Irvine, California’s Tain Lee shot a 6-under 66 on Friday at Whitewater Golf Club to take the 36-hole lead at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel, the sixth event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 26-year old carded five straight birdies midway through his round and was without a bogey on Friday, building a two shot lead over Comox, British Columbia’s Riley Wheeldon and Santee, California’s Dan Miernicki.

“I felt like someone was going to go really low, so I was going pedal to the metal. The scores aren’t as low as I thought they would be, but obviously I’m happy with how I played,” said Lee, who parred his first seven holes but gained momentum after a draining a long birdie putt on the 18^th, his ninth.

“On 17 I hit it to four feet, maybe even less, and the putt didn’t even touch the hole. I hit a bad putt. After that, I was a little frustrated with myself and made a good putt on 18. Once I saw that go in, I was comfortable and kind of free-wheeling,” said Lee.

After getting off to a slow start this year, Lee, a former Web.com Tour member, carded four rounds in the 60s last week for his best finish of the year, a T15 result at the Players Cup, giving him confidence heading into this week.

“Last week, I’ve been playing pretty good coming into this stretch. I think my confidence is a little higher than normal and so far it’s showing, but we’ll see what happens,” said Lee.

Two shots behind Lee were Miernicki, who carded the round of the day with a 7-under 65, and Wheeldon, who carded three birdies and a bogey.

Former National Team member Austin Connelly of Irving, Texas matched Wheeldon’s round of 70 to sit one stroke back in a tie for fourth. Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) holds a share of 33rd along with Brad Clapp (Chilliwack, B.C.) and Aaron Cockerill (Gunton, Man.). National Team member Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.), Chris Hemmerich (Kitchener, Ont.), Adam Cornelson (New Westminster, B.C.), and Ryan Williams (Surrey, B.C.) are knotted at 57th.

ROCHESTER, N.Y., – Therese O’Hara (Copenhagen, Denmark) played in a few pro-am events early in the week in Toledo, Ohio connected to the LPGA event this week. She didn’t arrive in Rochester until Tuesday before the pro-am party. Therefore, she only played nine holes and walked the other nine before tournament play. It seems to working as she posted a 3-under, 69 to move into a share of the 36-hole lead at 5-under, 139 on Friday at the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic.

“Sometimes you make the preparation too big of a deal,” said O’Hara. “When you come on Monday and have Tuesday and Wednesday it becomes a lot. In college, you just came the day of the tournament and did a little practice and then go.”

O’Hara shares the 36-hole lead with Clariss Guce (Artesia, Calif.). Former Team Canada National Team member Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ontario), Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.) and Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden) are one back at 4-under, 140. A total of 74 players made the cut at 4-over, 148.

O’Hara started strong with birdies on her first two holes, ten and eleven. She also birdied 15 and 16 to make the turn in 32. The former UNLV star moved to 7-under after her fifth birdie in 11 holes on number two. Unfortunately, she closed with two bogeys on eight and nine.

Wind was a major factor on Friday with sustained winds of 25 miles-per-hour and gusts peaking at 41 miles-per-hour.

“It wasn’t an ideal finish, but in the wind it was a good round,” said a satisfied O’Hara. “I took advantage of the morning on the back nine when there was no wind and I was hitting it well. I made a 30-footer on 10 so that was a good start to the morning.”

O’Hara has been in contention before with eight career top 10 finishes including three this season, but is hoping this is the week she figures out how to close.

“Every time you are in contention, you learn from it,” said O’Hara. “It’s about not trying to think about the result, but it is hard because it is right in front of you. I’m still learning, but my game is really good right now. Every year I am getting better and my ball striking is the best it has been.”

O’Hara, who played on the LPGA in 2015, will go for her first career win over the weekend. The 28-year-old ranks 23rd on the Volvik Race for the Card money list and a win would likely jump her all the way into the top five.

O’Hara and Guce will tee in the final two-some on Saturday at 1:30 p.m.

CLARISS GUCE A SURPRISE NAME AT THE TOP: Clariss Guce (Artesia, Calif.) ranks 84th on the money list, but has a chance this weekend to vault up. She posted a 3-under, 69 to move from T10 to a share of the lead.

“I got off to a really quick start which makes the day a lot easier,” said Guce, who played college golf at Cal State Northridge. “I made some great putts and some great saves so I can’t complain.”

