LA QUINTA, Calif. – Jason Dufner knows his way around PGA West’s TPC Stadium Course and the adjacent Nicklaus Tournament Course. He learned out of necessity at the 2008 PGA Tour qualifying tournament.

“I probably played each four or five times before that Q-school started,” Dufner said. “I played unbelievable. I think I shot 24 or 25 under for the six rounds. And to be honest with you, this is kind of where everything started for me, because then in 2009 I had a really nice season. That’s kind of when I started playing some good golf. He thought back to that experience Friday in the CareerBuilder Challenge when he shot a 7-under 65 on the Stadium Course to take a one-stroke lead over Jamie Lovemark.

“I remember a lot of the shots and how the course played,” Dufner said.

The Pete Dye-designed Stadium Course is back in the event rotation after being dumped following its debut in 1987, and the Nicklaus Tournament Course is being used for the first time. They got in when the Palmer and Nicklaus private layouts dropped out.

The Stadium Course has mellowed over the years and equipment technology has helped tame it – a bit.

“It’s a difficult golf course,” Dufner said. “There’s a little bit of room to play off the tee, but if you get off the path a little bit, you can get into some trouble. He’s (Dye’s) got some water out there. He’s got some tricky bunkers. You get some uneven lies here and there. … It’s definitely the most difficult of the courses we have played here.”

Dufner parred the final four holes, escaping trouble on the par-5 16th after his drive strayed to the left. The 2013 PGA Championship winner played the front nine in 6-under 30, bogeyed the 10th after hitting into the greenside water, and added birdies on 12 and 14. He was forced to lay up on all four par-5 holes and took advantage of many short approach shots.

“Any time I’m inside of 130 yards I feel pretty good,” Dufner said. “I had some really good numbers with my wedges, which helps. I wasn’t in between on too many of them.”

Dufner’s drive on 16 perched on a ledge of dormant grass above one of the deep bunkers that line the left side. The ball at knee level, he slashed it 100 yards down the fairway before slipping to his hands and knees on the steep bank.

“I thought I would have a good go at that green in two and maybe get another birdie or possibly even an eagle and walked away with a 5, but no damage done,” Dufner said.

He had only 22 putts, one-putting 11 of 12 greens in the middle of the round.

Dufner had a 15-under 129 total. He opened with a 64 on Thursday on the Nicklaus Course, will play La Quinta on Saturday, and return to the Stadium Course for the final round Sunday.

Lovemark had a 65 on the Nicklaus Course. He holed out from 105 yards for eagle on the par-4 first, his 10th hole of the day.

“Got a little tired coming down the stretch,” Lovemark said. “There’s some long rounds out here.”

Defending champion Bill Haas was three strokes back along with Jason Gore, Anirban Lahiri, Andrew Loupe and Adam Hadwin. Haas shot 66, Gore 64, and Lahiri 68, all at the Nicklaus Course. Loupe had a 66 on the Stadium Course, and Hadwin a 66 at La Quinta.

Phil Mickelson was 11 under in his first start since the Presidents Cup in October and first since splitting with swing coach Butch Harmon to work with Andrew Getson. The 45-year-old Mickelson had a 65 on the Nicklaus Course.

“I’m probably a week away, if I’m being honest,” Mickelson said. “But I’ve also won with a lot less game than I have right now. I still expect to get in contention and have a good weekend, but a lot of iron shots are 12, 15 feet off.”

Dufner has tied for ninth in his last two PGA Tour starts, at the RSM Classic in November and the Sony Open last week in Hawaii. In between, he teamed with Brandt Snedeker to win the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

“I feel good. I’m confident,” Dufner said.

Weyburn, Sask., native Graham DeLaet registered a 3-under on the day and sits T24 at 8-under 136. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., matched Delaet’s 69 and is tied for 70th. Brantford, Ont., product David Hearn is T88 at a combined 4-under 140.

