RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Scott Brown birdied the final two holes Saturday for a 5-under 67 and a share of the lead with Chris Smith in the PGA Tour’s wind-swept Puerto Rico Open.

Brown, the 2013 winner, matched Smith at 6-under 2010 at Trump International-Puerto Rico.

“Got a few more putts to go in today and ended up shooting a good round,” Brown said. “The wind died just a little bit for us this afternoon. Putting has been tough early in the week with the wind blowing as hard as it’s been. It’s still blowing around a little bit, tough to get it close.”

Brown also had three front-nine birdies in his bogey-free round.

“The toughest thing about this course is it’s all cross-winds, so you very rarely get any downwind or into-the-wind shots,” Brown said. “It’s all quarter in or across. That’s what makes it so tough. It’s really just guesswork. It’s guessing on how much you think it’s going to move it. The wind has been so strong that you can’t really play shots that hold up against it. You’ve just kind of got to let the wind do what it does.”

The 45-year-old Smith had a 68. He won the 2002 Buick Classic in New York for his lone tour title.

“I’m starting to get comfortable playing golf again, which is nice, and it’s fun,” Smith said. “All three days have been fun. I’m just trying to keep taking steps. I feel like I’m taking steps.”

Smith has limited tour status.

“It’s one of the only weeks of the year that I know I’m going to get in, so I can kind of mentally prepare for playing for it,” Smith said. “When I get here, it’s not like getting in Tuesday night and then trying to hustle to the tournament and then playing.”

Jon Curran and Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo were a stroke back. Curran had a 70, and Grillo shot 72.

Second-round leader Alex Cejka dropped four strokes on the final four holes to fall into a tie for fifth at 4 under. He finished with a 75, making bogeys on the par-5 15th and par-4 17th and a double bogey on the par-5 18th.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C. also was 4 under along with Scott Pinckney (71), Zimbabwe’s Brendon de Jonge (71) and Paraguay’s Fabrizio Zanotti (69).

Stephen Ames carded a 2-over 74 Saturday and dropped 23 spots into a tie for 54th.

EAST LONDON, South Africa – Trevor Fisher Jr. will take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Africa Open after a superb 9-under 63 on Saturday.

Fisher is in pole position to maintain South Africa’s dominance at the European Tour event after seven straight wins for home players. He had seven birdies and an eagle at East London Golf Club to move to 16-under 200.

Fisher overtook Englishman Matt Ford at the top of the leaderboard. Ford was still solid with his third-round 69 to stay in contention for the title two shots back.

Another South African, Jaco van Zyl, was third on 12 under. There’s a four-way tie for fourth at 10 under, made up of Eduardo de la Riva, John Parry, Jorge Campillo and Morten Orum Madsen.

SINGAPORE – Inbee Park shot a 4-under 68 to take a two-stroke lead after the third round of the HSBC Women’s Champions on Saturday.

Park had four birdies in a bogey-free round at Sentosa Golf Club to sit at 13-under 203, two strokes ahead of top-ranked Lydia Ko and Stacy Lewis, who both shot 67.

“I gave myself a lot of opportunities,” said Park, who is seeking her 13th LPGA victory. “I didn’t make all of them, but I was able to handle myself out there being patient out there and no bogeys is a really great result.”

Anna Nordqvist had a 68 and was tied for fourth with Suzann Pettersen and Azahara Munoz, four strokes off the pace.

The 17-year-old Ko is bidding for her seventh career LPGA victory and her third win in as many weeks. She won the Women’s Australian Open two weeks ago and the Women’s New Zealand Open last week.

“That would be I guess a dream three weeks,” Ko said. “But I’m just going to try my best. The girls are playing good golf and it’s a tough course. Just one shot can cost you a couple.”

Lewis is third in the world rankings behind Ko and Park.

“The final group on a Sunday is where you want to be, so no matter – doesn’t matter who is in the group,” Lewis said. “This is the position I want to be in tomorrow.”

