RENO, Nev. – Andres Gonzales had 11 birdies and a bogey in a 21-point round Friday for a share of the lead with Brendan Steele in the Barracuda Championship.

Steele matched Gonzales at 26 points after two rounds in the PGA Tour’s only modified Stableford event, scoring 18 points with an eagle, seven birdies and a bogey at Montreux Golf and Country Club.

Players receive eight points for double eagle, five for eagle, two for birdie, zero for par, minus-one for bogey and minus-three for double bogey or worse.

“Ball kind of went into the hole today,” Steele said. “The course is in great shape. A lot of the time I see it a little more brown, a little firmer, and so it’s playing a little bit different. Ball doesn’t go quite as far because you’re not running out as much.”

Steele holed out from a greenside bunker for the eagle on the par-5 second hole. He won the 2011 Texas Open for his lone tour title.

“It’s golf so you never know what’s going to happen, but I feel like my game is in a really good spot,” Steele said. “I was happy with how I played last week until Sunday. Basically, just didn’t hole anything on Sunday last week. But the game has been really good for a while.”

Winless on the tour, Gonzales has two top-10 finishes in 25 events this season.

“Today was a lot of fun,” Gonzales said. “I wouldn’t have been able to do it without my caddie, Brandon DeStefano. He did a lot of number figuring here. Playing at altitude here in Reno, early in the morning it can play a little bit less and then get to the afternoon and it can play a little bit more. I went off what he said and hit a lot of good putts today.”

J.J. Henry, the 2012 winner, was two points back along with Sweden’s Jonas Blixt. Henry had an 11-point round, and Blixt scored 12 points.

“It’s nice to get off early with fresh greens and little wind,” Henry said. “Kind of tricky with some rain and stuff, but the golf course was pretty soft and receptive, so if I kept the ball in play, gave myself a lot good chances.

“I love coming here. For whatever reason the golf course kind of suits my eye and I just enjoy being out here kind of up through the trees and the mountains. Just a beautiful place to be this time of year.”

Kyle Reifers was at 23 after a 14-point round.

Geoff Ogilvy, the winner last year, had six points to miss the cut. Last season, he finished with a tournament-record 49 points for a five-point victory.

Canadian Roger Sloan sits T52, while Adam Hadwin will not play the weekend.

CALGARY, Alberta – Colin Montgomerie birdied three of the final four holes for an 8-under 62 and the first-round lead Friday in the Champions Tour’s Shaw Charity Classic.

Playing alongside defending champion Fred Couples and Miguel Angel Jimenez, Montgomerie had nine birdies and a bogey at Canyon Meadows.

“I knew that if I kept up with them or kept around them I was doing OK, Montgomerie said about his playing partners. “All in all, I got the most out of the round. I’m not one of these guys who’s going to say it should have been 59. For God’s sake, I got the most out of it.”

The Scot successfully defended his title in the Senior PGA Championship in May for his third major victory on the 50-and-over tour.

“Week in and week out you’ve got to play your best, there’s no question,” Montgomerie said. “If you don’t play your best, you will not win, as simple as that.”

Australia’s Peter Senior was a stroke back.

“I holed a couple of big putts in the first four holes, so it got me going and I played a little bit better,” Senior said. “Played pretty good on the back side, missed a couple of short ones on the last two. … But all in all, I haven’t played well for a long time, so it’s just nice to actually put a score on the board.”

Corey Pavin was tied for third at 65 with Scott McCarron, Tommy Armour III, Michael Allen, Skip Kendall and Canada’s Stephen Ames.

Couples and Jimenez each shot 67. Last year, Couples chipped in for eagle for a course-record 61, then beat Billy Andrade with a tap-in birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

“I played OK,” Couples said. “I watched a great round.”

The players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways because of wet conditions.

“Tomorrow, just got to shoot really low,” Couples said. “I don’t know if we’re going to play the ball up or down, but hopefully we don’t touch it. It’s not like Monty misses fairways or anything, but it just makes the scoring a little harder to not clean it. I need to shoot 66 or 65.

