.”

Starchuck says there wasn’t really a junior program at Mississaugua before he arrived five years ago. Now, it’s a thriving entity of the club.

“A big percentage of our juniors compete regionally, and some compete internationally. We have a junior program that is not an after-school thing,” he says. “You’re going to be in a program to play tournaments, and you’re going to win. We have 10 wins this year alone for kids at the club.”

Regardless of if Currie makes the team or not, the club will be a proud host, and, at least according to Starchuck, it can’t wait to get started.

“Being able to see this tournament at Angus Glen, and then at my home course in Ottawa, it’s massive,” he says. “It’s really big, and we’re so excited.”

BROMONT, Que. – Clear skies and mountain winds at Golf Château-Bromont welcomed competitors to the first round of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. At 5-under 67, Montréal’s Jacob Peterson holds a one-stroke lead alongside Jordan Irwin of Banff, Alta.

Peterson took off from the 10th tee with the morning wave and moved into quick possession of the lead with three birdies through holes 12 to 15 and an eagle on the par-5 17th.

“It was a pretty windy morning, but I managed pretty well,” said Peterson. “It honestly helped me at some points. I got some good breaks, I made some good putts and I holed-out from a bunker.”

The 25-year-old Concordia University Stinger, who is competing for the first time at this national championship, birdied No. 2, but settled for a bogey on the par-4 5^th hole. A birdie on his final hole solidified Peterson’s 67.

“I was pretty lucky to get the morning draw today, so hopefully it’s not too windy tomorrow afternoon. 5-under is hard to beat, but there are a lot of golfers out here, so I’ll just try to do the same thing tomorrow.”

The 31-year-old Irwin also began his round on the back nine, collecting a birdie on the 14th hole followed by a trio across holes 16 to 18. A final push with birdies on Nos. 1 and 8 nudged Irwin into his share of the lead.

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., put himself in good position to defend his 2015 40-and-over Mid-Master title with a 4-under 68. The 51-year-old sits T3 in the overall competition with Vaughan, Ont., native Philip Arci, Brandon Markiw of Edmonton and Calgary’s Dustin Yeager.

The team representing Ontario – consisting of Charles Fitzsimmons (London), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Matthew Sim (Oakville) – lead the inter-provincial team competition which takes place concurrently with the first two rounds of stroke-play. The trio combined for a two-stroke lead at 6-under 138 as they look to defend their province’s 2015 title.

Team Quebec’s Sebastien Levasseur (Nicolet), Alain Dufresne (Deux-Montagnes) and Dwight Reinhart (Renfrew, Ont.) follow closely in second at 4-under 140.

In addition to the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title, the champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The second round of the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship will see the first wave tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m., followed by the second wave from Nos. 1 and 10 at 12:30 p.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Si Woo Kim followed his tournament-record 10-under 60 with a third-round 64 on Saturday to increase his lead to four strokes in the Wyndham Championship.

The 21-year-old South Korean player had an 18-under 192 total at Sedgefield, a stroke off the tournament 54-hole record set by Carl Pettersson in his 2008 victory.

Kim is in contention for his first PGA Tour victory for the second time in a month after losing a playoff to Aaron Baddeley in Alabama in the Barbasol Championship.

“I think tomorrow is much pressure, but I’m just trying to keep confidence. That’s it,” Kim said. “I feel very good now. My shots like much more consistent. Only problem have pressure. … I’m experienced before like Alabama in Barbasol, that’s good experience. Good for tomorrow.”

After making an eagle and eight birdies Friday, Kim played the front nine in 3-under 35 on Saturday with four birdies and a bogey. He added birdies on the par-4 13th, par-5 15th and par-4 18th.

“I feel like really pressure because first time, first time I lead third round, but start very good, first hole and second hole start birdie,” Kim said. “But after little pressure, I felt little better.”

Rafa Cabrera Bello was second after a 65 in the PGA Tour’s regular-season finale. The Spaniard was fifth last week in the Rio Olympics.

“The greens are brilliant,” Cabrera Bello said. “You play good and give yourself chances you will roll putts and that’s what I’m going to try to do tomorrow.”