Defending champion Paula Creamer struggled with her game and shot a 74 to be tied for 50th with money list leader Amy Yang, who had four bogeys in a 78.

Michelle Wie fell into a tie for 38th after a round of 74 that included a bogey, a double bogey and a birdie.

Overnight co-leader Carlota Cinganda also had a 74 and is tied for eighth with Shanshan Feng and Jessica Korda.

DORAL, Fla. – J.B. Holmes kept his lead. Rory McIlroy lost his cool.

Holmes was 11 shots worse than his tournament record-tying 62, finishing with a tee shot in the water and a double bogey on the 18th hole Friday for a 1-over 73. That still was enough to take a two-shot lead over Ryan Moore (71) into the weekend at the Cadillac Championship.

McIlroy made the wrong kind of splash at Trump National Doral – first with a shot, then with his club.

On a wild afternoon of eagles, birdies and big numbers at every turn, McIlroy produced the biggest highlight when he pulled his 3-iron into the water on the par-5 eighth, and then heaved the club some 50 yards into the middle of the lake.

“Felt good at the time,” McIlroy said. “Look, I just let frustration get the better of me.”

McIlroy managed to salvage a bogey, made three birdies on the back nine and shot a 2-under 70 to stay in the hunt at this World Golf Championship. He was still eight shots behind Holmes, though the Blue Monster is a tough course for anyone to protect a lead.

And it didn’t take much to get into trouble.

Holmes began the second round with a 360-yard drive and a 6-iron onto the green at the par 5. It rolled into the water, and he made his first bogey of the tournament. His approach on the third hole came up just enough short to go into the water for another bogey. And his tee shot on the 18th was pulled just enough for another splash. He at least countered with five birdies to stay in the lead.

Holmes was at 9-under 135.

He was more irritated by the bogey on No. 1 than the double bogey at the end of his round, and what set him off was a reminder than he thought the old Blue Monster was too easy for a World Golf Championship.

“There’s a difference between easy and hitting two perfect shots and the ball going in the water,” Holmes said. “That’s a joke. I hit a 6-iron straight up in the air, it landed 3 feet off the left of the green and 5 feet on it and it goes in the water on the right side of the green. That’s not hard. That’s stupid. That’s unfair.”

Still, he was in a good mood heading into the weekend.

Adam Scott made six birdies in his round of 68 and was three shots behind at 6-under 138. Masters champion Bubba Watson made a pair of eagles, including a bunker shot he holed at the 10th, for a 69. Henrik Stenson bounced back from a double bogey in the water at the par-3 fourth hole with three straight birdies in his round of 71. They were at 4-under 140, five shots behind.

Moore managed to avoid trouble for most of the day, dropping his lone shot at the 14th from a bunker. He has made par or better on 34 of the 36 holes he has played. He used the word “fluke” to describe his 66 (with a double bogey on the last hole) and the 62 by Holmes.

“I don’t know if it would have real really mattered what golf course either of us were on,” he said. “I was hitting good shots and hitting them next to the hole and making every putt I looked at. So I think that was more the players than golf course. Today, I think this was how this golf course plays. It’s just a really difficult golf course.”

Scott’s 68 was the low round of the day, while the average score again was about 73.4 For the second straight day, only seven players shot in the 60s. Scott thought his first-round 70 was good, too, except that he was eight shots behind.

Like everyone else, he couldn’t figure out how Holmes shot 62, and there was some relief to see Holmes play a more ordinary round.

“He might have had the round of his life – and certainly round of the year already – yesterday,” Scott said. “I don’t know if there’s going to be better than that anyway. … And for me, sitting eight shots back after a pretty good round myself yesterday, I just have to hope he’s not going to do it again, and I can slowly pick away at those eight shots.”

Holmes didn’t feel as though he played much worse than his 62 in the opening round, except for not making as many putts.

Ultimately, he was pleased with his position because he still had a better score than anyone else. The Blue Monster has a mean streak, though, and now it’s a matter of Holmes and those chasing him to hang on.

