PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Bill Haas took a swing tip from his father on Tuesday and converted into a 54-hole lead at the Valspar Championship.

Haas atoned for a three-putt bogey on the 13th by chipping in for birdie from behind the 15th green on his way to a 4-under 67 on Saturday at Innisbrook, giving him a one-shot lead over Graham DeLaet of Canada going into the final round.

Jay Haas, a nine-time PGA Tour winner and the Presidents Cup captain the last two times, had a week off from the PGA Tour Champions and spent three days with his son. It was on the par-5 fifth hole during a practice round that the father suggested Haas use a more abbreviated follow on his swing to get his hands moving fasters.

It seems to have worked.

On a Copperhead course that has yet to yield a round lower than 66, Haas put together his second straight 67 to reach 8-under 205.

DeLaet, who is now sporting a beard that would make Old Tom Morris proud, pounded a shot out of the rough and over the water to 3 feet on the par-5 14th for an eagle that shot him up the leaderboard, and he finished with a 68 to get into the last group.

“It’s tough to win out here and I know that,” said the Weyburn, Sask., native. “Got a good opportunity tomorrow and I just need to play good golf and should have a chance.”

It’s still up in the grabs on Sunday because of the nature of Innisbrook, which takes shots away more often than it gives up birdies. Six players were within four shots of the lead, and even Jordan Spieth believes he is still in the mix.

Spieth, who opened his title defence with a 76, made the cut with one shot to spare on Friday and moved into a tie for ninth on Saturday with a bogey-free 67 in which he holed a long eagle putt and made a pair of key par saves coming in.

“To think after the first round that I go Saturday night be able to sleep with a chance to win the golf tournament, I’m very pleased with that,” Spieth said.

Charley Hoffman (67) and Ryan Moore (69) were three shots behind.

Charles Howell III holed a bunker shot for birdie on No. 12 only to three-putt from 70 feet on the closing hole for a 70. He was four shots behind, though still has a reasonable chance to win and earn a return to the Masters, which motivates the Augusta, Georgia, native this time of the year.

He was amazed to still be this close to the lead.

“This course continues to surprise me in that it just doesn’t give up good scores,” Howell said. “What am I? Tied for fifth? I would have thought the lead would be 10 or 12 under, and more than one guy there. But maybe that’s just me getting my head beat in.”

Steve Stricker, who shared the 36-hole lead with Will MacKenzie, didn’t make another birdie after the fifth hole and had to settle for a 72. He also was 4-under 209, along with Patrick Reed (68), whom Spieth beat in a playoff last year at Innisbrook.

In the group with Spieth was Lee McCoy, the Georgia senior who ran off five straight birdies around the turn and was headed for a rare low score at Innisbrook until he put his tee shot in the water on the 16th and took double bogey. He still shot a 66 and was six shots behind, and he gets to play the final round with Spieth.

Spieth is the defending champion. McCoy knows the course even better. He grew up near Innisbrook, describing his house as a par 5 away from the course. He played Saturday with Gary Woodland, and McCoy told him that he was in the gallery when Woodland won five years ago.

They will be chasing Haas, who is coming off a big moment in his career last October when he won the decisive point in the Presidents Cup with his father as captain. It hasn’t carried over, at least not yet. Haas has a pair of top 10s this year, though he has not seriously contended.

“Half of it is these guys are really good,” Haas said. “I’m trying to beat some really good players and they’re beating me right now. I just haven’t been sharp. When the Presidents Cup was won, being in the last match and handling some pressure, that was a great stepping stone for me. Hopefully, it will lead to better things. But I’ve still got to play well tomorrow.”

Southampton, Bermuda — Rafael Becker looks like a guy who has it all figured out. He’s young, well spoken, polite and his talent on the golf course is world class.

But once you start to peel back the layers, you realize the 24-year-old from Sao Paulo, Brazil is actually a lot more like many his age who are just trying to find out what actually defines them as a person.

Becker admitted he hasn’t been having fun on the golf course the last couple years. But, on this warm Saturday afternoon in Bermuda, he could finally let his guard down and smile again after winning the Grey Goose World Par 3 Championship.

“I’ll be very honest with you; the last couple years have been tough and I haven’t been having very much fun playing golf,” said the former three-time Brazilian amateur winner. “Part of the reason I came to Bermuda this week was to chill out, enjoy this island paradise and try and find a little bit of myself again.”

Becker’s two-day total of 4-under-par, 104 at the Fairmont Southampton’s Turtle Hill Golf Club was one shot better than European golfing great Barry Lane and two shots better than Americans Zack Byrd, Charlie Winegardner and Bermudian favourite Michael Sims.

