CALGARY – John Forzani, a former offensive lineman with the Stampeders who became a prominent businessman after his CFL career ended, died Friday. He was 67.

The Stampeders confirmed Forzani’s passing in a statement Friday morning. The Calgary native had been on life support in a California hospital after suffering a heart attack.

After attending Utah State, John Forzani won a Grey Cup in 1971 in his first of six seasons with Calgary. He played alongside his brothers Tom and Joe. Forzani’s nephew, Johnny, was also with the club from 2010 to ’12.

After retiring from football, Forzani founded and built a chain of successful sporting goods stores exceeding 500 outlets. That chain, FGL Sports Ltd., included golf retailer Nevada Bob’s and was sold to Canadian Tire in 2011.

Forzani also established Calgary’s annual Mother’s Day Run and Walk in 1977, a fundraising event which continues to this day.

In 2000, the Forzani Foundation was established to assist charities including Canadian amateur athletics.

Forzani is survived by his wife Linda and grown children Mike and Jodi.

Funeral arrangements were not immediately known.

I recently participated in an event that has left me wanting more.

Lots more.

Next year golf makes its first appearance at a Special Olympics Summer World Games.

What will the Special Olympics World Summer Games look like in Los Angeles? How does 177 countries, 7,000 athletes and biggest event in the City of Angels since the 1984 Summer Olympics sound?

For a point of clarity, Special Olympics is not the Paralympics. Athletes participating in Special Olympic programs are athletes who have been identified as having “intellectual disabilities”.

Last week at Mayfield Golf Club (home of 97-year-old PGA of Canada Life Member Gord Delaat) in Caledon, Ont., I was privileged to be included as part of the coaching staff (in a role to support the Team Canada golf coaches) at one of the three fall Team Canada World Games multi-sport training camps. Our camp included golf, powerlifting, athletics and rhythmic gymnastics.

There was plenty of sweating, injuries and even the odd swear just to confirm there’s no fooling around here. As far as the coaches and athletes were concerned, the mission was simple: train as hard as you can.

The Team Canada Chef de Mission for #LA2015 Johnny Byrne has clearly laid the foundation and message for this team: there are no short cuts, no excuses and nothing is to be taken for granted.

I also witnessed behaviours I wasn’t expecting as much—athletes who were nurturing, caring and empathetic to teammates in their own sport and to those in other sports. On more than one occasion I saw athletes, both figuratively and literally, helping his or her teammate get up, dust him or herself off and get back at it. There was no time to stay down; there is critical training to complete.

There were no athletes at this training camp looking for anything except coaches who would hold them accountable and pushed outside of what felt comfortable. Three days of very early mornings and very late nights saw technical and tactical components tested and trained. Physical testing, nutrition, medical, strength and conditioning and mental sessions were also completed.

These are not Special Olympic athletes. These are not athletes who have intellectual disabilities. These are straight up, real deal, hard core athletes.

Special Olympics Canada is very proud of what they do.

And they should be.

They have maintained the sensitive and daunting balance between sport for life, health and integration and pursuing excellence and international standards.

The PGA of Canada and its members should be equally proud of the work we are doing with Special Olympics Canada and their coaches.

As a country, at the end of July we need to turn our attention to Los Angeles to support, inspire and most importantly, cheer on our team.

As I recently tweeted, the athletes I ate, trained and sat around a campfire with will have changed my life more than I have influenced theirs.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Billy Hurley III made six birdies on his front nine en route to a 5-under 67 Friday that gave him a two-shot lead after the second round of the CIMB Classic.

Hurley matched his score from Thursday for a 10-under total of 134, two strokes ahead of American compatriot Kevin Streelman (68) in the jointly sanctioned PGA Tour and Asian Tour event.

A group of seven players was one stroke further back at 7 under, including defending champion Ryan Moore (69).

Hurley, a former U.S. Navy lieutenant who did active duty in the Persian Gulf from 2007-09, is chasing his first tour victory.

“If I can keep hitting it in the fairway and keep putting it like I have and hitting a lot of good putts, then I’ll be right there on Sunday,” Hurley said.

Hurley, who played bogey-free in the opening round, had a superb start with three birdies on his opening four holes, including two that played the toughest in the opening round: the par-3 11th over water and the long par-4 13th.

He then had three straight birdies from the 16th to make the turn in 30, but his bogey-free run came to an end on the second when he hit a wayward tee shot into the bushes and wound up with a double-bogey 6. He did not let the errant drive distract him, finishing his round with six pars and a birdie on No. 7. He said the ability to withstand bad moments like that and handle the pressure of being in contention is the main thing he learned from three top-10 finishes last year.

“After the bad swing it could have unraveled there on 2 and 3 but I drew on some of the experience I had from last year and was able to hold it together coming in,” Hurley said. “The cameras, more people watching the last group, couple of groups. It’s the atmosphere of it, and you learn a little bit from that.”

Also in the group of players three strokes back was the field’s top-ranked player, Sergio Garcia (68), and former top-ranked Lee Westwood, who recorded a hole-in-one en route to a 65 that moved him into contention for his second tournament win at this course in seven months.

Others on 7 under included Seung-yeul Noh (69), who like Westwood is a former winner of the Malaysian Open on this course, Kevin Na (68), Jeff Overton (69) and Kevin Chappell (68), who penalized himself a stroke for picking up the ball before marking it on the 16th fairway.

Streelman, who was runner-up in his previous event in Las Vegas this month, credited his improved form to a return to a putter he had put away for years.

“With putters, sometimes you pick it up and it just feels good,” Streelman said. “This is the best my short game has been.”

Westwood, who won the Malaysian Open on this course in April, aced the tough par-3 11th by covering the 226 yards into the wind, landing the ball short and to the right of the hole and watching it curl in.

“You need a bit of luck, but at the same time you have to hit it straight – it happens now and then,” Westwood said. “A 65 has got me right into the tournament.”

Noh is also relishing his return to the KLGCC, where he won the 2010 Malaysian Open at the age of 18.

“I feel very comfortable on this course, and I’m swinging I pretty well, plus I’m putting pretty well too,” Noh said. “I’m really excited for the weekend.”

Moore is seeking to become the first player to defend this title and would have had a share of second if not for a bogey at the last.

“It’s a position golf course. You can’t overpower it with length,” Moore said. “I’m not one of the longer guys, and it makes a lot of guys hit it where I normally hit it, so we play from a lot of the same spots.”

Canada’s Mike Weir carded a 4-under 68 Friday to get to 3-under 141 for the championship. He sits tied for 24th with four others, including opening-round leader Rikard Karlberg and Paul Casey.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Inbee Park shot a 10-under 62 on Friday at Miramar to take a three-stroke lead in the LPGA Taiwan Championship, her first event since regaining the No. 1 spot in the world Monday.

“Everything was working really good out there today,” Park said. “I probably didn’t hit as close as yesterday, but I holed a lot of putts today. And this season, I’ve been struggling with my putter. This week has been totally different to what I’ve been putting.”

The South Korean star played the first eight holes in 6 under, holing out from 82 yards for eagle on the par-4 eighth and making five birdies and a bogey. She birdied four of the first six holes on the back nine and closed with three pars.

At 18-under 126, she matched the lowest 36-hole score in relation to par in LPGA history. The 10-under round matched the best to par on the tour this season.

“I’m doing really well on the greens this week and obviously two days without the wind here in Taiwan is really unusual,” Park said. “I thought I should take advantage of that for two days and I feel like I did that.”

She was thinking about shooting 59.

“Yeah, definitely thought it was possible going into 13, 14, because coming down the stretch, I thought it was a lot of birdie holes,” Park said. “Especially the last, it’s a par 5. Yeah, I definitely had that in my mind. I had a score this year, 61, which was my best round and I really wanted to beat that one. But just came one short.”

Park won the LPGA Championship in August for her second victory of the year and fifth major title. Last year, she swept the first three majors and won six times.

China’s Shanshan Feng was second after a 65.

South Korea’s Mirim Lee also shot a 62 to join third-ranked Lydia Ko, Azahara Munoz and Line Vedel at 10 under. Lee won the Reignwood LPGA Classic on Oct. 5 in China for her second victory of the year.

“My irons were very good, so I had a lot of chances,” Lee said.

Ko had six straight birdies on Nos. 3-8 in a 65. The 17-year-old New Zealander won the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in December at Miramar.

“It’s a course where you can shoot some low scores,” Ko said. “I haven’t actually seen the course where there’s hardly any wind. So it’s kind of different. I kind of feel like, `Man, am I playing the same course?'”

Munoz, from Spain, had a 66. Vedel, from Denmark, shot 68.

Second-ranked Stacy Lewis was 9 under after a 68.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the winner the last two years at Sunrise, was 7 under after a 71. Michelle Wie followed her opening 68 with a 70 to reach 6 under.

Danielle Kang made her second hole-in-one in eight days, acing the 158-yard 17th hole with a 7-iron. She won an Audi A6 T2.0.

“I was actually thinking about a hole-in-one, because I’ve been touching that car,” Kang said. “I really wanted the car. … It hit the fringe, like the collar, and it just kicked straight in and just rolled, tracked all the way into the hole.”

Last week in the first round of the Blue Bay LPGA in China, the 22-year-old American had a hole-in-one with an 8-iron on the 155-yard 17th hole to win a Buick LaCrosse.

“Everyone was saying, “Are you kidding me? Again? Another car?” Kang said.

Kang has three aces in LPGA Tour play this season to tie the record set by Tracy Kerdyk in 1991 and matched by Charlotta Sorenstam in 2002.

Kang’s other hole-in-one came in the LOTTE Championship in April in Hawaii. She also had one this year in a non-competitive round and has eight aces in her life.

Kang finished with a 4-under 68 to reach 4 under.

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the winner of the inaugural event in 2011, was 1 under after a 71. She won the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles in March 2012.

SHANGHAI – Nicolas Colsaerts of Belgium is among the longest hitters in golf. When he’s hitting it straight, it can be a dangerous combination.

Colsaerts overpowered the par 5s at rain-softened Lake Malaren for the second straight day on his way to an 8-under 64, giving him a one-shot lead over Alexander Levy of France going into the weekend of the BMW Masters.

Colsaerts was at 14-under 130. He is 9-under on the par 5s alone.

“I kept on hitting good drives, which for me here is a big bonus because it’s pretty soft,” Colsaerts said. “If I keep it out in the short stuff, I’m going to have a lot of shorter clubs in than lots of the other guys, so I can see this course a bit more takeable than the others.”

Levy quickly expanded on his first-round lead with three birdies in the opening four holes. He made two more birdies in the middle of the back nine to try to keep pace with Colsaerts and wound up with a 66.

Levy already has won twice this year, including the Volvo China Open. His most recent victory was in Portugal earlier this month in a tournament cut short to 36 holes because of rain. He beat Colsaerts, who had opened with a European Tour record-tying 60.

Colsaerts isn’t interested in payback. He’s just happy he is starting to play well again after dropping to No. 142 in the world and returning to the Ryder Cup at Gleneagles not as a player but to do television work. He has gone 75 tournaments worldwide without winning, dating to the World Match Play Championship in 2012.

“I felt like I’ve been in the zone a couple of times lately, and it doesn’t really happen in such a short period of time like this,” he said. “So it’s pretty nice when you can get it going like this. I’ve been playing quite well for the last couple of months.”

Romain Wattel of France had a 67 and was three shots behind. Branden Grace of South Africa (66) was among three players at 10-under 140.

Overnight rain soaked Lake Malaren, and the players caught a break when heavy rain in the forecast never materialized. Instead there was an overcast sky, soft fairways and slow greens. It was long enough that Colsaerts had to hit fairway metal into some of the par 5s, though he still had no trouble reaching them.

“I was actually surprised at how well I’ve managed them, because for somebody that hits it as long as me, I don’t really think my stats on the par 5s are as good as they should be,” Colsaerts said. “There’s probably guys that hit it a lot shorter and have a much better scoring average on par 5s. … I’m quite happy with the way the par 5s have been going because I’ve been going pretty low on them.”

Thomas Bjorn hasn’t played at all since the Ryder Cup. His neck had been bothered him even at Gleneagles, though he didn’t let on and made it through the week. He was supposed to play the World Match Play and couldn’t get out of bed for three days.

He wasn’t expecting much at the BMW Masters, though he wasn’t expecting a start like this. Bjorn missed a short putt on the opening hole to make bogey, and then took a triple-bogey 8 on the third hole. Just like that, he was back to even par for the tournament. The rest of the round was a blur. Bjorn closed out the front nine with three straight birdies, and then birdied his last two holes for a 67.

He was at 9-under 135, five shots behind.

“You have days like that where all of a sudden, it just all starts going your way,” Bjorn said. “And that was my day today. I would like to play the first three again.”

Graeme McDowell got careless with two shots on the back nine that led to bogeys, giving him a 69 and putting him six shots behind along with Shane Lowry (66) and Jamie Donaldson (68). Ernie Els (68), Justin Rose (65) and Ryan Palmer (67) were another shot behind.

The BMW Masters is the first of four “Final Series” events that conclude the European Tour season. Rory McIlroy, with an insurmountable lead in the Race to Dubai, chose to skip the two events in China and the third event in Turkey.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Tom Pernice Jr. shot a 5-under 65 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead over Bernhard Langer and three others in the Champions Tour’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

“I drove the ball straight today, kept it in play,” Pernice said “I think that’s important. If you do that here, you’re going to have some good opportunities.”

The 55-year-old Pernice won the Principal Charity Classic in Iowa in June for his third career victory on the 50-and-older tour. He rebounded from a bogey on the par-3 17th with a birdie on the par-5 18th on Desert Mountain’s Cochise Course.

“No. 17, pulled it left of the green, pretty bad spot to be in there,” Pernice said. “I had a tough chip, but I hit a great chip and it went by about 7 feet and just pushed it a little bit and made bogey. And then

18, 3-wood off the tee, 7-iron middle of the green and two-putted for birdie.”

Langer won the Charles Schwab Cup points title last week in San Antonio, taking a lot of the drama out of the season-ending event. The 57-year-old German star has a tour-high five victories – two of them majors – and also has wrapped up the season money title with $2,916,189.

“I got off to a really good start, made some putts on the front nine and played pretty solid,” Langer said. “Four under on the front, that’s a really good score. Then back side, the putter got cold, especially the last five holes or so. I had five really good chances, didn’t make one of them, so that was disappointing the way I hit really good shots and gave myself opportunities and just couldn’t convert.”

Jay Haas, Kenny Perry and Joe Durant matched Langer at 66. Haas won two weeks ago in North Carolina to become the 18th player to win a Champions Tour event at 60 or older.

“I think it’s a pretty hard day out there, certainly not like it was a couple years ago,” Haas said. “I believe two years ago the course was playing faster, so shorter, but the greens I thought were softer a couple years ago. We had a hard time stopping the ball around the hole today, for me anyway.”

The top 30 on the money list qualified for the tournament.

Fred Couples, the winner last year at TPC Harding Park in San Francisco, had a 71. Tom Lehman also shot 71. He won the 2012 tournament at Desert Mountain.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Bernhard Langer can afford to take an aggressive approach in the Champions Tour’s Charles Schwab Cup Championship.

The 57-year-old German star wrapped up the Charles Schwab Cup points title Sunday in San Antonio, taking a lot of the drama out of the season-ending event that begins Thursday at Desert Mountain.

“In the past, I was always either leading or second or third and there was still a lot to play for,” Langer said Wednesday. “There’s still a lot to play for because we’re playing for a lot of money, but the Charles Schwab Cup is wrapped up and that’s great news for me. So, I can go out there and play as aggressive as you’ll ever see me play probably because I have nothing to lose at all and everything to gain.”

Langer has a tour-high five victories – two of them majors – and also has wrapped up the season money title with $2,916,189. He has 23 career victories on the 50-and-over tour.

“It’s been a very incredible year for me,” Langer said. “I’m at a great place in life right now. Everything is good at home. I’m healthy and enjoying my game, have a great coach, good caddie and everything, good family. My oldest daughter is getting married next weekend, so a lot of good things going on. I’m very grateful and very blessed.”

The top 30 on the money list qualified for the tournament.

Colin Montgomerie is second in the Schwab Cup standings and the money list. He also has two major victories this year.

“It’s my first full year out here and it’s been a delight,” Montgomerie said. “I’ve been made very welcome by everybody, by fans and by players and everyone alike, and then all the volunteers on this tour. It’s a great place I play and I enjoy it thoroughly.”

The shiny trophy caught his eye Wednesday at the Cochise Course.

“The tournament’s a very important tournament to do well and to win,” Montgomerie said. “There’s a lovely trophy on the first tee there. I thought it was an ice trophy. I thought it might melt on the first tee. It’s fantastic glasswork and we all want to win that.”

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Rikard Karlberg of Sweden birdied his last two holes for a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the CIMB Classic.

Karlberg also had five birdies on the front nine in a bogey-free round at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. After a round interrupted by a two-hour delay for thunderstorms, a trio of players were two shots back – Americans Billy Hurley III and Brian Stuard plus Angelo Que of the Philippines.

Karlberg, among the top 10 Asian Tour players who qualified for the jointly sanctioned PGA Tour event, said he benefited from a more relaxed approach after struggling with lingering viral infection that has affected his season.

“It gets you a little bit stressed out,” Karlberg said. “I just stopped almost enjoying the game. I was a little bit frustrated before the two last tournaments coming into this week.”

The Swede, who splits his time between the Asian and European Tours, is making only his third PGA Tour appearance after missing the cut twice in the U.S. Open.

“Just enjoy it and have fun out there made a big difference to me,” he said. “So I haven’t really thought about it as a big event.”

Eight players were tied a stroke further back, including defending champion Ryan Moore, who finished his round with four successive birdies.

Veteran Davis Love III sank an eagle at the 10th to also shoot a 68, along with American compatriots Kevin Streelman and Jeff Overton.

Sergio Garcia, the top-ranked player in the field, had four birdies on his outward nine en route to a 69 to sit tied for 13th with nine others.

Stuard had five birdies on his front nine – including four straight from the 14th after starting on the 10th – but also had two bogeys. His second nine was smoother with birdies on No. 1 and No. 8, putting him in position to turn around a poor stretch that has seen him miss the cut at his previous three tournaments.

“I’ve played a couple good rounds and then I’ll have a bad round, so I’m excited to play well to start with and hopefully I can keep it going,” Stuard said.

Que had six birdies on his first nine holes, benefiting from some superb approach play, and said greater trust in his shot selection had turned around his performance in recent weeks.

“I haven’t won in four years but I’m playing my best golf,” Que said.

Moore, who won last year’s event after a playoff, again made an impressive start after opening with a 63 in 2013.

“Early in the round it was a little up and down and I made some great par savers that kept myself in it,” Moore said. “I made a nice 20-25 footer to finish off – that putt was in the whole way – so it was nice hitting good putts like that and seeing them go in. That never hurts your confidence.”

Garcia was relatively content with his round despite several narrowly missed putts.

“It was one of those day where instead of lipping in, they seemed to lip out, and I probably had at least four or five putts that looked like they were going to go in and didn’t,” Garcia said.

Streelman was among several of the American players who struggled with the steamy conditions.

“Man, it really wipes you out,” Streelman said. “We’re not too used to his over in the U.S. and this is going to be a battle all weekend.”

Mike Weir opened with a 1-0ver 73 and was tied for 49th and is looking to make his first cut of the 2014-15 PGA Tour season after missing the cut at the Frys.com Open.

Graham DeLaet withdrew after bogeying the first hole, citing back problems.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Rikard Karlberg of Sweden birdied his last two holes for a 7-under 65 Thursday to take a two-shot lead after the opening round of the CIMB Classic.

Karlberg also had five birdies on the front nine in a bogey-free round at the Kuala Lumpur Golf and Country Club. After a round interrupted by a two-hour delay for thunderstorms, a trio of players were two shots back – Americans Billy Hurley III and Brian Stuard plus Angelo Que of the Philippines.

Karlberg, among the top 10 Asian Tour players who qualified for the jointly sanctioned PGA Tour event, said he benefited from a more relaxed approach after struggling with lingering viral infection that has affected his season.

“It gets you a little bit stressed out,” Karlberg said. “I just stopped almost enjoying the game. I was a little bit frustrated before the two last tournaments coming into this week.”

The Swede, who splits his time between the Asian and European Tours, is making only his third PGA Tour appearance after missing the cut twice in the U.S. Open.

“Just enjoy it and have fun out there made a big difference to me,” he said. “So I haven’t really thought about it as a big event.”

Eight players were tied a stroke further back, including defending champion Ryan Moore, who finished his round with four successive birdies.

Veteran Davis Love III sank an eagle at the 10th to also shoot a 68, along with American compatriots Kevin Streelman and Jeff Overton.

Sergio Garcia, the top-ranked player in the field, had four birdies on his outward nine en route to a 69 to sit tied for 13th with nine others.

Stuard had five birdies on his front nine – including four straight from the 14th after starting on the 10th – but also had two bogeys. His second nine was smoother with birdies on No. 1 and No. 8, putting him in position to turn around a poor stretch that has seen him miss the cut at his previous three tournaments.

“I’ve played a couple good rounds and then I’ll have a bad round, so I’m excited to play well to start with and hopefully I can keep it going,” Stuard said.

Que had six birdies on his first nine holes, benefiting from some superb approach play, and said greater trust in his shot selection had turned around his performance in recent weeks.

“I haven’t won in four years but I’m playing my best golf,” Que said.

Moore, who won last year’s event after a playoff, again made an impressive start after opening with a 63 in 2013.

“Early in the round it was a little up and down and I made some great par savers that kept myself in it,” Moore said. “I made a nice 20-25 footer to finish off – that putt was in the whole way – so it was nice hitting good putts like that and seeing them go in. That never hurts your confidence.”

Garcia was relatively content with his round despite several narrowly missed putts.

“It was one of those day where instead of lipping in, they seemed to lip out, and I probably had at least four or five putts that looked like they were going to go in and didn’t,” Garcia said.

Streelman was among several of the American players who struggled with the steamy conditions.

“Man, it really wipes you out,” Streelman said. “We’re not too used to his over in the U.S. and this is going to be a battle all weekend.”

Mike Weir opened with a 1-0ver 73 and was tied for 49th and is looking to make his first cut of the 2014-15 PGA Tour season after missing the cut at the Frys.com Open.

Graham DeLaet withdrew after bogeying the first hole, citing back problems.

TAIPEI, Taiwan – Top-ranked Inbee Park birdied five of the last seven holes Thursday for an 8-under 64 and a share of the first-round lead in the LPGA Taiwan Championship.

The South Korean star, playing her first round since regaining the No. 1 spot in the world Monday, was tied with China’s Shanshan Feng after her bogey-free round at Miramar.

“I hit the ball really solid all day and, on the back nine, everything seemed to drop,” Park said. “I can’t remember the last time I putted like this. It’s been a really good putting day, so I’m really happy about that.

“I really concentrated on my putting this week and tried to improve a little bit and I practiced a lot on the greens this week. The hard work is paying off, so I’m really happy.”

Feng eagled the par-5 sixth hole and had six birdies in her bogey-free round.

“I think it’s my putting, because my long game is always good,” Feng saiid. “When my putting is on, I always have a chance to win. But when the putting is not doing well, then I’m just like so so.”

South Korea’s So Yeon Ryu, settled for a 66 after playing the first 12 holes in 9 under. She bogeyed the par-3 17th and had a double bogey on the par-5 18th.

“Honestly, 6 under is a good score, but I had a really bad finish,” Ryu said. “So, 6 under is not enough good score to me.”

Taiwan’s Ssu-Chia Cheng, Denmark’s Line Vedel and Japan’s Haru Nomura also shot 66.

Second-ranked Stacy Lewis had a 67, and Michelle Wie topped the group at 68.

Third-ranked Lydia Ko opened with a 69. The New Zealand teenager won the Swinging Skirts World Ladies Masters in December at Miramar.

Taiwan’s Yani Tseng, the winner of the inaugural event in 2011, also shot 69. She won the last of her 15 LPGA Tour titles in March 2012.

Norway’s Suzann Pettersen, the winner the last two years at Sunrise, had a 70.