Aaron Cockerill is really getting to know his caddie Stuart Beck this season on the European Tour. It’s the deep kind of familiarity that can only come from a long road trip.

Cockerill, from Stony Mountain, Man., is the lone Canadian on the European Tour and will be start play in the U.K. Championship just outside of Birmingham, England, on Thursday. It’s the sixth consecutive event he’s played in Britain, essentially giving him a six-week trip around England and Wales, driving from tournament to tournament with Beck.

“Lots of time together. He’s probably getting sick of me,” said Cockerill with a laugh. “They’ve created a pod system within (the Euro Tour’s) bubble so you can only eat dinner with your caddie and one other player and their caddie, so you can only hang out with a couple of people all week.”

Cockerill noted that even within his small dining pod – he and Beck have been eating with American Johannes Veerman recently – the tables are “hilariously” far apart.

The life on the road is a product of the Euro Tour’s approach to COVID-19 safety protocols. Instead of playing in a different country each week, the tour has created multi-week swings through one country at a time. There are several benefits to the new system, including the tour booking all the accommodations for the golfers to ensure they remain within their bubble. It also means the golfers have fewer travel documents to sort out.

“Last year you’d finish a tournament and then fly what seemed like halfway around the world and a few time zones over,” said Cockerill. “Honestly, it’s been great because it’s just been so much easier. … It’s really simple. You just show up and play golf.”

Cockerill tied for 53rd at the British Masters on July 25, missed the cut at the English Open on Aug. 2, tied for 26th at the English Championship on Aug. 9, and tied for 14th at the Celtic Classic on Aug. 16.

A tie for 53rd at the Wales Open on Sunday moved him up four spots in the Race to Dubai rankings, placing him in 152nd heading into play on Thursday. The top 110 cards keep their cards next season.

“It’s been fun but it’s also been five weeks in a row and I’m starting to get tired,” said Cockerill, who plans to skip the European Tour’s swing through the Iberian peninsula. “I’m looking forward to getting home.”

After a few weeks back home – Cockerill and his fiancee just purchased a new home in Winnipeg – he plans on returning to Great Britain for the Euro Tour’s second circuit, this time with stops in Northern Ireland, Scotland and England.

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – With so few people around, Jon Rahm still got word from the other side of the Olympia Fields clubhouse that Dustin Johnson had made a 45-foot birdie on the final hole to force a playoff Sunday in the BMW Championship.

Resilient as ever, Rahm went out and made some magic of his own.

From one end of the 18th green to the other, Rahm’s putt from just over 65 feet rolled down the ridge and into the cup, setting off a roar so loud it nearly made up for not having spectators.

Johnson could only laugh at his birdie putt, eliciting a rare show of emotion – a slow, sweeping upper cut. And he had the same reaction to what Rahm did. What else is there to do?

The course that all week felt like a U.S. Open delivered the kind of excitement typical of the Masters.

Rahm’s big birdie putt on the first extra hole spared him thoughts of his blunder in the third round, when he picked up his ball on the fifth green without marking it, leading to a one-shot penalty and his only bogey of the weekend.

He tore through the back nine Sunday on his way to a 6-under 64, the lowest round of the week, to finish at 4-under 276.

Johnson, a 54-hole leader for his third straight tournament and coming off an 11-shot victory last week at the TPC Boston, birdied three of his opening four holes to open a three-shot lead, dropped a pair of shots around the turn and then delivered in the clutch with his 45-foot birdie putt on the last hole for a 67.

It was only good enough to stay at No. 1 by a slim margin.

He also stays at No. 1 in the FedEx Cup going to the Tour Championship, meaning he will start the chase for the $15 million bonus at 10-under par, two ahead of Rahm, the No. 2 seed.

Rahm won for the second time this year on the PGA Tour, and the 11th time in his career worldwide.

Mackenzie Hughes had reason to celebrate, too. He was on the verge of playing his way into the top 30 who advance to East Lake when he took a sloppy bogey on the 17th. Needing a par on the 18th, he put his approach into the front bunker, splashed out to 5 feet and raised both arms when it dropped.

CLUTCH ? pic.twitter.com/ymUALeZh8p

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 30, 2020

“Yeah, that was some of the most pressure I’ve felt in a long time,” said Hughes.

“You know, I’ve contended to win some tournaments this summer, and that kind of felt like the same kind of intensity on that putt. I really woke up today with a pretty bad neck and really struggled tee to green. Didn’t have my good stuff at all, and somehow found a way to grind it out. I made it pretty hard there down the stretch, but just really thankful and relieved to get it done.”

Niemann also moved into the top 30, though he was chasing victory all day.