The highlight of her day came on 15 when her second shot, which was partial blocked by a tree, flew past the green, but she chipped in for birdie.

“I was thinking I’d be lucky to get away with par and then I made birdie,” said Guce. “Overall, I got in some tough spots, but my wedges got me through. My putter came through and made some pretty good bombs out there too.”

Guce and Mia Piccio are good friends and were smiling all day playing together. Guce said the pairing helped her.

“I had a great pairing, Mia is a good friend and we all just kept it light out there,” said Guce, who was also playing with Katelyn Sepmoree. “Everyone was playing pretty well so it was easy to feed off each other.”

After a T18 finish at the first event of the year and a T16 at the third event, Guce missed the cut in five straight starts from late April through June. She feels confident that her game is returning.

“I think my game is a lot better right now than it had been during the year,” said Guce. “Hopefully I can keep it going for the weekend, but it has been a good day.”

SAGSTROM STILL IN THE HUNT: Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden) had a tough first 12 holes on Friday. She made four bogeys including back-to-back on her second and third holes of the day and dropped down to 2-under. She recovered over her final six holes with two birdies to get to within one of the leaders.

“The wind bothers me a little bit,” admitted Sagstrom. “I felt like I hit a lot of good shots, but they just did not end up where I wanted them to and I got a little frustrated. It definitely affects me playing in this much wind.”

Sagstrom said “it was on her list” to get better at playing in windy conditions.

“I’ve worked a lot on my long game for wind shots so those don’t bother me as much anyone, but I definitely feel it on the green,” said Sagstrom. “My lag putting was really struggling today so that is the next step I really need to work on. It’s a guessing game for me on the green with the wind.”

Sagstrom carded a 1-over 73 and stands at 4-under, 140 with 36 to play.

“I found some good shots in the end and I made a really good birdie putt on eight so I was really excited about that,” said Sagstrom. “I finally felt like something went in so I’m in a good spot heading into the weekend.”

Sagstrom is looking for her third win of the season.

KORDA STAYS IN HUNT AND BATTLES WIND: Nelly Korda said it got so windy that at one point a 6-foot putt that she hit actually rolled back towards her. The 17-year-old, who joked about how thin she is and fighting to walk through the wind, grinded for a 1-under, 71 to stand in a tie for third.

“All you want to do on a day like today is play steady golf,” said Korda. “All you are really focusing on is pars, pars and more pars.”

Korda is in contention for the second time this season. She was in a tie for second heading into the final-round of the Four Winds Invitational and finished in a tie for fourth, her best result of the year.

“I’m not really thinking about where I am on the leaderboard,” said Korda. “The conditions today were brutal so coming in with an under-par score is definitely a confidence booster.”

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) shot a second-round 73 to sit one stroke in front of her teammate Sue Kim (Langley, B.C.) and Quebec’s Sara-Maude Juneau.

OPELIKA, Ala. – Jhonattan Vegas failed to qualify for the British Open, relegating the Venezuelan Olympic qualifier to the Barbasol Championship. So far, it has worked out quite well.

In far gentler conditions Friday morning than his peers faced across the Atlantic, Vegas shot a course-record 11-under 60, making a hole-in-one, another eagle and two closing birdies. He pumped his fist when his final 12-foot birdie putt dropped in on the par-4 ninth.

“You have to celebrate a round like this,” Vegas said. “They don’t come that often and every chance you do it, I just have to celebrate it.”

Tied for the first-round lead with Angel Cabrera after a 65 on Grand National’s Lake Course, Vegas had a six-stroke lead and a 17-under 125 total – a shot off the PGA Tour record for strokes in the first two rounds.

“In a great place, no question about it,” Vegas said. “There’s still a lot of golf to be played.”

He missed a chance to become the seventh PGA Tour player to shoot 59.

“When I got to 8 under, I actually let myself think a little bit about 59,” Vegas said. “It’s a lot of pressure and, two, it’s real demanding because you always want to keep it going, you don’t want to feel like you want to protect the score. At the same time you, just want to shoot as low as you can.”

Vegas played a six-hole stretch on his first nine in 7 under. He started with a birdie on the par-3 12th, made a 12-footer for his second straight eagle on the par-5 13th, birdied the par-4 14th and 15th and par-5 16th, and capped the run with the ace on the 17th.

“I had a perfect number, 190 yards is my 7-iron,” Vegas said. “I hit a great 7-iron. I mean, high, right at it, turning toward the pin and I knew it was going to be fairly close but never expected to go in. It was just a great feeling seeing that ball go in.”

