The start times for the 2016 RBC Canadian Championship Pro-Am at Glen Abbey Golf Club have been released. Wednesday, July 20 will see 52 professional golfers take to the historic Oakville course to entertain 156 amateurs. Click here for pairings and start times.

The pairings for the opening two rounds of the 107th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship on Thursday, July 21 and Friday, July 22 are now available online here.

CN FUTURE LINKS – WALK WITH A PRO
Canada’s National Junior Golf Program – CN Future Links – is welcoming a number of its program participants to the 2016 RBC Canadian Open to join PGA TOUR professionals on the 7th hole during the Championship Pro-Am. The “Walk with a Pro” event offers junior golfers the chance of a lifetime – to carry a professional’s putter or bag and maybe even take the pro’s first putt. CN Future Links is conducted by Golf Canada, the PGA of Canada and Canada’s provincial golf associations. Visit www.CNfuturelinks.com for additional information or to find a CN Future Links program in your area.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – There was a time when Graham DeLaet thought he would never be able to represent his country on the Olympic stage.

Now DeLaet will be part of a Canadian team brimming with potential when golf makes its Olympic return at the Rio de Janeiro Games following a 112-year absence.

The Canadian Olympic Committee and Golf Canada officially introduced the Olympic golf team Tuesday. DeLaet will join a potent squad including 18-year-old phenom Brooke Henderson, David Hearn and Alena Sharp.

“Up until a few years ago I never really thought I’d ever have the chance to be an Olympian,” said a smiling DeLaet, who recently shaved off his trademark beard so he could better cuddle his newborn twins. “Even just saying that and the closer and closer we get to Rio the more it’s kind of sinking in. It’s a pretty special opportunity, there’s no question.

“Both David and I and Brooke and Alena, we want to bring back some hardware.”

Hearn, DeLaet and Sharp were present for Tuesday’s announcement, with chef de mission Curt Harnett giving them their Olympic jackets. Henderson, who was in Calgary for a junior event, participated in the ceremony via teleconference and was given her jacket by Olympic ski-cross racer Brady Leman.

Golf was played at the 1900 Paris Games and again in St. Louis in 1904. It was supposed to be an Olympic competition at the 1908 London Games, but when organizers couldn’t agree on the format of play it was dropped from the slate of competitions, not to reappear for over a century.

All of DeLaet’s teammates agreed that the return of golf to the Olympics presents a unique opportunity for them to play on a new, higher level. The newly minted Olympians described it as a chance to elevate the sport’s profile in Canada.

“Growing up you watch the Olympics and being into golf, there was no chance to be an Olympian,” said Sharp. “When it was announced it was something very important to me to be able to represent Canada and go down to Rio.

“Growing up I always watched the hockey and we’re known for hockey but I think it’s time to show the world that we’re known for golf.”

Men’s individual golf and a team event were held in 1904, with George Lyon of Richmond, Ont., winning gold, meaning Canada has technically been the defending champion for 112 years. The engraved, sterling silver trophy from the 1904 Olympics is still kept by Golf Canada at its headquarters in Oakville and on Tuesday it was brought on stage for the golfers to pose with.

“The fact that we are defending gold medal champions is a neat piece of history that Canada can be proud of,” said Hearn. “Graham and I are going to try and go down there and defend on the men’s side and Brooke and Alena are going to do what they can to bring home a medal for the women.”

It will be a somewhat depleted field for the Canadian men, as the top four players on the PGA Tour – Americans Jason Day, Dustin Johnson, Jordan Spieth and Great Britain’s Rory McIlroy – have all dropped out of the Olympics over health concerns, including the Zika virus. Hearn is No. 130 in the world, while DeLaet is ranked 140th.

Henderson is world No. 2 among women, while Sharp is 85th.

All four Canadian golfers say they are willing to take the risk of being exposed to the mosquito-borne Zika virus, which can lead to birth defects.

“I think part of being Canadian is having that pride,” said DeLaet, to a round of applause from fans assembled at Glen Abbey Golf Club to watch the qualifying rounds of the PGA’s Canadian Open. “It should be a privilege to represent your country, not a chore. I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.”