The top 30 are assured spots in at least three majors next year, along with the Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua to start the year. The winners-only event is taking the top 30 in the FedEx Cup from having lost three months of the season to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Tiger Woods missed all the action. He made double bogey on his 17th hole for a 71, making this the first time he was over par in all four rounds of a tournament since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2010. Woods failed to reach the Tour Championship for the second straight year. He now gets two weeks off before the U.S. Open at Winged Foot, and Olympia Fields proved to be a good test for that.

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – Dustin Johnson says his game feels similar to last week when he had the easiest of his 23 career victories.

It just doesn’t look that way at the BMW Championship.

Every par at Olympia Fields is hard work, and Johnson played the final 13 holes Saturday with nothing worse than that. It’s what carried him to a 1-under 69 and a share of the lead with Hideki Matsuyama, leaving them as the only players under par going into the final round.

“I feel like it’s fairly similar, just obviously these conditions and the greens are a lot more difficult,” he said. “This is pretty much a major championship venue, and the conditions, the way it’s set up, it’s playing just like a major.”

Matsuyama, who had a three-shot lead early when he holed a bunker shot for eagle at the start and stuffed a wedge in tight for birdie on No. 4, fell back with a string of bogeys and held it together for a 69.

“Great start and then just had to hang on,” Matsuyama said. “Just tried to do what I could to stay in, and I was happy with how it went.”

Johnson and Maruyama were at 1-under 209. Everyone else was over par going into the final round.

Sunday is one last chance for some players to be among the top 30 who advance to the FedEx Cup finale, and one last round for others – like Tiger Woods – to prepare for the U.S. Open on a course that plays every bit as tough.

Patrick Cantlay only hit five fairways and didn’t make a birdie as he tumbled out of a tie for the lead with a round with a 75 that left him five shots behind and might cost him a spot in the Tour Championship.

Rory McIlroy had to play left-handed to escape the base of a tree in starting the back nine with a bogey, and he finished with a shot he thought was going to be long, came up 70 feet short and led to a three-putt bogey for a 73. He still was only three shots back assuming he plays.

McIlroy said after the round his wife is expecting their first child, news they had shared with family and friends but was revealed during the NBC broadcast. He said his caddie and best friend, Harry Diamond, has kept a phone in his pocket to not miss a call. And if it’s time, he said, “I’m out of here.”

Jon Rahm matched the low round of the day at 66 that could have easily been one shot better if not for a blunder that even he couldn’t believe. He forgot to set a marker down on the green before picking up his golf ball on No. 5, freezing in his tracks when he realized what happened.

“I was thinking of somebody else or something else … and yeah, I just picked up the ball without marking it, simple as that,” Rahm said after a round that left him only three behind. “I can’t really give you an explanation. It’s one of those things that happen in golf. Never thought it would in my professional career, but here we are.”

A week ago at The Northern Trust on a rain-softened course with little wind, Johnson was at 22-under par through three rounds and had a five-shot lead. That felt easy. This does not.

Joaquin Niemann had a 68 and was part of the group at 1-over 211 that included Adam Scott (70) and Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes (69). Another shot back were the likes of Rahm, Bubba Watson, Brendon Todd and Kevin Kisner, who had 15 pars, two birdie and bogey for his round of 70.

Canadian @MacHughesGolf is the first golfer to register two rounds under par this week ? pic.twitter.com/8rzR80hi5O

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 30, 2020

Hughes is in search of his third top-10 in the Return of Golf (Travelers Championship/T3, the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide/T6); owns one victory (2016 The RSM Classic) in 108 TOUR starts. He is projected to advance by finishing inside the top 30.

“You know, this golf course is actually a pretty good distraction because it’s so hard that you have to just focus on every shot so much that it’s easy to just kind of get in your own world out there and just the task at hand, the task at hand. So that’s been kind of nice,” said Hughes.

“Obviously in between shots your mind wanders sometimes, but this is kind of where you want to be. Obviously I would have loved to have locked it up by now, but I’m happy to have this opportunity and I’ll go embrace it tomorrow.”

Rounds like that go a long way at Olympia Fields, the former U.S. Open course playing like one with its thick rough and rock-hard greens and enough wind to make the fairways look tighter than they are.

“I’ve played good and bad this week, and I’ve had basically the same score every day,” Scott said, whose superb bunker play kept him close. “I saw today, though, that if I hit it well, there’s a chance to make a few putts. One of this leading group will shoot 4 under tomorrow, 4 or 5 under I’m sure.”

Woods, meanwhile, had a reasonable start to his round and wasn’t losing much ground until he lost a tee shot into the water right of the 17th fairway and then smothered a fairway metal to the left. He walked across a cart path smacking the club off the concrete and twice looked like he wanted to break it. He missed a short putt for triple bogey and shot 72.