“If you had told me at the beginning of the week I would have a two-shot lead after two rounds, I would have said, `All right, sounds good.’ Like I said, I’ve been playing great,” Holmes said. “Played great today.”

RIO GRANDE, Puerto Rico – Alex Cejka birdied three of his last five holes Friday for a 5-under 67 and a one-stroke lead in the PGA Tour’s wind-swept Puerto Rico Open.

Cejka birdied Nos. 5, 7 and 9 in a bogey-free round to reach 7-under 137 at Trump International-Puerto Rico. A four-time European Tour winner, the 44-year-old Czech-born German is winless on the PGA Tour.

“I like it here,” Cejka said. “I’ve been coming here for a lot of years. … My short game is great. I make a lot of putts when I need to and I’m in a great position right now.”

He has made only one bogey in 36 holes.

“It’s windy all day long,” Cejka said. “Sometimes it gusts a little bit more, sometimes a little bit less. But it’s a consistent wind, and since we got here on Monday or Tuesday, all these players, it’s been the same. Same direction, same kind of strengths of the wind, so you can adapt to the wind condition.”

Brandon Hagy was second. Making his third PGA Tour start, he birdied his final hole for a 67.

“I played well today, controlled my ball, which you have to,” Hagy said. “It’s very windy out there. I just kind of tried to let it go and hit good golf shots. It was a good day.”

Argentina’s Emiliano Grillo was third at 5 under after a 70.

Defending champion Chesson Hadley topped the group at 3 under after a 70.

First-round leader Mark Hubbard followed his opening 68 with a 74 to drop to 2 under.

Sitting even-par thru 36 holes are Canadians Adam Hadwin and Stephen Ames. The pair have a share of 31st after matching even-round 72s Friday.

Failing to advance to weekend play were Team Canada’s Corey Conners, an amateur from Listowel, Ont. and Roger Sloan of Merrit, B.C. Conners finished 4-over par (74-74), while Sloan was 10-over (77-77).

The Nova Scotia Golf Association will be kicking off the 2015 golf season Saturday, April 18, at the Brightwood Golf Club with an info session from industry leaders from Golf Canada and the United States Golf Association (USGA), who will discuss the latest industry trends and initiatives.

Mike Kelly, Director of Sport Development from the Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) will discuss some exciting initiatives that are available for member golf clubs across Canada. Mr. Kelly will be presenting information on Junior Golf Development Centre and how this program can improve the bottom line at any club.

Craig Loughry from the GAO and Golf Canada is an expert on the National Scoring Centre, as well as,Handicapping and Course Rating. Craig will demonstrate how to better manage your Score Centre and how it can be an integral part of any club’s operation.

The membership model of NSGA and Golf Canada will be changing over the next 3 years. Karen Hewson, Golf Canada Managing Director of Membership, and Christine Dengel, Golf Canada Regional Director, will detail these exciting changes.

Pace of Play – one of the biggest topics in the sport – will take centre-stage with representatives from the USGA sharing their findings. Hunki Yun, Director of Strategic Projects for the USGA will be here to present the latest trends and dispel myths about Pace of Play from around world. Mr. Yun will share how the latest technologies and innovations are helping golfers and clubs manage their time on the course.

This exciting day will begin at 10 a.m. at the Brightwood Golf Club in Dartmouth, N.S.

This event is open to NSGA Members and Clubs. Please note that space is limited. To register, please RSVP to jan@nsga.ns.ca or call 902-468-8844!

The complete agenda is available here.

When:  Saturday, April 18, 2015 

Time: 10 a.m. – 4 p.m.

Where: Brightwood Golf and Country Club, Dartmouth, N.S.

Registration is FREE and open to all NSGA Members and Clubs.

Take a look at 10 of the best shots from LPGA pros throughout the month of February.

Bubba talks accuracy, distance off the tee

How does PING make the longest hitter on tour even longer? Watch this video with Bubba to find out…

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. – Higher Ground Sports Management Inc., an athlete representation and sports marketing agency based in Mississauga, Ont., announced today the signing of former Canadian National Amateur Team standout, Chris Hemmerich, of Kitchener, Ont.

Considered to be one of Canada’s top young professional golfers, Hemmerich’s professional career already includes two top-10 finishes on PGA Tour Canada, where Hemmerich received four starts late in 2014.

As Hemmerich’s management team Higher Ground’s services will include the sourcing and development of income producing endorsement opportunities as well as development and marketing of Hemmerich’s personal brand.

“Chris represents exactly the kind of individual our firm seeks to align with, possessing exceptional talent on the course, and immense character off the course”, said George Sourlis, president of Higher Ground Sports Management Inc. “I’m confident that with our track record for success in managing the business affairs of other professional athletes, we will be able to provide Chris with the stability he needs in the day to day management of his off-course activities and allow him to continue to excel in his professional career.”

Athlete clients of Higher Ground include PGA Tour rookie sensation, Adam Hadwin, and LPGA Tour veteran, Alena Sharp.

After a stellar amateur career, which included winning the 2014 Ontario Men’s Amateur Championship against a strong field, Hemmerich, the former Guelph Gryphons Golf Team Captain, decided to turn professional in August, 2014 and pursue his dream of playing and winning on the PGA Tour.

With full status on PGA Tour Canada in 2015, Hemmerich will play his first full season on that Tour where his goal will be to finish inside the top five on the year-end money list. The top five finishers at the end of the 2015 season will receive status on the Web.com Tour in 2016. The Web.com Tour awards 50 PGA Tour cards o its top finishers at the end of the season.

EAST LONDON, South Africa – Matt Ford opened a one-shot lead at the Africa Open on Friday after a 6-under 66 in the second round.

Ford didn’t repeat his bogey-free first round, but still went one better than his opening 67 after making six birdies and holing out for an eagle on the par-4 No. 12. He also made two bogeys to reach 11-under 133 at East London Golf Club.

“You have to be happy in this scenario, but we’re only halfway so there is still a lot of golf to be played,” Ford said.

The Englishman shared the first-lead with Kevin Phelan, but the Irishman tumbled down the leaderboard after a 72. Instead, Spaniard Eduardo de la Riva was a shot behind Ford in second after also carding a 66 with eight birdies and two bogeys.

Both are seeking to end a seven-year winning run by South African golfers at the European Tour event.

South African pair Jaco van Zyl and Erik van Rooyen and France’s Gregory Havret were three shots off the lead going into the weekend.

Germany’s Maximilian Kieffer shot a 63 for the best round of the day, picking up eight birdies and an eagle and registering his only bogey on his last hole.

European Ryder Cup captain Darren Clarke is well-positioned on 4 under following his 68 after missing the cut at the Joburg Open last week.

Andy Sullivan of England, who won last weekend in Johannesburg for his second title in South Africa this year, won’t be chasing a third victory on Sunday. Sullivan had five bogeys and two double-bogeys in a 77 to miss the cut in East London.

SINGAPORE – Carlota Ciganda shot a 6-under 66 on Friday to move into a tie for the lead with Inbee Park after the second round of the HSBC Women’s Champions.

Ciganda offset a pair of bogeys with eight birdies at Sentosa Golf Club to finish even with Park (69) at 9-under 135.

Azahara Munoz was in sole possession of third place, two strokes back, after a 67 that featured six birdies against a lone bogey.

Ciganda, who is bidding for her first LPGA victory, got off to a shaky start with a bogey on the par-4 first hole. But she quickly recovered with two straight birdies on Nos. 2 and 3 that set her on the way to the day’s lowest score.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko birdied three of the last four holes en route to a 70 that put the 17-year-old in a tie for fourth with Stacy Lewis, Jenny Shin and Karrie Webb at 6-under.

Defending champion Paula Creamer was tied for 36th after a 71. Michelle Wie fired a 70 that included three bogeys, three birdies and an eagle and is tied for 23rd with money rankings leader Amy Yang.

Overnight co-leader Yani Tseng struggled with her game and finished with a 75 for a share of 17th place.