ROCHESTER, N.Y. – The spotlight never seems to phase Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden), who has been No. 1 on the Symetra Tour’s money list since April 18 when she won the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial. She opened the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic with seven birdies and a 5-under, 67 to grab the 18-hole lead at Brook-Lea Country Club on Thursday. Allie White (Lancaster, Ohio) and Ally McDonald (Fulton, Ms.) are tied for second at 4-under, 68.

A total of 34 players finished under-par and 52 are even-par or better. Quebec native Sara-Maude Juneau shot 3-under 69 for a share of fourth after the first round of play.

Sagstrom, who has two wins and seven top five finishes and has already shattered the single-season earnings record with $114,157 (previous mark was $94,578) ran off a flurry of birdies on the back nine to get to 6-under after a 15-footer on 17. She made bogey on 18, but was still very pleased with her day.

“I didn’t really miss anything, I struck the ball really well,” said Sagstrom. “I kept the ball really straight all day and I had some putts roll in during the beginning and the end. I also reached 10 and 11 and made birdies which really helped out.”

Sagstrom, who leads the Tour in driving distance (278.607), took full advantage of her length off the tee.

“I like the short par-5 holes,” said Sagstrom with a wide smile. “It definitely gives me an advantage hitting it far.”

Sagstrom won her second event at the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic on May 8. She has come close to a third win, but hasn’t earned the “Battlefield Promotion” to the LPGA yet. Her focused attitude has not waivered even after getting a taste of the biggest stage last week in the U.S. Women’s Open.

“I’m just concerned about working on myself and focusing on trying to get better,” explained Sagstrom. “I can’t focus on a win because we have 143 other girls out here trying to win and I can’t control what they do.”

Sagstrom, 23, finished T46 in her first ever LPGA event or major last week.

“I learned a lot out there including not getting frustrated at things you can’t control because I gave some shots away,” said Sagstrom, who was put on the clock early. “It brings me back to reacting the same way after every shot and today I was doing that and it brings me back to the beginning of the season.”

Sagstrom has the first-round lead for the third time this season.

17-YEAR-OLD NELLY KORDA IS 2 BACK: Nelly Korda (Bradenton, Fla.) remembers coming to Rochester to watch her sister (Jessica) play in the 2014 LPGA major. More than the golf, she loved the visits to Wegmans. Korda also played in the AJGA Rolex Junior Girls’ event at Country Club of Rochester in 2015.

“I drive by the hotel and go to the Wegmans we went to and I’m always thinking ‘oh, I miss you’” said Korda, after her 3-under 69.

Korda posted one of only four bogey-free rounds on the day (Sara-Maude Juneau, Augusta James, Emma de Groot).

“I hit a lot of greens on my front nine and rolled a couple putts in,” said Korda, who connected on 12 of 14 fairways and 12 of 18 greens in regulation. “I struggled on the back nine hitting greens, but I was able to get up-and-down every time which is great.”

Korda feels that Brook-Lea suits her game well.

“I feel really good out here, I really like the golf course,” said Korda. “It definitely suits my game.”

Korda finished T59 last week at the U.S. Women’s Open.

“It definitely was a confidence booster,” said Korda. “However, it is a new week, new tournament and new golf course so you kind of start fresh.”

Korda currently ranks 47th on the Volvik Race for the Card money list. Her best finish is a tie for fourth at the Four Winds Invitational.

Jessica Korda finished T40 in 2014 in Rochester. Surprisingly, it is her best finish in town.

NEW PUTTER FOR MCDONALD AND A 4-UNDER: Ally McDonald (Fulton, Ms.) has had a very strong rookie season on Tour. She ranks fifth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, but one thing that has been nagging her all year is her putting. She ranks 72nd on Tour in putting average (30.69). In a way, she debunks the saying “drive for show, putt for dough” as she has nine top 25 finishes in ten starts and three top 10’s.

“I just don’t feel like my putting statistics are where I want them to be so I changed to a super stroke grip and the shaft is a little different to help with my alignment,” said McDonald. “My coach was working with me and I just didn’t feel like I was aiming the ball very well, which is obviously important. I took a leap of faith and put a new putter in and I need to aim the ball better.”