With the win, Becker netted a first place payout of $10,000 (USD).

“I haven’t won in a while, so it was nice to get out there this afternoon and get the adrenalin going again because I really like that feeling,” Becker said. “Financially this win is going to help me a lot because it’s expensive to travel around the world chasing golf tournaments.”

This week was Becker’s maiden voyage to the island of Bermuda and he said he’ll definitely be coming back again to the place he described as paradise thanks to it’s gorgeous scenery and friendly locals.

“From the moment I arrived at the airport I’ve felt very welcomed,” Becker said. “It’s said that Brazilian people are really warm and welcoming, but Bermudians might be even more so.”

In addition to the professionals in the championship, the 150-player field is rounded out by an impressive list of amateur golfers—from Bermuda, the United States, Canada and Europe—vying for titles in the men’s, women’s and senior amateur divisions.

Canadian TJ Rule captured the men’s amateur title with a two-day total of even-par, 108, 9-shots better than Bermudian Mark Phillips. Bermuda native Ebonie Burgess won the women’s amateur division, while Craig Christensen won the senior men’s division.

HUA HIN, Thailand (AP) – Scott Hend of Australia shot a 70 to retain the lead after the third round of the Thailand Classic on the par-72 Black Mountain Golf Course.

The 43-year-old Hend produced five birdies for a three day total of 14 under-par 202 to take a two-shot advantage Saturday over Peter Uihlein of the United States.

“I knew it was going to be a tough day, very windy so I’m very pleased,” said Hend, in search of his eight Asian Tour title. “It’s not very often you get a chance to lead a tournament on a Saturday night, let alone on a Sunday.”

Uihlein, the first-round leader, shot four birdies for a 69 and 12-under-par 204.

Belgium’s Thomas Pieters scored the lowest round, a bogey-free 66 for a three-day total of 205 to share third place with Sweden’s Pelle Edberg.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Canada’s Graham DeLaet fired a 5-under par 66 Friday to climb 43 spots up the leaderboard at the Valspar Championship. DeLaet is 4-under par and has a share of third.

Jordan Spieth holed three shots from off the green and made the cut with one shot to spare.

Now DeLaet and Spieth have to figure out how to catch up to Steve Stricker and Will MacKenzie.

Stricker, playing for only the fifth time this year, holed out from the 10th fairway for eagle and made a 60-foot birdie putt across the fourth green for a 5-under 66 that gave him a share of the lead with MacKenzie, who had a 67.

They were at 5-under 137, one shot ahead of DeLaet (66), Bill Haas (67)  and Daniel Berger (68).

Spieth is just happy to be joining them. He opened with a 76 and was in danger of missing the cut, especially when the wind began to pick up just as he was starting his second round on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

And then he hooked his tee shot on the par-5 opening hole into a bush, had to take a penalty shot and made bogey on the easiest hole on the course.

“I’m walking off that green going, ‘Oh, boy. We can either somehow flip this one around today or … I don’t want that to be the key of me not being able to be here for the weekend.’ I thought it was really strong what we did after that,” he said.

Nearly five hours later, after he nearly holed a bunker shot on the 17th to save par, Spieth exhaled on the 18th tee and said with a smile, “This was grinding today. I’ve got some good stuff coming on the weekend.”

He wound up with a 68 and was at 2-over 144 to make the cut by one shot. That’s all he was thinking about until he chipped in from behind the green on the 15th for a birdie, and his tee shot on the 16th narrowly cleared the water.

It was hard work, and there is plenty left.

More than just trying to make up seven shots on the weekend, he had 42 players in front of him.

Stricker began to cut back on his schedule a few years ago, and he had back surgery at the end of 2014 that limited his playing even more. But the strength is starting to return to the 49-year-old with the pure putting stroke, and he has looked solid for two days.

Stricker was tied for the lead early on Thursday until three straight bogeys late in his round. This time, he took the eagle and keep running, adding a short birdie putt on the par-5 14th and a 10-foot birdie on the 16th hole to catch MacKenzie.

“There are times I escaped with a few good breaks,” Stricker said. “Holing out on 10, you don’t expect to do that. And that putt at No. 4 was going pretty quick, and that ended up going in. So some things evidently went my way. I’m starting to play a little better. Definitely putting better. And slowly, things are coming together.”

