LANGFORD, B.C.—China’s Yi Cao appears to be playing a different course than everybody else this week. After shooting a 67 in the opening round of the Canada Life Series at Bear Mountain: Valley Course event, Cao matched that score Tuesday as he opened a five-shot lead with one round remaining in this 54-hole event. At 8-under, he’s five strokes ahead of Canadians Michael Blair and Russell Budd. Sebastian Szirmak is alone in fourth, six shots behind Cao.

It’s been an impressive performance by the 29-year-old Cao, who lives in the Vancouver suburb of Delta. The former PGA TOUR Series-China winner and Mackenzie Tour player has made only two bogeys and has easily been the best player for the first 36 holes.

With a one-shot lead when the day began, Cao made a par at No. 1 and a bogey at the second. His scorecard with clean after that. While he made only one more birdie on the front nine, at No. 9, he added four additional birdies in five holes, starting at No. 11 to extend his lead. The only hole he didn’t birdie during that stretch was the 13th.

“I have no idea what to expect for [Wednesday]. I do believe there are certain players who can really shoot low scores, so I better just keep the same game I played today and [Monday],” Cao said.

He did mention his escape with a par on his final hole of the day as being somewhat key to keeping his big cushion. After a poor tee shot, he faced a 260-yard second shot on the par-5. He laid up with a 2-iron, with 50 yards to the pin. However, he missed the green with his approach shot, bladed his fourth into the bunker and then holed his shot from the sand. “I had an adventure on 18,” he joked afterward.

Budd wasn’t able to birdie the par-5 18th hole, while Blair was, and that deadlocked the two in second place. Blair’s biggest mistake of the second round came at No. 15 when he double bogeyed the par-5.

Szirmak began his second round quickly, getting to 4-under through five holes on the back of his opening, even-par 71. He made the turn at 4-under and moved to 5-under with a birdie at the par-4 11th before coming in at 2-over. Back-to-back double bogeys starting at No. 12 were his undoing.

LANGFORD, B.C.—China’s Yi Cao rolled in a birdie putt on the 18th hole Monday, and Scott Kerr matched him on that hole about an hour later, and those two putts were enough to give Cao and Kerr the opening-round lead at the Canada Life Series at Bear Mountain: Valley Course. The duo shot 4-under 67s and lead Andrew Harrison and Michael Blair by a shot. Mackenzie Tour member James Allenby leads a group of five players at 2-under—all very much in contention after day one of the Series’ second event.

Cao (pronounced Chow) had an indifferent front nine, with the native of Beijing making seven pars after a birdie on No. 1 to open his day. His lone bogey of the afternoon came on the fourth. He picked up the pace on the back nine, with birdies on Nos. 11, 12, 15 and his birdie at the last.

“The greens were softer than last week compared to the Mountain Course, but I was able to take a little bit of advantage of that,” said, Cao, who had been a regular Mackenzie Tour player since 2016 before losing his card following the 2019 season. His career-best finish, however, came in one of his two 2015 starts, tying for 19th. “I was trying to hit it closer to the flag and make a few more putts. Luckily I got a few in.”

Kerr had six birdies and two bogeys on his first tour around the Jack Nicklaus-designed course, but his most memorable hole was a par at the 13th.

“I think I made the best par of my life today. I had a bit of a wait and I didn’t do a great job resetting after the wait, so I blasted [my tee shot] into the bush and had to re-tee, obviously (because) right’s just absolutely dead,” said Kerr, the former Simon Fraser golfer. “But I hit a good second one down the fairway, had 185 yards and holed out from there with an 8-iron and walked off with a pretty crazy 4.”

This year has been a unique one – to say the least – but a big positive that’s come from the lengthy break from event-planning has seen Golf Canada accelerate meaningful initiatives that will benefit the future of the sport.

The Golf Canada Women in Coaching Program, launching this week, is one of those initiatives – an exciting partnership between Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada that will put the sport on the path to further balance between sexes at a high level, coaching-wise.

“Golf Canada has a vested interest in developing the coaching pool to fill the future pipeline of national team coaches – we want to ensure that in the future we have a coaching staff that better represents our players and the golfing community,” says Emily Phoenix, the manager of high performance sport at Golf Canada and one of the leaders of the Women in Coaching Program.