DIVOTS: The Stadium Course had a stroke average of 70.218 for a two-day mark of 71.029. The Nicklaus Course has averaged 69.145 overall, and La Quinta 69.328. … Chesson Hadley made a double-bogey 5 on the island-green 17th on the Stadium Course after trying to hit out of the rocks and going into water, then holed out from 142 yards for eagle on 18. He shot 73 and was tied for 113th at 2 under. … Nick Taylor had a hole-in-one on the 205-yard sixth on the Stadium Course. He was tied for 70th at 5 under after a 69. … Patrick Reed, the 2014 winner, was tied for 54th at 6 under after a 69 on the Nicklaus Course.

BARRIE, Ont. — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) and its community partners officially launched the Golf Barrie Community Golf initiative on Jan. 20. The day featured a pair of events, beginning with a stakeholders meeting followed by the official launch.

Barrie was selected as the first Golf Community by the GAO because of its diverse number of private and public course, strong community ties, festivals and events, and its engaged golf industry.

The community golf project aims to get individuals of all ages and backgrounds playing golf and creates a bridge between courses, community partners and golfers. The goal is to bring more people to the game and keep them playing for life. The movement also addresses the national need to develop all stages of the Long Term Athlete Development model.

Wednesday’s event began with a stakeholders meeting at Tangle Creek Golf & Country Club, where the golf club owners finalized the foundation for 2016 activities. The event was well received with members from 23 area courses in attendance.

The event then shifted to the Kenzington Burger Bar where the initiative was officially presented to the public. On hand was City of Barrie Mayor Jeff Lehman who talked about the benefits of golf and voiced his support for the project and stated that his office will be available to help make the project a success.

GAO Executive Director Mike Kelly laid out the GAO’s goals for the project and stressed that the association is here for the courses to help them execute it to its maximum potential. “This is a special project that is being done for the first time. Barrie as a community should feel extremely proud that they are pioneering such an initiative.”

GAO Director of Marketing and Communications Kyle McFarlane went on to speak about the project itself. “Golf is more than just a game, it builds character, values and life skills while promoting healthy active living. It builds relationships on and off the course and helps to connect family and friends.”

Emphasized at the event was the Try, Learn and Play aspect of the initiative. Golf Barrie will be present at numerous events in Barrie and Simcoe County, beginning in February to introduce people to the sport, with an emphasis on fun. This can be through opportunities such as Golf in Schools, which the local golf industry has already sponsored 24 local schools, festivals and through current programs like She Swings She Scores/ He Swings He Scores, which brings golf into hockey arenas to introduce minor hockey players to the sport.

The Learn aspect is where the clubs will come in and offer their own programming by matching the individual from a Try initiative with a Learn program at a course near them. The aim is to help people take that next step in golf. Finally, the Play aspect is having those people who have now learned to play the game get out to the courses and play.

To help bridge the events and opportunities in Barrie, Golf Barrie will launch a website that will feature a schedule of events that Golf Barrie will have a presence at to Try golf, a list of Learn opportunities at Barrie courses, a course directory and local golf news. However, that is not the only thing that will be set up. Golf Barrie plans to roll out the Commit to Golf Barrie pledge, which golfers will be able to register for, take the pledge as to how many times they hope to play in 2016, and then be entered in draws for prizes for meeting those goals.

An important aspect of the project is its partnership with Georgian College and its Golf Management Program. The college has already committed one of its classes to be trained to help with the Golf In Schools program. This will allow those students to go to schools, with a certified instructor, to deliver programs. A community Golf Coach certification course has also been planned and spots have already been reserved for Georgian students.

“This partnership is extremely important to us,” said McFarlane. “What we have observed in Barrie is that facilities that don’t offer programs for beginners not because they don’t want to but rather because they don’t have someone on staff all season to teach the programs. By training the instructors and having courses in the area share them, more programs at the Learn level can be offered. By having the students take certification programs, more qualified individuals will be available to teach these programs.”

Georgian College also has a capstone project that will develop a consumer behavior profile for Golf Barrie. The group will identify who the golfers are, what they want out of the local industry and any current barriers. This way Golf Barrie will be able to make adjustments for future initiatives.