Woods has yet to break par this week. One more round like that and it will be the first time in 10 years – the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone – that he had all four rounds over par. He needed something around fourth to advance to the Tour Championship for the first time since 2018.

Matsuyama is trying to end three years without a victory. Johnson is trying to win for the second time in seven days, along with positioning himself to be the top seed at the Tour Championship, which would allow him to start the tournament with a two-shot lead under the staggered start.

For players like Niemann, Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Scott, they are simply trying to get to East Lake in Atlanta. All of them are one round away on a golf course where small mistakes can lead to bogeys or worse on just about every hole.

Corey Conners (70) of Listowel, Ont., was tied for 21st, Adam Hadwin (73) of Abbotsford, B.C., was tied for 47th and Nick Taylor (73), also of Abbotsford, was tied for 55th.

Conners recorded an ace on the par-3 6th hole on Saturday.

? Ace by @coreconn ? pic.twitter.com/LS1rA7ubsR

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) August 29, 2020

OTTAWA (Golf Canada) – The stars of the LPGA Tour will once again head to the nation’s capital as Golf Canada and Canadian Pacific (CP) have announced the 2022 CP Women’s Open will return to the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club.

The 2022 edition of the CP Women’s Open will be held August 22-28 and will mark the championship’s fifth visit to the nation’s capital, as well as the fourth visit to Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club, which previously hosted in 1994, 2008 and 2017. Canadian star Brooke Henderson from nearby Smiths Falls, Ont. will be a power draw once again as the nine-time LPGA Tour winner is an honorary member of Ottawa Hunt.

“We are extremely thrilled and enthusiastic for the return of the CP Women’s Open to Ottawa and the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club in 2022,” said Laurence Applebaum, Golf Canada’s CEO. “The CP Women’s Open always receives terrific community support, but when we’re in Ottawa that backing is intensified. With our 2017 event in Ottawa for Canada’s 150 celebration and the excitement around Brooke competing so close to home, we set records for attendance, volunteer enrollment and left a meaningful charitable contribution. I’m certain the community will embrace all facets of the event when the stars of the LPGA Tour return to Ottawa.”

Through its CP Has Heart campaign, CP will once again be making a significant charitable donation to the host community. In the first six years of CP’s title sponsorship of the event, more than $10.7 million has been raised in support of children’s heart health across Canada.

CP’s community investment program has proven itself an award-winning initiative, earning the CP Women’s Open Gold Driver Awards for Best Charity & Community Engagement among all LPGA Tour events in 2017 and 2019.

“Through terrific events like the CP Women’s Open we’re able to shine a spotlight on local heart charities that make a big impact in their communities,” said CP President and CEO, Keith Creel. “Together, with all involved with the event, including our CP Golf Ambassadors Brooke Henderson and Lorie Kane, we look forward to raising money for a worthy cause and leaving a lasting charitable legacy in Ottawa through CP Has Heart.”

The announcement of Ottawa as the 2022 host city is the core of a partnership between the City of Ottawa, Ottawa Tourism and Golf Canada.

“It is great news that Golf Canada and CP have decided to return to Ottawa in 2022 for the CP Women’s Open at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club,” said City of Ottawa Mayor Jim Watson. “The tournament was a major success in 2017, attracting a record number of fans and putting Ottawa on the map as a fantastic golf destination. We look forward to, once again, welcoming the best talent from across the world for this exciting event in 2022.”

“Ottawa Tourism looks forward to welcoming the CP Women’s Open back to Canada’s Capital in 2022 and to hosting the stars of the LPGA once more at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club,” said Ottawa Tourism President and CEO, Michael Crockatt. “We thank Golf Canada for choosing to return to Ottawa for this prestigious event which will build on the success of the 2017 CP Women’s Open. We will show off the best of our city to the athletes and spectators and are honoured to bring this exciting event once more to the passionate golf community in Ottawa”.

More than 50,000 people attended the event in 2017, where Sung Hyun Park earned a two-shot victory at Ottawa Hunt as part of an amazing season that saw her capture several LPGA Tour awards, including Louise Suggs Rolex Rookie of the Year, Rolex Player of the Year and the Season Money Title.

The Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club has welcomed numerous notable championships since its incorporation in 1908, including the three CP Women’s Open Championships in 1994, 2008 and 2017; the 1932 Canadian Open; and three Canadian Amateur Championships in 1937, 1960 and 1970.

The 18-hole championship course that will challenge the world’s best women golfers in 2022 was originally crafted by famed architect Willie Park and redesigned by international course designer, Dr. Michael Hurdzan prior to the 2017 event.

