Defending champion Brooke Henderson shoots an electrifying 29 on the back nine to put the pressure on the leaders heading into Sunday at the CP Women’s Open.

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AURORA, Ont. – Watching Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Lorie Kane work the crowd at the CP Women’s Open, you’d have no idea she was coming off one of the worst performances of her pro career.

Kane was all smiles as she chatted with fans, shot promotional videos and watched some of the third-round action by a CP mini-train set up by the 12th tee at Magna Golf Club.

She struggled mightily in her record 29th career appearance at the tournament with an 87-80 scoreline that left her last in the 153-player field at 23-over-par 167.

“This is a humbling game,” Kane said. “It can take everything you’ve got and beat you up bad. But then you know, I get to come back, I have the fan support. That’s the part that I’m still amazed at – that people care.”

One of the most personable and engaging athletes going, Kane is a beloved figure in the Canadian golf community. She feels the support from fans at every turn when she plays in this annual tournament.

Kane said she still has the drive to test herself against the best players on the LPGA Tour and also enjoys giving back in her role as ambassador for the CP Has Heart community investment program.

“I’m probably on the back nine of playing regularly,” Kane said. “My relationship and my partnership with CP is extremely important to me. I’m hoping that I can continue to help them grow the heart health campaign and be a part of the CP Women’s Open until I probably don’t want to play.

“But next year, going to Shaughnessy (in Vancouver), is huge.”

Kane, a four-time winner on the LPGA Tour, plays a part-time competitive schedule that includes some Legends Tour stops. Despite the limited action, she was still surprised at her first-round struggles.

“I knew that I was going to be up against it a little bit,” she said. “I haven’t had many tournament rounds under my belt to date. I had an injury this past winter that stopped me from going down to Australia. I normally play six to eight weeks down there.

“I had low expectations but by no means did I think I would stumble like I did on Thursday.”

Kane went eight holes in a row with either a bogey or double-bogey in her opening round. She scored better on Friday despite hitting only five of 18 greens in regulation.

“It’s been a while since I’ve made it to the weekend,” she said. “I think the biggest thing for me is I don’t want to feel like I’m playing ceremonial golf because if I do that, then I’m taking up a spot. I want to be competitive and I want to give my best.

“Not only for myself but for Canadian Pacific because without the railway, women’s golf wouldn’t be where it is in this country.”

Kane, 54, is hoping to get more competitive rounds under her belt as she prepares for the Senior LPGA Championship in mid-October. She’ll likely play next week at the Cambia Portland Classic and also has pro-am and team events on her upcoming schedule.

“There’s golf being played and there’s competitive golf being played,” Kane said. “And I’ll tell you, the senior ladies are as competitive today as they (ever) were. Pat Bradley is stalking putts like she’s going to win the US Open. So the competition is fun.”

Kane has been the low Canadian at this tournament on nine occasions – eight outright and one tie – with her best result coming in 2001 with a third-place tie. It’s likely that she will receive exemptions to participate in the CP Women’s Open for as long as she wants to continue playing at the event.

Kane has 99 career top-10 finishes and has earned US$6.95 million since turning pro in 1993. She previously shared the tournament’s all-time appearance record with JoAnne Carner.

“I think if you ask any athlete, we’re always thinking forward,” Kane said. “We never go back, because you’re supposed to be living in the moment. I have revisited my accomplishments in my own little way and I’m proud of myself.

“But I’m also annoyed with myself that I can have days like I had on Thursday and even yesterday. I did clean some stuff up but still didn’t have my best. (But) yeah, I’m proud of what I’ve done.”

Learn about Titleist Golf Ball Education at the CP Women’s Open.

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ATLANTA – A storm delay at the Tour Championship slowed the momentum of Brooks Koepka and Justin Thomas, right when they were starting to pull ahead in the chase for the $15 million FedEx Cup.

The final hour Friday showed how quickly it can change – and for Rory McIlroy, why no one is holding back in the season finale.

Koepka didn’t make a birdie on the back nine until the par-5 18th when he hit 5-iron from 239 yards to 8 feet behind the hole. He had to settle for a two-putt birdie, a 3-under 67 and a one-shot lead. Because he started the tournament at 7-under par as the No. 3 seed, he was at 13 under going to the weekend.