The large group at 3-under 139 included Justin Thomas, who hit a sharp slice to escape the trees on his first hole of the day (No. 10) and turned potential bogey into birdie on his way to a 67. Also at 139 were Augusta, Georgia, native Scott Brown (69), who has yet to play the Masters; past champion Retief Goosen and Charles Howell III, another Augusta native who had a 72.

Only eight shots separated the top and bottom of the leaderboard, leaving the weekend wide open.

Among those missing the cut were Keegan Bradley, who followed his 67 with a 79. The five other Canadians in the field also failed to advance to the weekend.

HUA HIN, Thailand – Scott Hend took a share of the lead alongside Pelle Edberg by shooting an 8-under 64 Friday in the second round of the Thailand Classic.

The Australian, who was the runner-up last year, is tied with Edberg at 12-under 132 overall. He had six birdies and an eagle at the Black Mountain Golf Course

“It’s good to get into position once again for the weekend,” Hend said. “We’ll see what happens.”

Edberg (67) carded seven birdies and two bogeys.

Panuphol Pittayarat (65) was a stroke behind in third, while first-round leader Peter Uihlein (71) is three shots off the lead.

Defending champion Andrew Dodt shot a second straight 73, failing to the make the cut at 142.

Canada’s Richard T. Lee also missed the 36-hole cut. He shot 74-74 to finish at 148 (+4).

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Charles Howell III saw a news blurb that the Masters is a month away, and the Augusta native played Thursday like he wants to be there.

In strong gusts that didn’t subside until the final few hours of daylight, Howell played bogey-free and picked up two big birdies on his way to a 4-under 67 and a share of the lead with Keegan Bradley and Ken Duke in the Valspar Championship.

“I was impressed I got away with no bogeys,” Howell said. “It was nice to get off to a good start here on a place like this. I’m not sure what the rest of the week will hold, but to actually play a nice round on a tough golf course is good for my confidence.”

Jordan Spieth wasn’t sure what to make of his day.

The defending champion had to get up-and-down to save bogey four times on his opening seven holes, and he never recovered. Spieth made only one birdie, played the final 11 holes with 10 pars and a bogey and wound up with a 76. He was nine shots behind and in danger of missing the cut for the second time in three tournaments.

“I got off to a poor start and I was behind the eight ball with gusty winds on a tough golf course,” Spieth said.

Duke also played bogey-free and made birdies on the two par 3s on the back nine that were into the wind and over the water. Bradley was the only player to reach 5 under on a day that featured 25 mph gusts, which seem stronger because the Copperhead course at Innisbrook is demanding in no wind at all.

Howell was in the penultimate group, and the wind laid down for most of the back nine. His play was solid throughout, however, particularly the 4-iron into a left pin that settled a foot from the cup on the par-3 eighth. He picked up another bonus birdie on the par-5 11th with a 45-foot putt.

Howell, perhaps more than any other player from the Augusta area, is linked to the Masters.

He hasn’t played the Masters since he tied for 19th in 2012, and Georgia is on his mind as the first major of the year gets closer.

“Always this time of the year, the Masters’ carrot looms,” Howell said. “When April comes around it has a different feel – at least for me – than the other majors. So when the Masters comes around and I’m not in it, then it’s a bit of a wake-up call or a kick in the rear to somehow make one last push to try to get in it.”

It’s not his desire alone, and Howell realizes that.

He was happy to see Augusta resident Vaughn Taylor qualify by winning at Pebble Beach, and Kevin Kisner (Aiken, South Carolina) qualify through a sensational 2015. He knows that the Masters means as much to Scott Brown (Aiken) as him.

“It’s not like it’s more special to me than anyone else. Everyone feels that way about it,” Howell said. “But yeah, it’s such a great event. It would be nice to somehow find a way to get there.”

Howell likely would have to win a tournament because he is No. 128 in the world, though he did consider one alternate route.

“I may send my application in for the Drive, Chip and Putt,” he said with a laugh. “Maybe I can find a spot in Tampa to try to qualify. Just to get on the grounds with golf clubs in my hands would be great.”

Bradley also needed a round like this. He has missed the cut in four of his five starts this year, and recently switched to a new swing coach. Bradley’s last victory was at Firestone in August 2012. He has fallen to No. 88 in the world.

“It’s been tough,” Bradley said. “It’s no fun playing poorly out here. I see all my buddies up there doing well and it feels not fun to feel like you’re on the outside looking in. So I’ve been working the hardest in my career.”

It was hard work at Innisbrook, especially in the morning when the wind was at its strongest and only four out of 72 players managed to break 70. Several players took advantage of calmer conditions late in the day.

Chesson Hadley was one shot behind with a 68.