On his second nine, Vegas birdied the par-4 second, bogeyed the par-4 fourth, and birdied the par-5 fifth. He made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 eighth and the 12-footer on the ninth.

“Obviously, I’m 10 under coming to nine. I know that I’m striking the ball well and I just wanted to be aggressive. That was my whole mentality coming into nine. I had 170 yards and hit a full 9-iron as far as I could and was able to make a great putt for a phenomenal round.”

Vegas has played the three par-5 holes in 8 under, making an eagle and two birdies each day. He won the 2011 Bob Hope Classic for his lone tour title.

Hudson Swafford was second at 11 under after a 63. He had an eagle, eight birdies and a double bogey.

“Saw Jhonny Vegas shot 60 today, that’s unbelievable,” Swafford said. “But I feel like I played pretty well today just to kind of maybe put a little heat on him on the weekend with some birdies. I don’t want just to sit around and try to make a bunch of pars so yeah, I’m pretty happy with today’s round.”

Former Auburn player Michael Johnson shot a 65 to reach 10 under in his pro debut.

David Toms, along with Cabrera the only major champions in the field, had a 66 to join Tim Herron (63), Kyle Reifers (65), Andres Gonzales (65), Roberto Castro (66) and Chesson Hadle (66) at 9 under. Herron holed out for eagle from 166 yards on the par-4 first.

Cabrera and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., were 11 strokes back at 6 under.

Weyburn, Sask., native Graham DeLaet shot 69 to sit 2 under, and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., missed the cut with a second-round 70.

Hunter Mahan also missed the cut with rounds of 74 and 70 in his first event since the birth of his third child.

The winner will get a two-year exemption and a spot in the PGA Championship, but will not be exempt for the Masters.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada and RBC are pleased to announce the final field of competitors vying for the US$5.9 million purse at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, July 18-24 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Defending champion and World No. 1 Jason Day will be challenged by a stellar field of PGA Tour stars including World No. 2 Dustin Johnson, World No. 15 Matt Kuchar, World No. 20 and two-time RBC Canadian Open champion Jim Furyk, World No. 26 and 2013 RBC Canadian Open Champion Brandt Snedeker, three-time PGA Tour winners Ryan Palmer and Graeme McDowell, as well as World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els.

Other notable additions to the field for the 107th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship include 34-time PGA TOUR winner Vijay Singh, 12-time winner Justin Leonard, eight-time winner K.J. Choi, six-time winner Hunter Mahan, World No. 30 Kevin Kisner, World No. 40 Danny Lee, World No. 42 Charley Hoffman, World No. 46 William McGirt, World No. 47 Jimmy Walker, six-time winner Rory Sabbatini and three-time winner Angel Cabrera.

A number of international rising stars have also accepted tournament invitations, including American sensation Bryson DeChambeau, former World No. 1 amateur John Rahm of Spain, World No. 41 K.T. Kim of Korea and World No. 43 Matthew Fitzpatrick of England.

Led by World Nos. 1 and 2 Jason Day and Dustin Johnson, the field for the RBC Canadian Open will include 13 of the Top-50 players on the World Golf Ranking and nine of the Top-30 players on the 2016 Fed-Ex Cup Ranking.

“The field is nearly set and we’re ready to tee-up the 107th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship starting next week at Glen Abbey Golf Club,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “We’ve got a tremendous mix of international stars and Canadian talents ready to compete and a family-friendly festival experience ready to welcome spectators of all ages to the 2016 RBC Canadian Open.”

In total, 156 players will compete for the US$5.9 million purse next week in Oakville when Canada’s National Open Championship returns to Glen Abbey for a record 28th time.

Past Champions…

Defending champion Jason Day will be joined by six other former champions, including Team RBC members Brandt Snedeker – who won in 2013 at Glen Abbey Golf Club – and Jim Furyk who claimed back-to-back championships in 2006 and 2007. Other confirmed past champions include Sean O’Hair (2011), Carl Pettersson (2010), Chez Reavie (2008) and Vijay Singh (2004).

Olympians in the Field…

With golf making its return to the Olympic Games in 2016, seven freshly named Olympians will compete in the RBC Canadian Open, including Matt Kuchar (USA), Danny Lee (NZL), Emiliano Grillo (ARG), Alex Cejka (GER) and Camilo Villegas (COL) along with Canadian Olympic Team members David Hearn and Graham DeLaet.