“The lead is always nice, so I’ll take that,” Koepka said. “The rain delay kind of killed any momentum I had. I didn’t feel like I had any good golf shots after the rain delay, but that’s part of golf. Everybody’s got to deal with the same thing.”

He was one shot ahead of Justin Thomas, who played his final 10 holes in 1 over for a 68, and McIlroy, who had a birdie-birdie finish.

And just not any birdie.

McIlroy, who trailed by four shots early on the back nine, sent his drive on the 18th hole so far to the right it brought the out-of-bounds practice range into play. He was fortunate to have his ball in dirt under a pine tree, leaving him 242 yards away. McIlroy decided to choke up on a 5-wood and slice it around a tree some 50 yards in front of him, then over the water and near the green.

It came out perfectly, landing in a tiny strip of grass behind bunkers. He got up-and-down for a 67 and was right where he needed to be.

“I felt comfortable doing it,” McIlroy said.

Xander Schauffele also made a late surge with a birdie-eagle finish, holing a 25-foot putt on the par-5 18th for a 69. He was two shots behind. Paul Casey had a 67 and was four shots behind at 9 under.

Giving McIlroy good vibes going into the weekend was the score no one sees. McIlroy and Casey are at 7-under 133 over two days, the best 36-hole score in the 30-man field. So he figures he’s doing something right with his game.

The scoring for the FedEx Cup underwent a radical change this year, with players in the highest position in the FedEx Cup getting a head start in relation to par. Thomas is the No. 1 seed and started at 10 under before a shot was even hit. Koepka began at 7 under, McIlroy started at 5 under and Schauffele was at 4 under.

The lowest score to par wins the FedEx Cup and its $15 million bonus.

McIlroy didn’t want to waste any chances, and all he saw from the woods was opportunity.

“I had a little gap,” he said. “Whenever you’re on my side of the tree, you could see what’s on the right-hand side. I obviously curved it a lot. I thought that if I flushed a 5-wood, it might be too long. So I really gripped down on it. In hindsight, I wish I hadn’t – might have got on the green.

“Made 4 off a bad tee shot, so I’m not complaining.”

Koepka ran off three straight birdies late on the front nine to tie Thomas for the lead, and then never got back on track after players returned to the range and headed back to the course. He missed the green from the 13th fairway and made bogey. He had to scramble for par from short of the 14th green, and behind the 17th green. But his tee shot found the 18th fairway, setting up the birdie he needed.

Thomas, who began the tournament with a two-shot lead and was tied at the top after his opening 70, quickly got his game back in order and went out in 32, tied with Koepka.

“It would be hard for me to say that it didn’t kind of stop my momentum because I was playing really flawlessly that front nine,” Thomas said. “The course was playing a little different after that delay. … For as much as I feel like I scored well on the front nine, just nothing got going on the back nine.”

He’s still one shot behind, and finally he has a leaderboard that makes sense to him.

Thomas said it was strange for him to see 10 under next to his name as he was starting out Thursday, and that he had a two-shot lead before hitting a shot.

“Today definitely felt more normal,” he said. “It felt like I was just trying to build a lead as opposed to yesterday.”

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., the lone Canadian in the field, shot 71 and sits 15th at 2 under.

Koepka will play in the final group with Thomas, the last two to win PGA Tour player of the year. McIlroy and Thomas have won the FedEx Cup two of the last three years. Schauffele won the Tour Championship two years ago and has yet to have a round over par in his 10 trips around East Lake.

Halfway through, and the FedEx Cup finale is really just getting started.

Whipping up a cookie chat with TSN Sports anchor Natasha Staniszewsi, talking about the strength of women’s sport in Canada

AURORA, Ont. – Just four years ago, Canadian amateur Michelle Liu was leaning on the ropes at the CP Women’s Open to ask LPGA Tour professionals for autographs.

This week at Magna Golf Club it was the 12-year-old Liu who was thrilling fans with her signature.

After carding a 10-over-par 82 on Friday, Liu spent 15 minutes signing mementoes and taking pictures with spectators after becoming the youngest golfer to play in the national Open championship.

“It’s so surreal to see her playing with the same people who once signed her hat,” said older sister Lucy Liu.

After taking up golf at age six, Michelle Liu quickly discovered a passion for the game.

She was also a quick study. Working with coach Rob Houlding, Liu developed a well-rounded skillset and results soon followed.

The Vancouver youngster has become a regular winner of events in her age category and can hold her own with junior players late in their teenage years.

