INVERNESS, Scotland – Alex Noren of Sweden rolled in five birdies in his last eight holes to shoot a 6-under 66 in calmer conditions and take a one-stroke lead after the second round of the Scottish Open on Friday.

On a day of lower scoring around the Castle Stuart links, Danny Lee of New Zealand (66) and Eddie Pepperell of England (67) were a shot behind Noren, who had an 8-under 136.

Lee is only playing the Scottish Open after the PGA Tour canceled this week’s Greenbrier Classic because of flooding in West Virginia. Lee is defending champion at the Greenbrier and is donating money for every birdie ($500) and eagle ($1,000) he makes to the flood-relief efforts.

Phil Mickelson and Henrik Stenson, two of the top names in the field, made the cut after shooting rounds of 69 but were nine shots off the lead. Matteo Manassero and Branden Grace (both 67) were in a four-way tie for fourth on 6-under overall.

Winds were lighter after a blustery first round in northern Scotland and Noren found his form with the putter from No. 2 – his 11th hole, after starting on the back nine. He birdied Nos. 2 and 3, then Nos. 6, 7 and 8. His tee shot at the par-3 8th landed about 2 feet from the pin.

Noren didn’t drop a shot and has just one bogey in two rounds.

“I just kind of worked on my swing, and you’re messing around and all of a sudden I got a little bit better strike,” said Noren, who has already qualified for the British Open at Royal Troon next week in Western Scotland.

“Played steady on the front nine, and then you know, my last nine holes, I really got it going.”

Lee, who also started at No. 10, had six birdies in a bogey-free round – four of them coming between Nos. 1 and 6.

“I love to play great every week. But making birdies and eagles are very important to me this week,” said Lee, who had five birdies in the first round. “It’s very unfortunate that happened at West Virginia. I won the Greenbrier Classic last year there and was so looking forward to go back there and interact with a lot of fans, and people were just so nice to me last year.

“I know it’s not that much to help everybody but I’m trying to make as much birdies as possible to add a little bit of help.”

Mickelson made the cut, which was at 2 over, after recovering from two bogeys on his first four holes that put him on 6 over for the tournament. On the par-5 16th – his seventh hole – the five-time major champion ran a 2-iron to about 4 feet and made eagle. He birdied three of his last eight holes, including a 25-foot putt on No. 2.

Mickelson said his putting was better Friday after taking time to make adjustments to the slower greens than he is used to playing on the PGA Tour.

“I’ve been leaving every putt short here,” he said. “I just haven’t trusted it on the golf course. I keep fearing knocking it five, six feet by.”

Canada defending Olympic gold is nothing new. This country has been there. It understands that pressure and what it feels like. Hockey, curling, figure skating, skiing; Canada accepts that challenge. It embraces it. Our athletes relish the opportunity. Here, it’s considered a mark of distinction.

When the Summer Olympics convene in Rio de Janeiro this August, Canada will again carry that crown. What makes this forthcoming gold medal defence in golf compelling is the circumstances. They are, as I see them, the most unique any athlete or team from any country, in any sport, has experienced in Olympic history.

Can’t say the duo of Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp and a twosome among Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Adam Hadwin or Nick Taylor haven’t had time to prepare. It’s been 112 years since their fellow countryman George S. Lyon bestowed them the defending champion tag for 2016. The charismatic 46-year-old won Olympic gold at the Games in 1904. It was just the second time golf was an official medal sport at the Olympics.

That is until now. Responsibility for wiping away that century-plus time warp goes to the International Golf Federation (IGF), a powerful consortium consisting of the United States Golf Association, Royal & Ancient, PGA Tour, LPGA Tour, Augusta National GC and PGA of America. It sees the Olympics as an untapped wealth of growth potential.

“We believe our game’s visibility will be dramatically elevated by the global platform that only the Olympics offer,” Billy Payne, Masters chairman, said during his press conference ahead of this year’s tournament.