PGA Tour In-Year Winners…

A total of 16 in-year PGA Tour winners will compete at Glen Abbey, including Greg Chalmers, Jon Curran, Jason Day, Tony Finau, Emiliano Grillo, Jim Herman, Charley Hoffman, Billy Hurley III, Dustin Johnson, Kevin Kisner, Peter Malnati, Graeme McDowell, William McGirt, Brandt Snedeker, Brian Stuard and Vaughn Taylor.

12 Canadians to compete for National Men’s Open Title…

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., who held the 54-hole lead in 2015 before finishing third will lead the 12-member Canadian contingent that also includes Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., Abbotsford, B.C., natives Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor, along with Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mike Weir of Bright’s Grove, Ont., who will be making his 25th start in Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.

Other Canadians confirmed include Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., who sits fifth on the Web.com Tour money list, as well as Team Canada National Amateur Squad members Hugo Bernard of Mont St-Hilaire, Que., Calgary’s Jared du Toit and Burlington, Ont., native Blair Hamilton.

Former Team Canada member Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., has earned his second consecutive RBC Canadian Open exemption by winning back-to-back Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championships. PGA of Canada professional Dave Levesque of Montréal earned his way into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open by claiming the No. 1 position on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC, while Branson Ferrier of Barrie, Ont., won the 144-player Ontario Regional Qualifier to earn an exemption.

The Canadians in the field have their sights set on becoming the first Canadian to capture the national title since Pat Fletcher claimed victory in 1954.

Final Tournament Exemptions to be Named…

The top three players on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour Canada Order of Merit following this weekend’s Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel in Thunder Bay, Ont., will earn exemptions into the field for the 2016 RBC Canadian Open.

The final four exemptions into the field for the 2016 RBC Canadian Open will be handed out at the Monday Final Qualifier on July 18 to be played at Diamondback Golf Club in Richmond Hill, Ont.

Celebrating Canada’s Olympic Golf Team on Tuesday, July 19…

The 2016 Olympic golf team comprised of David Hearn and Graham DeLaet along with Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Alena Sharp of Hamilton will be officially welcomed by the Canadian Olympic Committee to Team Canada during a FREE public celebration at Glen Abbey on Tuesday, July 19 at 11 a.m. ET. The men’s team will compete from August 11-14, while the women’s team will take to the Campo Olimpico de Golf course in Rio de Janeiro from August 17-20.

In addition, Friday, July 22 will once again be Red and White Day at the RBC Canadian Open. Players and spectators are encouraged to wear Canada’s national colours in support of our Canadian hopefuls in the field challenging for Canada’s National Open Championship.

2016 MEDIA GUIDE AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE BOOK:

In advance of next week’s championship, media can also download the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Media Guide for complete stats, records and historical information. Media can also download the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Player Performance Book which details individual player statistics from 1904-2015.

TELEVISION COVERAGE:

Thursday July 21
TSN4 & TSN5 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
TSN1 & TSN3 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Golf Channel 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Friday July 22 – Red & White Day
TSN4 & TSN5 7:00 am – 7:00 pm
TSN1 & TSN3 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm
Golf Channel 4:00 pm – 7:00 pm

Saturday July 23
Golf Channel 1:00 pm – 2:30 pm
CBS & Global 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Sunday July 24
Golf Channel 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
CBS & Global 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

TICKETS:

Grounds tickets for all days of the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, as well as a limited number of premium ticket packages are still available. A full list of ticket packages and pricing is available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com. Golf Canada and RBC are also pleased to offer FREE admission to juniors 17-and-under – click here to download a FREE Junior Pass.

The full list of competitors competing in the 2016 RBC Canadian Open can be found here.

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Lydia Ko shot a 5-under 66 in windy conditions Friday for a share of the Marathon Classic lead with Hyo Joo Kim.

The top-ranked Ko had six birdies and one bogey at Highland Meadows to match Kim at 8-under 134. Kim, tied for the first-round lead with Mirim Lee and Haru Nomura, had a 68.

“I think this is the windiest I’ve ever played this course,” said Ko, the 2014 tournament winner. “In this wind and in the conditions, I feel like my score is a pretty solid one this morning.”

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.