McDonald attempted 28 putts on Thursday and made just one bogey. She carded a 4-under, 68 and is in a tie for second.

“I feel comfortable and it is not a huge change because I putted with a putter similar,” said McDonald. “I just feel like my driving stats are pretty good, greens in regulation, scoring is all good, but my putting numbers are not where I feel they should be.”

McDonald, who prides herself on her ball striking, feels that Brook-Lea suits her game because of some of the longer par-4 holes.

“There are several holes that are over 400 yards which plays to my advantage,” said McDonald. “You have to be smart too. On 18, there is a false front so you have to know where to hit it to avoid those.”

SHEILS GIVES HUGE PROPS TO TOURNAMENT ORGANIZERS: Madeleine Sheils (Boise, Idaho) has been a major ambassador for the Danielle Downey Credit Union Classic. She has come up for multiple media days and has always been supportive of Mike Vadala led ventures.

On Thursday, Sheils carded a 69 and said she’d be a “great champion for the tournament in Rochester” and she’s right.

“Nancy Lopez was here the last couple days and it is just so impressive and speaks to how great a golf town Rochester is,” said Sheils, who won in 2015 at the FireKeepers Casino Hotel Championship, which is next week. “Mike Vadala is probably the biggest supporter the Symetra Tour has outside of its own staff. I’m so happy to play well in front of a great support system and a town that appreciates great women’s golf.”

Sheils had the best stretch of her golf career. She made four birdies in a row from holes six through nine and then made an eagle on ten.

“It was my best stretch of all-time, I’ve made five birdies in a row, but never four birdies and an eagle,” said Sheils. “6-under in five holes is a personal record so I was pretty pumped about that.”

Sheils, who has a running eagle bet with a former college teammate at Nebraska, was even more jazzed about the eagle.

“It was filthy, hybrid off the tee and 3-wood to 8-feet and rolled it in so pretty sweet,” said Sheils. “I have a season bet with a friend and every eagle is worth $25 so every time I am on a par-5, I want to make an eagle.”

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James (Bath, Ont.) holds a share of 10th with former National Team member Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.). James’ Young Pro Squad teammate Sue Kim (Langley, B.C.) carded a first-round 71.

SPRINGFIELD, Ill. – Five players posted 7-under 64 in the first round of the inaugural Lincoln Land Charity Championship. Curtis Thompson was the first to come in at 7-under at Panther Creek Country Club in Springfield, Illinois. In the afternoon wave, Jason Millard, Scott Harrington, Ben Silverman and Kent Bulle matched his effort to grab a share of the lead.

The logjam continues down the leaderboard where six players are tied at 6-under 65 and 14 more at 5-under 66. There are a total of 63 players within four shots of the lead.

San Diego, California’s James Erkenbeck shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday at Whitewater Golf Club to take the first round 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 one of just two bogey-free rounds on the day and birdied four of his final eight holes to lead by two over Comox, B.C.’s Riley Wheeldon after 18 holes of play.

“I just tried to stay patient and hit a lot of good golf shots, and I happened to hit some close and knock in a few putts,” said Erkenbeck of his round, which came on a day where gusting winds made scoring a challenge. “It was windy all day. I was just trying to make pars, but there are some birdie holes out here and I tried to take advantage, but I was just trying to hang in there.”

The second year Mackenzie Tour player has had an up-and-down campaign in 2016, with a T8 finish at the GolfBC Championship to go with four missed cuts. The University of New Mexico grad said he feels as though he’s played better than the results have shown so far this year.

“I feel like I’ve been close. I’ve had a good first round and a bad second round, or a bad first round and a good second round, so I’ve missed a lot of cuts by a couple of shots. I’ve had a lot of good rounds, so I’ve just been waiting to put four good rounds together,” said Erkenbeck.

Wheeldon, who started the season with four missed cuts of his own before rebounding with a T4 finish at the Players Cup last week, credited a more patient approach than the start of the year for his upward trending game.

“I was struggling at the start of the year, kind of searching. I found a few things last week and regained a little bit of confidence and hopefully I’ll carry it over this week,” said Wheeldon. “I three-putted from a spot on number one that, I think, in weeks past would have made me pretty upset, but I’ve been working on taking it a little bit easier and being more patient with myself out there and not getting so down on my putter. Luckily, the putter turned around quickly.”