Gino Picciano, President of the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club Board of Directors recalls how the club and the community embraced the tournament in 2017 and anticipates it doing so once again in 2022.

“We are delighted to have the opportunity to host the prestigious CP Women’s Open again in 2022 and welcome the top players in the world, including our own honorary member Brooke Henderson,” said Picciano. “Hosting the world-class event provides us with another opportunity to showcase our club as a challenging test and one of the premiere golf experiences in all of Canada.”

For CP Women’s Open Tournament Director Ryan Paul, a return to the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club is reason for excitement given the event’s past success in the nation’s capital.

“The City of Ottawa and Ottawa Hunt have hosted some of the most memorable and successful CP Women’s Opens in history,” said Paul. “The response from LPGA Tour players as well as golf fans, volunteers and community supporters has always been tremendous and with two years of runway, we have the opportunity make the return of our National Open to Ottawa in 2022 very special.”

The CP Women’s Open consistently draws one of the strongest fields in women’s golf vying for the largest purse (US $2.35 million) on the LPGA Tour aside from the five majors and CME Group Tour Championship.

Due to continued travel and border restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 CP Women’s Open at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Vancouver was postponed until 2021. Shaughnessy and the province of British Columbia will now host the event August 23-29, 2021.

First conducted in 1973, Canada’s Women’s Open Championship has allowed the brightest stars of the LPGA Tour to shine on Canadian soil and has inspired the nation’s next generation of female golfers.

Information regarding tickets, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2021 and 2022 CP Women’s Opens will be available online at www.cpwomensopen.com at a later date.

Germany’s Sophia Popov claimed a magnificent first Major title as she held off international challengers to win the AIG Women’s Open at Royal Troon.

The 27-year-old, who came into the championship ranked 304^th in the world and without a main tour victory, secured the winner’s cheque of $675,000 after a stunning two-stroke success over the famous Ayrshire links.

Leading by three shots overnight, she held her nerve to close with a final round three-under 68 to post a winning total of seven-under-par 277 and become the first German to win a women’s Major championship.

Thailand’s Jasmine Suwannapura produced her best-ever Major display to finish runner-up on five-under, with Minjee Lee from Australia third and the 2015 champion, Inbee Park, fourth.

Popov, who qualified for the AIG Women’s Open at the Marathon Classic two weeks ago, can now enjoy a life-changing triumph after her superb play in Scotland.

An emotional Popov, whose previous appearance in the AIG Women’s Open was as an amateur in 2011, said of her brilliant win, “It feels amazing. There’s a lot of hard work behind it, and a lot of struggles that I went through the last six years, especially health-wise [Lyme disease]. I’m glad I stuck with it.

“I knew my game was in really good shape. I know anything’s possible and I think I took that belief with me to every round, but I never expected this. Obviously, I was nervous the whole round and I’m just so glad I could get it done.

“I guess it is an incredible story and I think, just personally for me, that’s why I broke down on the 18th hole because it’s been something I couldn’t have dreamed of just a week ago.”

After a challenging week of wet and windy conditions at the first women’s Major of the year, Popov came out on top of a strong field representing 32 countries and featuring Major champions, Solheim Cup stars and home favourites.

During an entertaining duel on the front nine, it looked like Suwannapura was going to push Popov all the way. The German bogeyed the opening hole to immediately give the field hope yet responded with back-to-back birdies to extend her lead to four. Suwannapura went on a brilliant run of four birdies from the 4^thto close the gap to just a shot, but again Popov hit back with a birdie at the 6^th.

Suwannapura faltered with dropped shots at the 11^th and 13^th on her way to a fine 67 and when Popov found birdies at the 15^th and 16^th, she was able to cruise to victory before breaking down in tears after her final bogey putt dropped.

Popov, who was caddying for her close friend Anne van Dam at the LPGA’s recent Drive On Championship, added: “The last two holes, I could take it in a little bit and I looked around and it’s just so beautiful, such an amazing course. I grew up playing the Women’s Amateur, the Girls’ Amateur and I honestly like the weather, except for I get really cold.

“Considering everything we have to deal with right now with COVID-19, the way we were taken care of was just incredible, and I want to say ‘thank you’ for that. We’ve been extremely privileged.”

Lee, the world number eight, was unable to make a sustained challenge, highlighting her round with an incredible up-and-down for par at the short 8^th, the Postage Stamp, as she closed with a 69 for a three-under total.

Park posted seven birdies in a round of five-under 66 to share the lowest round of the week, with American Austin Ernst fifth on level-par and Japan’s Momoko Ueda sixth on one-over. American Ally McDonald finished in style with her own 66, climbing 35 places on the final day for a six-over total.