In 2016, the Golf Barrie initiative hopes to deliver more than 70 golf awareness event days, host a Family Golf Festival, support and promote Learn programs at golf courses and establish community relations to ensure stability. With these objectives, it is hoped that more than 15,000 people can be exposed to golf.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Jordan Spieth, Rory McIlroy and other big names slid off the leaderboard at the weather-affected Abu Dhabi Championship on Friday, leaving American amateur Bryson DeChambeau to chase clubhouse leader Andy Sullivan in the second round.

After fog delayed the start of play by nearly three hours, Sullivan shot a second straight 5-under 67 to move clear on 10-under and make another strong impression in front of his playing partner, European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke.

Spieth and McIlroy were in the marquee afternoon group, but both played erratically and were 1 over after 13 holes when play was suspended for the day because of darkness. Spieth was at 3 under and McIlroy at 5 under, with both struggling off the tee.

DeChambeau, the surprise first-round leader following a 64, was a shot behind Sullivan after playing nine holes in 1 under. Starting on No. 10, he made birdies on two of his first three holes but bogeyed No. 18 in the fading light.

Joost Luiten (68) and Rafael Cabrera-Bello (67) were in the clubhouse on 7-under 137, with the leaderboard shorn of the tournament’s leading players. Henrik Stenson dropped three shots in 12 holes before play was suspended to fall to 4-under overall, and Branden Grace was on the same score after shooting 74.

The European Tour said the third round will be a two-tee start, in three balls, to make up for the lost time Friday.

Sullivan, one of the stars of the European Tour in 2015 with three victories, won three points from three matches for Europe in its big win over Asia in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia last week. Clarke captained the Europeans for that event, a test run for the Ryder Cup, and has been further impressed by Sullivan’s play and attitude in Abu Dhabi – this time even closer up.

The 28-year-old Englishman started and finished his second round with three straight birdies.

“Darren knows what I can do, so I don’t think it was imperative (to play well here),” Sullivan said, “but it bodes well when you do.”

Clarke and Sullivan have been close friends since Sullivan turned professional in 2011 and the jokes have been flying between them this week.

“He has completely taken the mick out of me for two days and I have told him that if he keeps this up, a pick (for the Ryder Cup) is out of the question,” Clarke said.

Sullivan, known for his big smile and easygoing attitude, says Clarke has been playfully abusing him for being a “short, fat guy” but has been giving it back.

“He’s got 60 on his ball and, on the first tee, I said I didn’t realize you put your age on the ball,” Sullivan said, laughing. “I just try and have a bit of to-ing and fro-ing. It was good fun and kept it relaxed.”

DeChambeau is the 2015 U.S. Amateur and NCAA champion who plays with a home-made set of irons that are all the same length, explaining his self-styled nickname “The Golf Scientist.” He went out in the final group of the day, knowing he wouldn’t come close to completing his round, and made some ground back on Sullivan.

“I had adrenaline going, that’s for sure,” DeChambeau said. “But there’s no anxiety, no nerves. Doesn’t matter what the outcome is.”

The bogey on the par-5 18th – one of the easier holes at Abu Dhabi Golf Club – came after a bad second shot out of a fairway bunker.

Spieth bogeyed Nos. 4 and 5, and avoided finding the water off the tee on No. 9 when his hooked drive hit a spectator and finished in the rough. His only birdie was on No. 10, and the American is two shots above the projected cut of 1 under.

McIlroy made 12 pars and a bogey on No. 9 after pushing his drive toward the rocks on the edge of a lake.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – A flight to space in 2016 doesn’t appeal to Andy Sullivan. For the English golfer, this year is mostly about one lofty ambition – getting in Europe’s Ryder Cup team.

And he’s going about it in the right way.