DeLaet, whose wife gave birth to twins eight months ago, says his family doesn’t plan on having more children. Hearn is already a father, while Sharp believes the risk is minimal for a variety of reasons.

“The cases have decreased by 85 per cent, I think you can contract Zika in Florida too. It’s not a big issue for me,” said Sharp, who also said that the COC and the International Golf Federation have regularly updated the golfers on the virus. “Of course I’m going to be careful, I’m going to put bug spray on and probably wear long sleeves but I think I’m going to wear shorts.

“I think that at the golf course, because it’s supposed to be windy, I don’t think it’s going to be a problem. I think it’s going to be more about being careful at the Olympic Village. I’m going to be wearing bug spray 24/7.”

Welcome to #TeamCanada @GrahamDeLaet. Canada will be cheering you on @OlympicGolf I #Rio2016 #TeamRBChttps://t.co/SzrHjYnf94

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 19, 2016

I want to be part of the team & really be the proud Canadian competitor cheering on the other athletes – @AlenaSharphttps://t.co/l7Dxge4aU3

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 20, 2016

I’m excited about the opportunity & I’m very proud to be representing #TeamCanada at the Olympics – @HearnDavidhttps://t.co/UmJzlmpfTt

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 20, 2016

RICHMOND HILL, Ont. – Cameron Percy, Joey Garber, Corey Conners and Ben Taylor have all earned entry into the field for this week’s RBC Canadian Open through today’s Final Qualifying at DiamondBack Golf Club.

Cameron Percy of Australia and Michigan’s Joey Garber shot matching 5-under par 67s to share co-medallist honours. Percy will be making his 94th career PGA Tour start and his fourth at Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. His best result came in 2015 at Glen Abbey Golf Club where he tied for 18th. Garber will be making his debut at the RBC Canadian Open.

England-born Ben Taylor finished T3 at 3-under-par alongside Ontarians Corey Conners of Listowel and Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener. Taylor would claim his exemption on the first playoff hole thanks to a birdie on the par-5 18th hole.

Conners, a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad, edged Hemmerich to claim the final spot into the RBC Canadian Open on the second extra hole by making par on the par-5 No. 1.

Conners will be competing in the RBC Canadian Open for a fourth consecutive year.

“I’m really excited,” said Conners. “I’ve been playing really well all year and I really like where my game is at. The atmosphere of being a Canadian and playing at the RBC Canadian Open is really cool. You see young kids who want autographs and there are a lot of people cheering for you, so it’s a great feeling and something that I’m looking forward to experiencing again.”

Additional information regarding the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier can be found here.

TROON, Scotland – Henrik Stenson kept hitting the best shots of his life, one after another, because there was no other way to beat Phil Mickelson in a British Open duel that ranked among the best in golf.

Stenson only cared about that silver claret jug. He wound up with so much more Sunday.

His final stroke of this major masterpiece was a 20-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole at Royal Troon that tumbled into the cup on the last turn. His 10th birdie of the round gave him an 8-under 63 to match Johnny Miller for the lowest closing round by a major champion.

Stenson finished at 20-under 264, the lowest 72-hole score ever in a major. He tied Jason Day’s record for lowest under par set last year at the PGA Championship.

Records didn’t matter. This was about winning his first major.

“I didn’t know until they told me in the recorder’s hut,” Stenson said when asked if he knew that last putt was for 63.

Stenson won by three shots over Mickelson, a runner-up for the 11th time in a major, but never like this.

Lefty played bogey-free for a 65 and posted a score (267) that would have won all but two Opens over more than a century.

“A 65 in the final round of a major is usually good enough to win,” Mickelson said.

Not this time.

Stenson held the claret jug and told Mickelson at the closing ceremony, “Thank you very much for a great fight.” Mickelson said it was the best golf he ever played without winning.

“You know he’s not going to back down and he’s going to try to make birdies on every hole,” Stenson said. “So I just tried to do the same, and just delighted to come out on top and managed to win this trophy.”

This was heavyweight material, reminiscent of the “Duel in the Sun” just down the Ayrshire coastline at Turnberry in 1977, when Tom Watson and Jack Nicklaus battled right down to the final hole, and no one else was closer than 10 shots.

Stenson and Mickelson were never separated by more than two shots over 40 straight holes until the Swede’s final birdie.