Canadian Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., finished T22 at 6 over par.

The AIG Women’s Open made its debut on the prestigious links of Royal Troon, which has hosted The Open on nine occasions, most recently in 2016 when Sweden’s Henrik Stenson triumphed.

NORTON, Mass. – Dark clouds gathered. Thunder rumbled. Lightning flashed on the horizon. Just as unsettling was seeing Dustin Johnson in complete control of his game with a performance worthy of his return to No. 1 in the world.

He was as close to unbeatable as he has ever been.

Johnson capped off his dominant week at The Northern Trust with an 8-under 63, finishing with a tap-in birdie in the dark following a storm delay for an 11-shot victory at the TPC Boston.

It was the largest margin of victory since Phil Mickelson won by 13 at the TPC Sugarloaf in 2006.

“The best I’ve ever seen him look,” said Claude Harmon III, his swing coach, as he stood off the 18th green that was partially illuminated by the video board that flashed the scores of this astounding feat.

Johnson hit every green in regulation Sunday, and missed only three greens over his last 54 holes. His final 54 holes were rounds of 60-64-63.

Johnson finished at 30-under 254, making him only the third player in PGA Tour history to finish at 30 under or better. He missed the record by one shot set by Ernie Els in 2003 at Kapalua. Jordan Spieth also was 30 under at Kapalua in 2016. Johnson at least holds the record on the mainland.

“I knew I was playing well and I knew the guys were going to shoot low,” Johnson said. “I was trying to get to 30 under. … I’ve never shot 30 under in four rounds. Just something that I wanted to do.”

That was about the only competition he faced.

Harris English figured that out early when he trailed by five shots at the start of the final round, shot 32 on the front nine and fell seven shots behind.

“Kind of had my own tournament that I was playing,” English said. “I mean, really, the goal starting today wasn’t necessarily to win. It was to put myself in position to have a run in the FedEx Cup. That’s why we’re all here.”

English did the job, With a bogey in the dark that didn’t matter at the end, he shot 69 to finish alone in second and moved to No. 6 in the FedEx Cup, securing his place among the top 30 who go to East Lake for the Tour Championship. English started the year with only partial status.

Louis Oosthuizen delivered, too, in what might have been the only drama Sunday. Oosthuizen was No. 99 in the FedEx Cup and appeared to waste his opportunity when he was 4 over through 14. He came to the par-5 18th needing birdie, drove into the fairway, and then had to wait more than an hour because of the storm delay.

He hit the green with a 3-iron, rolled the eagle putt 4 feet by the hole because he could barely see, and knocked in the birdie to move to No. 70 on the number. The top 70 go to the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields next week.

“Most happy 73 that I’ve had in a while,” Oosthuizen said.

Johnson won for the 22nd time in his career, and he never made it look easier. He said his game felt as good as the spring of 2017, when he won three straight tournaments – Riviera and two World Golf Championships – to first reach No. 1.

It was his fifth victory in a FedEx Cup playoff event, tied for most with Rory McIlroy.

Staked to a five-shot lead over Harris English going into the final round, Johnson sent a towering 7-iron over the water to a front pin on the par-5 second, the ball settling 8 feet next to the pin for an eagle. Two holes later, his 3-wood was placed perfectly in front of the fourth green for a simple up-and-down for birdie.

It was like that all day. It was like that all week.

On the 500-yard 12th hole, where on Saturday he hit a tight draw with a 6-iron to a foot, Johnson hit 6-iron with a slight fade to 3 feet for another birdie.

All that was left was to see he could top the 72-hole record of 253 set by Justin Thomas at the Sony Open in 2017. Johnson settled into a string of pars until the final hole, and later said he didn’t know what the record was.

“Next time,” he said.

That’s not unusual. During his peak run in 2017, he was poised to break the longest 72-hole tournament record on the PGA Tour at Riviera, the 20-under by Lanny Wadkins in 1985. Johnson was at 20 under with 12 holes to play, went into conservative mode and made three bogeys on his last 10 holes. He was unaware of that record, too, and wasn’t bothered.

Johnson is more about trophies than records. And this trophy was never in doubt

“He can absolutely dismantle a golf course when he’s on,” said Kevin Kisner, who grew up playing junior golf in South Carolina with Johnson. “I’ve been watching it for 25 years. I’m pretty accustomed to it. When he’s on, I just step to the side and try to add to my bank account.”

Kisner did that part well. He closed with a 66, moving him to No. 23 in his bid to lock up a spot in the Tour Championship. He had said all week he wanted to take care of that at the TPC Boston instead of having to deliver next week in the BMW Championship at Olympia Fields, a course he has never seen.