“There are PGA of Canada members out there who are female, that have invested in their own coaching skills and we want to provide some additional tools, along with our partners at the PGA of Canada, to further develop these existing coaches.”

In early 2019 Sport Canada approached all National Sport Organizations for programs or projects it wanted to do but maybe hadn’t had the funding to launch. The idea for the Women in Coaching Program fell under the Safe Sport and Gender Equity Fund while its inspiration came from Level Par, a comparable initiative in Ireland.

Hey @pgaofcanada LADIES!!! Check this out!👀⬇️ Love it!❤⛳ https://t.co/F6FQZkzXEQ

— Lisa Longball (@LisaLongball) August 17, 2020

Golf Canada applied for a wider collection of funding, so not only will it be doing a coach mentorship program, but there are some other exciting initiatives that Golf Canada has outlined either in the safe sport area or with gender equity that will span two years – 2020 and 2021 – says Phoenix.

The development of this particular program also relates well to Golf Canada’s commitment to the R&A’s Women in Golf charter.

In part, the R&A’s Women in Golf charter (of which Golf Canada is a signatory) intends “to inspire an industry-wide commitment to developing a more inclusive culture within golf around the world and enable more women and girls to flourish and maximize their potential at all levels of the sport.”

Tristan Mullally, the Women’s National Team Head Coach, will co-lead the program along with Phoenix. He says it’s huge any time you can support people who want to learn in both a functional program but also with financial aid.

“Good coaches will tell you they have to invest a lot of money in themselves,” said the PGA of Canada Class ‘A’ member.

Mullally also coaches the Women’s Young Pro Squad and led the Canadian Women’s Golf Team of Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp at the 2016 Summer Olympics.

Excited to be a part of this project and support aspiring coaches. Information and application details below #leveltheplayingfield https://t.co/brRulF0aB3

— Tristan Mullally (@tmullallygolf) August 17, 2020

He says although full-time coaching opportunities are limited, for both genders, this is a chance for Golf Canada to help level the playing field.

“There are many great female coaches across Canada but they tend to be a little more isolated and this was a way to bring expertise together,” he said. “This will bring together likeminded female coaches to build relationships and learn best practices from our national team program.”

As part of the mission of the program, Golf Canada will work closely with female PGA of Canada professionals interested in pursuing a career in coaching.

There will be four main elements to the program including lectures, hands-on training, project work, and a self-assessment. Each successful candidate will receive a $2,500 bursary from Golf Canada.

“The time is long overdue,” says Matt Allen, the chief innovation officer of the PGA of Canada, about this kind of program. “I think for us the rationale was really: we have a lot of female professionals who are doing great work and leading at the club level but we really saw an opportunity to grow the pool of high performance coaching in the country.”

The program launch aligns nicely with the continued growth of the DCM PGA Women’s Championship of Canada and the launch of the PGA of Canada’s Women’s PGA Cup in 2019, says Allen. A program like this, he says, helps with visibility and hopefully, growth of the game.

“There are lots of young, female golfers playing the game and picking up the game now. If they don’t see a high-profile female coach in our sport then they don’t see the pathway for them. If you don’t see it, you don’t believe it,” says Allen. “This is the time for us to say, ‘you know what, we’re putting a stake in the ground.’ These young girls who are starting to pick up the game today can have a viable career at the high performance level.”

PGA of Canada professionals interested in the Women in Coaching Program can click here to apply.

Applications will close on Monday, Sept. 7 at 5 p.m. ET

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Jim Herman’s got a plan to keep his PGA Tour career thriving – play more rounds with President Donald Trump.

Whenever Herman plays golf with the president, soon after he hoists a trophy.

It happened in 2016 with his breakthrough victory at the Houston Open, again before he won the Barbasol tournament last year – and now before Herman’s improbable rally Sunday at Wyndham Championship to make the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“He’s been a big supporter of mine,” Herman said about Trump, his regular golf partner while working as an assistant professional at Trump National Bedminster in New Jersey. “I need to play golf with him a little bit more.”

Herman gave the president plenty to cheer about on the weekend, a victory even the 42-year-old didn’t see coming.

“This was out of the blue. I’ll tell you that,” Herman said.

Herman shot a 7-under 63 for a one-stroke victory over Billy Horschel, overcoming a four-stroke deficit in the final round at Sedgefield Country Club. Herman moved past Horschel with a birdie on the 71st hole.

