PARKSVILLE, B.C. – Third-round action at the 14^th playing of the Canadian University/College Championship at Morningstar Golf Club saw the teams representing the University of British Columbia (UBC) increase their leads atop their respective leaderboards.

The UBC men’s team continued to show its dominance by posting a collective 2-under 286 for the round. The Queen’s University Gaels occupy second with a team total of 7-over 887 – 43-strokes behind the leaders. The Kingston, Ont., university is being pursued by two institutions located in British Columbia: the University of Fraser Valley Cascades and the University of Victoria Vikes, who trail the Gaels by four and five strokes, respectively.

The Thunderbirds were led by a 3-under 69 from Jack Wood of Banff, Alta. The third-year kinesiology major collected five birdies and added an eagle on the par-5 13^th hole to move to 5-under in the competition. Tied with Victoria’s Lawren Rowe of the Victoria Vikes, Wood trails individual leader and teammate Scott Secord by four strokes. The Calgary product carded a 73 after opening the competition with consecutive 67s.

For the third consecutive day, Thunderbirds Evan Holmes of Calgary and Victoria’s Nate Ollis registered matching rounds. The pair have now shot 72-71-72 and sit T5 at 1-under alongside British Columbians Connor McLellan of Chilliwack who plays for the Cascades and Richmond’s Chris Crisologo, a member of the Simon Fraser University Clan.

Completing the Thunderbird contingent is Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta., who sits fourth following a 1-over performance. The 19-year-old tallied five birdies, but sees the round as a missed opportunity. “Today was a little bit disappointing,” commented the kinesiology major. “I had a good chance to shoot a good number, but made some bad bogeys. It’s a nice course, but it’s very tricky. There are lots of dog-legs that can trick you into trying to cut some corners. You have to be patient and lay back on those.”

The team’s rookie reflected pensively on his first year donning the blue and gold of the Thunderbirds. “It’s been pretty good. Jack and Evan have been great. I’ve known them for a very long time from Alberta, so it wasn’t too hard fitting in with them. We have a pretty young team and they’re great guys – easy to talk to; easy to be around – so it’s been fun.”

“College is very different, it’s interesting,” added Harrison, when asked about the experience of playing in this competition. “You’re playing against men unlike junior, where you’re playing against kids. I’m really taking it all in and learning a lot from all the older guys.”

After opening the third round with a five-stroke advantage, the UBC women’s team tallied a 16-over total on the day and now lead the Université de Montréal Carabins by 12 strokes. The University of Toronto Varsity Blues climbed into third at a combined 64-over 712, led by the T6 standings of Ontarians Sarah Dunning of Waterloo and Etobicoke’s Laura Upenieks, who made a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth hole.

Thunderbird Kat Kennedy made a significant climb up the standings for the second straight day. The native of Okotoks, Alta., carded a round of 5-over 77 and at 11-over-par, leads the competition by one stroke. After holding the 18- and 36-hole leads, the Université Laval Rouge et Or’s Alexandra Pelletier now sits one-stroke shy of the leader. The native of Montréal was 13-over on the day after opening 71-72 in the competition. Porto, Portugal’s Barbara Neto-Bradley of the Thunderbirds moved into third-place at 13-over.

The competition opened with 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from across the nation vying for team and individual honours. With the conclusion of the third round, the field has now been reduced to the top 10 men’s teams and the top six women’s teams, in addition to any individuals within 15 shots of the lead.

The final round of competition will see both the men’s and women’s sides begin the day at 7:30 a.m. off split tees. Additional information regarding the championship, including pairings and up-to-date scoring can be found here.

CHENGDU, China — Canada’s Justin Shin shot a final-round 69 at last week’s United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open to earn a top-10 in defense of his 2015 title. That final round, apparently, was a harbinger of things to come.

At the Cadillac Championship, Shin avoided bogeys all afternoon, made six birdies and added an eagle on his way to a first-round, 8-under 64—matching the career-low score he shot in the second round during his 2015 victory in Wuhan. Shin holds the 18-hole lead at Chengdu Poly Golf Club by two strokes over Americans Jarin Todd and Sejun Yoon, South Korea’s Geon Ha Kim, China’s Zihao Chen and Australia’s Mitch Davis. Chen continued his strong start to the season after finishing runner-up a week ago in Wuhan.