Robby Shelton closed with a 63, enough for him to be among six players who moved into the top 70. The others were Oosthuizen, Harry Higgs, Alex Noren, Russell Henley and Jason Kokrak. Five of the six players knocked out missed the cut, including Phil Mickelson. The other was Denny McCarthy, who shot 73 on Sunday.

Tiger Woods opened with four straight birdies and had to settle for a 66 to tie for 58th. He fell to No. 57 in the FedEx Cup, in danger of missing the Tour Championship for the second straight year.

NORTON, Mass. – Dustin Johnson could have used a finish like this for a record score. The birdie-eagle ending to his round Saturday at The Northern Trust gave him a 7-under 64 and stretched his lead to five shots in the FedEx Cup playoffs opener.

Johnson, coming off a remarkable day in which he was 11 under through 11 holes and finished with seven pars for a 60, pulled away from Harris English and Scottie Scheffler with a 20-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a 40-footer for eagle on the closing hole at the TPC Boston.

He was at 22-under 191, his lowest 54-hole score by three shots.

“I’m in a great position and like where I’m at, but I’m still going to have to go out and shoot a good score,” Johnson said. “You can go low out here and guys are going low every day, especially with the conditions we have – perfect greens, golf course is in great shape and not a lot of wind.”

English had three birdies in a four-hole stretch early on the back nine and was tied for the lead when Johnson made his lone bogey of the round on the 13th hole when he failed to get up-and-down from a bunker.

English, however, followed with consecutive bogeys when he missed the green well to the right of the water on the par-3 16th, and three-putted from 70 feet on the 17th. He missed a third consecutive putt from 7 feet or closer, the last one for birdie, and had to settle for a 66.

Scheffler closed with a birdie to follow his second-round 59 with a 67. He played in the final group with Johnson, just like he did two weeks ago on the final day of the PGA Championship.

Even so, they’re five shots behind Johnson, who is going for his second victory of the year and could go to No. 1 in the world – provided Jon Rahm doesn’t finish second – for the first time since May 2019.

“Try to make as many birdies as I can and see what happens,” English said.

Louis Oosthuizen (68) was seven shots behind, and his best hope now would appear to be moving into the top 70 who advance to the second playoff event next week at Olympia Fields south of Chicago.

Tiger Woods predicted Friday there would be low scoring in the third round, and he was right – just not from him or Rory McIlroy, a star pairing for the breakfast hour. Woods birdied the last hole for a 73. McIlroy made two triple bogeys in his round of 74. They get to play again Sunday morning.

Johnson will be going for his fifth FedEx Cup playoff victory, and third in this event on a third course. What matters more is how he finishes the season. The FedEx Cup already features some of the best players in golf – Woods, McIlroy, Vijay Singh, Justin Thomas and Jordan Spieth among them – and Johnson wants to be on that list.

Johnson set the target with four birdies in eight holes before heavy rain moved in and halted the third round for 45 minutes. It also softened a TPC Boston that was getting slightly firmer.

He came back and hit to tap-in range for birdie on the 12th, and the had the great finish.

Johnson needed a birdie on the 18th on Friday for his first 59, and said he regrets hitting driver off the tee with a shot that tumbled down a small slope into the rough. Lesson learned? Not really. With the rain, he opted for driver again, teed it low and hit this one perfect, setting up a 5-iron to the green and his long eagle putt.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. had the best score among Canadians Saturday. Hughes shot a 5-under 66 to bring him to 11-under. He moved up 14 places on the leaderboard, putting him in a tie for 15th place with three other golfers. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. is tied for 34th place at 7-under.

TROON, Scotland – Her ranking close to No. 400, Sophia Popov was pushing a trolley for her best friend at an LPGA Tour event in the United States three weeks ago.

On Sunday, she’ll take a three-stroke lead into the final round of the Women’s British Open.

Popov set up what could be a life-changing day on the links of Royal Troon in southwest Scotland by shooting a bogey-free, 4-under 67 that tied the low score of the third round on Saturday.

The 27-year-old German was 4 under par overall and one of just three players under par after 54 holes. Minjee Lee of Australia and Jasmine Suwannapura of Thailand were the other two, after both shot 69 to be tied for second place on 1 under.

Popov only qualified for the British Open courtesy of a top-10 finish two weeks ago at the Marathon Classic, which she was playing only because higher-ranked players couldn’t attend due to COVID-19 restrictions. Last week, she was playing on the second-tier Symetra Tour in Phoenix last week, tying for second, as she looks to regain her playing status on the LPGA Tour that she lost – by one stroke – at Q-School last season.

She has been the epitome of consistency at Troon and steered largely clear of trouble on Saturday to score the first bogey-free round of this tournament on a day when the wind relented somewhat, leading to the lowest scores of the week.