When Liu finished as the top Canadian at the recent national women’s amateur championship, she booked her ticket for this year’s CP Women’s Open.

Expectations were naturally modest and her 19-over-par 163 total was well off the weekend cutline. But the scoreline wasn’t really important.

Liu got to experience everything that comes with participating in a tournament featuring most of the sport’s top players.

Her list of firsts was a long one.

Hearing her name called out on the first tee at an LPGA Tour stop. Her first news conference, first birdie at a pro event, and first walk up the 18th fairway in front of an adoring crowd.

There was even a little facetime on the Golf Channel on Friday morning. Not bad for someone who has yet to start the eighth grade.

“I definitely feel pretty good,” Liu said. “It definitely makes me feel proud about myself. Even if I’m not playing at the best of my ability, I still feel like I played a pretty good round and I’m pretty happy.”

As play continued Friday afternoon, only a few of the 15 Canadians in the field were expected to qualify for weekend play.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., shot 3-under 69 Friday and was near the top of the leaderboard at 9 under. Anne-Catherine Tanguay of Quebec City was also in good shape at 4-under 140 after a 74.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton and Megan Osland of Kelowna, B.C., were hovering near the projected cut of even par late in their respective rounds.

Lower down the leaderboard were Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Valerie Tanguay of Saint-Hyacinthe, Que., Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C., Emily Zhu of Richmond Hill, Ont., Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., Casey Ward of Picton, Ont., Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame-de-L’Ile-Perrot, Que., and Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane.

The emotional swings ran the gamut for Liu over her 36 holes.

Some tears were shed after she opened with an 81. But her bright smile returned early Friday after she hit it long and straight to kick off her second round.

Before hitting, Liu squats down near the blocks and uses both hands to set the ball on the tee.

She then coils her slight five-foot, 95-pound frame and unloads. Her impressive ball-striking form drew ooh’s and ahh’s from the few dozen supporters who followed her around the course.

Liu birdied the par-3 13th hole and had six bogeys and two double-bogeys on her first trip around the 6,709-yard track. She started bogey/double-bogey Friday before settling in for a round that included nine pars and six more bogeys.

Playing partners Austin Ernst and Jennifer Kupcho were able to reach par-5s in two. Liu, who normally plays courses about 1,000 yards shorter, couldn’t match their length and instead tried to set up for birdie putts rather than eagle attempts.

Her short game was steady and composure was remarkable for a pre-teen player competing on this stage for the first time.

“She’s very focused, very level-headed,” said Lucy, who’s entering her junior season at Yale University. “She’s not a player who’s easily intimidated either by the field or by the course itself. I feel like that has always been very crucial to her success.”

Houlding was on the bag for Liu this week and said the takeaways were numerous.

“I think it’ll take a few days to digest,” he said. “The biggest thing is that she’s seeing how some of the best players play. She can gauge her performance against theirs and get some reference on what she’s working towards.”

Lucy Liu, who’s seven years older than her sister, remembered her younger days when Michelle would follow her around the course.

Her sister’s work ethic and drive were noticeable from the start.

“It was very, very self-driven,” Lucy said. “She’s a hard-working, persevering 12-year-old. It wasn’t so much I had to encourage her to go to practice. She was there earlier than I was and staying later than I was. So honestly, I’ve been inspired by her.”

The differences of competing at an LPGA Tour stop are significant for non-regulars but can also be subtle. Amateurs can sometimes feel the gentle pressure of keeping pace with pros in their group who are competing for paycheques.

Liu was attentive to her surroundings and seemed to enjoy herself. She didn’t seem out of place at all.

“I love being able to play in a tournament like this because I feel like there is so much support … I just really enjoyed it,” she said.

Like Michelle, Lucy also attended the 2015 tournament at the Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C. She served as a volunteer, helping to operate the large scoreboard on the 18th hole.

In high school at the time, Lucy said Michelle helped motivate her to keep working on her game.

“Sometimes after school I’d be like, ‘I am too lazy,”’ Lucy recalled. “But she was like, ‘We’ve got to go (practise). We’ve got to go right now.’

“So I’m really grateful to her for that.”

Michelle’s mother, father and grandmother were also on hand to watch the second round. It was an experience the family won’t soon forget.

“I think it’s really shown her that professional golf is possible,” Lucy said. “It’s something that she can actually pursue if she’s passionate enough about it.”