A mutual friend passed along the president’s best wishes Saturday, Herman said. He had not heard from Trump yet. “You never know what could happen later tonight or tomorrow morning,” Herman said. “There were some rumours he was definitely watching.”

Herman finished at 21-under 259.

Horschel closed with a 65. He had a final chance to tie on the 72nd hole, but his 8-foot birdie putt slid left of the cup.

Herman got into the playoffs, jumping from 192nd to 54th in the race for the 125 spots.

Si Woo Kim, the third-round leader, had a 70 to tie for third at 18 under with Kevin Kisner (64), Webb Simpson (65) and Doc Redman (68).

Herman had two birdies and an eagle – from 59 feet – on his first five holes to catch up to Kim. Then, trailing Horschel by a stroke, Herman stuck his approach to No. 17 to just over 3 feet for a birdie. to reach 21 under. He gained the lead when Horschel missed a 12-footer for par on 16.

It was quite a week for Herman, who had three birdies over his final four holes Friday simply to make the cut. He followed that up with a career-low 61 on Saturday to get into striking distance before taking the victory.

He had come off a poor showing at the PGA Championship and couldn’t find the fairway early on here. “This is going to be a pretty quick week if we don’t get this figured out,” he told his caddie.

His next tee shot split the fairway and Herman was off and running.

Horschel looked as if he was the one to rally as he moved from three behind Kim to the lead with a birdie-eagle- birdie run on the front nine while Kim struggled with a double bogey and a bogey over his first eight holes.

Horschel had an 11-footer for birdie that didn’t fall on the 17th hole before his miss on No. 18.

“A little disappointed,” he said. “I had two good looks on the last two holes and the way I was rolling, I thought I’d make one of them.”

Kim was a birdie machine with 21 birdies and a hole in one the first three rounds. But he stumbled out of the gate and a pair of bad drives cost him his first win since The Players Championship in 2017.

He drove right into a hazzard of thick grass and, despite six people searching, could not find his shot. Kim made double bogey to fall from the top.

Two holes later, Kim would up near a cart path bridge for a bogey to fall four shots off the lead.

Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., was the low Canadian, 12 shots back in a tie for 31st place. Michael Glicic of Burlington, Ont., tied for 59th.

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tom Hoge maintained a share of the lead Friday at the Wyndham Championship, this time alongside Si Woo Kim, Talor Gooch and Billy Horschel.

Hoge, tied for the first-round lead with Harold Varner III and Roger Sloan, kept in front with a steady 2-under 68 to get to 10-under par.

Hoge, whose best-ever tour finish was a second at The Greenbrier this season, was asked what it would take for his first PGA Tour win.

“There’s a lot to that question,” he said.

The answer could be as simple as regaining his first-round form when he had seven birdies, an eagle and one par. This time, Hoge was more up and down with five birdies and three bogeys.

Sloan, from Merritt, B.C., shot a 70 on Friday to drop into a tie for 10th at 8 under. Michael Gligic (69) of Burlington, Ont., was tied for 48th at 4 under. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., both missed the cut.

Kim, whose first tour victory came here in 2016 and made history a year later as the youngest-ever winner of The Players Championship, shot a 65 to move up.

Kim got it going on the front nine (his final nine) after starting with nine consecutive pars. He had six birdies coming in, including the final two holes to move on top.

Kim’s approach shots down the stretch were on target – his final five birdie putts were all from 12 feet or closer.

He said the rough at Sedgefield Country Club was “more sticky and deep” this year.

“It helps more to hit fairway, that’s really important,” Kim said. “That’s why I hit it more, try to focus on ,,, the fairway.”

Like Hoge, the 28-year-old Gooch is seeking his first tour victory. Like Kim, Gooch shot 65 to get into the foursome on top.

It was the first time on tour Gooch, who opened with a 65, had multiple rounds that low in the same event. He had six birdies, including two of his final three holes, to move up.

“Anytime you shoot 65, it does’t matter who, what, when, where, why, you’ve done some good,” he said.

Horschel shot 64 and had birdies on four of last six holes, including a tricky 7-footer on his final one, the ninth, to join the lead group. Horschel won the 2014 FedEx Cup and said this time of year charges him up.

