SHANGHAI – Lucas Bjerregaard is learning how to deal with the pressure of playing from the front, and closing in on a maiden European Tour title, too.

The Dane heads into the weekend with a three-stroke lead at the BMW Masters after carding a 6-under 66 in Friday’s second round.

Bjerregaard trailed overnight leader Sergio Garcia for much of the day before surging into the lead with three birdies in his last four holes to match his opening-round score. He’s now shot below 70 in 12 of his last 13 rounds since mid-October, going a combined 47 under.

Garcia, meanwhile, ran into trouble on his back nine on a cold, blustery day at Lake Malaren Golf Club. He bogeyed No. 12 and hit into the water on No. 13 for a double-bogey, falling four strokes back.

The Spaniard recovered to shoot a 71 and tie for second place at 9 under with Thongchai Jaidee (68).

Bjerregaard has been in top form this autumn, posting four top-10 finishes on the European Tour and falling just short of capturing his first title at the Hong Kong Open three weeks ago. Playing in the final group, the 24-year-old Dane led Justin Rose by a stroke down the stretch before a double-bogey gave victory to the Englishman.

Still, it was a far better finish than the last time Bjerregaard played in the final group on a Sunday at the Alfred Dunhill Championship last December – he collapsed with a 17-over 89 in the final round.

“It was nice in Hong Kong to prove to myself and prove to everyone else that I can still compete up there, so hopefully I can do that again this week and just come up one place better than last time,” Bjerregaard said.

Ian Poulter (68), Paul Casey (69) and An Byeong-hun (71) were tied for fourth at 8 under on Friday, while Peter Uihlein (66) sank seven straight birdies to jump into a tie for seventh at 7 under with Ross Fisher (71).

Playing alongside Bjerregaard, Uihlein began his birdie spree on the par-5 15th hole and narrowly missed matching the European Tour record of eight consecutive birdies when his 20-foot putt on the par-3 fourth hole slid just to the right of the cup.

“I was cheering him on,” Bjerregaard said. “I was really hoping that would go in.”

Uihlein started the day in a tie for 48th place but is suddenly only five strokes off the pace going into the weekend.

“It was weird. I was level-par going into 15, 1 over for the day, and I felt like I played 24 holes really, really well,” the American said. “I felt like there was going to be a surge coming and I didn’t know it would be seven in a row, but I’m pleased it was.”

Garcia, who shot 64 on Thursday, made three birdies in a blemish-free front nine to get to 11 under before faltering on No. 12 and 13. His second shot on the par-5 15th found the bunker next to the green, but he made a nice recovery to birdie the hole and get a stroke back.

“If you didn’t hit the right shot at the right time you could pay. And I did a couple of times,” Garcia said. “It feels like it should have been a little bit better, but it is what it is.”

The BMW Masters is the third of four events in the European Tour’s Final Series, which ends next week at the DP World Tour Championships in Dubai. Race to Dubai leader Rory McIlroy is skipping this week’s tournament, giving Danny Willett a chance to pass him in the standings with a strong showing in Shanghai.

Willett shot a 69 to get to 3 under on Friday in a tie for 28th.

PLAYA DEL CARMEN, Mexico – Justin Leonard got off to a quick start in what he expects to be his shortest season, opening with a 6-under 65 on Thursday in the OHL Classic at Mayakoba to share the lead with Aaron Baddeley, Shawn Stefani and Derek Fathauer.

Leonard, who moved from Dallas to Colorado during the summer, said he plans to play only 12 events this season to spend more time with his wife and four children. The former British Open champion is using his one-time exemption for being top 50 on the PGA Tour’s career money list.

The 43-year-old Leonard played bogey-free at El Camaleon before the wind and rain arrived and stopped play for 1 hour, 14 minutes. The first round was suspended because of darkness, and 21 players did not finish.

Stefani was a runner-up last year at Mayakoba to Charley Hoffman.

Baddeley, a three-time winner, lost his card last season and failed to get it back through the Web.com Tour Finals. He is playing as a past champion, and got into the Mexico event through a top-10 finish last week. He tied for fourth in the rain-plagued Sanderson Farms Championship in Mississippi.