To get this to the finish line with delegates from the International Olympic Committee (IOC), a presentation the IGF made on October 9, 2009 in Copenhagen, Denmark left nothing to chance. The group solicited unprecedented support from Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Annika Sorenstam, Michelle Wie, Padraig Harrington and others in pitching golf’s reinstatement for the 2016 Games in Rio and 2020 Games in Tokyo. The IOC vote wasn’t even close — 63 to 27 (with two abstentions) in favour.

Fast forward six years. Here we are just weeks, days and hours until a first shot is struck in Rio. A brand new Gil Hanse-Amy Alcott designed golf course awaits 60 player fields (men and women) that will compete in two separate 72-hole stroke play events.

Jordan Spieth says winning a gold medal for the United States would be right up there, in his mind, with winning a major championship.

“We’re going to approach it like a fifth (major),” the American said earlier this year.

Canadian Olympic team member Henderson is in her own countdown mode. The Smiths Falls, Ont., standout is relishing the opportunity to be in Rio, to walk in with the Canadian Olympic team and be part of something so few people experience. Think she’s ready?

“They showed a couple of videos the last couple of days of Olympians standing for the national anthems, standing on the podium and out there competing (for Canada),” said the teenager during a Canadian Olympic Committee symposium. “Every time I watch those videos I get goosebumps. My blood runs crazy.”

Defending gold in golf? We’ll do it the Canadian way — the way George S. Lyon did it 112 years ago in St. Louis — with class and distinction. But most of all, with everything we’ve got.

Defending gold in Rio 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.

The idea of setting up events using grouped handicap ranges has been around for a long time. As you have likely experienced, flights range from club to club or event to event and most of them are determined by local flavour. It’s a question most provincial associations and Golf Canada receive regularly from tournament organizers and clubs: What flight cut-offs should we use?

There is only one reason to do this and that’s to have those with similar handicaps competing against one another (Net or Gross). This is prevalent in most club championships or major events (some city, regional and invitational championships as well). For the first time in history, the Golf Canada Handicap Manual now addresses the use of flights, one of the many changes to the 2016-17 Rules and Handicap Cycle.

There is no single method, as it really depends on the makeup of your field. A few tips are offered to help committees organize their flights, such as the following for an individual stroke play competition:

A second option is to wait until all entries are complete and then create flights with the players divided evenly by handicap or along natural breaks in handicaps from participants. For example, if you had 99 players, you might prefer to have three flights of 33 players. Alternatively, you could look for natural handicap gaps to assist with establishing ranges. Let’s say you had 40 players who were handicaps of 12 and under, 29 players who had handicaps between 14 and 24, and then 35 players in the handicap range of 28 and above, you could use natural breaks in your playing field at 13 and 25-27 to establish flights.

It is up to the committee to decide whether the Course Handicap or Handicap Factor will be used in establishing flights/range, in addition to the number of flights that might be ideal or required, which generally depends on your field. Although not in the handicap manual, it is best to avoid disclosing your flight cut-offs to participants in advance of your entry deadline. You might just find some suspect golfers trying to work their way into a particular flight if you do. The majority of golfers subscribe to and uphold the high integrity of this game, but some unfortunately don’t. Easy steps such as this should be taken to eliminate the temptation to be less than honest. We know that if someone really wants to cheat, they’ll probably find a way. In this case, there’s no reason to provide them a way on a silver platter. Keep flights internal until the draw can be made well after the entry deadline, as this will help eliminate some golfers from “manipulating” their handicap.

It also would behoove the committee to have a list of the Conditions of Competition set out well in advance of the event. These outline all details of the event/competition and, ideally, must be agreed to by all participants who register.

The importance of these Conditions cannot be overstated. We have numerous conversations each year surrounding issues that come up as a result of Conditions not being implemented, poorly worded, or others that were not adhered to by the tournament organizers themselves. It leads to an uncertain path and exploring reactive conflict resolution. After all, there is only so much the Rules of Golf can cover and Conditions tighten up some of those potential issues.