Sullivan has caught the eye of European captain Darren Clarke at the Abu Dhabi Championship this week, shooting 5-under 67s in the first and second rounds playing alongside the Northern Irishman to set the clubhouse target at 10 under. It continues Sullivan’s good form from last week when he won three points from three matches for Clarke in Europe’s big win over Asia in the EurAsia Cup in Malaysia.

“It’s good to do it face-to-face,” Sullivan said, “but I think Darren knows what I’m capable of.”

Clarke has acted as a mentor to Sullivan since the latter turned professional in 2011, so they are close. It meant Sullivan – known for his big smile and easygoing nature – has been able to joke around with Clarke this week in his latest Ryder Cup audition.

“He’s got 60 on his ball and, on the first tee, I said I didn’t realize you put your age on the ball,” Sullivan said, laughing. “I just try and have a bit of to-ing and fro-ing. It was good fun … I think he just enjoys taking the mick out of a short, fat guy.”

Clarke gave Sullivan a friendly warning that he might be taking it too far, saying: “He has completely taken the mick out of me for two days and I have told him that if he keeps this up, a (captain’s) pick is out of the question.”

The way Sullivan is playing, he’ll be qualifying automatically to play at Hazeltine in September.

He won three European Tour titles in 2015 – two in South Africa and the other by nine shots in Portugal – and pushed Rory McIlroy to the last hole in the season-ending World Tour Championship in Dubai. After a slow start to his professional career, Sullivan rose to prominence in 2014 by making a hole-in-one at the KLM Open in the Netherlands that won him an expedition to space courtesy of a tournament sponsor.

The 100-kilometer, suborbital flight could be available this year but Sullivan is set to turn it down.

“No, it’s not for me,” Sullivan said.

The man who once stacked shelves at a supermarket in the early-morning shift for 6 pounds ($8.60) an hour to fund his amateur career has risen from No. 150 in the world at the start of 2015 to his current ranking of No. 37. An invitation to the Masters, for his first appearance at Augusta National, should arrive next month.

With the Ryder Cup also a distinct possibility, things are looking up for a player who – according to Clarke – has everything needed to succeed.

“He is a quality ball striker,” said Clarke, who compares Sullivan to 1991 Masters champion Ian Woosnam. “There are lots of brilliant, young kids out here but not many of them move the ball both ways and with different trajectory. He does it all.

“A lot of kids don’t see that, they hit it as hard as they can and as far as they can and go from there. Sully is hitting a draw off one tee then a cut the next. I love playing with people like that, combined with the fact he is a really good kid. He wants to succeed and is definitely moving down the right path.”

With an appraisal like that, Sullivan looks a certainty for Hazeltine no matter what happens over the next nine months.

KAUPULEHU-KONA, Hawaii – Joe Durant shot a 7-under 65 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ season-opening Mitsubishi Electric Championship.

The 51-year-old Durant had nine birdies and two bogeys at Hualalai Golf Course. He teamed with Billy Andrade last year to win the Legends of Golf for his first title on the 50-and-over tour.

“I putted beautifully and I think that was kind of the key,” Durant said. “Made a couple good putts right out of the gate and, yeah, I was real happy. The wind was a little tougher today, it was a little heavier and it was definitely a lot stronger than we had the two pro-am rounds. It was a little different animal today.”

Defending champion Miguel Angel Jimenez, Davis Love III and Tom Pernice Jr. were a stroke back.

“I hit a couple bad drives, but other than that I hit the ball real solid,” Love said. “I made, I guess really, one or two tough putts, longer putts, but really just hit it well enough that I had a lot of birdie chances and got the par 5s. Other than one bogey, pretty good solid day.”

Love played in the PGA Tour’s Hawaii events the last two weeks. The U.S. Ryder Cup captain tied for 29th at Kapalua in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions and made the 36-hole cut but failed to advance to the final round in the Sony Open in Honolulu. He won the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship in August at 51 years, 4 months, 10 days to become the third-oldest champion in tour history.

“The first two weeks identified things I needed to work on,” Love said. “It’s good, I’ve been playing. I played four rounds at Kapalua, three at Sony, so I’ve gotten the rust off and feeling better about my game.”