Mickelson led only once, a two-shot swing on the opening hole. They were tied with five holes to play until Stenson made an 18-foot birdie on the par-3 14th, and then buried Lefty with a putt that defined his moment as a major champion.

Stenson hammered in a 50-foot birdie putt across the 15th green, walking toward the hole as it was on its way, stopping halfway to pump his fist when it fell, rare emotion for a 40-year-old Swede with ice blue eyes and a stare that can cut through gorse.

Mickelson gave it his best shot in his bid at 46 to become the fourth-oldest major winner in history. He chased a 3-wood onto the green at the par-5 16th, and his eagle putt from 30 feet missed by less than an inch. Stenson matched his birdie with an up-and-down from deep rough, and he was on his way.

“I always thought he would come through with a win,” Mickelson. “I’m sorry that it came at my expense.”

J.B. Holmes won the B-Flight. He finished third, 14 shots behind.

“Those guys are playing a different golf course than everyone else,” Holmes said.

Mickelson had not won since the British Open at Muirfield three years ago, with Stenson as the runner-up. Mickelson began the week at Royal Troon with a 63, and Stenson finished what Lefty started.

The Swede won his first major in his 42nd attempt, becoming only the ninth player to capture his first major after turning 40. Beyond the score, the measure of his performance was that he putted for a birdie on every hole Sunday in a mild wind off the Irish Sea. Stenson three-putted for bogey from just off the first green, and he three-putted on No. 10 to fall back into a tie for the lead.

They matched pars on only six of the 18 holes.

Stenson became only the fourth player to win the British Open with all four rounds in the 60s, joining Tiger Woods, Nick Price and Greg Norman. He also ended a streak of six American winners at Royal Troon that dated to 1950.

He gave Sweden a long-awaited major in men’s golf, 19 years after Jesper Parnevik lost a 54-hole lead at Royal Troon. Stenson said Parnevik send him a message that said, “Go out and finish what I didn’t manage to finish.”

“I’m really proud to have done that, and it’s going to be massive for golf in Sweden with this win,” Stenson said.

Maybe he can take that silver jug down to Rio in his search of Olympic gold.

Golf’s top four players have withdrawn from the Olympics, but the Rio Games will have at least two of this year’s major champions – Stenson and Masters winner Danny Willett of England.

There’s one more major to play before Rio. Take a breath, Henrik. The PGA Championship starts a week from Thursday.

OPELIKA, Ala. – Jhonattan Vegas’ lead was down to three strokes Saturday when rain finally stopped third-round play in the Barbasol Championship.

Six shots ahead after a course-record 11-under 60 on Friday, Vegas was 1 over for the round and 16 under overall playing the par-4 14th when play was stopped on Grand National’s Lake Course.

The 29-year-old Venezuelan Olympic qualifier failed to qualify for the British Open and has only past champion status – he won the 2011 Bob Hope Classic for his lone tour title – on the PGA Tour. The winner Sunday will get a two-year exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship, but will not be exempt for the Masters.

David Toms and Aaron Baddeley were 13 under.

The 49-year-old Toms was 4 under for the day with four holes left.

Baddeley shot a 64, chipping in on the par-4 18th for his third straight birdie. The 35-year-old Australian, also limited to past champion status, won the last of his three titles in 2011 at Riviera.

“All I was thinking is just playing golf,” Baddeley said. “If you try and force the issue, that’s usually when you go backwards. I was just trying to play golf, just keep playing, keep hitting good shots and, if I keep doing that, there’s a chance I’m going to shoot a low score and I did that.”

Michael Johnson, the former Auburn player making his pro debut, was tied for fourth at 11 under with five holes to go.

Sam Saunders also was 11 under along with Stuart Appleby, Brian Harman, Roberto Castro and Hudson Swafford. Saunders, Arnold Palmer’s grandson, shot a 65.

“It’s just a nice solid round, I played really well,” Saunders said. “Momentum got thrown off a little bit there with the rain delay, but I’m still pleased with the way I finished and put myself in a good position for tomorrow.”

Appleby had a 66. Harman had two holes left, Castro four, and Swafford five.