“I like it when the pressure’s on and everyone’s looking at you and you need to step up and doing something special,” he said.

The four were a stroke ahead of Harris English (67) , Varner (69), Andrew Landry (65), Doc Redman (64) and British Open champ Shane Lowry, who shot a 63 to tie for Friday’s low round with Jason Kokrak.

Lowry did not get to defend his major when the tournament was cancelled due to the global pandemic. He also entered the week at 131 in FedEx Cup points, outside of the upcoming playoffs.

After a bogey on his second hole, Lowry had six birdies and an eagle to move into contention.

“Obviously, I’m outside the FedEx Cup number and out of Boston next week, so I need to keep playing some good golf and try and polish off a good week,” he said.

Kokrak was in a group of seven one shot further back along with past Wyndham champ Webb Simpson, who shot his second straight 66.

Those three strokes back included Patrick Reed (68), Paul Casey (66) and Tommy Fleetwood (64).

A pair of major champions in the thick of last week’s PGA Championship in Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose did not make the cut.

Koepka had a 70, including a triple-bogey 7 on the 10th hole, to finish at 2-over, 12 shots behind. Rose rallied to a 67 after an opening 73, but his even-par was not enough to continue.

“Not physically tired, more mentally,” said Koepka, who’s played in sixth straight tournaments with the playoffs ahead. “But I’ve got the weekend off.”

GREENSBORO, N.C. – Tom Hoge maintained a share of the lead Friday at the Wyndham Championship, this time alongside Si Woo Kim, Talor Gooch and Billy Horschel.

Hoge, tied for the first-round lead with Harold Varner III and Roger Sloan, kept in front with a steady 2-under 68 to get to 10-under par.

Hoge, whose best-ever tour finish was a second at The Greenbrier this season, was asked what it would take for his first PGA Tour win.

“There’s a lot to that question,” he said.

The answer could be as simple as regaining his first-round form when he had seven birdies, an eagle and one par. This time, Hoge was more up and down with five birdies and three bogeys.

Sloan, from Merritt, B.C., shot a 70 on Friday to drop into a tie for 10th at 8 under. Michael Gligic (69) of Burlington, Ont., was tied for 48th at 4 under. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., both missed the cut.

Kim, whose first tour victory came here in 2016 and made history a year later as the youngest-ever winner of The Players Championship, shot a 65 to move up.

Kim got it going on the front nine (his final nine) after starting with nine consecutive pars. He had six birdies coming in, including the final two holes to move on top.

Kim’s approach shots down the stretch were on target – his final five birdie putts were all from 12 feet or closer.

He said the rough at Sedgefield Country Club was “more sticky and deep” this year.

“It helps more to hit fairway, that’s really important,” Kim said. “That’s why I hit it more, try to focus on ,,, the fairway.”

Like Hoge, the 28-year-old Gooch is seeking his first tour victory. Like Kim, Gooch shot 65 to get into the foursome on top.

It was the first time on tour Gooch, who opened with a 65, had multiple rounds that low in the same event. He had six birdies, including two of his final three holes, to move up.

“Anytime you shoot 65, it does’t matter who, what, when, where, why, you’ve done some good,” he said.

Horschel shot 64 and had birdies on four of last six holes, including a tricky 7-footer on his final one, the ninth, to join the lead group. Horschel won the 2014 FedEx Cup and said this time of year charges him up.

“I like it when the pressure’s on and everyone’s looking at you and you need to step up and doing something special,” he said.

The four were a stroke ahead of Harris English (67) , Varner (69), Andrew Landry (65), Doc Redman (64) and British Open champ Shane Lowry, who shot a 63 to tie for Friday’s low round with Jason Kokrak.

Lowry did not get to defend his major when the tournament was cancelled due to the global pandemic. He also entered the week at 131 in FedEx Cup points, outside of the upcoming playoffs.

After a bogey on his second hole, Lowry had six birdies and an eagle to move into contention.

“Obviously, I’m outside the FedEx Cup number and out of Boston next week, so I need to keep playing some good golf and try and polish off a good week,” he said.

Kokrak was in a group of seven one shot further back along with past Wyndham champ Webb Simpson, who shot his second straight 66.

Those three strokes back included Patrick Reed (68), Paul Casey (66) and Tommy Fleetwood (64).