Duffy Waldorf and 2006 winner Loren Roberts shot 67.

“I hit the ball really consistent,” Roberts said. “I hit a lot of greens today and, if I did miss a green, it was just right off the edge and it wasn’t bad. I actually missed some putts. I missed it from like 4 1/2, 5 feet three times today for birdies.”

The event features major champions from the last five years, tournament winners in the last two seasons and sponsor invitees.

“I’ve watched this tournament on television several times and I remember Loren shot something ridiculous one year and seems like every year there’s some pretty low scores,” said Durant, a four-time winner on the PGA Tour. “You’ve got to get 15 to 20 to even have a shot at it, especially if the wind lays down at all.”

Colin Montgomerie and Fred Funk were in the group at 68. Funk tied for 50th in the Sony Open.

Bernhard Langer and Fred Couples shot 70. Langer, the winner in 2009 and 2014, used a long putter without anchoring it to his body. The event is Langer’s first since the anchored stroke was banned Jan. 1.

Vijay Singh had a 72 after tying for 50th in the Sony Open.

LA QUINTA, Calif. – Phil Mickelson returned from a long layoff with a big mid-round run. PGA West’s TPC Stadium Course came back strong, too, Thursday in the CareerBuilder Challenge.

The 45-year-old Mickelson opened with a 4-under 68 at La Quinta Country Club in his first start since the Presidents Cup in October, playing a seven-hole stretch in 6 under.

“I’ve had a lot of time off,” Mickelson said. “It was fun to get back into the swing of it. We had a beautiful day here. Weather’s spectacular. Golf course was great. I had a good solid round.”

Lefty holed out for eagle on the par-4 eighth with a shot that spun back 15 feet, chipped in on the next hole for a front-nine 31 and added another birdie on 11. He three-putted for par on the par-5 13th and made two late bogeys to fall four strokes behind leaders Jason Dufner, Jerry Kelly, Jeff Overton and Anirban Lahiri.

The round was Mickelson’s first since splitting with swing coach Butch Harmon to work with Andrew Getson. The 2002 and 2004 champion is winless since the 2013 British Open.

“I felt good with my game,” Mickelson said. “I didn’t feel like I was fighting it. I was able to kind of let it go. I didn’t hit a lot of shots really close, I just hit it kind of OK. Didn’t putt great. But I had a couple shots that I holed out.”

The Stadium Course had a stroke average of 71.825 in perfect scoring conditions in the Pete Dye-designed layout’s first round in the event since it was dropped from the rotation after its 1987 debut. The course finally got another chance this year out of necessity when PGA West’s Palmer and Nicklaus private layouts dropped out.

Adam Hadwin had the best round on the Stadium Course with a 66. Only four players in the top 31 on the leaderboard played the course, with Ryan Palmer, Rhein Gibson and Si Woo Kim shooting 67.

“You give me 68, I probably would have walked away and not played today,” Hadwin said. “So, 66 bogey-free is a fantastic start.”

The Canadian birdied the par-5 16th, avoiding the 20-foot deep bunker on the left side of the green, and finished with pars on the island-green 17th and water-guarded 18th.

“I played Q-school here, so I got a pretty good feeling the way the golf courses play,” Hadwin said.

Dufner and Overton opened on PGA West’s Nicklaus Tournament Course. Kelly and Lahiri played at La Quinta, the lone holdover. La Quinta had a stroke average of 69.596, and the Nicklaus Tournament Course was at 69.424.

The 49-year-old Kelly had two eagles at La Quinta. He missed birdie putts on the final three holes, the first a 5-footer.

“In the past, this has been the tough golf course,” Kelly said. “So, it was strange just how the mindset changes when this becomes the so-called easier one and you have to get it.”

The Nicklaus Tournament Course is being used for the first time in the event. Overton had bad memories about the course from the PGA Tour’s qualifying tournament.