“I started off well with a birdie on my first hole, and then made a clumsy bogey on the next hole,” Ko said. “I hit a few good shots in. I had a few birdies where it was 3, 4, 5 feet. When you got those birdie chances makes it a whole lot easier.”

Kim won the season-opening event in the Bahamas for her third career title.

“Yesterday was way better,” Kim said through a translator. “Still today, I played great.”

Alison Lee and Ha Na Jang were a stroke back. Alison Lee birdied the last three holes for a 66.

“Finishing birdie, birdie, birdie was great, obviously,” Alison Lee said. “I haven’t had a good round like this in a while. To be honest, I struggled fairly a lot for the past like about four months. Feels great to shoot under par again.”

Jang shot 67. She has two victories this season.

“I think just be patient every hole, just fairway and the greens,” Jang said. “Because this golf course really small green. Just target is middle of the green.”

Mirim Lee had a 70 to drop into a tie for fifth at 6 under. Ariya Jutanugarn, the long-hitting Thai player who won three straight events in May, also was 6 under after a 69.

Nomura was 5 under after a 71. Stacy Lewis matched her after a 68.

Brittany Lang, coming off a playoff victory over Anna Nordqvist on Sunday in the U.S. Women’s Open, shot a 69 to reach 3 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 2-under on the day to join Lang and Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., in a tie for 16th. Nordqvist was even par after a 72.

Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta, the NCAA champion this year as a Duke freshman, was 2 under after a 69 in her first start in an LPGA Tour event.

Second-ranked Brooke Henderson also was 2 under after a 72. The teen from Smiths Falls, Ont., has two victories this year, beating Ko in a playoff in the major KPMG Women’s PGA and successfully defending a title in Oregon.

Québec native Anne-Catherine Tanguay holds a share of 43rd at even par.

Defending champion Chella Choi missed the cut with rounds of 69 and 74. Last year, she beat Jang with a par on the first hole of a playoff for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., Calgary’s Jennifer Ha, and Charlottetown native Lorie Kane also missed the cut.

Michelle Wie dropped out following her opening 69 with a 77.

TROON, Scotland — Phil Mickelson wore a black rain suit that he didn’t need until he approached the far end of Royal Troon and already had stretched his lead. Henrik Stenson opened the curtains at his house expecting to see rain coming down sideways and was pleasantly surprised by the calm.

Good golf and the good end of the draw is tough to beat in the British Open.

Mickelson hit a wedge that spun back toward the cup until it stopped about two postage stamps away on the par-3 eighth hole, the signature shot in his 2-under 69 that allowed him to back up his record-tying start and take the 36-hole lead in a major for the first time in three years.

“I thought it was a good round to back up the low round yesterday,” Mickelson said. “I played kind of stress-free golf again. I made one or two bad swings that led to bogeys. But for the most part, kept the ball in play.”

He just couldn’t shake Stenson, who timed his birdies perfectly.

The Swede made three straight birdies before the wind showed up and the clouds began to spit rain. He added two more during lulls in the increasingly bad weather. And he wound up with a Friday-best 65 that enabled him to close within one shot of Mickelson.

“I was five back of Phil from yesterday, so of course I was hoping to gain a little,” Stenson said. “And the way it turned out, I gained quite a lot. It’s still early in the tournament, though. We’re only halfway through. But so far, so good. I’m happy with the way I played the course. It’s not easy out there.”

Try telling that to the players who had to endure an afternoon of gusts that topped 30 mph and rain so heavy at times it was hard to see.

“Some draws go your way,” Rory McIlroy said, “and some draws don’t.”

Just look at the leaderboard.

Mickelson was at 10-under 132, the best 36-hole total ever to lead at Royal Troon. Stenson, a runner-up to Mickelson at Muirfield in 2013, was one shot behind. Soren Kjeldsen and Keegan Bradley each shot 68 and were three shots behind.

The top 14 players going into the weekend all played Friday morning. Of the 26 players still under par, only four of them played in the afternoon.

The nature of links golf, and this championship, is getting the good side of the tee times. Mickelson was soaked when he walked off the course, though he managed to get in eight holes before the rain arrived. On the ninth hole, he had his caddie hold the umbrella over his ball on a 10-foot par putt, walking away at the last minute to watch his boss roll in into the cup, like he’s been doing all week.

Jordan Spieth? He was lucky to still be playing.

Spieth battled through the worst of the elements to play the final six holes in even par for a 75 to finish at 4-over 146. Two hours before he finished, that looked as if it would earn him a trip back to Texas. Instead, he made the cut on the number.

