OTTAWA – Bakersfield, California’s Manav Shah followed up a Thursday 65 with a second round 9-under 62 at Hylands Golf Club to get to 15-under and grab the 36-hole lead at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event on the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Shah, a Mackenzie Tour rookie, sits 26th on the Order of Merit after earning his card at Q-School. Through eight events, the former UCLA Bruins golfer has made four cuts, carding two top-10 finishes.

After breaking his hand at Web.com Tour Q-School last year, Shah is just happy to be playing professional golf.

“I went through a pretty rigorous rehab to get my game back to where it needs to be. I felt it just snap, and then the doctors said don’t hit another golf ball,” Shah said of his injury, after playing through soreness in college.

“Growing up I’ve always wanted to turn pro so turning pro last year was a dream and then I just happened to break my hand at the end of last year so going through that whole process and being able to get back out here so soon and play so well so soon is kind of a blessing,” Shah said.

Shah’s Friday 62 was one shot off the course record, set by fellow Mackenzie Tour member Eugene Wong in 2014. The first-year pro is already feeling comfortable on Tour and looking to build on what has been a solid first season so far.

“It’s exactly what I thought professional golf would be,” the 24-year-old said of his first stint on Tour. “My game has felt great. It’s just a matter of putting up four good rounds.”

In Ottawa, Shah has felt it all come together.

“It was a good day. My levels of serenity were great. I was in a good place physically and mentally,” he said. “I was pretty calm out there and I just tried to play within myself and it added up to a pretty low number.”

To close out his near record-tying round, Shah drove the green on the 310-yard par-4 ninth hole, sticking his tee shot to within six feet before making the eagle putt to get to 15-under.

“I just kind of hit it as hard as I could and it went right at it. I couldn’t really see it from where I hit it, I just heard some claps and I got up there and it was six feet away,” he said of his final hole of the day. “It was pretty fun to walk up to.”

Two shots back of Shah in second place is Canadian Adam Cornelson, who went bogey-free for the second straight day to post a 64 and get to 13-under.

On the 17th hole, Cornelson rolled in a 30-footer to draw within two strokes of Shah heading into Saturday.

“It was a little cheeky, but I’ll take it,” Cornelson, who is fifth on the Order of Merit, said of his birdie.

After playing on the Web.com Tour last week and at the RBC Canadian Open on his previous off-week, Cornelson has learned how to stay consistent this season in what has been a breakthrough year.

“There’s so many guys out here that can put up a number that you have to just focus on your own game,” he said.

Baddeck, N.S., native Peter Campbell and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., hold shares of 5th. For the second consecutive day, Conners carded a 4-under 67.

“I was back at home last week and it was great to kind of kick back with the family and not worry about grinding on the golf course so I’m feeling refreshed this week,” said Conners, when asked about the challenges of playing on both the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada and the PGA Tour Latinoamérica this season. “I’m happy with my game. It seems like after I take a break my game gets better. When I play too much I get some bad habits. It seems like I just go back to the basics and hit it good.”

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Si Woo Kim shot a tournament-record 10-under 60 on Friday at Sedgefield to take the second-round lead in the Wyndham Championship.

Trying to become the second player this month to break 60 on the PGA Tour, the 21-year-old South Korean player slid a 50-foot birdie putt by the right edge on his final hole – the par-4 ninth. He drove into the left rough, costing himself a clean shot at the front pin position.

“Tee shot aggressive,” Kim said. “Yesterday, hit 3-wood, but today just try to hit driver. Hit driver and then missed left. Just tough, tough lie and … tough pin. I’m trying before like 10 yards, 15 yards landing, but almost hit the green landing. Putting, really fast down grain and just trying to par, but almost close there.”

Jim Furyk shot the first 58 in PGA Tour history Aug. 7 in the final round of the Travelers Championship. Six players, including Furyk, have shot 59.

Kim eagled the par-5 fifth, hitting a 347-yard drive and a 170-yard approach to 10 feet. He made the last of his 10 birdies on the par-4 eighth, holing another 10-footer. Kim played his opening nine in 6-under 29, and also birdied the par-4 second – making another 10-footer.

“My irons and putting game is much better,” Kim said. “Much more putting practice last week.”

After making three bogeys in an opening 68, Kim had a 12-under 128 total for a two-stroke lead over Furyk, Lucas Glover, Kevin Na and Japan’s Hideki Matsuyama.

“Not so much celebrate today,” Kim said. “After this week, play good, I celebrate. Just trying rest today and then to see dinner.”

Furyk had a 64, birdieing four in a row on Nos. 13-16.