“I had very kind of sour vibes coming into this place, because I really like the ones we played last couple years,” Overton said. “I think I wound up playing 11 tournaments in a row my first year on tour and had to come back to Q-school. I played here and I was so tired and hit it so bad. … I just remember playing really awful.”

Dufner prepared for the courses before travelling to Hawaii for the Sony Open.

“I came out before I went to Sony and played these golf courses, both of them, twice,” Dufner said.

Lahiri, from India, played last week in Malaysia in the EurAsia Cup matches.

“Obviously, still feeling all the travel from coming from Asia, but really happy with the way I hit the ball,” Lahiri said. “I don’t think I missed a green all day.”

Defending champion Bill Haas had a 66 at La Quinta. He eagled the par-4 first hole.

“Ball-striking, I think I left a lot of room for improvement, which is a good sign,” said Haas, also the 2010 winner.

Weyburn, Sask., native Graham DeLaet is T18 at 5-under 67, while David Hearn from Brantford, Ont., opened with a round of 68. Nick Taylor, also from Abbotsford, finished the day at 2-under.

DIVOTS: CareerBuilder is in its first year as the title sponsor of the event long called the Bob Hope Classic, taking over for Humana. … Patrick Reed, the 2014 winner, had a 69 at La Quinta. … Stuart Appleby withdrew because of a back injury. Brice Garnett took his place and shot a 78 on the Nicklaus layout.

DELAND, Fla. – Anne-Catherine Tanguay carded a final-round 71 to capture the National Women’s Golf Association event at Victoria Hills Golf Club.

The Québec native finished at 6-under 210 (68-71-71) to secure a four-stroke victory over a trio of players, including Calgary native and 2015 National Amateur Team member Jennifer Ha, who completed the day with seven birdies en route to a 68.

Tanguay – who represented Canada on the junior-aged Development Squad (2009-10) and the National Amateur Team (2011, 2014) – began the day with a one-stroke lead, but a bogey-free 2-under 34 across the back nine propelled the former University of Oklahoma Sooner to victory. The 25-year-old was perfect across the back nine over the tournament’s three days.

Last month, Tanguay finished T36 at the final stage of LPGA Q-School to earn conditional status for the 2016 season.

Augusta James of Bath, Ont., – another former National Amateur Team member – completed the competition with a third-round even-par 72 performance to finish in a three-way tie for sixth.

Complete results from Victoria Hills are available here.

The Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and Oilers Entertainment Group (OEG) announced today that the Oil Country Championship, a new official event for 2016, will be played at Edmonton’s Glendale Golf and Country Club in 2016.

The golf tournament, which will take place July 25-31, 2016, enhances OEG’s portfolio of sports and entertainment properties, which currently includes the Edmonton Oilers (NHL), Edmonton Oil Kings (WHL), Bakersfield Condors (AHL), Norfolk Admirals (ECHL) and Silver Pictures Entertainment.

“We are delighted to partner with the PGA TOUR on the new Oil Country Championship to bring amazing golf and unparalleled hospitality to Edmonton this summer,” said OEG CEO and Vice Chair Bob Nicholson. “Adding golf to OEG’s expanding roster of sports and entertainment assets makes a lot of sense, given Canadians’ passion for the sport. The opportunity to raise funds for charity through the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF) makes this a clear win-win for the community.”

“We’re absolutely thrilled to be partnering with OEG and teaming together two great sports organizations. This is an exciting addition to our schedule, and we’re confident we can create a marquee event in the Canadian golf landscape,” said Mackenzie Tour President Jeff Monday. “Our aim is to make this event a week-long celebration, and we look forward to bringing some great golf to Edmonton this summer while making a positive impact in the community.”
The event will also receive support from Edmonton Events, a partnership between the City of Edmonton and Edmonton Tourism.

“Edmonton is proud to host the inaugural Oil Country Championship in our city,” said Mayor Don Iveson. “This tournament is a great addition to our summer lineup of exciting sports competitions and we look forward to welcoming some of the best golfers in the world to Edmonton.”