“If they tee them up, I think a lot of people will shoot the same score. But the course was perfect today. It was a little wet, but Monty played phenomenal golf.”

YORKTON, Sask. – Team Canada’s Michelle Kim shot 4-under par to take the lead at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

The National Team Development Squad member from Surrey, B.C., carded five birdies to move up the leaderboard by two spots and sit four-strokes clear of her nearest competitor heading into the final round of play.

“I was very consistent off the tee which gave me the advantage. My iron shots were very good and I was just rolling those putts in for birdies and I went low today,” said the 18-year old whose round was highlighted by back-to-back birdies on holes 16 and 17.

“I won the B.C. Women’s Amateur Championship which is definitely a confidence booster for tomorrow’s round,” said Kim, whose 2015 season has also included the B.C. Junior Girls Championship, the CJGA Western Canadian Junior Championship and a sixth-place finish in the 2014 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

When asked about the final round, Kim maintained her resolve and focus. “Same plan as today, my goal is to shoot under par, I’m just going to play my own game and not care what others shoot.”

A quartet of players sits four shots behind the leader, including Kim’s Development Squad teammate Naomi Ko. The 17-year-old fired a 1-under par 72 to move up two spots in the standings. The product of Victoria carded an eagle on the par-5 second hole and added four more birdies on the day.

Thirty-six-hole leader Jessica Ip of Richmond Hill, Ont., struggled on Thursday with a 5-over par. The 18-year-old finished the round with a birdie and was able to hang on to a share of second.

Twelve-year-old Euna Han of Coquitlam, B.C., fired a bogey-free 2-under par round to move into a share of second. Han earned her way into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship after finishing in third-place at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship.

Hannah Lee, 15, shot 3-over par and remained in the second slot on the leaderboard at 2-under par 217. The Surrey, B.C., native fired two birdies through her last four holes to remain under par for the tournament.

Han and Lee sit tied atop the Juvenile Division and are one-shot ahead of Richmond, B.C., native Kathrine Chan. The 15-year-old finished her third round at even-par and is 1-over through 54 holes; she sits in solo sixth in the overall competition.

The final round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship begins Friday at 7 a.m. CST with the final group set to tee off at 11:02 a.m.

Tee times and full results are available here.

VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Charles-Éric Bélanger claimed victory on the first playoff hole to win the 77^th playing of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

“I feel I played really well. I hit some pretty good shots and made some great saves for par, as well as, some birdies,” reflected the 16-year-old. “My game plan was just to stay focused on the process and play one shot at a time. With the wind this week and the challenging greens, par was a good score.”

He is the national championship’s first winner from Quebec since André Nols in 1976. The tournament’s Juvenile Division was introduced in 1970; Bélanger is the seventh champion to capture both the Junior and Juvenile titles in the same year. Amongst that group, he is the third to do so in his home province.

“It feels really special,” said Bélanger when asked about returning the championship to Quebec. “It has been 39 years since the last winner was from Quebec, so it just feels great. I am so happy. I’ve worked very hard during the past two years to be able to perform at this level.”

Bélanger carded three birdies and an eagle on the day to equal his 1-under 71 performances in the first and third rounds. Despite his consistent play, the Québec City, Que., native needed an extra hole to secure the victory. Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont., made a furious charge to force the playoff, tallying four birdies across the back nine with the last coming on the final hole to match Bélanger at even-par for the tournament.

Raphaël Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., and Henry Lee of Coquitlam, B.C., finished tied for third place. Lapierre-Messier, who entered the final round in a three-way tie for second, shot 2-over 74 to complete the competition at 3-over 291. The 17-year-old Lee recorded two eagles on holes 11 and 14 to move up from seventh place.

Placing second in the Juvenile Division and fifth overall was A.J. Ewart. The product of Coquitlam, B.C., shot a final-round 74 and finished four strokes shy of the winner. Fellow British Columbian Tristan Mandur of Mill Bay, B.C., rounded out the Juvenile Division’s top-3 at a combined score of 296.