“I’m a little surprised how low the scoring is,” Furyk said. “The fairways are pretty firm. They’re extremely quick, have a lot of slope in them. If you get the ball in the fairway, it’s playing short, the ball is rolling. I can see guys hitting lot of wedges. I’m still shocked we had so many guys going that low.”

Glover shot a 61. He also missed a chance for 59 – and 60 – when he closed with a bogey on the par-4 18th. He birdies Nos. 11 and 13-16 in the PGA Tour’s regular-season finale.

Matsuyama also shot 64.

Na, tied for the first-round lead with Spain’s Rafa Cabrera Bello at 63, had a 67.

“I’m in good position for the weekend,” Na said. “Keep attacking those flags and we’ll see.”

Cabrera Bello was three strokes back at 9 under after a 68.

“I felt I played good for the majority of the round, just the putts didn’t want to drop in,” said Cabrera Bello, fifth last week in the Rio Olympics.

U.S. Olympian Rickie Fowler was tied for 11th at 6 under after his second 67.

Patrick Reed was 3 under after a 71. He won the 2013 event for his first tour title.

Nick Taylor from Abbotsford, B.C., posted a 3-under 67 to move into a tie for 35th. Fellow Abbotsford product Adam Hadwin shot 65, but along with David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) and Graham DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.), will not advance to weekend play.

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.

Ottawa – Brewster, New York’s Michael Miller carded an 8-under 63 on Thursday at Hylands Golf Club to take the first round lead at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, the ninth event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

“The front nine, I had it going,” said Miller. “I made six birdies and a bogey, and I played well early in the back nine, and just got a little tight when I got to 8-under and really wanted to put a good round together. I started to miss some greens, but the putter was working today,” Miller said, adding that the strong start was a relief in contrast to the rest of his season.

“It’s been a while since I put a really nice first round together. It’s nice to get off to a hot start and not really worry about too many other things,” said Miller.

The 24-year-old has played his way to one top-25 finish this season, a T15 two weeks ago at the ATB Financial Classic, while pursuing Monday Qualifiers on the Web.com Tour and other starts, including his major debut at the U.S. Open in June.

“I’ve been really fortunate with a lot of opportunities, getting to play in the U.S. Open and a few Web.com Tour events. I feel like my game is ready, but I just haven’t played in much. I think this is only my fourth Mackenzie Tour event, and I want to keep my card, and in order to do that you need to be around the lead or win,” said Miller.

Fresh off his best start of the year, Miller is looking to finish the season as strongly as he did in 2015, when he climbed to 21st on the Order of Merit thanks to a flurry of strong finishes late in the year.

“Last year, I really closed the year off well with three straight top-10s,” he said, recalling when he closed out his results of 5th-T8-7th to cap off the season.

At Hylands Golf Club’s North Course, Miller feels comfortable and he’s confident he can improve on last year’s T37 finish when he closed with a Sunday 67.

“This is really the first course I’ve come back to from last year. It lets you feel like you’ve got an edge on the field. I remember some of the reads, and it just puts you in the mindset that you can win,” Miller said.

Miller, a second year Mackenzie Tour member, made nine birdies against a single bogey to lead by two strokes over eight players, including Order of Merit No. 5 Adam Cornelson and Monday Qualifier Jake Scott, as well as David Skinns, Spencer Fletcher, Kyle Wilshire, Zach Edmondson and Manav Shah.

Cornelson of Langley, B.C., opened with a bogey-free 6-under 65 which included six birdies.

Earlier this season, Cornelson picked up his first Mackenzie Tour victory with rounds of 64-67-64-65 at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist. Through eight events, the British Columbia native has made six cuts.

At last week’s Price Cutter Charity Championship on the Web.com Tour, Cornelson made the cut thanks to a closing birdie in round two and went on to finish T71.

“It’s a new week, but I think it’s just a building block and I’m going to keep trying to move forward and go up,” said Cornelson. “It was a great week of experience with me to rub elbows with those guys up there. Playing in the RBC Canadian Open did more for me than I could have thought, last week was great and winning was a great experience too, so hopefully I can keep going the direction I’m going and see what happens.”

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Rested after the Rio Olympics, Rafa Cabrera Bello shot a 7-under 63 on Thursday in the Wyndham Championship for a share of the first-round lead with Kevin Na.

Cabrera Bello eagled the par-5 fifth and closed the bogey-free round with a birdie on Sedgefield’s par-4 ninth. On Sunday, the 32-year-old Spaniard tied for fifth in Rio.