Jim Furyk, Luke Donald and Kevin Na were 13 under.

Furyk is playing his first event since shooting the first 58 in PGA Tour history Aug. 7 in the Travelers Championship. After playing a three-hole stretch in 4 under with a 60-footer for eagle on 15 and two birdies, he bogeyed the final two holes for a 67.

“Had it rolling and then missed the fairway at 17 and I missed the fairway at 18 and the rough here doesn’t allow you to hit a ball,” Furyk said. “It’s hard to control. I’m disappointed with the two bogeys. Overall, still some good position with the tournament. Need to get over that and play a good round tomorrow.”

Donald scrambled to save par on 18 for a 64.

“I hit a poor tee shot left and had to chip out,” the Englishman said. “I had a good number with a little wedge, stick it to that pin. Would have been disappointing to drop one there after playing so well for the rest of the round.”

Na made a double bogey on 18 for a 67. He hit over the green, chipped off the front edge, and ended up missing a 4-foot par try.

Davis Love III, the tournament winner last year at age 51, is sidelined following hip surgery.

The top 125 in the FedEx Cup standings will qualify for The Barclays next week at Bethpage Black. It the next-to-last chance to earn Ryder Cup points, with the top eight players determined after The Barclays. Love will make his first three captain’s picks Sept. 11 after the BMW Championship. The final pick comes two weeks later after the Tour Championship.

Graeme McDowell, Billy Horschel, Brandt Snedeker and Hideki Matsuyama. McDowell birdied the final four holes for a 64. Horschel also shot 64, Snedeker had a 65, and Matsuyama a 68.

“It’s nice to get the juices flowing a little bit tomorrow,” McDowell said. “I came here for a couple of reasons this week. Obviously, as a bit of a warmup for next week going into the playoffs with Atlanta being my big goal this season and partly to try put myself back on the Ryder Cup radar.”

Patrick Reed had a 64 to move into a tie for 18th at 9 under. The U.S. Olympian won the 2013 event for his first tour title.

“We’re just plugging along,” Reed said. “I just need to tidy it up. It’s close. I go through spurts like today, I went through spurts, nine holes, playing some really solid, pretty good golf and then I go to the back nine and just started getting a little loose. I need to get that better and just kind of figure out a way to tighten it up for all 18, not just nine.”

U.S. teammate Rickie Fowler was tied for 25th at 8 under after a 68. Lucas Glover followed his second-round 61 with a 73 to drop into a tie for 33rd at 7 under.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., collected five birdies on the day, including three across a bogey-free back nine. The 4-under 66 performance moved him into a share of 25th.

OTTAWA – Tucson, Arizona’s Jonathan Khan shot a 9-under 62 on Saturday at Hylands Golf Club to share the 54-hole lead with Bakersfield, California’s Manav Shah at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event on the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Khan, a 27-year old University of Arizona grad, reached 15-under through three rounds thanks to nine birdies and no bogeys, while Shah bogeyed two of his final three holes to drop into a tie for the lead after setting the mark for the best 36-hole start in Mackenzie Tour history with rounds of 65-62.

“I hit a lot of good shots and drove it great,” said Khan, who ranks 86th on the Order of Merit coming into the week. “I hit some close ones early, and that got the confidence going and made some putts. I played well the first two rounds but didn’t quite get much out of them.

Khan added that Shah’s sizzling 62 yesterday gave him added motivation, knowing that the chance to go low was out there even on a breezy day at Hylands.

“Seeing a 62 was possible definitely helped though, and I made some putts today and just kept it going,” Khan added.

For Shah, Saturday’s 71 was a step backward after his blazing second round, with bogeys on two of the final three holes, including a missed eight-footer for par at the last.

“It was a bit more windy out there today. I wasn’t hitting it that great so it was kind of a grind,” said Shah, who nonetheless said he took a lot out the experience of being chased on the leaderboard. “It felt great actually. I think it helps me play better when I have a bunch of people following me, it helps me get more locked in.”

One shot behind Shah and Khan were Spain’s Samuel Del Val, who shot a 7-under 64, and Langley, British Columbia’s Adam Cornelson, who produced a 1-under 71 despite admitting to being without his best stuff on Saturday.