One shot further behind in a five-way tie for third were Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.), Logan McCracken, former National Team member Austin Connelly (Irving, Texas), Taylor Moore and Monday Qualifier Michael Blair (Ancaster, Ont.).

Current National Team member Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., is T13 at 2-under.

OPELIKA, Ala. – Angel Cabrera and Jhonattan Vegas dominated the par-5 holes in steamy conditions Thursday to share the Barbasol Championship.

The 46-year-old Cabrera, from Argentina, eagled the par-5 13th on Grand National’s Lake Course, holing a 60-footer from the fringe, and birdied the two other par 5s in a bogey-free 6-under 65.

Cabrera left the course after his morning round without speaking to the media. The 2007 U.S. Open champion and 2009 Masters winner, he’s one of two major champions in the field at the PGA Tour event played opposite the British Open.

Vegas, from Venezuela, also eagled the 13th – making a 20-footer – and birdied the other par 5s in a bogey-free round. He won the 2011 Bob Hope Classic for his lone tour title.

“It was a great round overall,” Vegas said. “From the beginning all the way to the end, I felt like I did exactly what I had planned at the beginning of the day. Was able to hit the ball straight from tee, take advantage of the par 5s. I played the par 5s at 4 under, which is really good on this place. I was able to manage some missed shots that I hit to make some good pars to shoot a great round.”

Former Auburn player Blayne Barber was a stroke back at 66 along with Martin Laird, Ben Crane, Shawn Stefani, Matt Bettencourt, Michael Kim and Lucas Lee.

“Turned the heat up,” Laird said about the temperature. “I played nicely. The course is in good shape, so if you put it in the right spot and hit some good shots you can make some putts. I really hit the ball well tee to green today, putted solid but left a couple out there. But overall very happy.”

The Scot tied for seventh in Nevada two weeks ago in last start.

Crane is making his first appearance in the event.

“This is a big boy golf course,” Crane said. “You could play a major championship here, no problem. The course is in great shape, feeling great about my game and just played solid all day. Made a couple of those critical saves and just made a great up-and-down with an 8-iron on the last hole for birdie to get it to 5 under, so off to a great start.”

Stefani birdied four of the first five holes on his back nine, but dropped a stroke on the par-5 16th.

“I did a lot of great things today and, on top of that, I stayed patient and just kind of tried to play one shot at a time,” Stefani said. “It was nice to get off to a good start, especially in this heat. It kind of maybe started wearing on me just a little bit the last couple holes, you kind of start getting hungry, trying to eat lunch and started to get a little hotter.”

Former Auburn player Michael Johnson shot a 67 in his pro debut.

“I couldn’t ask for a better way to start my career,” Johnson said. “It was awesome. Played with two great guys (Omar Uresti and Dawie van der Walt), which helps. It was a great day, weather was good. I thought we were going to get rained on a little bit, but everything went great.”

David Toms, the other major champion in the field, also had a 67. He’s 49.

Former University of Alabama player Robby Shelton birdied the final hole for a 69 in his second PGA Tour start as a professional. He was third last year while still in college.

Matt Gilchrest, a rising senior at Auburn, had a 70.

Hunter Mahan shot a 74 in his first event since the birth of his third child.

Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn leads the trio of contending Canadians tied for 20th at 68. Weyburn, Sask., resident Graham DeLaet shot a first-round 71 to sit one stroke in front of Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C.

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

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Hyo Joo Kim bogeyed her final hole Thursday for a 5-under 66 and a share of the Marathon Classic lead with fellow South Korean player Mirim Lee and Japan’s Haru Nomura.

Celebrating her 21st birthday, Kim had four birdies in a six-hole stretch on her second nine at rain-softened Highland Meadows.

“Last night, it was raining, so it’s little bit more softer green,” Kim said through a translator. “I hit good shots, a lot of good shots, good drives, good putts, but on the last hole I missed a putt. … “Best part of game was tee shot, which is driver shot and iron shot. I’m not complaining about any shot today.”

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

“It was long time ago, so I forgot kind of what feel it was,” Kim said.

Nomura won the Women’s Australian Open in February for her first LPGA Tour title and took the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic in April in California.