Linx Marketing, a longstanding partner operating other Mackenzie Tour events, will assist with operations and management of the event, with Darcy Enick serving as Tournament Director.

Glendale Golf and Country Club, a 7,264-yard Norman Woods design, hosts the Mackenzie Tour for the first time since 2009, when James Hahn, now a PGA TOUR winner, claimed his first of two Mackenzie Tour wins.

The event’s course rotation will include Glendale in 2016, Windermere Golf and Country Club in 2017, Edmonton Petroleum Golf and Country Club in 2018, Edmonton Country Club in 2019 and a location to be determined in 2020.

“It’s very exciting to see an Edmonton stop back on the Mackenzie Tour schedule,” said Hahn. “I have fond memories of my win there, especially the volunteers, sponsors and everyone I encountered in the city. I’m sure with the Oilers Entertainment Group getting involved it will solidify itself as a favourite stop on the Mackenzie Tour,” added Hahn, who broke through for his first victory on the PGA TOUR in 2015 at the Northern Trust Open.

The event will be in support of the Edmonton Oilers Community Foundation (EOCF), which continues the Oilers legacy of giving back by contributing its resources and financial support to charitable organizations that serve the communities of Northern Alberta. With a focus on education, health and wellness for youth in Oil Country, the EOCF is dedicated to building strong, vibrant and safe communities by demonstrating philanthropic leadership.

Edmonton last hosted the Mackenzie Tour in 2012 when Burlington, Ontario’s Michael Gligic claimed victory at the ATB Financial Classic. The city boasts 84 courses within an hour’s drive and has among the highest participation rates in Canada.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Bryson DeChambeau was still in high school when he told his father: “I think I can change the game of golf.”

On Thursday, he was comparing his trailblazing qualities to those of Albert Einstein and George Washington, and calling himself “The Golf Scientist.”

One thing’s for sure about the 22-year-old DeChambeau, he isn’t lacking in confidence.

And he’s got the game to back it up.

DeChambeau shot an 8-under 64 at the Abu Dhabi Championship to take a one-stroke lead in the first round in what might be the strongest field in a European Tour event this year. Not bad for an amateur making only his seventh start in a professional tournament, and his first on the regular European Tour – through a sponsor’s invitation.

Any nerves? Don’t be silly.

“Why be nervous?” said DeChambeau, whose deep tan is explained by his California roots. “There’s no expectations. I’m not worried about anything. If I hit a bad shot I’ve got an opportunity to show my grace and my character. In that situation, there’s no downside to it.”

DeChambeau may just be the most unique, colorful golfer around.

He’s a physics student at Southern Methodist University who has devised his own way of playing golf. It includes modifying all of his irons so they are the same length, lie angle and bounce – the only difference between them is the loft – and means he can keep the same posture and set-up; hitting two different drives that he has named The Fairway Finder and the Crank Ball; using water and Epsom salts to establish which of his golf balls are slightly flawed so they can be discarded; and adopting a putting routine in which he crouches and extends his putter as if fly-fishing.

“You look at trends in humanity and people like following the norm,” DeChambeau said, when asked if he is a trailblazer. “You’ve got people out there like Einstein, George Washington – they just stood out and capitalized on their differences and showed the world a little different side.

“I tried (his unique swing) out in 2011 … I hit a striped shot 210 yards right next to the flag and I thought, “This could change golf.”

DeChambeau isn’t just all talk. Last year, he became only the fifth player – after Jack Nicklaus, Phil Mickelson, Tiger Woods and Ryan Moore – to win the NCAA and U.S. Amateur titles in the same season. He made his PGA Tour debut in June that year and finished tied for 45th, and was runner-up in the Australian Masters in November.

He said Thursday that he is not thinking of when to turn professional.

“I never try to set goals. I’m more of a journey man,” said DeChambeau, who wears a Ben Hogan-style flat cap. “I like focusing on the journey process.