“It’s tough when we all realize before we go out that you’re kind of what would be the bad end of the draw before you even play your second round,” Spieth said.

Then again, he wasn’t sure it mattered the way he was playing.

“But at 4-over par, my game is not major championship-winning caliber those first two rounds,” he said. “It just made it pretty interesting and actually somewhat nervous on the last five, six holes because I’d really like to play the weekend.”

McIlroy got within five shots of the lead until the weather and a few bad shots gobbled him up, and the four-time major champion dropped four shots in five holes. He had to settle for an even-par 71 and was eight shots behind, along with U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson (69).

Jason Day, the world’s No. 1 player, had a 70 and was among three players who broke par in the afternoon.

“I felt like I shot a low-career round out there today with just how tough the conditions were,” Day said.

Mickelson’s made his first bogey when he pulled an iron off the tee into the rough, missing a gorse bush by about two paces. He dropped another shot on the 15th when he pulled his drive into the rough and couldn’t reach the green. Those were the mistakes, offset by a 25-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole when he played his tee shot off the back side of a bunker and let it feed toward the hole.

He looked like a links specialist the way he used the ground. Then again, his name is on the silver claret jug for a reason.

And he wouldn’t mind seeing it there again.

“I don’t feel the pressure like probably a lot of players do to try to win the claret jug because I’ve already won it,” he said. “The desire to capture that claret jug puts a lot of pressure on. The fact I’ve done it relieves some of that. I would love to add to it, but having already done that was big.”

Only two other players have started a major with rounds of 63-69. One was Raymond Floyd, who went on to a wire-to-wire victory at Southern Hills in the 1982 PGA Championship. The other was Greg Norman, who shot 78 in the final round of the 1996 Masters and lost a six-shot lead.

THORNHILL, Ont. — Max Sear was crowned the 2016 Investors Group Ontario Men’s Amateur champion at the Thornhill Club after an impressive 11-under final showing.

The Unionville, Ont., native was T3 at the 2015 edition of this event at the Peterborough Golf & Country Club in Peterborough, Ont. He looked to make good on lessons learned as he entered the final round with a three-shot advantage over the 60-man field.

A four-birdie showing kept the 19-year-old at even-par through the day to solidify an 11-under 273 tournament total.

“It felt really good to come out on top this year,” said Sear. “I think the big difference was my third round. Last year I had the lead after the second round, but shot four-over in the third round. This year I knew I had to keep my foot on the gas pedal, which I did. It was frustrating last year, but I learned a lot and I guess it paid off this year.”

Despite rocky conditions through the week, Sear’s steady game kept him in contention. “I felt like my game was in a good spot and had a lot of momentum coming off the first round. I think the real turning point for me was the final four holes during the second round. I went five-under on those four holes and that just sparked me. I came into the third round with a lot of confidence and went low. Everything seemed to work out for me after that.”

Keaton Jones of Kitchener, Ont., carded a final-round 1-over 72 to sit alone in second at 7-under. Charles Corner of Cayuga, Ont., trailed by three strokes to secure his place in third.

Sear, Jones, and Corner will represent Ontario in the inter-provincial team competition at the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club & Eagle Creek Golf Club in Ottawa-Gatineau, Aug. 8-11, .

For full tournament information, including the final leaderboard, click here.

WINDSOR, Ont. — The final round of the 2016 Investors Group Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship at Ambassador Golf Club hosted a crowded leaderboard as eight players remained within five strokes of the lead. Grace St-Germain of Team Canada’s Development Squad built up a four-stroke advantage through the final day of competition to emerge victorious.

The final group consisted of co-leaders Madeline Marck-Sherk (Ridgeway, Ont.), Rachel Pollock (Guelph) and St-Germain (Ottawa), who followed by one stroke.

St-Germain opened with four birdies on the front nine en route to a 1-under 71 final round. The 17-year-old recorded two additional birdies on the final stretch to secure her 2-under 286 victory.

“It feels amazing to win the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship,” said St-Germain. “To have my name on this trophy with all of these great players is fantastic!”

St-Germain’s win did not come easily, as tough weather conditions and a challenging course were taxing on the final field of 53. “My putting was the strongest part of my game this week. Getting those birdies at the end of round three gave me a lot of confidence because I wasn’t playing very well. It gave me momentum coming into today.”