D.J. Trahan, another past champion, also got into Mayakoba through a top 10 in Mississippi. He was in a large group at 66 that included Charles Howell III and Patton Kizzire, who won the Web.com Tour money title last season.

Leonard is approaching two years since his last top 10 on the PGA Tour. He was born and raised in Dallas, so it was a big move to take the family to Aspen. But it’s part of a bigger plan to make the transition to full-time golf to being with his four children, ages 5 through 12.

“I’ve just been out here 21 or 22 years and my kids are growing up,” Leonard said. “And I get to do a lot of things, but I miss a lot of things, too. We just moved to Colorado in August, and I want to just play the tournaments that I’m excited to go play and see what I can do.”

He referenced Steve Stricker, who in 2013 decided to trim his schedule to be at home more often.

“So many decisions I’ve made over the last 25 years have been about golf,” Leonard said. “So when we started talking about moving, I said, ‘Let’s just take golf out of it. Where are going to be the happiest and most excited when we get on an airplane to go home?’ And we’re there.”

Matt Kuchar, at No. 16 in the world the highest-ranked player at Mayakoba, opened with a 72. He was in the same group as Mississippi winner Peter Malnati, who shot a 68, and HSBC Champions winner Russell Knox, who had a 70.

Knox is playing his fifth straight week, going from Napa, California, to Las Vegas to Malaysia to Shanghai and now Mexico.

Former PGA champions Keegan Bradley, whose world ranking has plunged to No. 65, was in the group at 67 that included Erik Compton, Patrick Rodgers and Graeme McDowell, who overcame a double bogey on his opening hole by making five straight birdies.

The best start belonged to Thomas Aiken of South Africa. Starting on the par-3 10th, he made a hole-in-one and then followed that with two straight birdies. But his round fell apart at the end with a quadruple-bogey 9 on the seventh hole that led to a 74.

David Hearn opened with a 68.

MEXICO CITY – Inbee Park made a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke lead Thursday in the LPGA Tour’s Lorena Ochoa Invitational.

The second-ranked Park had seven birdies and three bogeys at tree-lined Club de Golf Mexico. She’s making her first start since withdrawing in China two weeks ago because of a cyst on her left middle finger. The South Korean star has four victories this season, winning two of the five majors.

“I was a little bit worried about not practicing for a few days, but I had a good day today, especially the front nine,” Park said. “It was a good putting day. … I felt really good about the putter. I putted really well today it was a good sign.”

Angela Stanford, Suzann Pettersen and Minjee Lee were tied for second.

Stanford is coming off playoff loss to Sun-Ju Ahn last week in the Asian Swing finale in Japan.

“Tuesday, I felt like I have been hit by a train,” Stanford said about her flight from Japan. “It’s been getting better each day.”

She won the inaugural tournament in 2008 in Guadalajara.

Pettersen was the only player in 36-woman field to have a bogey-free round. The Norwegian won in June in Canada for her 15th LPGA Tour victory. She’s coming off three straight top-eight finishes in Asia.

“It’s just nice to be back in contention and kind of be back where I should be,” Pettersen said. “I should be in contention every week when I feel my game is there. It was a good stretch there to give me some confidence and try to finish out strong.”

The 19-year-old Lee, from Australia, won at Kingsmill in May for her first LPGA Tour title. She took last week off after playing the first four events in Asia.

“I think I really needed that week off when I was in Asia,” Lee said. “I was well-rested and I came in yesterday and did my practice and I was ready to go.”

Mexican amateur Gaby Lopez was tied for fifth at 71 with So Yeon Ryu, Azahara Munoz, Jaye Marie Green, Sydnee Michaels, Pernilla Lindberg and Mariajo Uribe.

Lopez is a senior at the University of Arkansas senior. She was second this year in the NCAA tournament.

“I’m just trying to enjoy the moment,” Lopez said. “It’s amazing playing with the top 30 in the world at my home course with my family and the people around me.”

Fourth-ranked Lexi Thompson, the 20134 winner in Guadalajara, had a 73. The winner last month in South Korea for her second victory of the year, Thompson had six birdies, five bogeys and a double bogey.