Canadian Olympian David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 2-under through 17 holes when play was halted. He holds a share of 21st, while fellow Olympian Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., sits T37 and is in the midst of a 4-under round with one hole to play in his third round.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – CN (TSX: CNR) (NYSE: CNI) and Golf Canada are pleased to announce the six champions of Saturday’s CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., site of next week’s 2016 RBC Canadian Open.

The National Event, running for the eighth consecutive year, crowned female and male champions from three age groups (9-11, 12-14 and 15-18). Among the 25 participants from across the country, the following six individuals emerged as champions:

• Austin Boge, Golf Mentor Academy, MB (Boys 9-11)
• Kelly Zhao, King Valley Golf Club, ON (Girls 9-11)
• Ben Callaghan, Brian Affleck Academy, NS (Boys 12-14)
• Emily Zhu, King Valley Golf and Country Club, ON (Girls 12-14)
• Marc Sweeney, Wildwood Golf Course, SK (Boys 15-18)
• Alexandra Jucan, Copper Creek Golf Club, ON (Girls 15-18)

The winners of each age group received a champion’s package from Titleist Footjoy. In addition, Marc Sweeney and Alexandra Jucan – winners of the 15-18 age groups – have earned exemptions into their local 2017 CN Future Links Championship.

“It was so exciting and competitive at the same time,” said boys 12-14 winner Ben Callaghan. “I was pretty nervous going into it but I started to build some confidence and am very happy to come out on top.”

Saturday’s National Event tested juniors in a four-part skills challenge which tested putting, chipping, driving and iron play. The participants, split into three different age groups, were invited based on their scores from individual Skills Challenge events hosted at 134 clubs throughout the year by CN Future Links instructors, totaling over 2,200 competitors.

On the Sunday prior to tournament week, junior participants will also have the opportunity to test the storied Glen Abbey layout in an exciting match play format, outfitted by program sponsor Cobra Puma Golf. Following that, participants will be provided weekly grounds passes and have an opportunity to be involved in Monday’s Pro-Am and secure a spot in Wednesday’s CN Future Links Walk with a Pro event during the Wednesday Pro-Am.

“The CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event is in place to recognize individuals from across the country in three age groups who have accumulated the highest score in our four key skill areas—chipping, putting, iron play and driving,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s Chief Sport Officer. “The event being held at the RBC Canadian Open for the second straight year made for a very exciting atmosphere for all involved – we’d like to congratulate our champions and thank all competitors for their participation.”

Current CN Future Links programming includes the Learn to Play program as well as mobile clinics presented by ACURA, PGA Jr. League, Girls Club, Field Trip and the CN Future Links Championships. As part of its investment in Canadian junior golf, CN is also a proud supporter of Golf in Schools.

In 2015, CN Future Links junior golf activities were conducted at 518 golf facilities with more than 7,100 juniors registered in the Learn to Play program. In addition, 164 golf facilities took part in the Junior Skills Challenge running more than 3,200 juniors through qualifying events. More than 64,000 youngsters participated in over 1,200 mobile golf clinics presented by ACURA. Since 2006, more than 1.3 million children have been introduced to golf through the CN Future Links program.

Click here for champion and general photos from Saturday’s event.

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Edmond, Oklahoma’s Taylor Moore eagled the 18th hole on Saturday at Whitewater Golf Club to shoot a 6-under 66 and take the 54-hole lead at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, the sixth event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 22-year old rolled in a 30-foot putt for eagle on the final hole to lead by one shot over Irvine, California’s Tain Lee and two over a group of three players headed to Sunday in Thunder Bay.

“Obviously that was nice to see that go in. I was just trying to lag it down the hill there and get another shot going into tomorrow, and it happened to fall in, so it was a bonus,” said Moore. “The wind started blowing on the back nine, and I just stayed steady throughout.”

Starting the day three strokes off the lead, the University of Arkansas graduate started slowly but caught fire with a 5-under 31 on the inward nine to reach 12-under, with four birdies complementing his eagle at the last.

“I got it going on those holes into the wind. I hit a few quality shots and had some putts drop,” said Moore.

Sunday’s fourth round will put plenty on the line for Moore, who needs at least a two-way tie for second to move inside the top three on the Order of Merit and earn an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open next week. Still, the rookie pro said he would try not to get caught up in the moment and continue with what has worked for him so far this week.