Played concurrently with the first 36 holes of the competition was an inter-provincial team competition. Team Quebec consisting of Lapierre-Messier, Team Canada Development Squad member Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que.) and Félix Normand (Beloeil, Que.) claimed the title with a combined even-par 288. Claiming second place was Team Ontario at 296 while 2014 winners Team Alberta finished third with a total of 302.

With the victory, Charles-Éric Bélanger has secured a place in the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. While excited for the opportunity, he plans to maintain a calm demeanor. “I’m just going to have the same plan as this week:  focus on hitting fairways and greens and then I will see the result at the end of the week. I’m not putting any added pressure on myself because I won this week. I need to stay focused on the process.”

Bélanger joins 265 competitors vying for the historic Earl Grey Trophy at the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. The event in Toronto will be co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club from August 8-13. Details regarding the 111^th playing of the world’s third-oldest national amateur championship can be found here.

Additional information and full scorecards from the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship are available here.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – National Amateur Squad members Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Elizabeth Tong of Thornhill, Ont., and Jennifer Ha of Calgary will join 17 other Canucks in Thursday’s opening round of LPGA Qualifying School at the Mission Hills Country Club.

Stage I, commencing from Aug. 6–9, will feature 288 players competing in the 72-hole stroke-play event for one of the top-60 scores that earn a pass through to Stage II of qualifying.

The full list of Canadian players is listed below:

Jessica MacPhee

Sabrina Sapone

Melissa Mabanta

Leilanie Kim

Krista Fenniak

Megan Osland (a)

Robyn Doig

Jennifer Ha (a)

Anna Young (a)

Kyla Inaba

Maya Parsons

Laura DeMarco

Alexa Kim

Brittany Marchand (a)

Aram Choi

Christina Foster

Anna Kim (a)

Joo Youn Seo (a)

Vivian Tsui

Elizabeth Tong (a)

—

Stage II of the LPGA Qualifying Tournament will be held from Oct. 22–25 at the Plantation Golf and Country Club in Venice, Fla.

Final Stage of LPGA Qualifying School will feature the top-80 scorers from Stage II and will run from Dec. 2–6 at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, Fla.

Click here for scoring

YORKTON, Sask. – Team British Columbia emerged as the Inter-Provincial Junior Girls team champions while Jessica Ip claimed the lead following second-round play at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask.

Ip bested her opening-round score by one shot with a 4-under 69 performance despite tough rainy conditions. The Richmond Hill, Ont., native sits at 7-under par for the tournament and holds a two-stroke advantage going into the third round.

“I was a little more external today; I was thinking not really about my swing, but just about hitting the greens since there’s not much I can do about the weather. I guess I just hit a lot of greens and made a few putts, more than yesterday,” explained the 18-year-old.

Ip, who is heading into her second year playing for the University of Iowa Hawkeyes, partially credits the experience of playing NCAA golf for her early success in the tournament.

“I feel like my mentality coming back from school has changed this summer. I think I’ve been a little more aggressive and ambitious about how I’m shooting and how I should be playing. I think that has really helped me,” said Ip who carded five birdies on the day.

Two shots back is Hannah Lee who opened with the lead after 18 holes. The 15-year-old battled tough conditions early in the morning, but re-focused to card a 2-over par round. The product of Surrey, B.C., is 5-under for the tournament and leads the Juvenile Division.

In third place is Team Canada Development squad member Michelle Kim, also of Surrey, B.C., who carded an even-par second round and is 2-under through 36 holes.

The two Team British Columbia members led their home province to victory in the Inter-Provincial team competition played concurrently with the first two rounds of play. The pair, along with 12-year-old Akari Hayashi of Victoria, posted a two-day total of 7-under par 285 to capture the team championship by 20 strokes.