“Today par-putter is good,” Nomura said. “Shots good, second numbers, and everything smooth.”

Ariya Jutanugarn, the long-hitting Thai player who won three straight events in May, was a stroke back at 67 along with American Kelly Shon and France’s Celine Herbin.

“I played pretty good,” Jutanugarn said. “My tee shot was good and I make some putts.”

Top-ranked Lydia Ko birdied her final two holes to join second-ranked Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.) and Maude-Aimée Leblanc (Sherbrooke, Que.) in the group at 68.

“Hopefully, I’ll have a few more birdies tomorrow,” Ko said. “It’s a solid start. I’ll take the 3 under today, but I think because of the weather and if there are no thunderstorms the course will probably play drier. That will make it tougher if the greens get much firmer.”

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.

Henderson is making her first appearance in the event.

“I knew the course conditions were going to be a little bit softer and easier in the morning with the big rain last night and just because it was in the a.m.,” Henderson said. “So tried to take advantage. Unfortunately, dropped a shot on the last hole. Overall, it was a solid day. Got some really good breaks out there and was able to take advantage for the most part when I had an opportunity.”

The 18-year-old Canadian has two victories this year, beating Ko in a playoff in the major KPMG Women’s PGA and successfully defending her title in Portland, Oregon.

Stacy Lewis and Michelle Wie shot 69.

Brittany Lang, coming off a playoff victory over Anna Nordqvist on Sunday in the U.S. Women’s Open, had a 70. Nordqvist and Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., also shot 70.

Italy’s Virginia Elena Carta, the NCAA champion this year as a Duke freshman, had a 71 in her first start in an LPGA Tour event. Québec native Anne-Catherine Tanguay matched Carta’s round for a share of 47th.

Former Team Canada National Team member Jennifer Ha of Calgary and defending champion Chella Choi recorded 72s. Last year, the South Korean player beat Ha Na Jang with a par on the first hole of a playoff for her first LPGA Tour victory.

Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane complete the Canadian contingent at 75.

FAIRVIEW, P.E.I. – The 2016 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship concluded in much the same way it began – with Calvin Ross and Allison Chandler atop their respective leaderboards. The duo successfully persevered through blustery conditions at Countryview Golf Club to defend their 2015 Junior Boys and Junior Girls titles.

Calvin Ross completed the back-to-back victory with a 1-under final-round showing. The 17-year-old emerged victorious at the 2015 edition of this event at Gowan Brae Golf Club in Bathurst, N.B. A six-birdie day kept the Fredericton, N.B., native four strokes ahead of the 84-man field for a 4-under 212 final tally.

“It feels great to repeat. I played well all week and I’m excited that my work paid off,” said Ross. “The wind was moving the ball a lot in the air and knocking it down. As long as you kept the ball in play and made some low shots, it wasn’t too bad.”

Ross will make his third appearance at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship where he hopes to deliver his best result.

“I’ve improved every year. I was happy to make the cut in my first year and last year I was T43. This year, the goal is definitely to be in the Top-10, but if I’m playing really well, I might be looking to win.”

Nine Mile Creek, P.E.I., resident Alex Taylor carded a final-round 71 to move into second-place at even-par. Kevin Chen of Stratford, P.E.I., and Shaun Margeson of Fall River, N.S., claimed shares of third at 3-over. Corner Brook, N.L., native Andrew Bruce finished fifth with a 4-over 220 performance.

Tyler Hashmi (Charlottetown, P.E.I.) defeated Luke Gavin (Peterborough, Ont.) and Aubrey Farrell (Sydney Forks, N.S.) in a one-hole playoff to emerge from a three-way tie for sixth.

Ross, Taylor, Chen, Margeson, Bruce and Hashmi have earned exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s N.L., from August 1-4.

Allison Chandler completed her wire-to-wire Junior Girls win with a 2-over 74 final round to finish at even-par 216. The Chester, N.S., native earned a 14-stroke victory to secure her second CN Future Links Atlantic Junior Girls title in as many years.

“I think I played through the wind really well. I had a few struggles from the green, but overall I was pretty happy,” said Chandler. “The greens were a little quick today because of the wind, but the course has otherwise been in great shape the past three days.”