“Last week was a big adrenaline week,” Cabrera Bello said. “It was the first time I was really not playing for myself, just playing for my country and obviously it’s a huge honor, but also big responsibility. I wanted to do good and I was pleased with my result. … Coming into this week, I felt the game was good, just needed a bit of rest.”

The four-time European Tour winner is trying to stay in position for a Ryder Cup spot, with more ranking points available in North Carolina than the European event in the Czech Republic. The shorter travel also played a role in his decision to play the tournament.

“There was a chance of me not making it through the money list and making it through the world ranking points list, that’s what I wanted to focus on,” Cabrera Bello said. “I’m pretty sure this week has a stronger world ranking than the one in Europe and I also felt that it was going to be easier to travel south to north than from Rio to Czech Republic, jet lag-wise.”

Na had seven birdies in his bogey-free round in the PGA Tour’s final regular-season event. The American tied for eighth last week in the John Deere Classic. He won his lone tour title in 2011 in Las Vegas.

“Hit it well,” Na said. “Made a lot of putts. That putter has not been all that hot this year and it was nice to see a lot of putts go in. It’s usually over the years been my strong part of game but I felt like I really found something.”

Luke Donald, Brandt Snedeker, Derek Fathauer, New Zealand Olympian Danny Lee and Peter Malnati shot 65. Donald made a hole-in-one on the 16th.

“Had a perfect number, downhill a little bit, 159 (yards) and it was playing straight downwind and good 9-iron for me and looked good all the way,” Donald said. “Hit a foot short and went in the hole. Bonus when it goes in, obviously, and nice to win a holiday for life. Apparently that’s what I got for it.”

Snedeker, the 2007 winner at Forest Oaks, bogeyed the final hole. He’s fighting for a spot on the U.S. Ryder Cup team.

“I want to be on that team. I love playing Ryder Cups,” Snedeker said. “‘m going to use that as motivation to go out there and work hard and grind my tail off the next three days.”

Jim Furyk had a 66 in his first round since shooting the first 58 in PGA Tour history two weeks ago in the final round of the Travelers Championship.

“Right now, a touch frustrating,” Furyk said. “If I went back, I think I hit a bunch of greens. I might have hit every green. Two three-putts were the two bogeys. The greens are just really difficult. They’re very quick. There’s a ton of slope in them.”

Patrick Reed also had a 66. He won the 2013 event for his first tour title.

“Just a special place to us and one of the places I need to come back and play,” said Reed, coming off a tie for 11th in Rio. “I’m off to a good start.”

U.S. Olympic teammate Rickie Fowler birdied his last two holes for a 67. He tied for 37th in Rio.

“We enjoyed being down there and the big thing coming from there up to here is not how much of a time change, there’s only an hour back,” Fowler said. “That makes things a lot easier.”

Abbotsford, B.C., native Adam Hadwin leads the Canadian contingent at T58 following a 69. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., opened with a 2-over 72. Nick Taylor, also from Abbotsford, shot 74, while Weyburn, Sask., product Graham DeLaet carded a 76.

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

“It’s disappointing not to get to play,” said the U.S. Ryder Cup captain, a three-time champion in the event. “The surgery went well. Rehab is going even better.”

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.

Robert Allenby had two double bogeys in a 74. The Australian was arrested outside a casino in Rock Island, Illinois, last week after missing the cut in the John Deere Classic. He was charged with disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. In January 2015, Allenby was found with severe bruises several hours after visiting a restaurant with friends. Allenby, who had missed the cut in the Sony Open, claimed to have been abducted and beaten. A Hawaii man was sentenced to five years in prison for using Allenby’s credit cards and identification.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – It wasn’t meant to be for Canada’s two remaining competitors at the 116^th playing of the Men’s U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., came up just short in a comeback bid against Denver, Colo., product Kyler Dunkle, losing by a hole. The 28-year-old journeyman was down 3 holes heading to the 15^th, and managed to cut the deficit to 1 hole with two to play. Rank failed to capitalize on a bogey from Dunkle on the par-4 18^th, matching his score to remain 1 hole back for the loss.

Rank will look to rebound next week as he tries for three consecutive wins at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship at Golf-Château-Bromont from Aug. 22-26 in Bromont, Que.

Fellow Canadian and Team Canada Amateur Squad member Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., came up just short in a back-and-forth affair with Brad Dalke of Norman, Okla. The pair duelled with nine lead changes in the match, with the nod eventually going to Dalke following back-to-back wins on the final two holes for a 2-up victory.