Defending champion Christina Kim also had a 73.

Canada’s Alena Sharp carded a 76.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko is skipping the tournament to rest for her title defense next week in the season-ending CME Group Tour Championship in Naples, Florida.

The caddies for Phil Mickelson and Matt Kuchar will carry a lighter load on the PGA Tour next week – microphones instead of golf bags.

Golf Channel has hired Jim “Bones” Mackay and John Wood as part of its broadcast team for two days next week during the RSM Classic at Sea Island in Georgia. Mackay has been Mickelson’s only caddie on the PGA Tour. Wood spent nine years with Hunter Mahan until leaving to work for Kuchar in 2016.

“What’s going to be pretty cool is hearing their point of view on what’s going on,” Tommy Roy, the golf producer for NBC Sports and Golf Channel, said Thursday. “We hear so many players refer to “we” and it’s clear it’s a team getting this done on the course. So this will be the perspective from the other half of the team.”

Mackay and Woods will be on-course reporters for key groups during Friday and Saturday rounds at Sea Island.

NBC televised the “Kiwi Challenge” in 2008 when Steve Williams, still the caddie for Tiger Woods, worked as an on-course reporter in his native New Zealand.

Roy said he has been working on this project for more than a year. He identified Mackay and Wood as prime candidates because of their communication skills and “that’s the No. 1 attribute you look for in a television announcer.”

Over the past year, Roy said he has brought the two caddies into the truck to see the operational side of a television broadcast, and he had them wear headsets to adjust to hearing Roy’s commands and how announcers are to respond.

He said Roger Maltbie would be helping them with where to stand – not next to the player, in this case – and other issues. They will have a rehearsal Thursday morning from Sea Island before going live in the second round.

“I really appreciate the chance,” Mackay said. “I think it’s going to be cool. I’m fascinated by the whole TV side of it. Tommy had us out to the truck a couple of times. We had a chance to appreciate the amazing amount of hard work and attention to detail. It’s an honor and it will be a lot of fun. I’m excited about it, but I also want to make Tommy happy to have us out there.”

The last time Mackay was a PGA Tour event without caddying was the 1993 Ryder Cup, and he wound up working as a caddie assistant.

Whether this becomes a regular part of future Golf Channel and NBC broadcast is to be determined. Roy long has been fascinated by the conversation between caddies and players, which can be a compelling part of the broadcast when it involves a big decision.

Mackay and Mickelson seem to be constantly discussing shots. Wood received notoriety in 2007 at the Travelers Championship when he stepped in as Mahan was about to play his approach to the 18th and had him start over with a sharp focus. Mahan made birdie and wound up winning a playoff for his first PGA Tour victory.

“In television, you try to come up with new things to attract viewers and enhance the experience for viewers,” Roy said. “We’ll see where it goes from here.”

ACTON, Ont. — The final PGA of Canada national championship of 2015 is set to take place next week in Arizona.

Verrado Golf Club, which is located just west of Phoenix in Buckeye, Ariz., plays host to a full field for the Titleist & FootJoy PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada Nov. 15-18.

“We’re very excited to be headed back to Arizona and even more excited to be going to Verrado Golf Club for the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada,” said PGA of Canada president Constant Priondolo. “Last year was a great success with a full field in Arizona and we expect the same this year.”

Eight past PGA of Canada national championship winners, including last year’s PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada winner Matt Peavoy, highlight this year’s field at Verrado. Other former PGA Club Professional Championship winners in the field include Gar Hamilton (1987, ’90, ’92, ’97); Ian Doig (2004); Brian Hutton (2010, ’12); Ben Boudreau (‘2009); and Danny King (2005, ’06).

In 2014, Peavoy captured the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada, outlasting Scott Allred in a playoff. The 35-year-old put together rounds of 72-74-69 for a three-day total of 2-over-par 215 at the challenging SunRidge Canyon Golf Club.

Additionally, three PGA Championship of Canada winners—Eric Laporte, Dave Levesque and King—are also set to tee it up.

For first round tee times, CLICK HERE.