A T22 finish at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Municipal Golf Club in Yorkton, Sask., motivated Chandler throughout the week in her bid to return to the National Championship.

“With it being my last year on the Junior circuit, my goal is to finish higher than I have before. I’m just going to try and play as aggressively as I can without making too many mistakes.”

Heather McLean of Port Williams, N.S., shot 77 to move into second-place at 14-over, one-stroke ahead of Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj.

Competitors in the Top-6 in the Junior Girls division have secured their places into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., August 2-5. Chandler, McLean and Beqaj will be joined by Laura Jones (Moncton, N.B.), Meghan McLean (Port Williams, N.S.) and Laura Wesselius (Intervale, N.B.).

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship can be found here.

The 2016 RBC Canadian Open is 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 when the 2016 Olympic Games makes its way to Rio de Janeiro in Brazil.

The 2016 Canadian Olympic Golf Team comprised of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Alena Sharp (Hamilton), Graham DeLaet (Weyburn, Sask.) and David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) will be officially welcomed by the Canadian Olympic Committee to Team Canada during a FREE public celebration onsite at Glen Abbey on Tuesday, July 19 beginning at 11 a.m.

CBC Sports Olympic host Scott Russell will be joined by Canadian Olympic Committee Chef de Mission Curt Harnett to help Golf Canada introduce Canada’s Olympic golfers and coaches and to officially welcome them to Team Canada. The official opening ceremony for the 2016 RBC Canadian Open and the Olympic Golf Team Celebration will take place in the ZTE Spectator Village, festivities will include a military flyover at Glen Abbey by a H13 Hercules Transport and the singing of our national anthem.

Attendance on Tuesday, July 19 is FREE for all spectators. Information on directions and parking can be found here.

Olympic enthusiasts excited about golf’s return to the Olympic Games can also check out a special edition of Golf Canada magazine – the Olympic Games issue!

Join us at Glen Abbey on Tuesday, July 19 at 11 a.m. and show your support for the RBC Canadian Open and Canada’s Olympic Golf Team.

TROON, Scotland – Phil Mickelson pointed his putter toward the hole and was ready to step right into major championship history Thursday in the British Open.

Instead, he endured another dose of heartache.

All because of a 63.

The 16-foot putt looked good until the last turn, catching the right side of the cup. The ball then rode the edge until it sat there on the other side of the hole. Mickelson plopped his hand on his forehead in disbelief. His caddie, Jim “Bones” Mackay, toppled onto his back.

“I want to cry,” Mickelson said.

No tears were necessary at Royal Troon, not after a round that was brilliant even by Lefty’s standards, and certainly not after building a three-shot lead over Patrick Reed and Martin Kaymer on an ideal day by the Irish Sea.

Mickelson seized the moment with a birdie on the par-5 16th from a bunker short of the green, and a 4-iron to 15 feet for birdie on the par-3 17th to reach 8-under par. Over the last 43 years in the majors, there had been 27 rounds of 63. No one had shot 62.

Mickelson knew that. He also knew he most likely would never get a chance like this after his 6-iron settled 16 feet from the hole on No. 18.

“That putt on 18 was an opportunity to do something historical,” he said. “I knew it, and with a foot to go I thought I had done it. I saw that ball rolling right in the center. I went to go get it. I had that surge of adrenaline that I had just shot 62. And then I had the heartbreak that I didn’t and watched that ball lip out.

“Wow, that stings.”

What helped ease the pain is that it was only Thursday. He has gone three years since his last victory, the British Open at Muirfield, where his 66 ranks among the great closing rounds in a major. Mickelson still considers it his best round.

He might not have if that 16-foot putt had dropped.

It was reminiscent of his putt that spun all the way around the cup in the Phoenix Open three years ago when he could have shot 59. That didn’t hurt as badly as this one because five players have shot 59 on the PGA Tour.

“This one’s going to stay with me for a while because of the historical element of the major championships,” he said. “The opportunity to shoot 62 and be the first one to do it, I just don’t think that’s going to come around again. And that’s why I walk away so disappointed.”

Even with such a close call, Mickelson is in good company.