Popov made eagle at the par-5 fourth hole after hitting driver from the fairway to within 8 feet, and added birdies at Nos. 12 and 17. Also key was a long par putt at No. 11 that maintained her momentum.

If she holds her nerve on Sunday, she will become the first female major winner from Germany.

“Now it’s just me vs, pressure and shot-making in the right moments,” said Popov, who is now ranked No. 304 and is playing her first British Open since 2011.

“There are going to be a lot of nerves tomorrow,” she added. “It’s a position I have never been in, so we will have to see how it goes and play one shot at a time.”

At No. 138 in the world, Suwannapura would be another unlikely winner though her chances were hit by bogeying the last. She will also rue missing a short par putt at No. 15 for the only other bogey in her round.

The eighth-ranked Lee is the most high-profile of the three main contenders and is also looking for her first major title.

In a three-way tie for fourth – five strokes behind Popov – is her fellow German player Caroline Masson, who shot 68. Americans Lindsey Weaver (71) and Austin Ernst (72) were also on 1 over for the tournament.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp shot 2 over Saturday and enters the final round tied for 19th at 5 over.

NORTON, Mass. – It took a disappointing par for Scottie Scheffler to realize he was making enough birdies to have a shot at 59, and he seized on the chance Friday with four birdies over his last five holes to post the 12th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history.

For the longest time, it looked like his 59 might not even be the best of the day at The Northern Trust.

As Scheffler was signing his card, Dustin Johnson had already set off on an explosive start that put some buzz into the TPC Boston even without any spectators on the course.

Birdie. Eagle. Birdie. Eagle. Birdie.

He was 9 under through eight holes, and with two birdies to start the back nine, Johnson was 11 under through 11 holes.

And then he turned into a par machine, with only two good looks at birdie the rest of the way, and one decision he’d like to have back. Johnson hit driver on the par-5 18th into a slope of grungy grass, when a 3-wood was all he would have needed to have a mid-iron into the green. He had to lay up, hit wedge to 25 feet and two-putted for a seventh straight par.

Johnson shot a 60, had a two-shot lead, and it almost felt as though condolences were in order.

“If I hit the fairway there, it’s a pretty easy 4. But I didn’t, so shot 60,” Johnson said. “That’s OK, though. I’m pretty happy with it. Pretty happy with my position leading into the weekend.”

Johnson was at 15-under 127, two shots ahead of Scheffler and Cameron Davis (66). Scheffler finished with two putts from across the 18th green for his 12th birdie, knocking in his last putt from 4 feet.

“You don’t really get a putt for 59 often, so I was quite nervous over the putt, but that’s nothing new,” Scheffler said. “I get nervous over every shot. That’s just playing competitive golf.”

Not since the John Deere Classic in 2010 have two players had 60 or lower on the same day. That contributed to Tiger Woods feeling irritated by his pedestrian 71 that allowed him to make the cut on the number and left him 12 shots back.

“I just didn’t quite have it,” Woods said. “I was close to snapping a couple clubs today, but I didn’t, so that’s a positive.”

Scheffler, the smooth 24-year-old rookie from Texas, didn’t do hardly anything wrong. Two good wedges from tough spots around the green set up birdies early, and he kept pouring them in. That included a 6-foot par putt on the 17th hole that set up the birdie he needed for a 59.

On the 18th, his tee shot hopped out of the rough and into the first cut. From 215 yards, he wisely aimed toward the left section of the green, hit 5-iron just short and had two putts from 85 feet for a 59. He rolled the long eagle attempt about 4 feet short, went over to his bag for a swig of water while waiting his turn, and calmly rolled it in.

Scheffler was trying to make as many birdies as possible. It was only after he missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 13th that he began to realize what he was doing.

“I was like, `Oh, man, that would have been a nice one to go in’ because I was playing really good at that point,” he said. “Kind of clicked like, `Hey, I have a chance to do something pretty cool today.”’

That makes five straight years with a 59 or better on the PGA Tour.

This stood out as the 59 that generated the least amount of excitement, not on a spectator-free course with no scoreboards in the groups. Scheffler played with Kevin Streelman and Tony Finau, and only one of them knew what was going on.

“We don’t have the sign bearers, so I brought it up to Tony on 17 green, and he had no idea,” Streelman said. “He thought it was 7 or 8 (under) and I’m like, `No, he’s like 11 right now.’ That’s the difference. There would definitely have been electricity, fans running in. He still had the pressure to step up there on 18 and make that nice up-and-down, and he played awesome.

“He played perfect golf today.”