Situated in the foothills of the White Tank Mountains, crafted by PGA Tour star Tom Lehman and US Amateur Champion John Fought, the Verrado Golf Club is a spectacular course stretching to over 7,200 yards featuring stunning views, snug box canyons, and considerable elevation changes.

“We’re proud to say that Verrado Golf Club is one of Arizona’s finest championship golf facilities,” said Verrado’s sales & marketing director Doug Foss. “Verrado has been among the top 15 on GolfWeek’s ‘Best Courses You Can Play’ for four years running and most recently made it to the No. 5 spot on the ‘2015 Arizona’ list.”

In addition to competing for the overall championship trophy, players in the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn much-coveted ranking points with hopes of moving up on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC. Players who are ranked inside the top 64 following the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada earn invites into next year’s PGA Championship of Canada at the Victoria Golf Club.

The Inter-Zone Team Championship, which is comprised of four players per zone (and three scores per team counting), is also handed out after 36-holes. In 2014, Team Quebec bested Team British Columbia by a shot. Team Ontario rounded out the top three.

Former champions of the PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada include Danny King, Adam Chamberlain, Roger Beale, Norm Jarvis, Gar Hamilton, Bob Panasik, Yvan Beauchemin, Graham Gunn, Ken Tarling and Brian Hutton.

The $85,000 purse Titleist & FootJoy PGA Club Professional Championship of Canada takes place Nov. 15-18 the Verrado Golf Club. The nearly 100-player field will be cut to the low 70-players (and ties) after completion of the second round.

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates – Masters and U.S. Open champion Jordan Spieth completed his early-season Asia swing with Wednesday’s announcement that he will play the Abu Dhabi HSBC Golf Championship in January.

Abu Dhabi again will have a top-heavy field at the start of the year with Spieth, Rory McIlroy, Rickie Fowler and Henrik Stenson among the top-ranked players Jan. 21-24 to kick off the European Tour’s swing through the Middle East.

Spieth previously announced he would play the Singapore Open the week after Abu Dhabi.

Fowler played Abu Dhabi for the first time last year and tied for 66th after opening with a 67.

“I am looking forward to coming to Abu Dhabi, especially after Rickie told me about what a fantastic event it is,” Spieth said. “I love to travel and see the world, and I am excited to not only play in the event but also checking out Abu Dhabi for the first time.”

Spieth, Fowler and Jason Day are expected to play the Hyundai Tournament of Champions in Hawaii on Jan. 7-10. Spieth and Fowler then will cross 14 time zones to compete in Abu Dhabi.

McIlroy has been runner-up at Abu Dhabi four of the last five years.

“Abu Dhabi always brings an outstanding player field, and with Jordan and Rickie competing in January, this will be a superb test for me to start off the 2016 season,” McIlroy said. “I’ve come close in Abu Dhabi several times now, so I’ll be 100 percent ready for January’s challenge.”

JACKSON, Miss. – Peter Malnati won for the first time on the PGA Tour, closing with a 5-under 67 to capture the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Malnati finished at 18 under in a rain-soaked tournament that was forced to complete play Monday. He was one shot behind going into the final round but closed with five birdies over his final 12 holes to beat William McGirt and David Toms by one stroke.

The event at the Country Club of Jackson was delayed five times, either by rain, lightning or darkness. The final day was a long one for several golfers, with some playing as many as 30 holes.

It was a crowded leaderboard throughout Monday’s marathon round, with about 15 players moving in and out of contention. Roberto Castro led through the first two rounds but shot a 3-over 75 in the third round and finished at 16 under.

JACKSON, Miss. – Roberto Castro finished just six holes Sunday at a soggy Sanderson Farms Championship.

The way things were going, that wasn’t such a bad thing.

Castro clung to a one-stroke lead at the Country Club of Jackson after playing the first six holes in the suspended third round in 2-over par.

He’ll have to navigate 30 holes Monday to win for the first time on the PGA Tour in more than 100 career starts. He’ll have about a 30-foot putt for birdie on No. 7 when play resumes.