Richmond Hill’s Monet Chun remained even on the day for a share of second alongside Marck-Sherk at 2-over.

As a result of their Top-3 finishes, St-Germain and Chun will represent Ontario in the inter-provincial team competition at the 2016 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship at the Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Minas, N.S., July 26-29. With some players electing not to participate in the event, Pollock has earned the third spot on Team Ontario’s roster. The 21-year-old finished the tournament tied for seventh at 5-over.

For full tournament information, including the final leaderboard, click here.

De Winton, Alta. – It may not have been the final day he was expecting, but after Cottonwood Golf and Country Club was forced to close the course due to heavy rains that flooded fairways this morning, Jaxon Lynn is the 2016 Alberta Junior Boys Champion. Lynn carded a tournament total of -6, 207, finishing eight strokes ahead of his nearest competitor.

Dedication and plenty of practice played a big part in Lynn’s win this week. When asked about his play throughout the tournament, Lynn responded, “on the first day, I didn’t putt very well. And then I spent about two hours on the putting green after the first round. Ever since then I started putting well.”

Chandler McDowell’s impressive third round, where he shot -5, 66, would prove to be enough as he walks away with the title of 2016 Alberta Juvenile Boys Champion.

The Alberta Junior Boys Interprovincial Team will consist of the respective champions, Lynn and McDowell, as well as Matt Bean who earned the final spot. Lynn and McDowell each shot a round of 66 throughout the tournament, and a 68 and 69 on days one and three propelled Bean to his impressive overall finish.

Alberta Golf would like to extend thanks to the staff at Cottonwood Golf and Country Club for their efforts in accommodating the 2016 Alberta Junior & Juvenile Championship. For final round standings from the championship, click here.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Golf Canada has introduced a number of events to build excitement around this year’s 107th playing of the RBC Canadian Open.

On Saturday July 16, Glen Abbey Golf Club will welcome runners and fitness enthusiasts of all ages for the inaugural RBC Canadian Open 5K Run. Participants will have the chance to race through the historic Oakville, Ont., course – beginning at the first hole before crossing the finish line near the iconic 18th green. Participants will get the full running experience complete with race bibs and timed results.

That same day, Glen Abbey will play host to the CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge National Event, a golf competition similar to the popular Drive, Chip and Putt. The event will bring together 25 junior golfers from across the country in a test of essential golfing skills: driving, chipping, iron play and putting.

This year’s RBC Canadian Open is also one of the final events before golf makes its long-awaited return to the Olympic Games following a 112-year absence. For the first time since Canadian George S. Lyon won gold in 1904, teams from around the world will compete on international sport’s grandest stage. The 2016 Canadian Olympic Golf Team will be officially welcomed by the Canadian Olympic Committee to Team Canada during a FREE public celebration at Glen Abbey on Tuesday, July 19 at 11 a.m. ET.

The RBC Canadian Open will once again celebrate Canada’s Championship with Red and White Day on Friday, July 22. Players, families and fans are invited to wear their brightest reds and cleanest whites to support Canadian golf.

WestJet’s Closest to the Pin Toss returns to offer spectators the chance to win a flight for four. Fans can purchase mini-balls from WestJet volunteers at RBC Water Stations and then take part in the ball toss on the 18^th green at the end of each tournament day. Proceeds will go towards supporting Ronald McDonald Houses across Canada.

Located just off the 10^th fairway, the Golf Canada Golf Zone offers FREE fun activities for the whole family. Pose for a picture with the RBC Canadian Open trophy or the 1904 Olympic Trophy. Enjoy a bag of popcorn while signing-up for a free Golf Canada membership. Take advantage of phone charging stations and cool down in the air-conditioned environment – all for FREE. While there, experience the storied history of Canadian golf with a tour through the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum.

The RBC Canadian Open is more than just 72 holes of world-class golf – it is one of Canada’s most historic sporting events with activities for golf and sport enthusiasts both inside and outside the ropes. Check out the ZTE Spectator Village for engaging activities from a number of the event’s supporting partners, including CN Future Links junior golf activities, charging stations, giveaways, Tweet Caddies, beer gardens, food trucks and more.

As part of the RBC Canadian Open’s commitment to family fun, admission for kids 17-and-under is FREE all week.

A full listing of events and activities at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open can be found here.

For information on tickets, click here.

Information on parking and directions can be found here.