Jack Nicklaus missed a putt just inside 3 feet for a 62 in the 1980 U.S. Open at Baltusrol. Greg Norman had to only two-putt from 30 feet for a 62 at Turnberry in the 1986 British Open and took three putts. Tiger Woods watched his 15-foot putt for 62 spin 270 degrees around the cup in the 2007 PGA Championship at Southern Hills. Nick Price’s birdie putt for a 62 in the 1986 Masters dipped in and out of the cup.

Asked why there had never been a 62 in the major, Mickelson pointed to his putt.

“There’s a curse,” he said. “Because that ball should have been in.”

It wasn’t for a lack of effort. He went with a 6-iron to play a baby cut back toward the hole, and it worked out perfectly. He brought in his caddie and told him that “I need your best read.” Ernie Els did his part, putting out of turn to turn the stage over to Mickelson.

The pace was perfect. The putt looked perfect – until it wasn’t. By a fraction.

“I saw that ball going in and I just had a good, clear vision of what was going to happen,” he said. “What I didn’t see was what happened.”

And now, he faces a return to reality.

Of the seven previous players to open with a 63 in a major, only Nicklaus at the 1980 U.S. Open and Raymond Floyd at the 1982 PGA Championship went on to win.

Royal Troon might not be this gentle the rest of the week. The forecast was for strong wind and rain for Friday, especially when Mickelson and Kaymer play in the morning. Lefty was ready to embrace whatever came his way.

“One of the biggest challenges is when you shoot a round like this, you start expectations running through your head and so forth, and that’s the one thing that I’ll have to try to suppress and hold off,” he said. “We’ll have three more rounds. We’ll have varying conditions tomorrow. It’s going to be very difficult.”

Eight Americans were among the top 11 on the leaderboard at Royal Troon, where they have won the Open the last six times. That group included Steve Stricker, the 49-year-old in his first major this year, and Justin Thomas, the 23-year-old in his first British Open.

Defending champion Zach Johnson had a chance to shoot 63 if he birdied the last two holes. He went bogey-bogey for a 67.

But this day was all about Mickelson, who never seriously came close to making bogey. He missed only three greens and two fairways, one on the 18th when he switched to a 3-wood and, realizing what was at stake, sent his shot toward a pot bunker.

It bounced just far enough left to avoid it. It looked as though everything was going to his way. Right until the final inch.

For 112 years, the Olympic dream for Canadian golf was a historic footnote. That will change this summer in Rio de Janeiro when golf makes its celebrated return to the Olympic Games.

The Olympic spotlight is the brightest in all of sport. The Games — 10,000 athletes from 206 countries competing over 17 days in 306 medal events — are the pinnacle of sport and showcasing golf on that powerful stage will impact the game worldwide.

For 120 golfers — 60 men and 60 women — joining their countrymen in Rio, there is no prize money, no ties, no cut, no major and no next year. They’ll play for their country and their flag — a once-in-a-lifetime moment for an athlete to climb podium-high above his or her competitors and be washed over in the emotional celebration of a national anthem.

Professional golfers are all too often measured by money lists and majors. Golf’s return to the Olympics transcends both. The best players on the planet will challenge for dozens of majors over their career, amassing millions of dollars along the way. The mindset to prep for a competition that offers no next year is foreign to golf — immersed in a bubble with the world’s finest athletes who face the enormous pressure to perform on the biggest stage in sport.

Imagine a scenario where seven groups of competitors come down to the 72nd hole with a gold, silver and bronze medal up for grabs. The emotion of a playoff would be incredible. Winners will rise to the occasion and the rest will wonder what might have been in their Olympic moment. For Canadians watching at home, picture our four golfers proudly wearing the Maple Leaf in defending the Olympic gold medal that George S. Lyon won in 1904. Despite golf’s popularity in this country, courses from coast to coast can share in the spirit of Olympism.

The Olympic movement is more than sport theatre on the biggest stage. It’s a celebration of values — excellence, inclusiveness, equality, fun, integrity, sustainability and access to sport along with physical, mental and social well-being — that are important to Canadian golf. For two weeks in August, the Olympics will connect billions of people through an intense and emotional sport experience.

I believe in the power of heroes. Those moments watching the Olympics play out that ignite our interest in the athletes and our passion for sport. Enthusiasts from around the world that may not feel a connection to golf embracing the world’s best players competing for their country; a son or daughter experiencing the Games and curiously asking mom or dad if they can give golf a try. That’s the true power of golf’s return to the Olympic Games.