Zecheng Dou is going for this third consecutive title to win the season, and he did nothing to hurt his chances. Dou, the Tour’s leader in birdies made, made an additional six Thursday with a lone bogey on his way to a 5-under 67. He’s tied for eighth with nine others on the bunched leaderboard.

If Dou had one flaw in his 2016 season, it was slow starts. He opened with a 1-over 73 in his first tournament and a 2-over 74 in Wuhan. No such problems to start the Cadillac Championship.

Yet the day belonged to Shin, who was inside the top five on the Order of Merit for a considerable period of 2015 before finishing No. 6 and just missing earning Web.com Tour membership. Shin is following his pattern of a year ago, with another solid start to his season. In 2015, his victory and one of his two other top-10s came in his first six tournaments.

“After the final round last week, I was feeling pretty good heading into this week,” Shin said. “On the range before my round, I was hitting it well. I hit a lot of straight shots today and gave myself a lot of birdie chances out there.”

Shin birdied his first hole of the day and added three more, on Nos. 6, 7 and 9. His chip-in birdie to close his front nine was particularly noteworthy, Shin explained. After missing the green and facing a difficult chip, making bogey on the par-4 entered his mind. “The key thing for me was chipping in from the front of the green. I was thinking being only 2-under going to the back nine, and that got me to 4-under. So it was a turning point for me.”

The South Korea native, who spent his formative years outside Toronto and played collegiate golf at New Mexico State, kept his momentum going on the par-5 12th when he nailed an 18-foot eagle putt to push him to 7-under. “I just wanted to keep patient out there. There is more room off the tee (than in Wuhan), so it’s all about second shots out here because the greens are pretty undulated,” Shin added. “You have to put [your approach shots] in the right spots, and that will make it a lot easier. I was pretty good with my distance control out there, and that gave me a lot of good chances for birdie.”

Indonesia’s Rory Hie was one of the nine who posted a 5-under 67. He felt like his score could have been a stroke or two lower. Despite the six birdies he made Thursday, he still missed three 10-foot birdie putts on his back nine, a 12-footer at No. 7 and a three-footer at No. 8.

“I was just misreading the greens in the afternoon,” Hie noted. However, the former University of Southern California player also rolled in a 40-foot downhill putt on No. 6 for birdie, a happy outcome when he gladly would have walked away from that hole with a par.

“I was really thinking about two-putting it. But that’s the way it is in golf. I missed some good putts for birdie but made that one. So it sort of evened out.”

Hie was in contention through 54 holes last week at the United Investment Real Estate Wuhan Open. He was in fourth place ready to make a run at Dou until the sixth hole of his final round. Hie made a 10 on the par-4, and he tumbled all the way into a tie for 18th. “I made a mess there,” he said with a laugh. Even with that disappointment from a week ago, Hie walked away Thursday in good spirits. “I’m playing pretty well, and I’m happy.”

China’s Huilin Zhang made a back-nine push and briefly held the lead until a 17th-hole double bogey knocked him back into a tie for eighth.

PARKSVILLE, B.C. – Clouds darkened the skies and light rains made for a wet afternoon as the 2016 Canadian University/College Championship continued at Morningstar Golf Club. The second round concluded with both the men’s and women’s squads from the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds leading the team competitions.

The UBC women’s team entered the day in third, but traded places with first-round leaders, the Université Laval Rouge et Or. UBC collected a team total of 9-over and now sit 30-over in the competition. The Université de Montréal Carabins retained second-place, five-shots back of the Thunderbirds and three strokes ahead of the Rouge et Or.

UBC’s Kat Kennedy notched four birdies en route to a 2-under 70 – the low score in the women’s division through two days of competition. The native of Okotoks, Alta., began the day with a share of 12^th, but climbed to third at 6-over. Montréal’s Alexandra Pelletier of the Rouge et Or continues to lead the competition at 1-under following an even-par second round. The Carabins’ Caroline Ciot – a native of Québec City – held onto second with a 1-over showing to sit 4-over 148.