Chez Reavie was bogey-free and joined Charley Hoffman and Greg Yates in the group at 69, while Martin Kaymer and Henrik Stenson were among those at 70.

Only two dozen players broke par, while five players failed to break 80.

“Just keep hanging on,” Howell said. “This golf course is so difficult and there’s trouble everywhere, and I don’t expect tomorrow to be a bogey-free day. Pars are good scores.”

Canadian scores:

MELBOURNE, Australia – Former British Open winner Ian Baker-Finch says the Olympic golf course in Rio de Janeiro has “come up nicely … grown in well” and that parts of the layout remind him of Royal Melbourne.

Baker-Finch, who will captain the Australian team in golf’s return to the Olympics, also said that despite earlier reports that Adam Scott wasn’t interested in playing, he expects the winner of the past two PGA Tour events to represent his country in August.

Nine Brazilians – five men and four women – played the Olympic course this week in a test event. The course is sandwiched between a sewage-polluted lagoon and luxury apartment towers in the western Rio neighbourhood known as Barra da Tijuca.

Baker-Finch says Scott and Jason Day are excited about playing there.

“Every time I see Jason Day, he says, ‘Finchy, I’m pumped, I’m pumped, I can’t wait’,” the 1991 British Open champion told Melbourne’s SEN radio station Thursday.

“I know there’s been a lot of talk about Adam, the way he started off this year, but he says, ‘Finchy, I play in the green and gold every week, you know that’ . and he’ll be playing his butt of when the time comes.”

Baker-Finch, who also said Minjee Lee and Karrie Webb – the likely Australian women’s team – were “champing at the bit” for their Olympic chance, said he’d only heard good reviews from the course’s test event, which was attended by Australian Olympic chef de mission Kitty Chiller.

“It was more about 18 months ago when they were unsure how it was going to grow in and finish up, but it’s all come up really nicely,” Baker-Finch said Thursday.

“But now . the course looks good, I’ve seen lots of photos and videos. The clubhouse is done (and) practice facilities look good. The course has grown in well. The last six months, that was their main concern, and it certainly looks pretty nice, right now.”

Baker-Finch said architect Gil Hanse tried to incorporate some traditional, deep bunkering into the new course which adds a “little Royal Melbourne” feel.

“The course will stand up,” Baker-Finch said. “It’ll be new and the greens won’t be as good as we’re used to on the (Melbourne) sandbelt because of its age, but the course itself will be really good. It has a little links style, an open look to the course, some wetlands and lovely-looking bunkering.”

Derek Ingram, Canada’s Men’s Team coach, and Tristan Mullally, Canada’s Women’s Coach, also visited the course for the test event. Mullally was also impressed.

This is a cool golf course, will play firm, fast and wind will play a HUGE factor @TheGolfCanada #dragonhomework pic.twitter.com/Q87bNwP4XA

— Tristan Mullally (@tmullallygolf) March 8, 2016

Qualification will be based on world ranking as of July 11, 2016 with a total of 60 players qualifying in each of the men’s and women’s events. The top 15 players of each gender will qualify, with a limit of four golfers per country that can qualify this way. The remaining spots will go the highest-ranked players from countries that do not already have two golfers qualified.

If the team was decided today, David Hearn, Graham DeLaet, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp would represent Canada.

In the mere 24 months Christopher Doyle has worked at Twitter Canada’s modern office in Toronto, he’s seen a lot.

A Canadian election, a bat-flip (heard ‘round the world), numerous award ceremonies and playoff runs, and last year, a partnership with Golf Canada and RBC at the Canadian Open, just to name a few.

“Fans can really get the most of their sports experience with Twitter,” states Doyle. “It’s such the platform for ‘live.’ When you’re following along with sports, you can have an equally amazing experience with Twitter.”

Christopher Doyle, Twitter’s Director of Media Partnerships

As Twitter Canada’s first-ever Head of Media Doyle works with some of Canada’s top brands and sporting events to “make the platform essential” and to make sure talent – whether it is individual athletes, networks, news outlets or sports teams, “maximize their use of the platform.”

Now more than ever – despite rumours of the networks’ demise – audience engagement through Twitter is important.

“I think it’s because it’s a very conversational platform and it can connect you instantly with others,” Doyle, who has also held communications gigs at both TSN and CBC, recently told CTV News.

At the RBC Canadian Open, Doyle brought the very popular Twitter mirror to Glen Abbey, where golfers like Bubba Watson and eventual champion Jason Day took pictures throughout the practice rounds, and after competition had completed from Thursday through Sunday.