For Canadian golf fans — myself firmly included — the only thing more satisfying than the serenity of the golf course this summer would be hearing our national anthem once the final putt drops in Rio.

A golfer’s anthem This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

TROON, Scotland – Rory McIlroy was never more thrilled to be playing the British Open.

Thursday was his first round since he won the claret jug at Royal Liverpool two years ago because he had to sit out St. Andrews with an ankle injury. And finally, he was able to talk about his birdies – all five of them – instead of jabs at Olympic golf that caused such a stir earlier in the week.

“It’s nice that the tournament started,” McIlroy said after opening with a 2-under 69. “I think I said all I needed to say on that matter and hopefully I can go out tomorrow and play similar to the way I did today and get myself right into contention for another claret jug.”

McIlroy gave away three shots, and a share of the early lead, with two sloppy holes on the back nine at Royal Troon. But in a procession of golf’s Fab Four, he made the best of the ideal conditions along the Irish Sea.

Jordan Spieth, Jason Day and McIlroy were in separate groups separated by four tee times. Spieth was heard uttering rare words – “I can’t buy a putt” – on his way to a 71, while Day made it three straight majors as the No. 1 player in which he failed to break par in the opening round. He had a 73. Johnson played in the easiest conditions and shot 71.

MCILROY’s MISSION

The strong talk from McIlroy on the idea of Olympic golf helping to grow the game might have revealed a deeper state of his mind. He is fed up with watching others go to No. 1 and win majors, and there was a sense he was ready to do something about it.

He came out firing, and with a third straight birdie on the Postage Stamp par 3 at No. 8, he was 4 under and tied for the lead. That changed with a shot over the green, a poor chip and three putts for a double bogey on the 13th, and he was so angry that he dropped another shot on the 14th.

“I think if I would’ve stepped on the first tee and someone would have given me a 69, I probably would have taken it,” McIlroy said. “But if somebody had given me that score on the 10th, I probably would have.”

The real test could be Friday with rain in the forecast. McIlroy, even with his roots in Northern Ireland, is not regarded as a player who thrives in bad weather. And he was six shots behind Phil Mickelson. His hope is that it clears out by the time he tees off in the afternoon.

“I don’t think we’re going to see the course like this for the rest of the week,” he said.

DAY’S SLOW START

Day takes his No. 1 ranking seriously. Maybe too seriously.

Favored in all three majors this year, he still can’t seem to get off to a good start. Dropped shots on the back nine sent him to a 72 at the Masters. He opened with a 76 at Oakmont and had to play well just to make the cut. And in the ideal conditions at Royal Troon, he shot 73.

For the third straight time, he has to spend the rest of the week catching up.

Day might be one of the few players hoping for bad weather because it might be his best way to get back into the tournament.

“I’m already missing greens anyways,” he said. “And if I’m going to miss greens, I’m going to miss greens on hard days, and if I can just grind myself out and make pars, it would be great. If I can hit a little bit better tomorrow, that would be fantastic.”

SPIETH STUMBLES

Spieth faced two 10-foot birdie putts on his opening holes. He missed them both, a sign of what was to come. The player known as the best putter in today’s crop of players required 18 putts on the front nine – a pair of two-putt birdies, one par save and a three-putt bogey on the ninth.

He stared for the longest time at a leaderboard next to the 17th green, realizing that even par wasn’t going to cut it on a perfect day as this.

When asked what was wrong with his putting, Spieth smiled and said, “That’s a question I almost never get asked. So because of that, I’m not thinking much of it.”

He at least hit the ball well from tee to green, calling it his best since he won by eight shots in Hawaii to start the year. He made a lot of putts in Hawaii.

JOHNSON’S MAJOR ENCORE

In his first round at a major since winning the U.S. Open, Johnson played a round that usually gets rewarded at a U.S. Open – 14 pars, two birdies, two bogeys. Except this was the British Open, and the conditions were never easier at Royal Troon.

He blasted driver on the opening hole toward the sea and made bogey. He played the par 5s in even.

“Obviously, you have to hole some putts here,” he said.

That’s true at any major.