A pair of major champions in the thick of last week’s PGA Championship in Brooks Koepka and Justin Rose did not make the cut.

Koepka had a 70, including a triple-bogey 7 on the 10th hole, to finish at 2-over, 12 shots behind. Rose rallied to a 67 after an opening 73, but his even-par was not enough to continue.

“Not physically tired, more mentally,” said Koepka, who’s played in sixth straight tournaments with the playoffs ahead. “But I’ve got the weekend off.”

GREENSBORO, N.C. _ Canada’s Roger Sloan is tied for the lead after he shot a career-low 62 in the first round of the PGA Tour’s Wyndham Championship on Thursday.

Sloan’s previous best round on the top tour was a 64 at last year’s Mayakoba Golf Classic in Mexico.

At 8 under, the Merritt, B.C. golfer was tied with Americans Harold Varner III and Tom Hoge toward the end of the first round. Sloan and Hoge were part of the same threesome.

“Tom and I go back to our Canadian Tour days (in 2011), so it’s nice to get reunited out there and share some good stories and memories,” Sloan said. “I think that puts you in a good frame of mind when one guy’s making some birdies. I think I got the early track on some birdies, it kind of motivated him, and then when he’s pushing through and passing me, you know, I want to finish strong.”

Sloan has struggled this season, missing the cut in 13 of 19 events and sitting 178th in the rankings. He needs a big finish in the final regular-season event this week to make it into the top 125 and qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

However, unlike in previous years, players outside the top 125 after this week won’t lose their PGA Tour cards. The tour made the change after the COVID-19 pandemic halted play in March.

“I’m very fortunate because it doesn’t matter what happens this week, I have status on the PGA Tour next year,” Sloan said. “That’s comforting to know, so we’re just going to go out, we’re going to do everything we can to win this golf tournament.”

Varner had eight birdies, including four in a row midway through the round, through 15 holes. He finished with three pars.

Hoge had his only bogey of the day on No. 18 to lose sole possession of the lead.

Former U.S. Open champ and past Wyndham winner Webb Simpson was among a large group at 66.

Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., had a 67, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot a 69 and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., had a 72.

A pair of major champions who challenged at the PGA Championship last week struggled in the opening round.

Brooks Koepka had a 72 and Justin Rose a 73.

The striking long-range performance of the Titleist T-Series T100•S and T200 player’s irons – powered by breakthrough technology for explosive distance in a player-preferred shape – can now be experienced in a stealthy all-black setup.

Available Aug. 28 for a limited time, the new T-Series T100•S and T200 Black irons are finished with a sleek High Polish Black PVD coating continually requested by tour players and members of #TeamTitleist. Each model is complemented by a glare-reducing matte black shaft – DG Onyx AMT Black (T100•S) or Project X LZ Onyx (T200) – and an all-black Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 grip.

“T100•S and T200 have proven to be incredible feats of engineering that really show what it takes to be a Titleist iron,” said Josh Talge, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing.

“It’s the ultimate blend of classic shaping and modern technology. You’re getting the look and feel of a true player’s iron, but with the added speed, launch and forgiveness that allows you to take aim from farther away. We’ve heard from many golfers asking us to build these all-black editions – the combination of the Black PVD finish with the matte black shaft and matching grip is just stunning.”

T-SERIES BLACK ON TOUR

T-Series irons have quickly become the most-played iron model on the PGA Tour, where Titleist has been the longstanding #1 iron since 2005. Cameron Smith won the Sony Open in Hawaii playing a set of T100 Black irons. Lanto Griffin, who put in his request for black T100’s after seeing Smith post a picture of them in Instagram, used them to win the Houston Open.

“The first time I saw these irons they looked so good I didn’t want to put a scratch on them,” said Smith. “The black finish just looks tighter to me and really fits my eye. It also helps to keep a little bit of the shine off which I really like.”

T100•S TECHNOLOGY

T100•S irons are the only fully-forged player’s distance iron in the category, designed to deliver the same tour-level precision and signature feel as T100 in 2-degree stronger lofts for longer distance. Each iron has been individually calibrated to give better players the added distance they need to score lower, while preserving the feel and precision required for superior shot shaping.

