MUNICH – Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain shot a 5-under 67 for a one-stroke lead in the second round of the BMW International Open on Friday.

Cabrera-Bello, who opened with a 65 Thursday for a three-way lead with Lasse Jensen of Denmark and Daniel Gaunt of England, made six birdies and a bogey, leaving him at 12-under 132 halfway through the European Tour event.

Jensen (69) dropped two strokes off the pace while Gaunt (73) fell six behind after three birdies were undone by a double bogey on the par-4 16th and two bogeys.

James Morrison of England shot a 66 to move second, ahead of Jensen and Northern Ireland’s Michael Hoey, who shot a 65 including nine birdies for the day’s best round on the Eichenried Golf Club course.

“I didn’t hit it 100 percent pure, but scored really well,” Hoey said “I’d rather it be like that than the other way round.”

Thongchai Jaidee of Thailand missed a good birdie chance on the 18th and had to be content with fifth after shooting a 67.

Former winner Pablo Larrazabal of Spain shot a 66 for a share of sixth with compatriot Alejandro Canizares and England’s Chris Paisley. All three were four strokes off the pace.

Home favorite and 2014 U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer missed the 2-under par cut by one stroke with four bogeys in a round of 71.

“It’s very, very frustrating,” said Kaymer, who won the tournament in 2008.

Four players were tied for ninth on 7-under and 13 were in a group on 8-under, including Sweden’s Henrik Stenson, the 2006 champion.

This season marks the inaugural year in which the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions will be played as part of the Canadian Women’s Senior Championship.

Sawmill Creek Golf Resort & Spa in Camlachie, Ont., will host the event from August 25-28.

Traditionally, the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master tournaments were contested in conjunction with the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship. The move to bring the competitions to the Women’s Senior event was made to provide players with another opportunity to demonstrate their talents on the national stage. All female golfers 25-and-over will now be eligible to compete for the title of Mid-Amateur Champion, including those in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions. Competitors over 40 will be able to play in the Mid-Master division.

A minimum of 25 Mid-Amateur competitors and 10 Mid-Master players will be accepted into the field, the remainder of the 156 player field will be comprised of senior competitors.

Christina Proteau of Port Alberni, B.C., captured the 2014 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur title at Craigowan Golf and Country Club, in Woodstock, Ont. The Mid-Master crown was awarded to Helene Chartrand of Pincourt, Que.

The 2014 Canadian Women’s Senior Championship was contested at Club de golf Milby in Sherbrooke, Que., where Chartrand secured the title with a thrilling playoff victory.

Additional details regarding the 2015 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master, and Senior Championships are available here.

Register here to join the competition and measure your game against some of Canada’s best players.

FORT McMURRAY, Alta. – Thornhill, Ontario’s Ben Silverman and Fort Myers, Florida’s Chase Marinell carded a pair of 8-under 64s on Thursday at Fort McMurray Golf Club to share the first round lead at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, the third event of the 2015 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 27-year old Silverman, who now calls Palm Beach Gardens, Florida home, was bogey-free with eight birdies, while the 23-year old Marinell carded seven birdies, an eagle and a bogey to stand two shots clear of six players at 6-under par 66 after 18 holes in Fort McMurray.

“I had a lot of good chances early and made a few. I stayed calm and stayed steady and had a few good opportunities and made a few putts,” said Silverman, who birdied four of his first five holes and each of his final two to tie Marinell, who had posted 8-under earlier in the day. “When you start with no mistakes and you’re hitting fairways and greens, there’s a nice flow feeling to it and you just kind of go with it.”

As impressive as Silverman’s finish was, Marinell’s was even better, holing a 58-degree wedge from 110 yards for his final shot of the day on the par-4 9^th hole, capping a solid day from start to finish for the Liberty University graduate. Both Silverman and Marinell posted their best career rounds on the Mackenzie Tour with their matching 64s.

“It was a really nice way to finish. We just kind of stuck to our game plan and found good clubs to hit off every tee yesterday, and stuck to them for the most part,” said Marinell, a Mackenzie Tour rookie. “We executed our game plan and made a lot of putts, and whenever you do that it always turns out pretty nice.”