We highly recommend in those Conditions, specifically as it relates to handicapping, having a blanket clause, such as, “The Committee reserves the right to alter any of the conditions and schedules herein, including the course handicap of any competitor for any reason. The Committee reserves the right to reject the entry of any applicant, at any time, for any reason. Any decision by the Committee, in any matter, shall be final.” Although this looks severe, we can assure you that this becomes a need later if any unforeseen issues pop up. In fact, one of the most important pieces to running any tournament is setting up clear and concise Conditions of Competition, which would also include an excerpt explaining how flights will be set up and when they will be announced.

Once a club has a set of Conditions for each of its events, it will serve as a template which can be used for years and only requiring small updates each season. Taking the time to set these up properly is well worth it. And if the above is subscribed to, the event will run smoothly with more fun and enjoyment had by all. Isn’t that what everybody wants?

LEARN MORE: To maintain an official Golf Canada Handicap Factor, post your scores by signing in after your round at golfcanada.ca.

Taking flight 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.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Burlington Golf & Country Club will host the 13^th annual Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event on Sept. 12.

The event marks the celebration of another year of success for the program, which aims to increase women’s participation in the sport while fundraising for the fight against breast cancer. During its 13 years, Golf Fore the Cure has raised over $5.4 million for breast cancer research towards program partners Canadian Cancer Society and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. The participation program has exposed over 100,000 women to the sport of golf—a statistic that hits home with Burlington Golf & Country Club’s Head Professional, Trevor Fackrell.

“We have a very strong female membership at Burlington Golf & Country Club and are thrilled to be supporting Golf Fore the Cure and its powerful impact on both women’s golf and breast cancer research,” said Fackrell, a PGA of Canada Class “A” member. “We’re really excited to be hosting the National Event and look forward to a very special celebration at our golf club.”

The 18-hole charity event expects to host over 120 women, including the top-three fundraising teams from across Canada as well as program ambassador and Rogers Sportsnet broadcaster Evanka Osmak, who will be delivering opening remarks.

New in 2016, Pink Partner adidas Golf will be the official apparel provider at the event, distributing full outfits to the top-three teams and one clothing piece to all other participants. Presenting partner Subaru will continue to extend their commitment to the National Event with “Subaru’s Safest Drive” mini-game, adding to their generous gifting at the event. The evening will commence with a three-course dinner, coupled with speeches from keynote speakers and followed by a special prize draw.

“The National Event is always a special day of celebrating the success of the program and what it has done for women’s golf,” said Jeff Thompson, Chief Sport Officer with Golf Canada. “It’s an important culmination of everything that has been accomplished thus far, due in large part to the support we get from our great corporate partnerships and most importantly, our volunteers across the country.”

Registration is open to the public and also to corporate teams.

Click here to register.

HIGH RIVER, Alta. – Team Canada’s Jaclyn Lee went wire-to-wire to capture her second Sun Life Financial Alberta Ladies Amateur Championship (her last win came in 2014). The Calgary native ended as the only competitor to finish under par with a score of 5-under (71-70-70–211). Lee, a sophomore at Ohio State University, closed the event with a nine-stroke advantage over runner-up Kat Kennedy of Okotoks, who finished at 4-over for the tournament.

“It’s exciting because when I won it in 2014 it was wire-to-wire as well—so it’s cool to repeat that again,” said Lee of her dominant performance at Highwood Golf & Country Club. “I just tried to play my own game this whole week.”

Rounding out the top-three was Quinn Fitzgerald of Calgary, who carded rounds of 79-71-73 to close at 7-over par.

Lee, Kennedy, and Fitzgerald will make up Team Alberta’s Interprovincial Squad at the upcoming Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship from Jul. 26-29 at the Ken-Wo Golf Club in New Mina, N.S.

Calgary’s Lauren Diederichs of Elbow Springs won the Alberta Mid-Amateur Championship by two strokes over fellow Calgary native Tara McWilliam. Kyla Larder of Edson won the Alberta Mid Master Championship by seven strokes over Razina Visram.

Click here for full scoring.

SAN MARTIN, Calif. – When Mirim Lee walked off the course following her record-tying round, she described her day with words usually not heard when talking about the U.S. Women’s Open.

“So today’s round was easy day – easy round, yeah,” Lee said.

She sure made it look that way when she became the fifth golfer to shoot a round of 8-under par at the U.S. Women’s Open on Thursday, making 10 birdies on the way to a 64 to take the early lead at CordeValle.

With the greens not quite as firm as they likely will be later in the week and the wind not playing a major factor, there were low scores to be had throughout the field – at least for the opening morning of the tournament.

“I definitely expect it to change,” said Christie Kerr, who was three shots behind Lee in a tie for second. “I don’t think the USGA likes when we shoot 8-under on their golf course. You have to expect it to change, and if it doesn’t, then you’ll have opportunities to score.”

Lee is the first woman to shoot that much below par at the U.S. Open since Lorie Kane and Becky Iverson did it in the second round in 1999 at Old Waverly in Mississippi. The lowest total score in a round in U.S. Open history is a 63 by Helen Alfredsson in 1994 at the par-71 Indianwood in Michigan.

Lee capped her record day with birdie from about 8 feet on her final hole at the par-5 ninth to take a three-shot lead over fellow South Korean Minjee Lee and Kerr after the morning groupings.

“The course is perfect now,” Mirim Lee said. “Greens are really fast.”

Kelly Tan, Brittany Lang and Anna Nordqvist were all four shots back at 4-under, while six other golfers finished the morning round at 2-under, including Americans Christina Kim and Lizette Salas.

So Yeon Ryu, the 2011 U.S. Open winner, shot a triple-bogey eight on her final hole at the ninth to fall from 4-under to 1-under.

Defending champion In Gee Chun, followed by about a dozen members of the Flying Dumbo fan club wearing shirts that Chun designed, hit back-to-back bogeys on the front nine and finished 1 over. Chun is seeking to become the eighth player to repeat as U.S. Open champion and first since Karrie Webb did it 15 years ago.

Kerr, playing in the same group with Mirim Lee, nearly matched her stroke for stroke with players standing 3-under through their first 11 holes. But Lee birdied five of her final seven holes, while Kerr had three birdies and a bogey down the stretch as a gap opened between the two.

Despite that, Kerr was quite pleased with how her round went considering the way she has played most of this year. The 2007 U.S. Open winner has not finished higher than 10th all season and missed two cuts in her three tournaments leading into this week.

But with a new shaft on her driver, Kerr found her game in the opening round.

“When you’re struggling to hit fairways, it makes the game a lot harder,” Kerr said. “And then the mental game gets off of it, it’s a whole process like that. But I knew when I found the driver this week that it just felt so much like my old driver and we found the right combination and even if I missed a little bit I could feel what I did wrong, I could feel the difference.”

Alena Sharp carded a 2-under 70 and sits T11 to lead the Canadian contingent. An even-par round has Maude-Aimée LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que., at T38.

Team Canada National Team member Naomi Ko (Victoria) opened with a 74 and holds a share of 67th; she sits one stroke ahead of former Development Squad member Taylor Kim (Surrey, B.C.).

Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson, one week removed from a victory at the LPGA Cambia Portland Classic, and Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Sue Kim of Langley, B.C., shot 76s.

Max Rottluff, Jonathan Garrick and Sam Fidone shot a 7-under 64 on Thursday at a calm Niakwa Country Club to share the first-round lead at the Players Cup, the fifth event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Following his first professional victory at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open two weeks ago, Germany’s Max Rottluff continued his strong form in Winnipeg by opening with birdies on five of his first six holes in benign conditions on the par-71 layout at Niakwa Country Club. After a week off to let his maiden victory in Saskatoon sink in, the Arizona State product is in prime position to capture a second victory in as many starts.

“There are quite a few birdie holes out there, but you don’t go out and expect to shoot 7-under,” said Rottluff, who is currently No. 3 on the Order of Merit. “You can only lose a tournament on the first day, you can never win it. It’s still a long way to go and I saw a few really low scores out there, so I’ve got three more days to go out and shoot some low scores.”

Garrick, the recent UCLA grad, began his round on the back nine and opened with six consecutive birdies and added a seventh on the par-4 17^th hole. After a dropped shot at the 18^th, the 22-year-old Los Angeles resident rebounded with a birdie on the par-4 fourth hole to finish with a 64, his career low in eight previous rounds on the Mackenzie Tour.  

“I made a few long putts and hit a couple of wedges close, and the next thing I knew it was six birdies in a row, which I had never done before,” Garrick said of his fast start. “This is a ball striker’s course where you have to hit a lot of drivers, which is my strength, so it has been a good advantage so far and I’m looking forward to the next few days.”

Making his Mackenzie Tour debut, Sam Fidone survived two water balls with a strong putting performance that yielded eight birdies to join the group at 7-under. The 23-year-old Texan has spent the year on PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, where he is currently No. 5 on ‘Los Cinco’ after a win at the Honduras Open and three other top-15 finishes.

“When I got here I quickly understood there were going to be a lot of putts made out here,” Fidone said. “The greens are relatively flat and they roll absolutely perfect, but at the end of the day this is a tee-ball course and if you are hitting fairways you are going to be able to figure your way out around this course and shoot a number.”

Three players are tied for fourth at 6-under par: Carter Jenkins, Adam Webb and Andrew Ledger. Jenkins, who finished runner-up at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open, was nearly a co-leader before a bogey at the 18^th hole left him one stroke back. Webb, meanwhile, turned in a bogey-free round, which included a stretch of three birdies in a row from Nos. 2-4. Ledger followed suit with a bogey-free round of his own and birdied the par-3 ninth hole, his final hole of the day. 

BATH, Ont. – Heading into the final round of the 2016 Investors Group Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship at Loyalist Country Club, defending champion Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., held a three-shot lead. That cushion proved to be enough as the Team Canada Development Squad member shot 1-over 73 to secure the win.

The member of Mississaugua Golf & Country Club made one bogey on the day on her first hole, but went on to par the remaining 17 holes. The 16-year-old Currie’s consistent brought her four-day tournament total to two-under (70-73-70-73-286).

“It feels incredible to defend the Ontario Junior Girls’ Championship. I was dreaming about this coming into the week and it is just awesome that I was able to win it twice!” Said Currie.

Currie recognized that winning back-to-back titles is a special feat and that she has joined some impressive company. “It is incredible, it is such an inspiration to join the great names to have won multiple times. Hopefully, I will be able to have my own accomplishments like theirs.”

When asked about the strongest part of her game, Currie pointed to her short game. “My chipping and putting were really good this week. I got up and down many times and gave myself great chances.”

London, Ont., natives Isabella Portokalis and Ellie Szeryk finished in a tie for second. Portokalis – the leader after the first two rounds – had a rough start to the day finishing 5-over on the front nine. However, the West Haven Golf & Country Club and Team Ontario member, rebounded nicely on the back nine shooting 4-under to complete the round with a 73 to finish 3-over 291. Szeryk, 14, entered the day in second, three shots back of Currie, but was unable to make up any ground on the leader.

Rounding out the Top-5 was a tie for fourth between Hornby’s Alexandra Naumovski (72-72-76-74-294) and Ridgeway’s Madeline Marck-Sherk (79-74-72-69-294) at six-over. Naumovski prevailed in a playoff and will join Currie and Portokalis to represent Team Ontario at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, Aug. 2-4 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S.

Additional information, including the final leaderboard, can be found here.

INVERNESS, Scotland – Scott Hend of Australia and Felipe Aguilar of Chile made it through blustery conditions and shot 3-under 69 to share the lead Thursday after the first round of the Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open.

Phil Mickelson wasn’t so fortunate.

The five-time major champion, a winner the last time the Scottish Open was held at Castle Stuart, struggled to make putts and took three bogeys on the par 5s on his way to a 76. His next task will be making the cut.

“The greens weren’t overly fast to where balls were rolling when you were putting,” Mickelson said. “They were very fair. I thought it was a fair test. A score around par would have been a good score. I felt like I gave three or four shots away on the greens that could have put me at a score around par.”

Only 20 players managed to break par at Castle Stuart.

Graeme McDowell and Padraig Harrington were among those at 70, while Branden Grace of South Africa and Andy Sullivan were in the group at 71.

Hend already is in the British Open next week at Royal Troon. He learned last week at the French Open that he was in the Open, exempt to the PGA Championship and that Jason Day had withdrawn from the Olympics, meaning Hend was a lock to take one of the two spots for Australia.

His first task is going after his third victory of the year.

“Obviously, conditions were quite tough and I was a little bit scrappy with some putts not quite getting to the hole,” he said. “But overall, very happy.”

Four spots in the British Open are available this week to the leading players among the top 12 not already eligible. One of those players is Aguilar, though Sunday is too far away for him to think about Royal Troon.

“That’s in the back of my mind,” he said. “I’m just worried about what’s going to happen tomorrow. I just finished the first round and still have 75 percent of the rounds to go. If that comes along, it will be great. It will be awesome, but it’s not even on my mind yet.”

Mickelson wasn’t the only American to struggle among those who came over to prepare for links golf. J.B. Holmes finally got his clubs, which did not make it over on his flight, but he had three double bogeys on his way to an 80. Patrick Reed had to play one shot off a hillside and slipped on the way down. He opened with a 75.

Russell Knox made a solid start in what amounts to a home tournament for the Scot who now lives in Florida. Knox opened with a 72 and was only three shots behind after the opening round.

“The atmosphere was amazing,” Knox said. “A lot of old friends and people I’ve known for a lot of years showed up, which was great.”

He opened with a pair of birdies, but the wind picked up in the afternoon, and it was a battle, especially at the end. The long 18th played straight into the wind, and Knox wasn’t the only player who dropped a shot on the last.

“It’s a terrible setup in my opinion – 600 yards, straight into a 30 mph wind,” he said. “They could have easily moved us up a tee. I disagree with that hole today. But I hit three good shots and three bad putts.”

FAIRVIEW, P.E.I. – The 2016 CN Future Links season will come to a close with the Atlantic edition of the championship series from July 12-14 at Countryview Golf Club in Fairview, P.E.I.

Built as a nine-hole course in 1999, Countryview Golf Club earned the nickname “P.E.I.’s little Augusta” for its impeccable conditions and challenging design. Members would typically play back-to-back rounds, prompting an expansion to 18 holes in 2011. Competitors will have a chance to familiarize themselves with the course during a practice round on July 11 before tournament play commences.

“Countryview is an excellent venue for our final regional junior championship of the year,” said Tournament Director Dan Hyatt. “The course is in peak condition and the players will encounter a unique challenge in its design.”

The Junior Girls division will see the return of reigning champion Allison Chandler of Chester, N.S., and runner-up Laura Jones of Moncton, N.B. Chandler claimed a five-stroke victory at the 2015 edition of this competition at Gowan Brae Golf Club in Bathurst, N.B.

Port Williams, N.S., natives Meghan and Heather McLean finished T6 and T8 last year. The sisters will return to the East Coast having posted Top-20 finishes at the 2016 CN Future Links Québec Championship at Club de golf Beauceville in Beauceville, Que.

Calvin Ross will take part in the competition looking to defend his Junior Boys title. The product of Fredericton, N.B., was the only player under-par in 2015 and will look to build upon a T6 result at this year’s CN Future Links Québec Championship.

He will be accompanied by Woodmans Point, N.B., resident Stuart Earle. The 17-year-old stood alone in sixth at last year’s competition and is the only other returning player from the Top-10.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will gain exemptions into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via hole-by-hole playoff. All players within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will each earn entry into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.