“I’m an intern. I’ve learned to believe in myself. That’s the ticket. It happened at the NCAAs and I’m just growing that confidence, that belief each and every single day. Today definitely helped.”

The highlight of his round was a 3-wood from 278 yards that ran through a greenside bunker and rolled up to within 20 feet of the pin on No. 8. He knocked it in for an eagle, and also hit seven birdies around a long, challenging course to top the likes of Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy.

“I’m getting more comfortable out here and getting used to the rhythm of things,” he said. “I only played 18 holes before I played today. Nine holes Monday and nine holes Tuesday and that’s all you need if you understand the golf course – you have contour maps and everything like that it makes it super simple, super smooth to get the golf course figured out.”

It seems DeChambeau has golf figured out, too.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Jordan Spieth was aggrieved at being given a warning for slow play, and complained that his tee shots were “short and crooked.”

But after his opening round of the Abu Dhabi Championship on Thursday, the top-ranked Spieth’s biggest concern might just be the sublime form of his playing partner.

Rory McIlroy got the better of Spieth in their first head-to-head of 2016, using his power and accuracy with the driver to set up a 6-under 66 that put him two shots off the lead held by American amateur Bryson DeChambeau.

Spieth, who scrambled well to shoot a 68, made an early-season statement two weeks ago by winning by eight strokes in Hawaii to back up his stellar 2015. McIlroy laid down a marker of his own in his first event of the year after a two-month break and laser eye surgery.

“It was the Rory that I have seen win majors,” Spieth said. “It was spectacular. It was a pretty unbelievable round on a very challenging golf course.”

McIlroy says his eye operation in December will improve his ability to read greens and that seemed to be the case, the No. 3-ranked Northern Irishman making eight birdies – beginning on his first hole with a 20-footer. But it was his driving that set him apart on a warm, wind-free morning in the gulf emirate.

“I was really excited to get going, especially playing in a group like that,” said the No. 3-ranked McIlroy, who was also playing alongside No. 6-ranked Rickie Fowler (70). “Couldn’t be happier.”

Spieth’s first round in a regular European Tour event was a mixed bag and ended with a brush with a rules official, who gave the American a “monitoring penalty” for taking too long over a putt on No. 8 – his 17th hole. Spieth said the decision “didn’t make any sense to me” and was a “bit odd.”

“The guys behind us hadn’t even reached the fairway, on a par 5,” said Spieth, who acknowledged that he had taken extra time to line up the putt.

It was the first round since the European Tour modified its Pace of Play policy – and officials made an example of the biggest name in golf.

“Sometimes referees have to use a bit of common sense,” said McIlroy, who sympathized with Spieth.

There were no such problems for another 22-year-old American.

DeChambeau was making only his seventh start in a professional event but showed no nerves in shooting seven birdies and an eagle for a 64 to lead a stellar field. Henrik Stenson (65) was a shot behind, with McIlroy and Branden Grace a further stroke adrift.

DeChambeau is one of golf’s characters – calling himself the “Golf Scientist,” he has modified his irons to make them all the same length, has two driver swings, puts his balls in Epsom salts to establish which of them are slightly flawed, and wears a Ben Hogan-style flat cap.

“I’m just growing in confidence and belief every single day,” said DeChambeau, who is regarded as one of the hottest young players in the sport after also winning the U.S. Amateur and NCAA titles in 2015.

Stenson birdied five of the last eight holes in his first round since keyhole surgery on his right knee in December.

“Not too bad on one leg,” quipped Stenson, a runner-up in 2006.

McIlroy has also finished second in Abu Dhabi – four times, in fact – and the course suits his game. He thrived in playing with esteemed company and said he took the way he was hitting the ball on the range in Dubai last week onto the course.

“There’ve been times where it’s taken me at least four or five days to find the middle of the clubface (after a break) and there’ve been times where it’s taken me a couple of hours,” McIlroy said. “This time it’s the latter.”

Two three-putts for birdies were the only negatives for McIlroy, whose longest birdie was from 25 feet on No. 13.