“I’m just going to try to take it one shot at a time and stick to my gameplan and add ‘em up at the end. At the end of the day, it’s just another golf tournament and I’ll try to hit some golf shots and make a few putts,” said Moore.

Lee, who began the day with a two-shot lead, managed a 70 to sit at 11-under, while Corey Conners, David Skinns and Cameron Peck were a shot further behind heading into Sunday.

Corey Conners is making his third start of the season and 12th of his Mackenzie Tour career. The Listowel, Ont., native sits third on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit this season with four Top-10s and no missed cuts in eight events. “I have a lot of confidence from playing well down there. I have a goal to keep getting myself in position and hopefully to win an event, and it’s great to have played well all year and know that I can trust my game,” said the 24-year-old.

The member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad is in his second season as a professional after a stellar amateur career that included a runner-up finish at the 2014 U.S. Amateur and a berth in the 2015 Masters Tournament. Conners played collegiate golf at Kent State, where he was twice named an NCAA All-American.

Conners finished third at the 2015 Staal Foundation open presented by Tbaytel, which earned him conditional status for the remainder of the season as one of the top three non-members on the Order of Merit through six events. Conners went on to finish 37th on the Order of Merit to retain exempt status for 2016.

Conners’ 64 matches the course and tournament record, which was shot four times in 2014-15 and earlier on Saturday by Long Beach, California’s Brett Lederer.

Team Canada National Amateur Squad alum Austin Connelly holds a share of sixth at 9-under. Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., and Montréal’s Max Gilbert are part of a five-way tie for 8th.

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Hyo Joo Kim had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and shot a 7-under 64 on Saturday at Highland Meadows to open a three-stroke lead in the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic.

“I hit good drives, good tee shots and iron shots,” Kim said. “I managed to get up-and-down and I made good putts. It was good.”

Kim had shares of the lead the first two days, opening with a 66 on her 21st birthday and shooting a 68 on Friday. The South Korean player won the season-opening event in the Bahamas for her third career title.

“I just feel happy right now,” Kim said. “I will be happy again tomorrow. Every day I’m happy.”

Kim began the birdie run on the par-4 fifth, parred the par-3 sixth, then ran off four straight on the par-5 seventh, par-3 eighth and par-4 ninth and 10th holes. She added birdies on the par-3 14th and par-5 17th and parred the par-5 18th to finish at 15 under.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko and Alison Lee were tied for second.

Ko, the 2014 winner, had a bogey-free 67. She missed a short birdie putt on the final hole.

“I let one – it was a very dumb one – slip on the last hole,” Ko said. “I’ve got to take the positives. There were so many putts that were so close but didn’t end up falling, so hopefully a few more fall tomorrow. Hyo Joo played great today, holed a lot of putts, put herself in really good positions. Obviously, I’ll be trying to track her down tomorrow, but there’s still a lot of golf to be played.”

Ko won in consecutive weeks in Southern California this year, the second the major ANA Inspiration. The 19-year-old New Zealander tied for third last week in the U.S. Women’s Open in California.

“At the end of the day, I’ve just got to focus on my game,” Ko said. “If I can put some good shots and put myself in good positions to make birdies and put good strokes on it, that’s all I can do.”

Lee, the 21-year-old American who has struggled in her second season on the tour while still attending classes at UCLA, birdied Nos. 15-17 in a 66.

“Feels like I’m playing golf again,” Lee said. “I’m actually having a great time out there and committing to the shot and watching the ball go where I want it to go. I feel really confident going into tomorrow. It’s definitely been a while since I’ve felt like this, but it was worth the wait.”

Stacy Lewis and Ariya Jutanugarn were 11 under.

Lewis birdied six of the first 13 holes in a bogey-free 65.

“I played really solid today,” Lewis said. “It was probably one of the most solid rounds of the year, just ball-striking-wise. I felt like I could hit any shot I needed to, was killing my driver.”

Born in the area, the Texan is winless in 55 starts since taking the North Texas LPGA Shootout in June 2014 for her 11th tour victory. She has 11 runner-up finishes during the drought and 24 overall.