Former Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion Jennifer Kupcho on winning big and what the Augusta National Women’s Amateur exemption means going forward.

ATLANTA – Xander Schauffele was six shots behind before he ever hit a shot Thursday in the new scoring format for the Tour Championship. His goal was to keep his head down, play good golf and see where he stood to par at the end of two days.

The TV cameras following his every move on the back nine at East Lake were the first hint it was going well.

A leaderboard on the 18th green confirmed it.

“I saw I was in first,” he said. “Happy with the day.”

Schauffele didn’t come seriously close to a bogey in a 6-under 64 that was the best score of the opening round by two shots. It was only worth a share of the lead with Justin Thomas and Brooks Koepka in a Tour Championship where players started with better scores to par than others depending on their place in the FedEx Cup.

Thomas, who started at 10-under par and a two-shot lead as the No. 1 seed, still led despite having trouble finding the fairway. That was the least of his problems on the back nine. He hit pitching wedge into the water for double bogey and missed a pair of 3-foot putts for a 70.

Instead of being six shots behind Schauffele, who started at 4 under as the No. 8 seed, Thomas was tied for the lead. Koepka, the No. 3 seed who started three shots behind, birdied three of his last four holes for a 67 to join them at 10 under.

“It’s weird on Thursday to be three back after a couple of holes,” Koepka said of the start. “It’s nice to close that gap on Day 1.”

Canadian Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) posted a 2-under 68 to sit tied for 15th.

Rory McIlroy, five shots behind at the start as the No. 5 seed, had a 66 and was one shot behind at 9 under going into the second round.

Over the next three days, it should look and feel like a normal tournament.

The score to par is all that matters in deciding who wins the FedEx Cup and the $15 million prize. And after one day, it was setting up to be a shootout. The top five players were separated by five shots at the start, and that number was at 12 players by the end of the day.

That included Paul Casey, who felt a new kind of anticipation for a Thursday.

“After five holes, I wanted to see scores. I never usually care about what’s going on after five holes,” said Paul Casey, who shot 66. He started eight shots behind as the No. 16 seed and cut that margin in half after one round.

The concern was that Thomas, who won last week at Medinah, might post another low score and build a huge lead.

It didn’t work out that way.

“We’ve got a golf event now,” Casey said. “This is kind of cool. Looks like it’s working.”

There were a few other moments that indicated this Thursday was different from all others in golf.

Thomas made the turn at 1 under, and as the walking scorer brought the sign across the road and onto the 10th tee, one fans was shocked to see him at 11 under until he said, “That’s right – he started at 10 under.”

Schauffele was at 10 under when he approached the 18th green to face a 6-foot birdie putt.

“I had a putt for 59 on the last hole,” he said with a smile. “That’s what (Matt) Kuchar told me. I looked at him the same way. Got it.”

Patrick Cantlay, the No. 2 seed who began two shots behind, shared the lead briefly until two bogeys over the last five holes for a 70. It wasn’t a good day, yet he still was only two shots behind.

Thomas missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 12. On the par-3 15th, which played 60 yards shorter than usual, his wedge was right all the way and found the water. And on the 17th, he hit wedge to 3 feet only to see his birdie putt spin 270 degrees around and out of the cup.

He salvaged the day with a good drive – only his sixth fairway of the round – that set up a two-putt birdie.

“It’s fine,” Thomas said. “I’m tied for the lead.”

Schauffele won the Tour Championship two years ago in a situation that led to this change in format. FedEx Cup points accrued during the regular season and quadrupled in the post-season were reset to give everyone a chance. The top five players only had to win the tournament to capture the FedEx Cup, and odds of winning the bonus were higher as the position in the standings got lower.

Schauffele, a rookie in 2017, was the No. 26 seed when he won the tournament. The FedEx Cup went to Thomas, who was the No. 2 seed and finished one shot behind.

There were two winners that day and mixed emotions. Thomas had never been so irritated winning $10 million.

Now, the reward for a good season and two playoff events is a lower score under par to start the Tour Championship, and the lowest score to par at the end of the week wins $15 million.

“I think everyone needed help from J.T.,” said Schauffele, a phrase usually only heard going into the final round, not on a Thursday. “If J.T. went out and shot a pair of 65s, I don’t think the tour would be very happy and I don’t think the rest of the field would be happy.

“But it looks to be a good tournament so far.”