Play was suspended Sunday because of darkness and will resume Monday morning with the final round following immediately. Castro said he was prepared for the grind.

“Just grab your lunch at the turn and keep going,” the 30-year-old Castro said. “If you get on a good run, just ride it as long as you can.”

It’s been a soggy, stop-and-start tournament that has required plenty of patience. Several players had their second rounds stretch over three days from Friday to Sunday as rain swept through the area.

Castro was at 13 under. He started play Sunday with a four-stroke lead, but quickly fell back toward the pack with bogeys on Nos. 3 and 4. They were his first two bogeys of the tournament.

“I just hit two poor shots and paid for both of them,” Castro said.

Former tournament champion D.J. Trahan and Michael Thompson were a shot back. Boo Weekley, Patrick Rodgers and Jhonattan Vegas were among seven players two shots back.

The 42-year-old Weekley, a three-time winner on tour, said he wasn’t concerned about the long Monday ahead.

“You just get after it, do the best you can, chase it around out there and hope you come out a winner,” Weekley said.

The 23-year-old Rodgers shot a 64 in the second round to jump into contention. He was 1 under through seven holes in the third round.

“I was a little up and down today. I wasn’t my best,” Rodgers said. “But I feel good with the way I’m striking it.

Castro had his best round on the PGA Tour on Thursday, firing a 10-under 62 to take a two-stroke lead. He pushed that lead to four strokes after shooting a 67 on Friday.

But he didn’t play at all on Saturday because of the rain and struggled almost immediately on Sunday. He said course conditions had changed some because of a big drop in temperature and a little more wind.

Still, he was encouraged by his par on No. 6 just before darkness ended the round.

“A lot of golf to play tomorrow,” Castro said.

Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, BC, find themselves tied for 22nd at 8 under. Nick Taylor, also of Abbotsford, follows at 7 under.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Billy Andrade won the season-ending Charles Schwab Cup Championship on Sunday, beating Champions Tour points winner Bernhard Langer with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

Andrade two-putted from the back fringe on the par-5 18th, holing a 2 1/2-footer for his third victory of the year on the 50-and-over tour.

The 51-year-old Andrade closed with a 6-under 64 on Desert Mountain’s Cochise Course, making a 10-foot birdie putt on 18 to post at 14-under 266.

Langer missed a chance to win on 18 in regulation when his 18-foot eagle putt lipped out. He finished with a 67, then failed to get up-and-down for birdie from the right greenside rough in the playoff.

The 58-year-old German star won the Charles Schwab Cup points title for the second straight year and record third time overall, earning a $1 million annuity. He easily beat Colin Montgomerie and Jeff Maggert in the points race after entering the week third in the standings.

With players receiving a point for every $500 in the $2.5 million tournament, Langer earned 508 points with his $254,000 check to beat Montgomerie by 338 points and Maggert by 377.

Langer also won the money title for the record fourth straight year and record seventh time in eight years, finishing with $2,340,288. The two-time Masters champion successfully defended his Senior Players title in June in Massachusetts for his fifth senior major title and won last month in San Antonio for his 25th victory on the 50-and-over tour.

Montgomerie and Maggert tied for 14th at 4 under, with each earning $52,000. Maggert shot 66, and Montgomerie 67.

Andrade earned $440,000. The four-time PGA Tour winner also teamed with Joe Durant – his playing partner Sunday – to win the Legends of Golf in April and won the Boeing Classic in August.

Andrade made a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-3 13th to reach 14 under, dropped a stroke in the par-5 15th after hitting his approach over the green into a crevice between rocks. He got a big break on the par-3 17th when his tee shot struck a rock and bounced onto the green to set up a two-putt par.

Andrade had a hole-in-one in his opening 65 and followed with rounds of 67 and 70 to begin the day four strokes behind third-round leader Michael Allen.

Allen was third at 12 under after a 70. The Scottsdale resident took a one-stroke lead over Langer into the day after leading by six strokes midway through the third round.

Jeff Sluman and Mark O’Meara tied for fourth at 10 under. Sluman eagled the 18th for a 66, and O’Meara closed with a 68.

Canada’s Stephen Ames tied for 6th at 9 under.