“It’s nice playing as a team because we usually play as individuals. We don’t really get to cheer on each other, we usually try to bite off each other’s heads,” joked Lee, whose 7-under par competitive course record in her first round gave the trio an early advantage in the team contest. “Canada has a strong field of girls and being able to win nationals was one of my goals for sure.”

Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame-de-l’Île-Perrot, Que.), Sarah-Eve Rheaume (Québec City, Que.) and Annie Lacombe (Laval, Que.) of Team Québec finished as runners-up with a two-day total of 305. Two shots back and finishing in third place was Team Ontario, comprised of Mississauga, Ont., product Chloe Currie, Alexandra Naumovski of Hornby, Ont., and Richmond Hill, Ont., native Kristen Wong.

Four shots back of Hannah Lee in the Juvenile Division is Kathrine Chan. The Richmond, B.C., native shot 3-over 76 and is two strokes clear of fellow British Columbian Euna Han of Coquitlam. The 12-year-old tallied four birdies on the day; at even-par 146, she also sits seventh in the overall competition.

Seventy players who shot 22-over par or better through the opening two rounds have advanced to the third round of play, which begins Thursday at 7 a.m. CST.

Tee times and full results for the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship are available here.

VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Maxwell Sear holds the 54-hole lead at the Canadian Junior Boys Championship hosted by Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

Maxwell Sear shared the 36-hole lead of the national championship heading into today’s third-round. The Unionville, Ont., native was able to finish the day with an even-par 72.

Sear had a rough start this morning with three bogeys in the first five holes. “I started off a little slow but I settled down with a birdie on 9 and then another on 12 which was a good birdie because it was playing into the wind so it was a tough hole,” said Sear of this third-round.

Sear was able to keep his round in control and stay at even-par for the tournament at 216. Sear’s impressive 2015 season includes a win at the Ontario Junior Boys Spring Classic, a runner-up finish at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship and a tie for third at the Ontario Men’s Amateur.

“Whenever you give yourself a chance to win it’s always nice. It’s going to be exciting going into the back-nine tomorrow,” said Sear when asked about playing in the final group Thursday.

Sear will be challenged by the three individuals tied for second-place at 217. Quebec products Charles-Éric Bélanger of Québec City, Brandon Lacasse of Châteauguay and Raphaël Lapierre-Messier of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu are only one stroke off the lead, each hoping to become the first Canadian Junior Boys Champion from Quebec since André Nols won in 1976.

Opening-round co-leader Bélanger also continues to lead in the Juvenile division after a round of 1-under 71 today. Bélanger was able to reach 4-under par until making a bogey on hole 13. He made four pars before a disappointing double bogey on 18 to post one of only two under-par scores on Wednesday.

Lacasse moved up the leaderboard to finish in second-place with a third-round of even-par that was highlighted by an eagle on the par 5 hole 14. Lapierre-Messier fell back from his 36-hole share of the lead to join the trio at 1-over 217 after a third round 2-over 74. He made three straight birdies from holes 8 to 10.

The tight leaderboard has an additional two players, A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., and Kevin Gordon of Whitby, Ont., at 2-over 218 tied for fifth place. In the Juvenile division, A.J. Ewart is only one behind Bélanger’s lead.

In a tie for third place in the Juvenile division are Tristan Mandur from Mill Bay, B.C., and Jack Simpson  from Aurora, Ont., at 7-over 223.

Team Canada’s Development Squad member Patrick Murphy of Crossfield, Atla., signed for a round of 2-over 74 to sit T14 heading into tomorrow’s final round.

The winner of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club from August 8 – 13.

The final round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EST with the leaders teeing off at 9:42a.m.

For more information on the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, including final-round pairings and full scorecards, please click here.

TORONTO – The 111^th playing of the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will re-visit the roots of Canadian golf in 2015. Lambton Golf & Country Club – the home of the tournament’s most decorated champion, George S. Lyon – will co-host the competition alongside Weston Golf & Country Club, which is celebrating its 100^th year, from August 8-13.