Alberta natives Riley Fleming (Airdrie) and Stuart Anderson (Fort McMurray) were among those at 6-under, along with Americans Zack Byrd, Talor Gooch, Michael Miller and Sam Ryder.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Bubba Watson hit to inches on the final hole for the last his nine birdies in an 8-under 62 on Thursday in the first round of the Travelers Championship.

Watson has a two-stroke lead in the event he won in 2010 for his first PGA Tour title. He has finished in the top 20 five times in eight previous starts at TPC River Highlands.

“It’s special,” Watson said about the tournament. “It was my first win and it’s the same time that I announced to the world that my dad was passing with cancer. So, special in different ways.”

New England native Keegan Bradley was tied for second with Jason Gore, Seung-Yul Noh, Brian Stuard and Harris English, who shot a 30 on the back nine. Eight players shot 65, and 12 more opened at 66. Ninety-three players were under par.

“Coming off a U.S. Open, this golf course seems like it’s gettable, and we all feel that way,” Watson said. “So the guys that played in the U.S. Open maybe feel better about their game when they get here.”

Watson, playing late in the day, had four birdies on his final five holes. The two-time Masters champion just missed an eagle on the par-4 18th hole, hitting a 139-yard second shot that bounced into the flagstick and rolled 4 inches past the cup.

His only glitch during that stretch was bogey on the par-3 16th, where he overshot the green, and chipped his second shot past the hole and into the fringe.

“I just kept grinding it out,” he said.” “Whatever shot was called for, I tried to hit it and somehow today, I hit it good.”

Bradley, put up an early 64, shooting a 31 on his front nine. The 29-year-old, who was born in Vermont, is playing his fifth Travelers Championship, which he considers a home tournament. His best finish has been 18th.

“I put a lot of pressure on myself in every tournament, but this one especially just because I’ve got a lot of people here. I know a lot of the fans are rooting for me. I can feel it.”

English, who did not play in the U.S. Open, had just 22 putts.

“You can hit a lot of good wedge shots to 8, 10, 12 feet,” he said. “If you don’t make them, it kind of hurts, it stops the momentum. But I feel like I made some of those and kept it going.”

Ernie Els is making his first appearance in Connecticut since 2002 and was among those at 66. He said he normally heads to Europe after the U.S. Open to prepare for the British Open, but decided to try to pick up a few more FedEx points this year.

“This is quite close to Europe,” he said. “It’s only 5 1/2 hours away.”

Argentina’s Andres Romero won a Rolex watch during his round of 69 when he aced the 177-yard par-3 16th hole. Romero said he grabbed his 7-iron and decided to go for the pin after his caddie translated a sign about the hole-in-one prize next to the tee box.

“I got the shot off and when it headed toward the hole and disappeared, I couldn’t believe it,” he said through a translator.

It was the third hole-in-one of the Romero’s career, and he said now owns seven Rolex’s.

Martin Laird may have had the shot of the round when he holed out from 140 yards for an eagle on the par-4 17th hole, watching as ball cleared the water and the pin before rolling back into the cup.

As many as nine spots for the British Open are available this week.

The leading five players, not already exempt, from the top 20 in the FedEx Cup will be part of the field at St. Andrews next month.

In addition, the leading four players who finish in the top 12 at TPC River Highlands also will get spots. The Travelers is the first of three PGA Tour events where top finishers can get into St. Andrews. There are four spots available at The Greenbrier Classic, and one at the John Deere Classic.

SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Tom Watson has accomplished more in golf than most players ever will. The 65-year-old nearly pulled off a feat Thursday even he had never done: shoot his age in a major championship.

So what if it’s the senior tour?

Watson took advantage of cooler morning conditions to shoot a 4-under 66, grabbing a one-stroke lead after the opening round of the sun-banked U.S. Senior Open.

All that prevented Watson from matching his age on the scorecard was a 35-foot putt on his final hole.

“Man, did I want to make that putt. I was grinding on that putt more than any putt in a long time,” Watson said. “Shoot my age in a U.S. Open championship? That would have been pretty special.”

Instead, the putt stopped short and he settled for par – about the only thing that didn’t work out well for Watson over his final nine holes.

With the temperature soaring over 100 degrees in the afternoon, Watson worked through Del Paso Country Club before the scorching heat in California’s capital city intensified. The eight-time major champion overcame an early double bogey and had four birdies in a six-hole stretch after the turn.

“It shows these great old champs are great old champs for a reason,” said Michael Allen, among a group of players who shot 67.

Allen was joined by Lee Janzen, Jeff Hart, Jim Carter, P.H. Horgan and Woody Austin.

Defending champion Colin Montgomerie and Champions Tour stalwart Bernhard Langer, who have won six of the last seven senior majors, teed off in the afternoon heat – and also had to deal with firmer and faster greens. Montgomerie shot 68, and Langer 71.

But this day belonged to one of the most decorated players in golf history, one whose storied career is about to take a major shift.

Watson will play in his final British Open next month at St. Andrews. He’s the only man to claim the claret jug on five courses (but never St. Andrews).

While one chapter of his career is closing, another seems just fine.

Watson is one of the biggest draws on the Champions Tour – when he plays, that is – along with 1992 Masters champion Fred Couples, who withdrew earlier this week with a back injury.

Watson has won 14 times on the Champions Tour, which is reserved for those 50 and older. His last victory came at the 2011 Senior PGA Championship at Valhalla in Louisville, Kentucky.

Now he’s in position to end that drought.

The lone hiccup on Watson’s opening round came when he plugged his approach on the 16th hole in the gnarly rough along the bank of the lake and finished with a double bogey. Watson recovered with four birdies on his back nine – including a 50-foot putt on the second – to surge to the top of the leaderboard.

As the sun skied over the Central Valley late in Watson’s round, spectators crowded in the shade along the rough instead of the ropes around the green. Some gathered around cooling stations, and others brought umbrellas and tiny electric fans to try to keep cool.

Many players walked out of their way on the rough to stay in what little shade Del Paso provided. Watson, meanwhile, scribbled notes on his yardage book to prepare for his afternoon tee time Friday, when the temperature is expected to rise above 100 again.

“Usually, you have your diagram on your book that says all right, here’s the bunker, here’s the green like this,” Watson said, pointing. “Now you have a diagram, here’s the shade over here, the shade over here, there’s a shade behind the tee over there. That’s what you’re looking for right now.”

WICHITA, Kansas – Ireland’s Seamus Power posted a 7-under 63 and leads an international leaderboard after the opening round of the Air Capital Classic presented by AETNA, one of four Web.com Tour events that have been part of the schedule since the Tour’s inception in 1990.

Power chalked up six birdies and an eagle at Crestview Country Club and leads by one over Sweden’s Henrik Norlander, Korea’s D.H. Lee, South African Dawie van der Walt, winner of the Chile Classic earlier this year, and New Mexico’s Timothy Madigan.

Si Woo Kim of Korea, Texan Matt Weibring and Australian Adam Crawford are at 5-under 65 and tied for sixth place. Another 13 players are knotted at 4-under 66 and share ninth place.

“It’s a nice start, but that’s all it is – a nice start,” said Power, who entered the week No. 68 on the Tour money list after 12 of 21 Regular Season events. “This is a good test. You don’t get away with things. If you miss a shot, that wind is going to put you in spots you don’t want to be in. You’ve got to make sure you’re hitting it solid.”

Power got off to just such a start thanks to a new driver in the bag. Same make, different model.

“I was a little off in the practice rounds. It was drifting right on me,” he said. “This one is slightly short with a different shaft. It’s similar to the one I had.”

A big knock on the 339-yard, par-4 11th hole, his second of the day, had Power near the green. A quick chip-in for eagle got him off and running on a windy day that saw temperatures reach into the upper 90s.

“You have plenty of chances out here but you have to limit your mistakes,” said the leader. “You have to drive it in the fairway, even if you have to hit iron off the tee.”

Norlander was just lucky to get to the tee. The former Augusta State standout figured he was right on time for a 7:40 a.m. start and was heading to the chipping green when a nearby official told him he had one minute to get to the tee for a 7:30 start.

“I don’t what happened to have me think it was 7:40,” he said. “I had to run to get there and I made it by about 15 seconds. Luckily I was hitting third off the tee.”

Norlander settled his nerves, hit two good shots and made par at No. 10, and followed up with a birdie at No. 11.

Norlander, like many in the field, played for position off the tees instead of worrying about busting drivers into the heavy rough and the trees that line every fairway.

“I like it when we put a premium on hitting it straight,” he said. “It’s not the longest course and if there was no rough you could hit driver and flip wedges everywhere. The wind is what makes it tough. Even when you’ve got two-footers in the gusty wind, you’ve still got to pay attention.”

MUNICH – Spain’s Rafa Cabrera-Bello overcame two bogeys to shoot a 7-under 65 for a three-way share of the lead in the opening round of the BMW International Open on Thursday.

Cabrera-Bello was joined by Lasse Jensen of Denmark, who holed seven birdies, and Daniel Gaunt of England, who overcame a bogey with eight birdies of his own on the Eichenried Golf Club course.

Early leader Andrew Johnston of England finished one stroke behind after starting on the 10th hole with a bogey, then carding seven birdies for a 66.

Five players were tied for fifth on 67, including Henrik Stenson, the champion in 2006. The Swede recovered from a triple bogey on the par-4 16th with eight birdies altogether.

“I got off to a pretty good start and I didn’t do too much wrong on 16 but wound up with a triple bogey. I hung in there and tried to just keep on going. Then I wrapped up with a nice string of birdies on 5, 6, 7 and 8,” said Stenson, who has broken par in 14 consecutive rounds.

James Morrison and Tommy Fleetwood of England, Kiradech Aphibarnrat of Thailand, and Victor Riu of France joined Stenson in fifth.

Local favorite and 2014 U.S. Open winner Martin Kaymer made up for a double bogey and two bogeys with four birdies to finish on level par, while two-time winner Thomas Bjorn was one over par after three bogeys.

With the memories of a wild U.S. Open fresh in his mind, Brandt Snedeker returns to Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., to tee it up on July 23rd with even better memories of the last time he played there.

A victory will do that.

At the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Washington State, Snedeker put on a charge in the final round, trying to catch eventual champion Jordan Spieth. Also in his sights was Dustin Johnson, who would finish T2 with Louis Oosthuizen. Unfortunately, he fell short, finishing eighth.

It was a far different story in 2013 when Snedeker hoisted the RBC Canadian Open trophy on Glen Abbey’s 18^th green, having edged Johnson by three shots. Like this year’s U.S. Open, the 2013 RBC Canadian Open offered lots of thrills and unpredictable moments.

After 36-hole leader Hunter Mahan withdrew on Saturday to be with his wife, who was about to have their first child in Texas, Snedeker entered the final round at 14 under par, one shot ahead of David Lingmerth.

The turning point of that championship, as it has been many times in the past, hinged on Glen Abbey’s pivotal closing holes.

“Those holes do have a huge impact on the tournament,” Snedeker said in a recent interview.  “You have risk-reward on 16 and 18 where you can make up a lot of shots or you can make a careless mistake and get lapped by the field.  I love the course and have a great feeling heading back to Glen Abbey.  To be honest with you, my ball striking was probably at best a C-minus the last day and I was still able to pull out a win.  If I have good control over my ball striking and putt well, I like my chances this year.”

Despite not having his best ball-striking game that day, Snedeker looked to be cruising to victory until Johnson reached the par-5 16^th in two after a 350-yard drive. Although Johnson’s eagle putt rimmed out, the birdie was good enough to tie him with Snedeker for the lead at 15 under with two holes to go.

(As a historical footnote, Glen Abbey’s 16^th hole has marked a turning point in previous RBC Canadian Opens. In 1994, Nick Price lasered a 2-iron on the short par-5 that led to a one-shot win over Mark Calcavecchia. Ten years later, in the centennial edition of our Open, national hero Mike Weir, who entered the final round with a three-shot lead, three-putted the difficult green. He ended up tied with Vijay Singh, who would win the eventual three-hole playoff, dashing hopes for the first Canadian winner in 50 years.)

But Johnson’s drive on the par-4 17^th went out of bounds and the resulting triple-bogey 7 took him out of contention. Snedeker matched Johnson’s birdie on 16 and cruised to the victory with a two-under-par 70.

“This is a tournament I said early on in my career I wanted to win just because my caddie [Scott Vail of Oshawa, Ont.] is actually from Canada and it’s his national Open,” Snedeker said. “It meant a lot to him and it means a lot to me. It’s the third-oldest tournament on TOUR and it has some great history to it and now to put my name on that trophy it means a lot.”

Once again, the 2015 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey will feature a strong field, due in no small part to the commitment by RBC to the game of golf. In addition to our Open, RBC is also the title sponsor of The RBC Heritage on the PGA TOUR.

Team RBC includes Snedeker and fellow PGA TOUR stars Matt Kuchar, Jason Day, Graeme McDowell, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk and Canadians Mike Weir, Graham DeLaet, David Hearn, Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor.  On the women’s side, Team RBC includes Canadian phenom Brooke Henderson and Morgan Pressel.

“My relationship with RBC has been great,” Snedeker said.  “Two of my wins have been at RBC-sponsored tournaments since I became an ambassador.  They basically saved the RBC Heritage tournament and that is one of my favourite tournaments all year.  They are doing so much for the game of golf, not only in Canada, but around the world.  I feel honoured to be aligned with such a great company.”

Glen Abbey will play host to the RBC Canadian Open for a record 28^th time next year. Like Snedeker, the winners in 2015 and 2016 and beyond will join a pantheon of RBC Canadian Open champions at Canada’s most famous course, all of whom are commemorated on the Wall of Champions outside the clubhouse: Tiger Woods, Greg Norman, Lee Trevino, Vijay Singh, Mark O’Meara, Nick Price, Curtis Strange, Hal Sutton and more.

To purchase tickets to the 2015 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club from July 20-26 please click here.

Juniors 17 years of age and under are permitted access to the grounds free of charge during the RBC Canadian Open. To download your FREE Junior Ticket, please click here.

From July 2-5, Golf Château-Bromont located in Bromont, Que., will welcome defending champions Kelvin Young Woong Lim and Alyssa Getty alongside a number of local juniors for the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship. A practice round will be held on June 2 before the opening round of the 54-hole stroke play competition commences the following day.

“Golf Canada is proud and excited to host the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship at Golf Château-Bromont,” said Justine Decock, Tournament Director. “The scenic views throughout the course and Mont Brome will serve as a fantastic backdrop for this competition.”

Getty won the 2014 edition of this championship at Club de golf Continental with a 5-over-221. The Ruthven, Ont., native has already claimed a victory in the 2015 CN Future Links Championship series, having taken the Ontario title at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont.

On the Junior Boys side, Lim of Thornhill, Ont., captured the 2014 title after a playoff and a strong 1-under-par 217 performance for the tournament. This season, he finished T22 at the CN Future Links Ontario Championship, highlighted by a low-round 3-under par 68 on the second day of competition.

Also in the field at Château-Bromont will be Annie Lacombe of Laval, Que., the reigning Quebec Junior Girls Champion, who will look to notch another win on home soil. She finished T6 at last year’s event at the Continental. Ayers Cliff, Que., product and CJGA Quebec Junior Open champion Brendan Smith and Brandon Lacasse of Châteauguay, Que., – currently No. 2 and No. 5 on the Quebec Junior Order of Merit, respectively – will be in the hunt to improve upon top-10 finishes at the 2014 edition of this event.

The 2015 season has been off to a strong start, with National Team Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) finishing at the top at the CN Future Links Pacific Championship at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. The Ontario stop in the championship series saw Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) join the winners circle at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. At Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., Alexander Smith (Calgary, Alta.) and National Squad member Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.) captured the Prairie Championship titles.

A total of six CN Future Links Championships are presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. These championships provide opportunities to junior golfers across Canada to develop their games in a safe and encouraging environment.

Two additional CN Future Links Championships remain to be played next month:

• July 6-9 – CN Future Links Western – Goose Hummock Golf Course, Gibbons, Alta.
• July 13-16 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Gowan Brae G& CC, Bathurst, N.B.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division of each CN Future Links Championship will receive direct entry into the field of the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be contested at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 2-6.

Similarly in the Junior Girls division, the CN Future Links Championships will award its top six finishers with exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, from August 3-7, at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. Additionally, the six CN Future Links Junior Girls champions will receive exemptions into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of their choosing.

Additional information on the 2015 CN Future Links Quebec Championship, including a full list of competitors and tee-times are available here.

Imagine arriving at Augusta National for your Masters debut at 6:45 a.m. and getting ready to warm up.  Preparing for the day is a bit overwhelming if you have never done a similar warm up or you don’t have a set routine.  That is exactly what Corey Conners of Canada’s National Golf Team faced recently, but he was ready.

Warming up for your round is just that — it’s a tune-up for your mind and your body so you’re ready to play right from the opening tee shot.  For a competitive player, a typical warm up can last anywhere between 45 minutes to 1 hour and 15 minutes; Adapt the routine to the circumstances and to the facilities available.

Before you start, do a series of dynamic exercises to activate the body, get it ready to perform your best, and reduce the likelihood of injury.  Players on our National Team have an individualized series of movements that get them ready to compete that can start first thing in the morning before they get to the golf course, while others can do theirs on the range prior to hitting balls.

I like to have our players start the warm up by doing a few short range putting drills and getting a feel for the speed of the greens for about 10 minutes.  Then, they will go to the driving range to warm up the body and begin their long game warm up.

Start with your wedges to get loose. Hit a few light ½ and ¾ shots.  Then, work your way down your golf bag hitting two or three shots with the odd-numbered clubs: 9, 7, 5, 3-iron, 3-wood and a few more driver shots.  Then, work your way back up by hitting two or three shots with the even clubs starting with the hybrid, 4, 6, 8 and wedges.  Be sure to have a target for each shot and to occasionally change targets.  Finish off each club with a good shot prior to moving on to the next club.  Remind yourself if you are not hitting it exactly the way you want, that it’s just a warm up and you are preparing the body to play.  It’s a little like stretching prior to going for a run.  If your stretch doesn’t go well, does that mean you are not going to enjoy your run?

While moving through the bag, do your entire pre-shot routine on every third shot trying to simulate a shot on the course. I like to have the players on the National Team finish by playing the first two holes and the last two holes of the course they are about to play on the range – again – with a full pre-shot routine.  I want them to visualize being out on the course, picking the target they will be aiming at given the current wind conditions, and hitting their best shot.  Then, they’ll play their second shot from where the tee shot would have ended, again with complete pre-shot routine until the ball is on the green.  It is really important to warm up your mind and your body; playing a few holes on the range will get you ready.  After you have simulated playing the first couple holes and the last couple holes, hit a final first tee shot once more with your full routine.  Be sure to finish on an acceptable shot then move on to the short game area.  The long game warm up should take around 25 minutes.

Once in the short game area, hit a few pitch, chip and sand shots to get your contact solid and feeling ready.  Try to vary the lie and the hole you are hitting to so they are not exactly the same for each shot.  I love it when Corey [Connors] hits more random shots as opposed to hitting the same shot repeatedly.  Next, simulate a few greenside shots you could face on the course.  Do your full routine with one ball and mark and putt in out.  Do three or four up and downs so you are used to the routine of hitting the shot and putting out. You should get a decent feel for your short game in about 10 minutes.

Now head to the putting green to finish off your pre-round warm up; plan for another 10 minutes.  Take time to do a few short putting drills inside seven feet.  Corey uses a string and two spikes to practice starting the ball on line inside of eight feet on a straight putt.  Then, he will move to a left to right putt to practice starting the ball on his line and making some short breaking putts; he will also do the same on right to left putts.  After finishing up with a few more straight putts, he is really confident on those short need-to-make putts.

After the short putts, hit a few mid-length putts in the 10- to 20-foot range.  I like to have our players use only one ball, do a full read and their pre-putt routine to simulate what will happen during the round.  Then, similarly they can putt a few lag putts, and use their full routine and putt them out.  Last, it’s a good idea to finish with a couple more short putts and your full routine before heading to the tee.

Keep loose prior to hitting your first shot; it may be 20 or more minutes since you last hit a ball.  Take several deep breaths to keep relaxed—trying to inhale and exhale at the same rate.  Knowing you have prepared the best you can for the round, it’s now time to smile and just enjoy the competition.