T100•S BLACK SPECIFICATIONS

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DEXTERITY: Right Hand

FINISH: High Polish Black

SET MAKEUP: 4-P, W48

SHAFT: DG Onyx AMT Black

GRIP: Golf Pride Tour Velvet 360 (All Black)

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Titleist T-Series T100•S and T200 Black irons are available for a limited time beginning Aug. 28, 2020. MAP $270 per club ($2,159/set of 8).

LANGFORD, B.C.—The good thing about shooting a 63 in the opening round is it gives you a cushion for the rest of the tournament. Evan Holmes can definitely relate.

Despite playing the final 36 holes in only even-par, Holmes rode his 8-under start to victory in the Canada Life Series’ first tournament at Bear Mountain’s Mountain Course. Holmes defeated Zach Anderson by two shots to take the early lead on the Points List with three tournaments remaining. Canadians Raoul Ménard and Derek Gillespie and China’s Yi Cao tied for third, at 4-under.

Since Monday when Holmes made three consecutive birdies to begin this inaugural Canada Life Series event, he has maintained his advantage even as Anderson chipped away each day. Anderson moved from five strokes behind after 18 holes to three shots back when the final round began. Anderson shot a Wednesday 71 but bogeyed three of his final four holes after getting to 9-under with a birdie at No. 13. Following a par at the 14th, Anderson made bogeys at 15, 17 and 18. Holmes also struggled coming in on a difficult scoring day. The former University of British Columbia golfer moved to 10-under through 13 but played his final five holes in 2-over. In the end, he benefited from Anderson’s stumbles and his strong beginning to the tournament paid dividends.

“The highlight of the week is for sure the first-round 63. It was nice to get off to that good start,” Holmes explained. “It feels really good. You probably have to win at least one of them to be No. 1 (at the end of the Series), so I couldn’t have asked for a better start, and I’m looking forward to the other three.”

“Chasing Evan all day was good, and getting off to a good start definitely helped,” said Anderson. “I think everyone in the group was tied at minus-8 through three and then Lawren fell off and me and Evan were battling it out pretty good on the back nine. Then we both stumbled coming in.”

Lawren Rowe, who began the final round a stroke behind Holmes, struggled to a 5-over 76 to fall into sixth place, at 3-under.   Holmes was philosophical about what turned out to be the toughest day of the 54-hole tournament.

“It was long and tiring. The same as [Tuesday], swirling winds all day and a little bit stronger,” Holmes said of the final round. “It was tough to hit a lot of good shots out there, but it was nice to grind it out.  “Conditions were pretty tough,” he continued, noting the dryness of the course because of the wind. “It got a little baked out again and a lot of wind. It was very tough to commit to clubs.

LANGFORD, B.C.—Evan Holmes was not as crisp as he was Monday when he opened the Canada Life Series at Bear Mountain: Mountain Course event with a sterling 63. On a day where he only managed three birdies and two bogeys, shooting a 1-under 70, it was still enough to get him to 9-under and good for a one-shot advantage over Lawren Rowe heading into the final round Wednesday. Zach Anderson is alone in third, three shots behind, while Golf Canada team member Laurent Desmarchais and Albert Pistorius are at 5-under and four back.

“It was a little tricky all day. I didn’t really get off to a good start. The wind was swirling so it was tough to commit to some clubs out there,” said Holmes, the former University of British Columbia standout. He opened his day with three pars and a bogey, at the par-3 fourth, not exactly breaking quickly out of the gate. Holmes got that stroke right back with a birdie at the fifth before parring out, making the turn at even-par.

“Conditions were a lot tougher today. The pins were a little bit harder, and there was a lot more wind, a lot more swirling. The back nine was tough.”

Even so, Holmes made a textbook birdie at No. 10, hitting his tee shot to the island green to about a foot. His final birdie of the day came at the 13th, with a bogey at No. 11 squeezed in. From there, he parred out.

Rowe began the day three shots behind Holmes but narrowed the gap with his 68, on the strength of five birdies.

“My round was pretty similar to [Monday] actually. I started off a bit slow and just got through the front nine at even. I hit the back nine and was able to make a few birdies from there. I made a few putts finally.”

Rowe’s most-memorable hole of the day was his birdie on the par-3 14th. Although he wasn’t going directly at the pin, his tee shot landed 15 feet from the hole. He rolled that putt in during what was the middle of a four-birdies-in-six-hole stretch.