“I want to enjoy this one today because that was probably one of the easiest rounds of the year,” Lewis said. “I just need to keep trusting what I’m doing. That’s kind of been my motto the last week or so, just believe in it and trust it, and that’s what I keep trying to do.”

Jutanugarn birdied the final three holes for a 66. The long-hitting Thai player won three straight events in May.

“I hit my tee shots really good, really a lot better than yesterday,” Jutanugarn said. “I get more comfortable with my putting, so my putting is getting better.”

Brittany Lang, coming off a playoff victory over Anna Nordqvist in the U.S. Women’s Open, was tied for 13th at 6 under after a 68. Nordqvist was 2 under after a 69.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp sits T19 to lead the Canadians in the field at 5-under. Sherbrooke, Que., native Maude-Aimée Leblanc is tied for 28th at 3-under. Québec’s Anne Catherine Tanguay is T41, while Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson holds a share of 50th.

TROON, Scotland – Henrik Stenson and Phil Mickelson delivered what everyone expects out of a major championship.

They matched birdies and improbable par saves. Momentum could change with any shot. The lead changed four times over four hours of golf at its highest level, played in the cold wind and occasional rain off the Irish Sea. All the British Open lacked Saturday was a winner.

Turns out this was only the preview to a duel at Royal Troon.

Stenson took the lead for the last time with another two-shot swing on an inward par 3, and he kept it with a nifty up-and-down on the 18th for par and a 3-under 68, the second straight day that no one had a better score.

That gave the 40-year-old Swede his first lead in a major, even if it was just one shot over someone who already has five majors and his name on the claret jug.

“There’s only one thing that matters tomorrow,” Stenson said. “I know he’s not going to back down, and I’m certainly going to try to not back down, either. So it should be an exciting afternoon. … I’ve worked hard these first three days to put myself in this situation and I’m going to try my hardest tomorrow to finish the job.”

Links golf can deliver some strange finishes, though this had all the trappings of a two-man race on Sunday.

Stenson had his third straight round in the 60s – no one has ever won at Royal Troon with all four rounds in the 60s – and was at 12-under 201. He is trying to become only the eighth player dating to Old Tom Morris in 1861 to win his first major after turning 40.

Mickelson, winless since he lifted golf’s oldest trophy at Muirfield three years ago, had a 70. His game was nowhere near as sharp as his opening-round 63 that tied a major championship record. Even so, he came up with the rights shots at the right time until Stenson passed him late in the afternoon.

“Some days it’s easy and it looks pretty like the first couple,” Mickelson said. “Some days it’s hard and it looks terrible, like it did today. But either way, I shot three rounds under par.”

He made a 25-foot birdie putt on the 13th hole for a two-shot lead. Stenson answered with a 5-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the next hole to tie for the lead when Mickelson three-putted, only his third bogey of the week.

Mickelson regained the lead with a pitch to 4 feet for birdie on the par-5 16th, only for the Swede to answer again, this time with an all-out 3-iron into the wind on the 220-yard 17th hole to 20 feet. Mickelson lost the lead by missing the green to the left and making bogey.

Everyone else felt like mere spectators.

Bill Haas, a six-time winner on the PGA Tour who is rarely heard from at majors, was solid with a 69 and alone in third. It’s his highest position ever in a major, yet he was six shots off the lead. Another shot back was Andrew Johnston, the Englishman with a big belly and beard to match who goes by “Beef.” He broke par for the third straight day with a 70.

It was unlikely to matter.

This was all about Stenson and Mickelson, two powerful players with different styles and different credentials, mainly the number of majors – five for Mickelson, none for Stenson. Mickelson spoke earlier in the week about not having as much pressure knowing he already has won them.

Not since Davis Love III and Justin Leonard shared the lead and were seven shots clear of the field in the 1997 PGA Championship has the final round of a major took on the appearance of match play.

“I was happy enough to throw two good punches in there on the par 3s and pick up two shots on either one of them to come back out on top at the end of the third round,” Stenson said. “I’ve always been of the thought that it’s better to be one ahead than one behind, because that means Phil’s got to play better than I do.”