“Today was a grind,” reflected the 21-year-old Kennedy. “My short game was pretty good today. It was steady. I just have to be patient and keep my head up and keep pushing through.”

The third-year science major finds herself as the veteran on a young squad comprised of two rookies and a sophomore, but sees the situation as an opportunity to aid in the development of the team. “In my rookie year, I definitely made mistakes here and there. I learned from the older girls. I learned how to keep focused and you pull yourself together during a round and finish strong.

“There’s a lot on your shoulders when you’re one of the older players on the team. You definitely want to play well and at the same time, encourage the other girls to keep working hard even though there are tough days. It comes with experience and I want to show them my experiences to help them.”

When asked about the effect of the UBC men’s team’s strong performance through 36-holes, Kennedy added, “It’s definitely inspirational. They’re a strong group of guys. They go out there with a great showing and we want to keep up with them, but we also want to make a name for our women’s golf team.”

A collective 8-under day from the UBC men has the Thunderbirds at 18-under – 34 strokes clear of the Queen’s University Gaels. The University of Victoria Vikes, the competition’s hosts, began the day in ninth-place, but ascended the leaderboard to third with today’s combined 3-over 291 showing.

Calgary’s Scott Secord continues to lead the men’s individual standings following a second-consecutive 67. The UBC Thunderbird began the day with back-to-back birdies and would go on to tally five more to extend his advantage atop the leaderboard to six strokes. Secord leads a team where no player sits below T7. Andrew Harrison of Camrose, Alta., sits T3; fellow Albertan Jack Wood of Banff is tied for fifth; 2015 individual champion Evan Holmes (Calgary) and Nate Ollis (Victoria) hold shares of seventh.

Victoria native Lawren Rowe of the Vikes climbed from T6 to second and sits 4-under 140. Queen’s University Gael Jordan Gregoris of Aurora, Ont., moved into a share of third at 3-under. University of Manitoba Bison Devon Schade’s 69 moved the Beausejour, Man., product to T5.

The 2016 competition features 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from across the country vying for national championship titles. Following the third round, the field will be reduced to the top 10 men’s teams and the top six women’s teams, in addition to any individuals within 15 shots of the lead.

The third day of competition will see the women’s division tee-off at 7:30 a.m. The men will take to the course at 8:10 a.m. Additional information regarding the championship, including pairings and up-to-date scoring can be found here.

PARKSVILLE, B.C. – Pristine conditions set the stage for the opening round of the 2016 edition of the Canadian University/College Championship at Morningstar Golf Club. Scott Secord opened with a 5-under 67 showing as the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds seized the lead in the men’s division. Alexandra Pelletier shot 1-under to send the Université Laval Rouge et Or to the top of the day one leaderboard in the women’s division.

A dominant performance from defending champions UBC saw the school finish a combined 10-under to lead the men’s division by 20 strokes. Calgarian Scott Secord recorded four birdies and an eagle on the par-5 third hole en route to a 67 to lead the men’s individual standings. Fellow teammates Jack Wood (69) and Andrew Harrison (70) are T3 and 5th, respectively. Evan Holmes and Nate Ollis matched 72s to complete the UBC men’s contingent.

The 23-year-old Secord remained focused when asked to reflect on the effect of past success on this year’s competition. “It helps; it definitely does. But we’re trying to stay modest because there are lots of good players here and it can change every day. We’re just trying to go with our game plan and stick with it. If that works for four days, great.”

With team totals of 10-over 298, the Camosun College Chargers and the Queen’s University Gaels are knotted in second-place. Five shots separate second- to ninth-place in the men’s team standings.

Secord – the 2014 individual champion – liked what he saw of the course and appreciates the opportunity to once again represent the Thunderbirds. “Chris and the boys graciously invited me back to play. It’s nice that all the members are allowing us to take the golf course from them for five days. The course is awesome. The greens are rolling great; they’re nice and smooth – a little fast, which is nice to see. The fairways and everything are just awesome, as well. You’ve just got to be careful out there.”