So did Johnson. He made it look so easy that Marc Leishman, playing in his group, starting wondering about the lowest score anyone ever shot. “A 59 didn’t even seem like a question,” Leishman said.

Johnson holed a 40-foot eagle putt on No. 2. He hit driver to 4 feet for eagle on No. 4. The rest of his birdie putts were in range, mostly from 12 feet or closer. And he kept making them, until the birdies dried up quickly.

Johnson missed a 12-footer on the 13th and a 10-footer on the 17th. And then he failed to make birdie on the last hole, the easiest of the day on the TPC Boston.

A 59 is no longer the record – Furyk shot 58 at the Travelers Championship in 2016 – but it’s still considered golf’s magic number. It was the second time Scheffler shot 59 this year. He also had one during with friends in Dallas when the tour shut down for three months because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Johnson will have to wait.

“I wanted to shoot 59. I’ve never done it,” he said.

Never?

“Not that I remember,” Johnson said, breaking into a smile before adding, “And I think I’d remember that.”

Meanwhile, the FedEx Cup playoffs ended early for some two dozen players who missed the cut and were assured of not making the top 70 who advance to the BMW Championship next week. That includes Phil Mickelson, Justin Rose, Jordan Spieth and Brooks Koepka, who withdrew before the tournament began.

TROON, Scotland – As if Royal Troon isn’t playing hard enough for the world’s top female golfers this week, Dani Holmqvist is going around the wind-swept Scottish links carrying a nagging back injury from a cart crash in 2018.

It’s not stopping the Swede leading the Women’s British Open after two rounds.

On another tough day when first-round leader Amy Olson shot 81 – 14 strokes worse than Thursday – and stars like Lexi Thompson, Canadian Brooke Henderson and defending champion Hinako Shibuno missed the cut, Holmqvist shot 1-under 70 in windy morning conditions to be the only player under par after 36 goals.

A 1-under total of 141 left Holmqvist a stroke ahead of Austin Ernst of the United States (70) and Sophia Popov of Germany (72). The rest of the 144-strong field were over par for a tournament being played without spectators and in an isolated environment on the southwest coast due to the pandemic.

Holmqvist’s form has come out of nowhere, with the 32-year-old Swede having missed the cut in 13 of the 20 events she has played since the golf cart in which she was riding between holes in the Blue Bay event on the LPGA Tour in November 2018 lost control and slammed into a wall.

As well as suffering with a leaking disk in her back, Holmqvist had a badly inflamed facet joint that has required multiple injections and regular rehab. The suspension of golf because of the coronavirus outbreak gave her some much-needed time to heal but she still described herself as “injured” on Friday.

“It’s a long process and very tedious,” she said. “It’s an everyday thing.”

Capturing a first major title – indeed, a first professional win at senior level – won’t be easy, and not just because of how hard and long Troon is playing in often 50-mph (80-kph) winds.

Lying two strokes behind Holmqvist on 1 over par are former No. 1 Lydia Ko (71) and No. 8-ranked Minjee Lee, who shot 69 to tie for the lowest round on Friday. A further shot back is No. 4-ranked Nelly Korda after her round of 72.

“We were like, `Are you scared over 1-footers, too, with this wind?’ Korda said, referring to a conversation she had with playing partner Georgia Hall, the 2018 champion. ”Because we were like shaking over it with wind and the gusts.“

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is 3 over for the tournament after a 74 on Friday. Henderson, frm Smiths Falls, Ont., was 10 over for two rounds, missing the cut by one stroke.

After what she described as the best ball-striking round of her career to shoot 67 on Thursday, Olson came back to earth with a 10-over round that included six bogeys on her first 10 holes before double-bogeys at Nos. 11 and 14.

The American parred her way home to limit the damage and won’t feel out of it at 6 over.

Another American, Lindsay Weaver, is closer to the lead on 1 over after shooting 72 while pushing her own trolley.

“It’s kind of back to the basics. This is how junior golf was,” she said.

Flying solo with a decade-old trolley that doesn’t have functioning breaks isn’t without its perils, either.

“I was in one bunker,” Weaver said, recalling an incident in her first round, “and my push cart flew into another bunker and toppled over. I’m still trying to get a lot of the sand out of my bag.”

It has proved to be a week to forget for Lexi Thompson, who has shot 78 and 75 to miss the cut by two strokes.

At least she avoided the ignominy of being penalized for using the head of her club to push away long grass from her ball on the 16th hole of her first round.

“Following a discussion between chief referee David Rickman and the player prior to her signing her scorecard,” the R&A said in a statement Friday, “it was determined that, although the player had moved a growing natural object behind her ball, it had returned to its original position.

“Therefore, the lie of the ball was not improved and there was no breach of Rule 8.1.”