“Fans were able to see some really entertaining shots,” says Doyle, “(Day) took an amazing selfie with fans in the background, and we got this really rich content that’s also personal. Fans can enjoy it even though they’re not on the course.”

Nice way to finish the round @JDayGolf #RBCCO #TeamRBC pic.twitter.com/M1TyEnMcej

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 25, 2015

That ability to feel like you’re really at a sporting event is key for the platform’s success, explains Doyle.

At the RBC Canadian Open, Doyle also installed Twitter TV – basically a television version of the handheld mirror – where fans could see all the tweets coming in from around the course, and also dress up in an official Canadian Open caddie outfit for a picture.

“Fans could easily share their experience,” says Doyle.

For Brian Decker, the media official for Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada, Twitter has been a huge priority.

“There’s a direct relationship with people who choose to follow you, so you speak to them and provide them with content a little differently than you would in other areas of marketing,” explains Decker. “When there’s a tournament going on or other messaging to share, seeing and reading that engagement in real time is an incredibly useful tool.”

And for the golfers that fans are used to seeing every week, Doyle says they already use Twitter very well.

“This young crop of amazing players is embracing Twitter. They’ve grown up with it and it’s naturally part of who they are,” he says. “It’s a great way for guys to connect to fans.”

One example of this is Graham DeLaet.

The Canadian has nearly 85,000 followers on Twitter, and his feed is filled with quips about his home and native land or life on the tour. He’s also not afraid to back down from a troll, especially when it comes about his beloved Calgary Flames.

“I love following (Graham). You’ll see him tweeting along to a hockey game just like you or I would,” explains Doyle. “You have this shared experience with him.”

The PGA Tour has embraced sharing video on the platform, which Doyle states will become even more important. For example, he says 90 percent of all videos consumed on Twitter are done so from a mobile device.

“It’s that ‘snackable’ content that’s live and in the moment,” says Doyle. “It allows you to follow action from anywhere, at anytime.”

For Decker, video sharing is a huge part of the Mackenzie Tour’s content strategy.

“Anything you can do to make it easier for people to follow along is really important, and being able to share (video) helps a lot,” he says. “With golf particularly, there’s so much interesting visual content to share.”

Twitter is an ever-evolving tool, and Doyle – who was recently named to Golf Canada’s communications committee – is excited to see where it goes, especially in terms of golf in Canada.

“It brings a real interactive element to a tournament. That’s a big part of it,” he says. “Golf Canada has embraced it, and we’re just happy to be involved and to help.”

Follow Golf Canada @TheGolfCanada
Follow Christopher Doyle @ChrisDoyle
Follow Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada @PGATOURCanada
Follow Adam Stanley on Twitter @adam_stanley

HUA HIN, Thailand – Peter Uihlein hit nine birdies and a bogey in an 8-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over Pelle Edberg on Thursday in the first round of the Thailand Classic.

The American started his round on the 10th hole with two straight birdies before losing a stroke on the 12th. He went on to card seven more birdies at the Black Mountain Golf Course.

“Hit some good wedges, some good iron shots. It was good,” Uihlein said. “I birdied the first two holes and then duck-hooked into the water on the next.”

Edberg also had nine birdies, but a pair of bogeys left the Swede a stroke behind.

Scott Jamieson and Javi Colomo (66) share third place.

The Nova Scotia Golf Association (NSGA) and COBRA PUMA GOLF Canada have announced a new partnership which sees COBRA PUMA GOLF become the official clothing provider of the Association.

“The NSGA is excited to be partnering with COBRA PUMA GOLF as they are one on the top companies in the golf industry,” said David Campbell, Executive Director of the NSGA. “It is wonderful to have such a strong brand like Cobra Puma supporting the game here in Nova Scotia.”

As part of the partnership, COBRA PUMA GOLF becomes the Title Sponsor of the NSGA Bantam and Junior Championship and the Player of the Year Program.  In return, they will be the official clothing supplier for Provincial Teams that will represent Nova Scotia at National Championships including the Junior Development Program team members.

“We are excited and honored to associate our brands with the NSGA,” said Adam Cox, VP of Sales & Marketing of COBRA PUMA GOLF Canada.  “The efforts of the NSGA to grow the game are tremendous and we cannot be happier to bring our message of game enjoyment to the Nova Scotia golf community”.

The COBRA PUMA GOLF Junior Championship will take place at Chester Golf Club from July 18-21, 2016. The field will consist of 156 of Nova Scotia’s top junior golfers and serves as qualifying for Golf Canada’s Canadian Junior Boy’s Championship.