“This year’s co-hosting venues have a long history with the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship and Canadian golf,” explained Tournament Director Adam Helmer. “George S. Lyon, an eight-time winner of this tournament, honed his game at Lambton. Weston saw a young Arnold Palmer win his first Tour victory and has since played a significant part in growing Canadian golf over the past century. Both courses are among Canada’s best and we look forward to seeing our impressive field challenge them.”

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Qualifier is set to take place at Weston Golf & Country Club on August 7. Two days of practice rounds are slated for August 8 and 9 before competitors from eight countries take to both courses on August 10 and 11 for the championship’s first 36 holes. The field will be reduced to 70 players and ties for the two final rounds at Weston as competitors try to claim the historic Earl Grey Trophy. James Beale of New Zealand won the trophy in 2014 after a thrilling three-hole playoff.

The field of 264 competitors will be competing for exemptions into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open to be played at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., as well as, the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill. The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Team Canada’s Austin Connelly of Irving, Texas and Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont., will be among the Canadian contingent vying for the championship. Connelly is Canada’s highest-ranked amateur at No. 16 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking. The two national team members are coming identical 1-under performances at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open which saw them recognized as co-recipients of the Gary Cowan Medal for low amateur honours.

Reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion and 2015 Ontario Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank will continue a busy summer. The Elmira, Ont., native represented Canada at the Toronto 2015 Pan-Am games alongside Connelly and also competed in Canada’s National Open Championship.

All six members of Team Canada’s Development Squad will round out the national team contingent in the competition. Étienne Papineau of St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., is looking to build upon a successful summer that has seen the 19-year-old capture the Alexander of Tunis trophy and the Quebec Men’s Amateur Championship – two legs of Golf Quebec’s prestigious Triple Crown. Teammate Trevor Ranton is hoping to carry forward momentum after claiming the 2015 CN Future Links Pacific Championship and winning the Golf Association of Ontario’s Investors Group Junior Boys’ Championship.

Rico Hoey of Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., returns to the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship looking to improve upon a T6 finish in last year’s event. The No. 74-ranked amateur finished runner-up at the 2015 Saguaro Men’s Amateur Championship. Fellow Californian Eli Cole of Beverly Hills hopes to become a two-time winner of this event to go with his 2013 title.

An inter-provincial championship will take place in conjunction with the first two rounds of the tournament with three-member teams competing for the Willingdon Cup. Team Ontario claimed the competition in 2014 with Chris Hemmerich (Kitchener, Ont.), Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) and Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) combining to shoot 9-under 275, eight strokes clear of Team Alberta.

A minimum of five spots into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship will be awarded through the championship’s qualifier on Friday, August 7 at Weston Golf & Country Club. Pairings and start times can be found here.

Admission to the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at Weston Golf & Country Club and Lambton Golf & Country Club is free during tournament week. Additional information regarding the championship is available here.

VAUDREUIL-DORION, Que. – Team Quebec captured the inter-provincial team championship on home soil at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. The competition comprised of three-person teams is conducted in conjunction with the first 36-holes of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

With a combined score of 288, Team Quebec was led by the strong second-round play of Raphaël Lapierre-Messier who posted a 3-under round of 69. Lapierre-Messier co-leads the Junior division at 1-under 143.

The St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que., native was joined on Team Quebec by Étienne Papineau, a native of the same hometown. Papineau, a member of Team Canada’s Development Squad, posted a second-round 1-under 71 to sit T4. The final member of Team Quebec, Félix Normand of Beloeil, Que., signed for a score of 78.

“Étienne and I were able to fight back even though it was really hard out there. The wind was blowing strong. I was proud of how we fought back even though we didn’t start great,” said Lapierre-Messier of his team’s win.

Lapierre-Messier recorded a total of five birdies en route to the tournament’s only score in the 60s through the second round.

“I started off my front nine really solid and I played good golf, it was nothing extraordinary, but it was solid,” explained the 18-year-old. “On the back nine, I struggled a little, but my putter saved me. I did miss some putts, but I made a lot to make up for it. It was a good day.”