Chris Crisologo of the Simon Fraser University Clan is in second-place at 4-under. The Richmond, B.C., native notched five birdies and made an eagle on the third hole. Vernon, B.C., product Brady Stead of the Camosun College Chargers is T3 after collecting four birdies.

The Université Laval Rouge et Or finished the first day of competition at 18-over 234 to lead the women’s division by two strokes. The host University of Victoria Vikes are in second, while the UBC women hold third – one stroke behind their fellow British Columbians.

Alexandra Pelletier was the lone player in the women’s field to finish below-par. The native of Montréal tallied four birdies in a 1-under 71 performance. Caroline Ciot of the defending champion Université de Montréal Carabins opened with a 75. The native of Québec City is hoping to improve upon last year’s runner-up result in the women’s individual standings. Calgary’s Quinn Fitzgerald from the University of Victoria completes the Top-3 after carding a 76.

The 2016 competition features 20 men’s teams and 12 women’s teams from across the country vying for team and individual honours. Following the third round, the field will be reduced to the top 10 men’s teams and the top six women’s teams, in addition to any individuals within 15 shots of the lead.

The second day of competition begins with the women’s division at 7:30 a.m., while the men tee off at 8:10 a.m. Additional information regarding the championship, including pairings and up-to-date scoring can be found here.

VICTORIA – Bear Mountain Resort played host to the first of three RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers, as local and international talent competed for the chance to move on to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont., on July 18. Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., shot 64 to establish a new course record and register a one-stroke victory.

“I had two lackadaisical bogeys in the middle of the round, but other than that I played very well,” said the 25-year-old. “I do know four or five of the guys from today whom I’ve been playing with around B.C., so with so few spots available, there wasn’t much margin for error.”

Wheeldon recorded eight birdies, including five on the back nine to secure the win. “It was fairly calm out and the course was in great condition. It’s just nice to know I’m one round away in a couple months from being in our biggest tournament of the year.”

Seann Harlingten of West Vancouver, B.C., and Dillon Rust of Edmond, Okla., finished T2 after matching 65s; Rust went bogey-free and collected five birdies. Ian (Jae Hoon) Kim of Surrey, B.C., was the lone amateur to make the cut with a 4-under 66 showing.

The trio of Ben Taylor (Baton Rouge, La.), Ryan Burgess (Dallas, Texas), and Brad Clapp (Chilliwack, B.C.) finished with shares of fifth at 2-under and will join Wheeldon, Harlingten, Rust, and Kim at Final Qualifying.

In total, there are three regional qualifying events, each consisting of 18 holes of stroke play. Provided that there are 100 or more players in the field, the low qualifier receives an exemption directly into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open. Otherwise, the top 15 per cent of finishers at each qualifier become eligible to compete at the final qualifying event.

A minimum of four players from the 18-hole stroke play final qualifier will gain entry into the RBC Canadian Open field.

There are two more RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers to be played:

• June 6 – Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu, Sainte-Julie, Que.
• June 20 – King’s Forest Golf Club, Hamilton, Ont.

Additional information regarding the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier in British Columbia, can be found here.

Get tickets to the RBC Canadian Open online at www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.

MIDLAND, Ont. – A hot and humid day, punctuated by a booming thunder clap, closed out the 2016 edition of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Midland Golf & Country Club. Brandon Lacasse and Isabella Portokalis emerged from tight groups of competitors to claim the Junior Girls and Junior Boys titles.

The Junior Boys leaderboard was crowded throughout the final day of competition. Lacasse separated himself from the group and the Châteauguay, Que., product matched his second-round 70 to finish 212 overall. The 18-year-old, who entered the day with a share of the lead, finished with two birdies for a two-stroke victory.

“I just tried to play as if it was a fun round,” said Lacasse. “I always finish second or third, so I’m happy to finally win a big tournament.”