Mickelson finished three shots ahead of Stenson three years ago at Muirfield when Lefty closed with a 66 in one of the best final rounds of a major. He hasn’t won another tournament since, and at age 46, it appeared time was running out.

A victory Sunday would give him six majors, same as Nick Faldo and Lee Trevino. He also would be the third-oldest major champion behind Julius Boros (48) and Morris, with whom Mickelson shares a birthday – June 16, albeit 149 years apart. The 1861 Open was played in September.

Stenson was on the verge of falling two shots behind until he holed a 40-foot par putt on the 10th. Two holes later, Mickelson was in danger of losing the lead when he pushed his 2-iron toward trouble and was fortunate the ball deflected off a piece of prickly gorse. He had just enough room to hammer it up the fairway, and then played a shot rarely seen in links golf – instead of running it up along the ground, he spun it back down a ridge to 6 feet for a key par.

“I got lucky that that ball didn’t go into the gorse, even though I didn’t have a back swing,” Mickelson said. “I still had a chance to advance it a little bit. I still hit a good shot to advance it down the fairway like I did, and found a way to get up and down.”

Now, they have one more round, this time with a claret jug at stake.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Jason Millard separated himself from the pack with a second-round, 6-under 65 to take the outright lead at the Lincoln Land Charity Championship. His 13-under-par 129 total places him one ahead of Ollie Schniederjans (62) and Martin Flores (64) heading into the weekend.

Ryan Brehm (65), former Web.com Tour Player of the Year Casey Wittenberg (65), Trey Mullinax (66) and current money leader Wesley Bryan (65) sit two back at 11-under-par 131.

Millard started his day with seven straight pars before getting his round into red numbers. The 26-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, eagled the par-5 seventh and then drained a 25-foot birdie try on No. 8 to turn in 33. Millard added four more birdies on the back to reach 13-under-par. On the par-4 17th hole, he did his best to give a stroke back but drained a 30-footer for par to solidify his lead.

“I just kept telling myself to be patient,” said Millard, who is 5-for-5 in scrambling this week. “I was hitting some good putts; they just weren’t going in.”

Millard battled a rib injury early in the week and made the final decision to play on Wednesday. Things are progressing nicely for the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada alum on and off the golf course. Millard was pain-free on Friday and holds the 36-hole lead of a Tour event for the first time in his career.

“Hopefully I’m healed up,” said Millard, who has been receiving treatment every day. “It felt really good today. It’s the best I’ve felt in a long time.”

Back in May, Millard was one back heading into the third round of the Rex Hospital Open and carded 71-74 on the weekend. He’s been in the hunt a few more times since then and has responded well to the nerves. Millard notched his best showing on Tour, a solo fifth, at the Rust-Oleum Championship a month ago.

“I was in this position in Raleigh,” said Millard, who settled for a tie for 19th place. “I didn’t handle it well; hopefully I’ve learned from that experience.”

Schniederjans charged up the leaderboard Friday morning with five birdies in his first eight holes. The 23-year-old from Dallas, Texas recorded 10 birdies in total during his second round and posted his second lowest score this season as a result.

A few weeks ago, Schniederjans fired a course record-tying 61 at the Air Capital Classic presented by AETNA on his way to earning his first Tour win in a playoff over J.J. Spaun and amateur Collin Morikawa.

“I hit it so good all day,” said Schniederjans, who hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation. “I didn’t miss any shots and played amazing off the tee. It was really similar to the round in Wichita.”

Schniederjans made a bogey at the par-4 ninth when he misjudged his approach from the rough. The ball sailed over the green and he failed to get it up and down. The three-time All-American at Georgia Tech University righted the ship quickly with birdies at holes 10 and 11. His last surge came when he went birdie-birdie-birdie-par to close out the round.

“A lot of times it doesn’t get that low until the very end,” said Schniederjans, about his late run up the leaderboard. “I know the course is super gettable and I wouldn’t be surprised if someone matches it.”

Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., shot 3-under for a share of eighth. Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas, Ont.) of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad also recorded a second-round 68 to sit T31, while former Young Pro Squad member Adam Svensson (Surrey, B.C.) finished the day tied for 48th.

Current Young Pro Squad members Albin Choi (Toronto) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) missed the cut with respective rounds of 70 and 71.