Joining him at the top of the leaderboard is Maxwell Sear of Unionville, Ont. The 2015 Ontario Junior Boys Spring Classic champion climbed up the standings with five birdies today after an opening round of 73.

In third place at one stroke back is Whitby, Ont., product Kevin Gordon who posted a round of 1-over 73 with back-to-back birdies on holes 11 and 12.

Team Ontario finished runner-up in the inter-provincial competition with a total of 296. Ontarians Kyle Johnston of Shelburne and Sam Meek of Peterborough carded rounds of 1-under to account for their team’s score. In third place was defending champion Team Alberta with a combined total of 302. The team’s second round tally was comprised of Camrose, Alta., native Andrew Harrison’s 3-over 75 and Calgary product Alexander Smith’s 78.

In total, 73 players who shot 13-over 157 or better made the 36-hole cut and will advance to the final two rounds.

In the Juvenile division, opening-round co-leader Charles-Éric Bélanger of Québec City, Que., moved into solo first at 146 following a 3-over 75 second round. A.J. Ewart of Coquitlam, B.C., is one stroke back in second place while Jack Simpson of Aurora, Ont., rounds out the top three players aged 16-and-under.

The winner of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will earn an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and The Lambton Golf & Country Club from August 8 – 13.

The third round of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

For more information on the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, including third-round pairings and full scorecards, please click here.

YORKTON, Sask. – Hannah Lee carded a competitive women’s course record of 7-under par 66 at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., to claim the lead as play began at the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

The Surrey, B.C., native tallied more birdies on her card than any of her competitors. The 15-year-old carded nine birdies, including back-to-back sets on three separate occasions. She notched her final pair across her last two holes to take the lead in both the Junior and Juvenile divisions.

“When I started today, I honestly didn’t expect to break my lowest score,” said Lee, who topped her personal best of 6-under par. “It feels good, especially to shoot it in a big tournament.”

The soon-to-be eleventh grader has a three-shot advantage going into the second round of competition. “I was able to sink a couple of putts and my tee shots were pretty good today. I’m going to do the best I can tomorrow just like I did today,” added Lee.

Kathrine Chan of Richmond, B.C., shot a 4-under 69 and currently sits in second place. Her first round was highlighted by three birdies and an eagle on the par-5 fourth hole. The 15-year-old went bogey-free across the front nine and shot even-par on the challenging second half of the course.

“My driver was working really well for me today and so were my irons. I’m just looking to play my own game and not worry about what others are doing,” said Chan when asked about her game plan heading into the rest of the tournament.

The 15-year-old earned her way into the Canadian Junior Girls Championship after a fourth place finish at the CN Future Links Prairie Championship. “That was a lot of fun and it helped me prepare for this tournament. It helped my mental game and I gained a lot of experience,” she reflected.

Four shots back after shooting a 3-under par round is Richmond Hill, Ont., native Jessica Ip who tallied five birdies in her opening round. The 18-year-old competed in last week’s Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship in Saskatoon, Sask., and benefited from lessons learned at the competition.

“I really realized what I was struggling with because those two rounds kind of emphasized that my ball striking wasn’t that good and I wasn’t making any putts. I came here early and worked on that,” explained the University of Iowa sophomore who credits her short game for Tuesday’s result.

Team Canada Development squad members Michelle Kim of Surrey, B.C., and Victoria product Naomi Ko are tied for fourth after carding rounds of 71.

Team British Columbia leads the inter-provincial competition after a combined 9-under par performance. The team comprised of current leader Hannah Lee, Team Canada’s Michelle Kim and Victoria’s Akari Hayashi holds a 14-shot advantage over second-place Team Manitoba. The provincial team competition will conclude following the second round of play.

The top 70 players and ties will make the 36-hole cut and advance to day three of the National Championship on Thursday.

For full details on tee times and scoring, click here.