Lacasse noted the bittersweet nature of the victory with this being his final year of eligibility on the junior circuit. “It’s fun to finish with a win,” he said. “Last year, I finished sixth at the Canadian Juniors, so maybe a win this year will help me perform better.”

Toronto’s Tyler Nagano remained competitive throughout the round, tallying four birdies, but could not catch the leader. The 17-year-old finished 4-over 214, while Beaconsfield, Que., native Remi Chartier earned third-place with a 69 – his lowest round of the weekend.

As the Top-5 in the Junior Boys division, Lacasse, Nagano, Chartier, Ty Celone (Long Sault, Ont.) and Jake Bryson (Dunrobin, Ont.) earned spots into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, which will be contested at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. from August 1-4. Kelvin Young Woong Lim claimed the sixth available spot following a playoff-victory over Charles-David Trépanier of Québec City and Anthony Occhiuto from Guelph, Ont.

A clap of thunder forced the brief suspension of play with players being evacuated from the field due to safety concerns. After players returned to the course, Vancouver’s Tiffany Kong and Surrey, B.C., native Hannah Lee began play before the championship committee had allowed the resumption of play. After careful review of the situation, the committee decided to waive the penalty of disqualification as per Rule 6-8: Discontinuance of Play; Resumption of Play, and to issue each with a two-stroke penalty.

Isabella Portokalis tallied a pair of birdies en route to a 2-over 72 on the day. The London, Ont., native made par on hole 18 to sit 6-over 216 alongside Kong. When the two-stroke penalty was applied following the round, Portokalis claimed the win by two strokes.

“I just tried to keep calm and keep making pars, and if a putt went in then that was great,” said the 14-year-old when asked to reflect on the day. “I got into the scoring tent and everybody said that I won and I didn’t even realize it.”

Portokalis sees this victory as a building block towards future success, including the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship in August. “Now I know that I can win any tournament,” she said. “I was three back on the first tee, but I bounced back on the back nine.”

Kong and Lee – members of Team Canada’s Women’s Development Squad – claimed second- and third-place in the tournament. Kong collected four birdies and an eagle on hole 15, but finished with a 2-over 72 showing. Lee finished third following a 75.

All players within the Top-6 in the Junior Girls division earned entries into the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from August 2-5 at The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S. Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont,), Monet Chun (Richmond Hill, Ont.), and Grace St-Germain (Orleans, Ont.) will compete alongside Portokalis, Kong, and Lee.

Four additional CN Future Links Championships will cross the country this summer:

• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

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

FORT WORTH, Texas – Jordan Spieth shot a 5-under 65, even while missing a lot of fairways and a few greens, to take the third-round lead Saturday at Colonial.

The second-ranked Spieth was alone in the lead at the Dean & Deluca Invitational after three birdies and a huge par save in a four-hole stretch in the middle of his round. At 12-under 198, he was one stroke ahead of Colonial member Ryan Palmer and Webb Simpson.

Palmer overcame consecutive early bogeys to shoot 66. Simpson shot 67 after 3-foot par putt at the 18th hole for a share of the lead lipped out of the cup.

Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., David Hearn (73) of Brantford, Ont., and Nick Taylor (73), also of Abbotsford, are the Canadians in the field.

None of Spieth’s seven PGA Tour victories have come in his home state of Texas. The 22-year-old Dallas native tied for second at Hogan’s Alley last year, one of his three runner-up finishes in the Lone Star State.

Spieth drove into only three of 14 fairways, and hit only 11 of 18 greens in regulation. He drove into the rough and was short of the green on his approach at No. 18, but held his hand over his mouth in some disbelief after his 9-foot par chance slid by the hole for his only bogey.

After a 12-foot birdie at No. 9 to make the turn at 10 under, Spieth’s approach at No. 10 went over the green before pitching to about 9 feet and making that putt to save par. He then chipped in from off the front of the green at the 615-yard 11th and hit his approach within a foot at the 12th for another birdie and stayed along at top of the leaderboard after that.