Hamilton won’t leave with any hardware, but he did manage an eagle on the par-5 2^nd hole today to add to his hole-in-one in yesterday’s Round of 64 match.

Click here for full scoring.

PONOKA, Alta. – Wolf Creek Golf Resort’s Old Course will welcome Canada’s top 25-and-over golfing talents for the 2016 edition of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. The 46^th playing of the competition will be conducted from August 24 to 26 where winners in four divisions will be crowned.

Competitors over 25 will vie for the Mid-Amateur title, while players over 40 will also be eligible in the Mid-Master competition. Players over 50 will also play for the Senior championship and those 60-and-over will also compete for the Super Senior title over the tournament’s first 36 holes.

Located just north of Red Deer, Alta., the Old Course at Wolf Creek Golf Resort is a Rod Whitman design and was founded in 1984. The course’s natural beauty boasts sprawling fairways mounted across natural hills and dunes, nestled against scenic tree-lined ravines.

“There is a timeless, classic feel to The Wolf,” said General Manager Laura Witvoet. “We couldn’t be happier to share our course with these extremely talented ladies.”

“Wolf Creek Golf Resort is a fantastic setting for this national championship,” added Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “The Old Course is in great shape and will provide a very good test for our talented field. The organizing committee and the community of Ponoka have done a great job; this tournament will be a wonderful experience for our players.”

Many of the nation’s most accomplished golfers have showcased their skills on the national stage provided by this championship. This year’s competition will see several Canadian Golf Hall of Fame members and a number of former champions compete to once again enter the winner’s circle at this tournament.

Returning to defend a trio of titles will be Terrill Samuel. The Etobicoke, Ont., native finished 3-under 210 at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie, Ont., to claim victories in the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior divisions. The Weston Golf & Country Club member, who also captured the 2012 Senior title, will be joined by reigning Super Senior champion Joey Bush of Aurora, Ont.

Mary Ann Hayward will attempt to add another national title to her lengthy list of accolades. The Aurora, Ont., native is a member of both the Ontario and Quebec Golf Halls of Fame, and was inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2007. The 56-year-old’s storied career includes four Amateur championships, three Senior victories, as well as the 2008 Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master titles.

A trio of British Columbians hope to add to their legacies through this championship. Fellow Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member and four-time Senior champion Alison Murdoch of Victoria will play alongside a pair of Port Alberni, B.C., natives in two-time Senior winner Jackie Little, who also captured the inaugural Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master titles in 2007, and five-time Mid-Amateur champion Christina Proteau.

Hélène Chartrand of Pincourt, Que., returns to the championship in which she claimed the 2014 Senior and Mid-Master titles.

An inter-provincial team championship will be conducted in conjunction with the first two rounds of tournament play. Team Ontario enters the competition as defending champions, having claimed a two-stroke victory over Team Alberta last year.

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 two rounds. 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 contested at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, Mass., from September 17-22.

Additional information regarding the championship can be found here.

CHILLIWACK, B.C. – Development Squad member Hannah Lee went the distance on Thursday to record the victory at the B.C. Juvenile Girls’ Championship at the Chilliwack Golf Club.

The Surrey, B.C., product entered the final round of 54-hole tournament tied with 13-year-old Akari Hayashi of Victoria at 3-under par. Lee held a one-stroke advantage through nine holes before eventually pulling away from Hayashi on the par-4 13^th with a four-stroke swing. Lee went on to finish at 5-under for the tournament for a five stroke victory.

It was an extra sweet win for the 16-year-old, who relinquished a 4-shot final-round lead in last year’s event to finish runner-up.

“Last year I was leading going into the final round, so yes, it feels really good to finish this one off and win it,” said Lee.

In the boys’ division, Langley’s Khan Lee came out on top with a score of 5-under par (75-70-66) for a two-stroke victory over runner up Jeevan Sihota of Victoria.

The 2017 British Columbia Golf Juvenile Boys’ & Girls’ Championships will be held at Granite Pointe GC in Nelson.

Click here for full scoring.

BLOOMFIELD TOWNSHIP, Mich. – A pair of Canadians have advanced through to the Round of 32 on Wednesday at the 116^th playing of the Men’s U.S. Amateur Championship at Oakland Hills Country Club.

Garrett Rank, the reigning Canadian Mid-Amateur champion, continues to perform at a high level despite balancing his time as a full-time NHL referee. The 47^th seeded Elmira, Ont., native defeated American Benjamin Griffin 1up to advance to Thursday’s action. He’ll ride his momentum into play tomorrow against Kyler Dunkle at 9:10 am EDT.