“I’ll take this position going into tomorrow. I’m a little disappointed in how I played today but to have a chance to play for the win tomorrow is all I can ask,” said Cornelson, adding that he would have taken a chance to win in a heartbeat at the start of the week. I would have signed wherever you wanted me to.”

Cornelson currently sits fifth on the Order of Merit and can move into second place with a win, provided Taylor Moore finishes no better than a three-way tie for third.

Two shots off the lead was Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida’s Tyler McCumber, who shot a 5-under 66 to sit two of the lead.

RIO DE JANEIRO – Inbee Park added another accolade to her Hall of Fame career following a precision putting performance to capture Olympic gold. A final-round seven-birdie, 5-under 66 – including birdie putts from nine, 10, 25 and 26 feet – provided the native of South Korea with yet another milestone in a landmark career highlighted by seven major championships and a total of 17 LPGA Tour victories. Park finished the competition 16-under 268, five-strokes clear of second-place.

World No. 1 Lydia Ko birdied three of her final five holes, including a dramatic eight-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to capture the silver medal at 11-under, while Shanshan Feng of China finished with bronze at 11-under.

Final-round interview with Brooke Henderson – LISTEN

Brooke Hendrson (Scott Halleran/ Getty Images)

Canada’s Brooke Henderson began the day with a share of 8th, following a third-round 75. The native of Smiths Falls, Ont., opened her final round with a bogey, but settled in for the remainder of the day, carding six birdies en route to a 67 to finish in a three-way tie for 7th alongside Australia’s Minjee Lee and Great Britain’s Charley Hull. A final-round 69 from Alena Sharp earned the Hamilton native 30th-place.

“It was a tough finish for me, but I fought back today,” reflected Henderson. “I bogeyed the first hole today, so I’ve been 5-under the last 17 holes which is really cool. I learned a lot about myself on and off the course this week which I think is always a good thing and it will be really important moving forward for the rest of the season.”

Final-round interview with Tristan Mullally – LISTEN

Team Canada Head Women’s Coach Tristan Mullally reflected on his charge’s performance positively.

“She certainly created enough chances to warrant a chance at some medals. Obviously the finish yesterday put her in a spot where she had to play awesome today and I honestly think she did. It could have been lower today with some of the putts that she created chances with and had an opportunity and maybe didn’t convert as many as she’d like. It’s nice to be able to shoot 4- or 5-under-par and not converting as many chances as you’d want. It shows you just how well she played. But I think she’ll build off of this momentum for next week which is an important week for us.”

“I’m proud of how she played and I know when she walks away and really looks back, I think she will be, too,” he added.

The Canadian will now set her sights on the 2016 CP Women’s Open. She will be joined by both the bronze and silver medallists, with Ko aiming to defend her title at Canada’s Women’s National Open Golf Championship. Before making her way to Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club for the August 22-28 tournament, Henderson plans to continue to take-in the Olympic experience.

“It’s been really fun; It’s been really cool,” said the 18-year-old when asked about her time in Rio. “Seeing the other athletes around the village, just watching them train a little bit, watching them when they’re relaxing or partying is just really cool, just to see the different things and I’m hoping to go see some events later tonight and hopefully tomorrow as well.”

Henderson did not shy away when asked about the impact of the Olympics on the state of the sport.

“I know for the men, it made a huge difference, so I’m hoping as well for the women, but you know, just being the Olympic Summer Games, we had audiences that golf doesn’t necessarily get all the time. I think it was really good for growing the game and improving it. I saw some young kids here today, and more and more, I see them starting to pick up the game or start to follow it a little more closely, so that’s really important to me, and hopefully I inspired somebody to play a little bit better.”

“I think it’s fantastic,” added Mullally. “I do feel like inside the ropes, this felt like a major championship in terms of how the course played and how it was set up. Outside of the ropes, it was very special. You get to rub shoulders with some of the best athletes in other sports in the world and really realize how important this is for them, which does have an effect. I think when you see how people hard people work and how lucky we are in golf, I think that brings another dimension into what you get to do day-in and day-out. I hope golf stays in the Olympics forever and I think if we can continue to have events like this, it should.”