Spieth went into the final round last weekend at the Byron Nelson alone in second place before a closing 74 that left him tied for 18th in the Irving event where six years ago he played his first PGA Tour as a 16-year-old amateur and tied for 16th.

Simpson pumped his fist from the bunker at No. 14 after blasting in for a birdie to get back the stroke he lost on the par-3 13th when he missed the green with his tee shot. He followed both of his bogeys at par 3s immediately with birdies, including a 12-footer at No. 9 after also missing the green at the 194-yard eighth.

Martin Piller, in the final group with Spieth and Simpson for the third round, had to play 12 holes earlier in the day to complete the second round that had been suspended by darkness Friday after a 5 1/2-hour weather delay.

Spieth and Simpson both finished their second rounds Friday, so only had to play 18 holes Saturday.

Piller shot a 68 and was tied for fourth at 10 under with Harris English (64) and Kyle Reifers (67).

Like Spieth, Piller was born in Dallas. But Piller lives in north Fort Worth and his wife, LPGA Tour player Gerina Piller, is at Colonial with him while taking a week off her tour before an extended stretch apart for the couple.

Matt Kuchar, ranked 20th in the world, had a bogey-free 63 for his best score in 33 career rounds at Colonial, where he was the runner-up three years ago and had finished his second round Friday with a triple-bogey.

Kuchar moved up 35 places, from a tie for 44th to a tie for ninth, after a 13-foot birdie chance at No. 18 slid by the hole.

Abbotsford, B.C., native Adam Hadwin led the Canadian contingent with an even-par 70 and sits T15. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., carded a 73 and holds a share of 24th. Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, collected a trio of birdies and moved to T31.

ANN ARBOR, Mich. – Ariya Jutanugarn ended a shaky round spectacularly, making a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole Saturday at Travis Pointe to take a one-stroke lead in the Volvik Championship.

Trying to become the first to win three straight LPGA Tour events since Inbee Park in 2013, the 20-year-old Jutanugarn shot a 1-over 73 in the third round to reach 10-under 206. She became the first Thai winner in tour history three weeks ago in Alabama and followed that up last week with a victory in Virginia.

Following three straight pars, she teed off on the 500-yard, par-5 18th with a 3-wood and landed in the rough. From 220 yards, she an impressive 3-iron shot that went as planned.

“Just go to the pin,” she said.

Jutanugarn shrugs off her stellar play, but is earning praise from other players.

“It’s incredible what she can do with the golf ball,” said Christina Kim, who was tied for second. “It’s just absurd. She is able to dominate really any golf course without necessarily hitting driver on any hole

Kim shot a 72 to join Jessica Korda (70) at 9 under.

Korda said pin placements made Travis Pointe, a new venue on the LPGA Tour, play much tougher than it did the previous two days.

“They are tucked in a lot of places and the greens are just super firm,” she said.

Stiffer wind was a factor, too.

“It’s very hard,” Jutanugarn said.

Hyo Joo Kim and Suzann Pettersen were 7 under, each shooting 70. Top-ranked Lydia Ko was tied for 25th at 2 under after a 72.

Jutanugarn has been playing better than any woman on the planet lately, including earlier in the week with a 65-68 start.

On Saturday afternoon, though, she fell back to the pack and then behind it with consecutive bogeys on Nos. 3, missing a 3-foot putt, and 4 and a third bogey to close the front nine. A bogey at No. 13 dropped her to 7 under and she birdied the next hole.

A freak accident was the only thing that slowed Jutanugarn down three years ago as a teenage phenom.

After finishing in the top four of each of the five tournaments she played in 2013, Jutanugarn fell off a tee box while running away from her sister, fellow tour player Moriya, who was trying to pour water on her while they were goofing around. Jutanugarn needed shoulder surgery and was knocked out of competition for nine months.

“I think it made her want it even more,” said Michael Yim, Jutanugarn’s agent.

Korda is aiming for her fifth title on the PGA Tour and first since winning last year in Malaysia. She has three top-10 finishes this year, including a tie for third.

Kim, meanwhile, has been struggling. A tie for 19th last month, her season-best finish, was followed by missing the cut and being tied for 45th and 65th the previous two tournaments. She won her third LPGA Tour title in 2014. Kim was leading late in the third round, but bogeyed No. 15 to fall into a four-way tie with Jutanugarn, Korda and So Yeon Ryu.

With a birdie on her first hole, Ryu was 10 under and among the leaders. She didn’t have another birdie the rest of the day and had four bogeys, including on Nos. 16 and 17, to fall to 3 over for the day and 6 under for the tournament and into a sixth-place tie with Belen Mozo (70) and Marina Alex (75).

Smiths Falls, Ont., native Brooke Henderson shot even-par and moved into a tie for 9th. Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., and Quebec City’s Anne Catherine Tanguay matched 75s on the day and sit T59 and T73, respectively.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Rocco Mediate shot an even-par 71 in tricky wind conditions Saturday in the Senior PGA Championship to take a two-stroke lead over two-time defending champion Colin Montgomerie into the final round.

Four strokes ahead at a tournament-record 14 under entering the day, Mediate had three birdies and three bogeys – his first of the week – at Jack Nicklaus-designed Harbor Shores. He matched the course and tournament records with an opening 62 and had a 66 on Friday.

“I was ecstatic with today, believe it or not,” Mediate said. “I would love to have made a couple more putts, but so would everybody else in the field. But I was happy with the way I felt. I felt good.

“The club was flying today. I let it, just let it go, even more than first two days, believe it or not. I just didn’t hole enough putts. … But I was ecstatic with the shots I hit into some of these wind conditions. It’s a good sign.”

The 53-year-old Mediate won both of his PGA Tour Champions titles in 2013 after winning six times on the PGA Tour. In the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines, he lost to Tiger Woods on the first extra hole after an 18-hole playoff.

“I can’t wait until tomorrow,” Mediate said. “Today, I wanted to see what I had and I had it. It wasn’t bad. The golf course was hard today, I thought. Wind was cooking, it was just hard. This golf course is hard without any wind. … This is what you want to feel. I’m playing against one of the best we have. A lot of the best we have are just a little bit behind. So, it’s not going to be easy and it’s not supposed to be easy. It’s going to be a tough day and it’s going to be a fun day.”

Montgomerie had a 68 to reach 12 under.

“It was very difficult today,” Montgomerie said. “Club selection was extremely difficult on a course that demands good club selection or else you got out of position. I would have taken 68 at the start of the day. It was very windy and very difficult to judge the distances into the pins. So, I was delighted with 68. It’s one of the better scores of the leading pack.

The 52-year-old Scot won the major championship in 2014 at Harbor Shores and last year at French Lick Resort in Indiana. He also won the 2014 U.S. Senior Open.

“You know how much this tournament championship means to me,” Montgomerie said. “Obviously, my first 72-hole stroke play win here in America and managed to repeat the feat last year. To come back here, I wanted to make a good showing of it. I really did. I wanted to come here and contend on Saturday night. And that’s what I’ve done. So, I’m in a position where I can win.”

Club pro John DalCorobbo was third at 11 under after a 69. The 51-year-old DalCorobbo is a PGA assistant professional at Brickyard Crossing at Indianapolis Motor Speedway. He won the Senior PGA Professional in October to top the club pro qualifiers.

Tom Lehman, Kirk Triplett and Brandt Jobe were 10 under, all shooting 69.

“A little tougher conditions, I thought,” Triplett said. “Some good pins. A little bit more wind. It made you think. The greens are still receptive and guys can still make birdies. … Twelve-, 13-under’s not going to win it, you’re going to have to get to 15, 16 to have a chance.”

Bernhard Langer had a 71 to drop into a tie for seventh at 9 under in his bid to become the first player to win all five PGA Tour Champions majors. The 58-year-old German won the Regions Tradition last week in Alabama for his sixth senior major title and 100th worldwide victory. In Alabama, Langer joined Nicklaus as the only players to win four different senior majors.

An even-par round has St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle sitting T11 at 8-under. Calgary’s Stephen Ames is T20 at 6-under.