Joining Rank is National Amateur Squad member Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont. Hamilton wowed fans with an ace on the par-3 9^th for a sure win of the hole against opponent John Oda of Honolulu, Hawaii. The 22-year-old Team Canada vet went on to record a 4&2 victory. The University of Houston senior is geared to square off with Norman, Olka. product Brad Dalke at 10:00 am EDT.

What a day! #OnToTheNextOne #holeinone #USAmateur @canadahill65 @oaklandhillscc @USGA @TheGolfCanada pic.twitter.com/DWt3xq3cHr

— Blair Hamilton (@BlairHamilton12) August 17, 2016

Both remaining Canadians will look to accomplish what current Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners did in 2014 when he finished runner-up—eventually going on to earn Top Amateur honours at The Masters.

Fellow countrymen Austin James (Bath, Ont.) and Team Canada’s Hugo Bernard (Mont-St-Hilaire, Que.) failed to advance past the opening round of match play.

The 2016 U.S. Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes of stroke play, followed by six rounds of match play, concluding with Sunday’s 36-hole championship.

Click here for live scoring.

CALGARY – Golf Canada, Canadian Pacific (CP) and a host of partners have unveiled a listing of exciting events set to take place during the 2016 CP Women’s Open to be hosted at Priddis Greens Golf & Country Club from August 22 to 28.

The CP Has Heart Activity Zone will encompass several activities for spectators of all ages with funds raised going towards pediatric cardiac care and research at the Alberta Children’s Hospital. Throughout tournament week, fans can take part in the free CP Hole-in-One for Heart activity for their shot at great prizes, including a 2016 Jeep Cherokee. Participants who hit the green will have $50 donated on their behalf by CP.

Also housed within the CP Has Heart Activity Zone is the Long Putt Challenge which invites spectators to test their skills on a miniature replica of Priddis Greens’ beautiful 18th hole for a chance at a number of prizes. Funds collected from the $5 activity will be matched by CP.

The 2016 edition of CP Birdies for Heart will see CP donate $5,000 for every birdie made by a player on the 18th hole during tournament play. For $20, spectators can upgrade their tickets to enter the 18th Green CP Fan Zone to cheer on their favourite players. Premium covered seating, player meet-and-greets, giveaways and more await these fans. All funds collected will be matched by CP and donated to the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Sure to be a fan-favourite event, WestJet’s Closest to the Pin Toss offers spectators the chance to win a flight for four. Fans can purchase mini-balls from WestJet volunteers around the course and then participate in a ball toss on the 18th green at the end of each tournament round, with all proceeds benefiting the Alberta Children’s Hospital.

Those of legal drinking age are invited to visit the Molson Canadian 67 19th Hole Beer Garden. Fans can take in the sights and sounds from the 44th playing of Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship from a Muskoka Chair with a Molson Canadian 67 in hand. Spectators are welcome to try the iconic red Molson Canadian 67 “Chip in” fridge to win prizes, before sampling Molson Canadian 67’s newest offering, the Session IPA.

The CP Women’s Open will once again celebrate Canada’s Championship with Red and White Day on Friday, August 26. Players, families and fans are invited to wear their brightest reds and whitest whites to support Canadian golf.

Located in Spectator Village, in partnership with Alberta Golf, the Golf Canada Golf Zone offers free fun activities for the whole family. Fans can pose for a picture with the CP Women’s Open trophy or the 1904 Olympic Trophy, before enjoying a free bag of popcorn and signing-up for a free Golf Canada membership.

The 2016 CP Women’s Open is more than just 72 holes of world-class golf – it is one of Canada’s most historic sporting events with a number of activities for golf and sport enthusiasts both inside and outside the ropes. Spectator Village, with its fan-friendly activities from tournament supporting partners such as AutoCanada, SourPuss Nocturne, TaylorMade, Delta Calgary South, and the Canadian Armed Forces, promises to deliver an exciting experience for fans of all ages.

A full listing of events and activities can be found here.

Free Admission for Juniors and First Responders…

Golf Canada and CP are proud to offer free admission to the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open to any spectator aged 17-and-under. The free junior pass is available here. Parents of juniors can take advantage of discounted tickets by using the promotional code JUNIOR and clicking here.

As a small token of appreciation for all the valued work they do in the communities they serve, we’ve also extended a complimentary invitation to the CP Women’s Open to all Southern Alberta First Responders and their families.

Tickets…

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s National Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and inspire the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Hugo Bernard added to an impressive campaign this summer with a two-stroke victory at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship hosted at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club. Take a look at the Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product’s equipment in the “what’s in the bag” segment below: