If you polled any number of Canadian golf fans in October, asking who the next Canadian winner would be on the PGA TOUR, the percentage who selected Nick Taylor would likely have been low.

It was definitely not because he wasn’t talented enough.  Canadians also believed in the 26-year-old.  It was just long-standing PGA TOUR members such as Graham DeLaet and David Hearn seemed due for a victory.  But one Sunday in November, Taylor trumped them all, capturing The Sanderson Farms Championship by two shots.

Taylor talks about his victory, being an inspiration, and why his Twitter biography says he is one of the “top five Mario Kart N64 players in the world.”

On who he called first after his win:

There was so much crazy stuff going on.  I left my phone in my golf bag, so there was probably half an hour before I got to call anybody.  I called my wife Andie (Taylor and Andie have been together for seven years and got married in May 2014) after the trophy ceremony.  She was on pins and needles waiting for me to call.  She knew what was going on.  She was crazy excited … there were tears.

On what he did with all that prize money ($720,000 USD):

No big purchases from the winnings yet; I don’t really need anything!  I already have a car, but we’re looking at buying a condo in Scottsdale. On the tournament he was most excited to get into: The Waste Management Phoenix Open.  It kind of lived up to everything; it was so intense.  The most equivalent for nerves was when I teed off at my first U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008.  There were probably 10,000 people around that first hole.  And at no.16 (at TPC Scottsdale), I think I was more pumped up because if you don’t hit a good shot, the crowd is relentless.

On being an inspiration for his fellow players:

It’s not uncommon for players who are my age, who played on the Vancouver Golf Tour or PGA TOUR Canada to say how inspiring it’s been to see the steps I’ve taken, or how fast things have happened.  It’s cool and humbling to hear guys say, “watching you do what you’ve done has inspired me to keep working hard and to get to that level too.”

On how Golf Canada has helped develop golf talent:

If you look at the new wave of guys coming out, a lot of them have been involved with Golf Canada.  Derek Ingram has done a really good job.  They’re improving every year.  It’s good to see, and the results are showing for themselves.  A lot of guys are doing well now.

On who he’d most like to play with on the PGA TOUR:

I’d obviously love to play with Tiger, just to have that experience.  Even when he’s struggling he still has the crowds and the aura of Tiger Woods.  I’d also love to play with Rory again too (Taylor and McIlroy played together at the 2009 U.S. Open at Bethpage Black).

On where he was when Mike Weir won The Masters:

I was watching at home with my dad and my brother.  I was into golf then, in grade nine, so I was starting to get into golf but I was still into other sports.  It was one of the first times that I was really into watching The Masters.  From then on, that was the week to watch golf.  It was really memorable.

On how he became so good at Mario Kart:

The last two-and-a-half years of college we (roommate and fellow golf professional Kevin Spooner) played a lot.  When it was pouring rain and after class, we were just playing Mario Kart.  It’s pretty nerdy, but we became extremely good.  There have been a lot of people who have chirped me or challenged me, but I haven’t come across anyone in Canada who can beat me.  There isn’t an official ranking – I made that up – but it’s legit.  The last time I played was Christmas break.  There were people there who thought they were pretty good, but I just smoked them.

Guelph, Ont. (Golf Canada) – The University of Toronto women’s golf team took advantage of pristine early morning conditions Wednesday, combining for a team total of 238 to take the second round lead at the Canadian University/ College Championship being contested at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont.

The Varsity Blues (230-238–468) received strong play from all four members as they snagged a one stroke lead over Université de Montréal Carabins (234-235–469). University of Victoria’s squad had the best showing in day two with a team score of 232, good enough to sit in fourth place, only four shots back.

Leading the charge for the Varsity Blues women was Laura Upenieks, a PHD graduate who shot 78. Sitting at 15 over par, Upenieks is in a four-way tie for seventh place in the individual championship, sharing that spot with her three teammates. The strong consistent play of the four women allowed them to break their first round tie with the defending University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds, who slipped to fourth.

Individually, Caroline Ciot stumbled with a six over par round, but maintained her hold on first place. Advancing up the leaderboard was Brynn Tomie of the University of Victoria Vikes who shot a day low of 72 with four birdies. The Bedford, N.S., native’s strong second day gives her a two-round total of 150 – one shot back of the lead and a share of second with Robyn Campbell, a fifth-year Queen’s University student who matched her opening round 75.

An early evening weather-related delay set back the conclusions of the majority of the men’s groupings. Despite the challenge, UBC (282-296–578) was able to fend off the second-day advance of the Wilfrid Laurier University Golden Hawks (291-29–584) who finished their round earlier in the afternoon. The University of Victoria Vikes, the University of the Fraser Valley Cascades and the Varsity Blues are tied for third with a two-round total of 589.

Golden Hawks rookie and former NCAA Division I player, Eric Flockhart of Mississauga, Ont., carded four birdies en route to a 2-under-par 68 to gain sole possession of the lead at even par.  Defending champion Scott Secord had a tough start to the day, but regrouped on the back nine shooting even par and finishing the round with a 73, good for second place.  Two shots back of the lead after shooting a 72 is Victoria, B.C., native Michael Griffin, who plays for his hometown Vikes.

The third round begins tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. with complete results and tee times available here.

For a few years, the golf industry has been focused on ho w to get more young people- especially Millennials-to take up the game.  Another key to the sport’s growth lies in looking ahead to the next generation and spreading the golf gospel to those just getting a foot out of the crib.  After all, smacking the dimples out of little balls and chasing after them is an innate childhood pleasure right there with eating an ice cream cone.

Hook the young

My toddler’s favourite toy du jour is a Little Tikes golf set that distills the game down to its essentials.  First, you load a chunky plastic all-purpose club with a clear shaft with four coloured balls and depress a trigger to release spheres onto a tee or the ground.  Then, your little one simply tries to knock balls into a moveable flag adorned hole with a ramped lip that works just as well on hardwood and carpet as it does on grass.

My son’s first time playing he proceeded to flub a series of five-foot putts, missing every which way, before he had a brilliant idea.  Smiling, he stealthily grabbed the tee and repositioned it right next to the hole.  Next, he took his stance, pretending to deliberate over the significant putt ahead before bumping a blue ball right into the cup.

“Daddy I did it!”  He squealed while waving his club in the air and running multiple victory laps around the living room.

Who knew a centimeter tap in could elicit such wild-eyed excitement, boost confidence, and give a feller the intoxicating taste of a leader board-topping victory?  Long before one experiences the transcendental beauty of their first monster drive down the fairway or the sheer stroke-saving awesomeness of a chip-in, there is a small short tap that ends with lifted spirits and a rattle in the back of a cup.

Just play: Falling hard for the game

Falling in love with the game is typically a slow seduction.  Casual golfers may flirt with breaking 100 for years before the deed is done; then, suddenly, they find themselves in a committed relationship, going steady with the nearest muni weekly and getting as intimately acquainted with the quirks and nuances of the 14 clubs in their bag as they are with their spouse’s equipment.

One of the oft-cited roadblocks to taking up golf is its relative inaccessibility to newbies.  Unlike soccer or tennis where first timers can immediately hit the field of play running and enjoy moderate success, attempting to play a round of golf without a few trips to the driving range, or a few lessons, is daunting.  Anybody who watched Tiger Woods’ flub filled 82 at the Waste Management Phoenix Open this past February understands golf is a game that can even humble its titans.

In a time when course closures are rising, and more folks are headed for the exits than joining the fray, industry players are realizing that old ways may need a swing adjustment.  Clinging to the refrain from one of Fiddler on the Roof’s catchiest ditties, “Tra-di-tion … Tra-di-tion,” won’t reverse the game’s fortunes.

Golf Sudoku

Matty Du Plessis, a globetrotting home schooled 11-year-old from Quechee, Vt., – a nook of New England reminiscent of many a small town in Southern Ontario- is a breath of fresh air.  On YouTube, Vine, Instagram, and other social media spheres Du Plessis is known as MD_18undapar.  A golf rapper in the mode of Bubba Watson, Du Plessis has a knack for going viral.

“I like Lego and puzzles.  There isn’t a wrong shot so golf is like a 3-D puzzle,” pipes Du Plessis when I reach the precocious golf personality on Facebook chat and ask him about his attraction to the game.  Du Plessis is riveted by the problem-solving aspect of the game: being stuck with a lie right behind a tree and figuring a route out, having to hit over or under branches, or pulling off a mega slice to coax maximum yardage on a sharp dog leg right.

“When it doesn’t come off, sure it blows up your card but hey, you at least tried,” he explains.

For Du Plessis golf means having a great time; his infectious fun-first attitude has earned him thousands of fans.  “Hitting driver, making the ball move, sunset on the range, making the ball skip on a pond, thinking at first there is no way, but then making it happen.  There is just so much,” opines Du Plessis on why he loves to play.

In his popular “Stop, drop and make a 12 Foota” videos he sinks putts about as long as a Fiat 500 on the streets of Vermont, London, Cape Town, and even the center aisle of a Boeing 757.  His antics have caught the attention of a host of top tier media outlets from the U.K.’s Daily Mail to The Golf Channel.  If his handle isn’t a dead giveaway, Du Plessis’ ultimate goal is to shoot eighteen under par and play on the PGA TOUR.

While putting on uneven surfaces in his golf vignettes doesn’t help him read greens any better, holing out under taxing conditions certainly bolsters his confidence.  “If I can make a putt in a parking lot or in London or 30,000 feet above the Atlantic [in the aisle of a plane] with crazy moves, then making a putt from anywhere on a green is possible.”

Beating your elders

When cultivating a golf affinity, long before fixations over equipment and lowering your handicap ever develop, the allure of the game can often stem from a desire to knock balls into holes-at least mine did.  Mini-putt at Meaford’s Memorial Park, a family-oriented campsite on the waters of Georgian Bay was my initiation into the game.  It remains the course I’ve logged my highest round count on.  You always remember the first time you beat your father in a competitive sport where he didn’t let you win.  After a couple summers worth of compiled course knowledge where I memorized hump apexes, optimum ricochet points to navigate dastardly walled in geometry, the pace necessary to jump a water feature, and the ideal spot to aim at the mystery box, so it spits your ball out in a jetstream toward the hole, I did the deed.  A two-stroke victory over my old man that at that time felt like I’d just won the Masters.  Instead of a green jacket my just as sweet reward was a Dairy Queen hot fudge sundae.  In case you’re wondering, Du Plessis celebrated the glorious milestone last fall by posting a pic of his winning scorecard on Instagram with the hashtag: “Beat-Your-Dad-Selfie.”

While the catalyst for golf to escape its current economic plugged lie may be around the corner (the plus 500-year-old sport always finds a way to keep rolling), there’s never been a better time to tap into the game and have a ball.  Whether that’s a toddler developing their hand-eye coordination by putting pine cones at backyard targets, a social media savvy pre-teen with a GoPro getting creative on YouTube or a mini-golf family outing that creates an indelible memory, it’s all a gateway to playing more golf and it bodes well for the game’s future.

Guelph, Ont. (Golf Canada) – Gusty winds proved to be no problem for the University of British Columbia (UBC) Thunderbirds at the Canadian University/ College Championship at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont. The tournament teed up for the first round on Tuesday with the Thunderbirds men’s team soaring to the top of the leaderboard. UBC’s women’s contingent ended their day tied with the University of Toronto Varsity Blues atop the standings.

The Thunderbirds men’s team shot a combined 2-over-par to gain a slight edge in its quest to avenge last year’s runner-up finish. The Humber College Hawks sit three shots back of the lead while the University of Victoria Vikes round out the top three.

The defending men’s champion, Calgary native Scott Secord, and Humber Hawk Christian McCullough carded 2-under-par 68s to lead the men’s division. Six golfers are locked in third place, two strokes back of the leaders, including a pair of Vikes in Andrew Funk and Michael Griffin.

The reigning champion UBC Thunderbirds women’s team is joined at the top of the leaderboard by the University of Toronto Varsity Blues. UBC is eyeing its 11^th team championship in the 13 years of this competition. The leaders each registered 17 over par team performances and are four strokes clear of the third place Université de Montréal Carabins.

Third-year Carabins player Caroline Ciot has a two-shot lead after opening at 1-over-par 72 on the strength of a trio of birdies. Tied for second at 3 over par are Alexandra Pelletier of Université Laval Rouge et Or and Okotoks, Alta. native Kat Kennedy whose steady play tops the Thunderbirds squad. Playing key roles in the Varsity Blues’ co-leading position were Rylie Wilson and Sarah Dunning who each opened at 76 – good for a share of fifth place.

The second day of competition tees off with the women’s division at 7:30 a.m. while the men start at 8:14 a.m. The 72-hole competition will conclude on Friday where both team and individual titles in the men’s and women’s divisions will be awarded.

For more info regarding the championship event, click here.

Since the first known set of rules, “Articles and Laws in Playing at Golf,” written in 1744 for a tournament at Leith Links, a lot has changed, but a few key principles are still part of this great game.  The language in these original 13 rules relate to order of play, outside interference, and the stroke and distance penalty for the loss of a ball; they still have some similar elements with today’s official rules.

To illustrate, here are a few of the original 13 rules, copied verbatim:

If you should lose your ball, by its being taken up, or any other way, you are to go back to the spot, where you struck last, and drop another ball, and allow your adversary a stroke for the misfortune.

If a ball be stopp’d by any person, Horse, Dog, or anything else, the ball so stop’d must be play’d where it lyes.

He whose ball lyes farthest from the hole is obliged to play first.

Aside from these similarities, the rules have transformed and evolved over the last few centuries, just like the equipment and the courses.  See below for some of the most dramatic rule changes.

Teeing ground

In the beginning, the player had to tee their ball within a club-length of the hole.  With all the attention on pace of play these days, imagine how slow the game would be if groups had to wait until the group ahead teed off on the next hole?  This one club-length stipulation soon turned into two and four club-lengths respectively, until it finally became a separate area away from the hole on the putting green in 1875.

Current wording in today’s Rules of Golf: The “teeing ground” is the starting place for the hole to be played.  It is a rectangular area two club lengths in depth, the front and the sides of which are defined by the outside limits of two tee-markers.  A ball is outside the teeing ground when all of it lies outside the teeing ground.

The course and putting green

For a long time, the term green meant the entire course.  Putting green wasn’t even contemplated in the rules until 1812, and not truly defined until 1815, which stated that it was the area within 15 yards of the hole.  The area around the hole was sometimes called hole green or table-land by many with reference to the area we now call a putting green.  This area wasn’t even specially prepared for putting and was not distinct from the rest of the course until a separate teeing ground came into use.

Current wording in today’s Rules of Golf: The course is now defined as the “whole area within any boundaries established by the Committee.”  The putting green is now defined as “all ground of the hole being played that is specially prepared for putting or otherwise defined as such by the Committee.”

The stymie

The stymie was finally eliminated in 1952.  Previously, in singles match play, you were essentially playing defence against your opponent if your ball was on the green and directly in an opponent’s path – hence the term stymied!  Before it was abolished, there were variations that contemplated provisions that a ball could be lifted if it was within six inches of each other.  After that, the wording changed to say the owner may lift the ball if they felt it may be of advantage to the other player, or ‘throughout the green’ a player could have any ball lifted that might interfere with his stroke. You won’t be stymied anymore, but there is a trace of this rule in match play stating that there is no penalty on the putting green if a player’s ball strikes an opponent’s ball.  In stroke play, the player incurs a two-stroke penalty if both balls lay on the putting green and your ball strikes your fellow-competitor’s ball.

Dropping the ball

We’ve not only seen the method of dropping the ball incorrectly by the world’s best golfers, some of them also get confused on where to drop.  The first procedure for dropping a ball came in 1754.  If a player’s ball entered a hazard, you were at liberty to throw it at least six yards behind the hazard.  Many years later, a principle that originated in 1858 and which still exists today, allowed a player to drop on a line from the hole behind the hazard.

One of the most iconic dropping procedures was introduced in 1908, which stated that the player “shall face the hole, stand erect, and drop the ball behind him over his shoulder.”  This method of dropping it over the shoulder lasted until 1984, when the present method of dropping was introduced.

Current wording in today’s Rules of Golf: A ball to be dropped under the Rules must be dropped by the player himself.  He must stand erect, hold the ball at shoulder height and arm’s length and drop it.

Looking ahead, the rules of golf will continue to evolve to preserve the spirit and integrity of the game.  Golf’s governing bodies constantly review and analyze all conditions under which the game is played.  The most recent four-year cycle culminates at the end of 2015 with the new rules code coming into effect January 1, 2016.

Sunny skies and warm temperatures provided ideal conditions for the final day of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. Jack Simpson and Alyssa Getty fought until the very end to claim victory in their home province.

Entering the final round of play, Aurora, Ont., native Jack Simpson and Unionville, Ont., product Maxwell Sear were four shots back of leader Nicholas Brisebois of Ottawa. The two Ontarians spent the round trying to best one another, but neither could pull away. When it seemed Simpson had victory within reach, Sear birdied the final hole to send the competition to a playoff.

Jack Simpson however, would not be denied, chipping-in for eagle on the first extra hole to claim the title of 2015 CN Future Links Ontario champion. When asked about the victory, he credited a calm demeanor as the key to his success. “I knew if I just stayed patient and in the moment, birdies would fall and I would be able to post a good score,” said Simpson, who notched four birdies on the day.

Finishing in third place was Quebec City’s Charles-Eric Belanger who carded a final round of 67. Team Canada Development Squad member and Vaughan Ont., product Tony Gil shot a round of 70 to get to 1-under par for the tournament and claim solo fourth place.

National Squad teammate Étienne Papineau finished at 5-under par 66. The St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., native was T5 with seven birdies on the day, including a string of three on holes 12 to 14. Rounding out the Development Squad on the Junior Boys side was Trevor Ranton of Waterloo, Ont., who posted a round of 74 to finish T12.

In the Junior Girls division, Alyssa Getty shot her lowest round of the competition – an even par 71 – to win the CN Future Links Ontario Championship by two strokes over Selena Costabile of Thornhill, Ont. The battle came down to the final hole where Getty notched her third final-round birdie to secure the victory.

“It was back and forth,” Getty said of her round with Costabile. “It was always very close between us in score and that kept it really interesting. It was a fun day of good competition.” Getty adds this year’s CN Future Links Ontario title to a 2015 resume that already includes a victory at the recent Golf Association of Ontario Junior Girls Spring Classic.

Off to a strong early season start, the Ruthven, Ont., native has high hopes for her last season of junior golf. “I want to keep playing well, and see how well I can shoot. I’m happy with my start and excited to see just how well I can play.”

Climbing up the leaderboard to a third place finish was National Team Development Squad member Grace St-Germain. The Ottawa native’s final round of 70 was her best of the tournament.

Jack Simpson and the five runners-ups from the CN Future Links Ontario Championship have earned exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship. The tournament will be contested August 3-6 at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

The 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will take place August 4-7 at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. With today’s victory, Alyssa Getty and the second to sixth place finishers have earned entry into the competition. This sextet has also gained exemptions into a future Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The CN Future Links Championships are a series of six tournaments presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN in support of golf at the junior level. Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton and Grace St-Germain were the 2015 series’ first winners, claiming victory at the Pacific edition of the competitions. The next event in the series is the CN Future Links Prairie Championship from June 11-14, hosted by Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask.

Full results from the 2015 CN Future Links Ontario Championship are available here.

CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Haruka Morita-WanyaoLu won the Symetra Classic on Saturday for her Symetra Tour title, beating Canada’s Augusta James with a birdie on the second hole of a playoff.

Morita-WanyaoLu hit an 8-iron to 5 feet to set up her winning birdie on the par- 3 18th.

“I thought finally, finally,” Morita-WanyaoLu said. “Finally, I was able to win.”

Morita-WanyaoLu closed with a 5-under 67 to match James at 12-under 204 at Raintree Country Club.

“I never thought about winning,” Morita-WanyaoLu said. “I just wanted to take it hole-by-hole and that’s what helped me to post a good score.”

The 18-year-old Morita-WanyaoLu is Chinese-Japanese – Haruka Morita is her Japanese name and Wanyao Lu her Chinese name. She plays under the Chinese flag because she can’t become a naturalized Japanese citizen until age 21 even though she was born in Japan and her first language is Japanese.

“There’s a lot of people who are going to be very happy back home,” said Morita-WanyaoLu, the 2013 Japan Women’s Amateur champion.

James, the Chico’s Patty Berg Memorial winner last month in Florida, birdied the final hole of regulation for a 67.

“I definitely grinded really hard,” said James, the former North Carolina State player from Bath, Ontario. “It was a huge battle between a bunch of us out there. I can take away the fact that it’s out there for me, another win, and I’m working hard and grinding hard to get those.”

Morita-WanyaoLu earned $16,500 to jump from 24th to seventh on the money list with $27,353. James made $10,102 to move from sixth to second with $34,387. The final top 10 will earn 2016 LPGA Tour cards.

Rachel Rohanna was third at 11 under, also after a 67.

Chilly overnight temperatures delayed starting times this morning at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club for the second round of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship in Dorchester, Ont. Alyssa Getty and Nicholas Brisebois did not let the later start slow their paces as both matched their first round tallies to claim the lead.

Alyssa Getty shot a 3-over-par 74 to climb into first place in the Junior Girls division. The Ruthven, Ont., native took advantage of the par fives today, birdieing both the 2nd and 14th holes. Her identical first and second rounds have her at 6-over par. Opening round leader Selena Costabile remains within striking distance, back by just a single shot. After a tough start on the front nine, the Thornhill Ont., product settled down to shoot even par on the back nine to finish with a round of 78.

Four shots back is Team Canada Development Squad member Grace St-Germain. The Ottawa native sits in a three-way tie for third place with Annika Haynes of Oakville, Ont., and Hannah Lee of Surrey, B.C.

With back-to-back rounds of 69, Nicholas Brisebois finds himself in sole possession of the lead in the Junior Boys division. A trio of birdies down the stretch has the Ottawa native at 4-under par for the tournament – two shots clear of L’Île-Perrot, Que., native Sun Kim. Brendan Seys carded an even par round to finish alone in third.

The battle for fourth features seven players, including Tony Gil from Vaughan, Ont., who notched six birdies en route to a 1-under-par 70. He currently sits at even par for the tournament alongside Development Squad teammate Trevor Ranton of Waterloo, Ont. Fellow National Squad member Étienne Papineau from St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que., completed the round at even par to move into a share of 22^nd place.

From August 3-6, the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will be hosted by Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que. Earning entry into this competition will be the top six finishers in the Junior Boys division of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship.

The 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be played August 4-7 at Deer Park Municipal Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., with the top six finishers from the CN Future Links Ontario Championship earning exemptions into the event. In addition, each of the six CN Future Links Champions from this season will receive an exemption into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event.

The final round of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship will begin tomorrow at 7:30 a.m. EDT with the final group on the tee at 12:50 p.m. EDT.

Full second round results and final day pairings are available here.

FORT WORTH, Texas – The last time Kevin Na took the lead into the final round of a tournament, he faltered badly.

For Ian Poulter, though he laughs about it, there is that anonymous survey of PGA Tour players done by Sports Illustrated where he and Rickie Fowler tied as the most overrated player on tour.

Na and Poulter both have a chance to change perceptions at Colonial.

With a birdie on the 17th hole Saturday, after the pair played from almost the same spot, Na regained the outright lead for a one-stroke advantage over Poulter going into the final round at a very damp Hogan’s Alley.

“When it comes to crunch time, you’ve got to trust your stroke and just stay in the moment,” Na said when asked about a chance for his second PGA Tour victory Sunday.

At The Players Championship three years ago, Na led after 54 holes before closing with a 76. He shared the second-round leading there this month before Fowler’s victory that Poulter eluded to this week.

“Rickie went out there and obviously made amends,” Poulter said, referring to the SI survey.

Na shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday, a round that included a couple of bogeys, to reach 11-under 199. Poulter had a 68.

Poulter made a 30-foot birdie putt on No. 7 for a share of the lead at 10 under. He was still part of the lead after a sand save at No. 9, where he blasted to 6 feet from a bunker to save par.

But he dropped out of a lead after starting the back nine with a four-putt double bogey from 16 feet at No. 10. A 3-footer on his third putt doing a U-turn around the cup without going in, though he got one of those strokes back with a 6-foot birdie putt at the 635-yard 11th.

Poulter got even again with a 32-foot birdie putt at No. 15, the same hole Na two-putted from 6 feet after his approach missed the green.

“Pleased with how I played, just a little mishap there on 10,” Poulter said. “It didn’t break, and then a few more putts it took to get in the hole.”

With their golf balls close to each other on the 17th green, Poulter had a 15-foot birdie try that slid by the hole. But Na then made his 14-footer after watching no break in Poulter’s putt.

“I trusted my read, a little outside right and it turned nicely into the hole,” Na said. “It was nice because I was under par going into the last hole.”

With the leaders teeing off at 9:10 a.m., and playing in threesomes instead of the normal weekend twosomes, play was completed about 2 p.m. Saturday. That was about 3 1/2 hours earlier than usual for a weekend round for Colonial leaders.

PGA Tour officials moved up play because of the threat of severe afternoon storms. There were overcast and muggy conditions, with some light rain but no delays. Heavy rain was forecast overnight and into Sunday, with plans again for threesomes and early tee times off both Nos. 1 and 10 for the final round.

Charley Hoffman has third at 9 under after a 66. Chris Kirk, a two-time PGA Tour winner last season, had a 65 for the best round of the day and was tied for fourth at 8 under with Brandt Snedeker (66).

Defending champion Adam Scott carded his second consecutive 66 since an opening 72. He was tied for 10th at 6 under in a group that included Jordan Spieth, the 21-year-old Masters champion from Dallas playing the first of consecutive weeks at home in North Texas.

Spieth, the first-round co-leader after a 64, followed his second-round 73 with a 67.

George McNeill got off to a fast start, with four birdies on the first six holes, matching Na at 10 under after the second-round leader had already given back the stroke he earned with his 16-foot birdie putt at No. 3.

Na had a bogey at No. 5, the par 4 along the Trinity River that is the hardest hole on the course. Na hit a tee shot into the hazard and had to take a penalty drop.

McNeill, playing in the group directly ahead of Na, rolled in a 16-foot birdie putt at No. 5 and an 11-footer at No. 6 to get to 10 under. But McNeill hit his drive at No. 12 into the rough and wound up with the first of three bogeys in five holes. He was 7 under after a 69.

Canadian Nick Taylor shot a round of 68 today. Joining him in a tie for tenth place is Adam Hadwin with a round of 69.

At T17 is Graham DeLaet with a round of 67 and David Hearn carded a round of 69, sitting T62.

FRENCH LICK, Ind. – Colin Montgomerie was long considered one of the best players in golf who had never won a major championship.

As a senior, he has said no more.

Montgomerie shot a 2-under 70 on Saturday on The Pete Dye Course at French Lick Resort to take a three-shot lead into the final round of the Senior PGA Championship.

At 5-under 211, the 51-year-old Scot was in position to win his third senior major championship in a year. He won the Senior PGA last year at Harbor Shores in Michigan, and took the U.S. Senior Open in July in Oklahoma.

“It was frustrating to come to these championships and walk off with the runner-ups’ medal,” Montgomerie said. “I’ve done that five times. You try your damnedest and you come up a shot light.

“I’m more relaxed now. I’m more relaxed than I was. My temperament is more consistent and I think that’s helping. I’m enjoying it, I really am. I’m a great believer that if you enjoy something, you’re usually quite good at it.”

Bernhard Langer, a four-time winner in senior majors, was second after a 68. He eagled the 415-yard, par-4 eighth hole and closed with consecutive birdies after a bogey at the par-5 16th.

Montgomerie and Langer will play in the final twosome Sunday, just like they did last year at Harbor Shores, when Montgomerie shot a 65 and won by four.

Scott Verplank, Esteban Toledo and Brian Henninger were tied for third at 1 under. Verplank shot 70, Toledo 73, and Henninger 74.

Henninger made a triple bogey on the 16th to drop out of a share of the lead. His second shot on the 539-yard hole darted right, into deep, deep rough and he had to declare his ball lost.

Second-round leader Tom Lehman had a 79 to drop into a tie for 13th at 2 over.

“I just didn’t make them,” said Lehman, who had three three-putts and 34 putts in all.

Langer was fortified by his birdie-birdie finish, but he wondered what might have been after hitting a wedge from 80 yards over the green at 16 and making bogey and missing a couple short putts.

“I had two of the worst lip-outs ever in my life,” Langer said. “On No. 3, I hit a putt that went in on the left, went all the way around and came back out this way. So it went 460 degrees.”

Thirty of the 76 players who made the cut shot par or better on a sunny Saturday with a tricky wind. Eleven players go into the final round within six shots of Montgomerie.

“I am where I am. I would rather be leading by eight, but I’m not,” said one of them, Verplank, who has struggled with injuries over his two Champions Tour seasons.

Verplank and the rest can by comforted by the severity of the Course. Things can happen fast on it. They happened fast Saturday.

Langer holed a 7-iron from 162 yards for his eagle at No. 8.

A few minutes later and a few groups behind, Lehman three-putted No. 6 for a bogey. One group ahead, Toledo half-shanked his tee shot into the pond alongside the par-3 seventh green and made double bogey. Then Lehman missed the green at No. 7 and made another bogey.

Suddenly, Langer, Lehman, Toledo and Montgomerie were tied for the lead at 2 under. Anything can happen on a course as severe as Dye’s treeless, windswept hilltop monster.

“There’s a potential double around every corner here,” said Montgomerie, who had a lone bogey Saturday. “Long day ahead tomorrow. There’s a seven-mile walk, and the emotions will go up and down like a roller coaster.”