LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Rory McIlroy goes to the weekend of the PGA Championship with a one-stroke lead.

It seems bigger than that.

Such is the state of McIlroy’s game.

“When I’m playing like this, it’s obviously very enjoyable,” he said after a 4-under 67 on Friday. “I can’t wait to get back out on the course again (Saturday) and do the same thing all over again.”

Jason Day and Jim Furyk are right on his heels, but the Aussie acknowledged that it will be tough for anyone to beat McIlroy.

“I’m clearly not the favorite,” Day said. “This whole year he’s been playing great. He looks confident. He’s hitting the ball longer and straighter than pretty much everyone in the field. It’s going to be tough to beat him.”

Here are things to watch for in the third round of the PGA Championship:

OH CANADA: Graham DeLaet starts Saturday just 4-shots back of McIlroy despite injuring his neck prior to his round Friday. “I kinked my neck pretty bad, I wasn’t able to really move,” said DeLaet.  “If you’d asked me this morning, I thought I was going to miss the cut.  I didn’t think I was going to be able to get it around.  A bunch of Advil, some Tylenol. I made a few good putts today, just kind of bunted it around.  Some days when you don’t have any expectations, you never know what’s going to happen.”

RORY’S QUEST: Tiger Woods was the No. 1 player in the world when he won the 2000 PGA Championship at Valhalla for his third straight major. McIlroy isn’t that far along, though he does have a small slice of history at stake if he can win the Wanamaker Trophy. McIlroy is trying to become only the seventh player to win the last two majors of the year, and the first since Padraig Harrington in 2008. Woods did it twice. It would be McIlroy’s fourth major. The only other players to have won four majors before age 26 were Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Bobby Jones, Willie Anderson and Young Tom Morris.

YOUNG GUNS: Jason Day and Rickie Fowler are not yet among the best players to have never won a major. But they might be the best young players without one. And they keep giving themselves chances. Day won the Match Play Championship in February until a thumb injury derailed his year. The 26-year-old Aussie appears to be in form again after the low score of the second round, a 6-under 65 that put him in the final group. Day has been runner-up three times in a major, most recently at the U.S. Open last year. Fowler shot a 66 and was two shots behind McIlroy. He is no stranger to being in contention at the majors on the weekend. Fowler, 25, played in the final group at the last two majors and was runner-up in both. He is the first player since Woods in 2005 to finish in the top five at the first three majors of the year.

LEFTY’S SURGE: Phil Mickelson has been mired in his longest losing streak since 2003. But it looks as though he has found his game. Mickelson shot a blistering 62 in the final round at Firestone, and it has carried over to his best 36-hole start in a major since winning the 2005 PGA Championship at Baltusrol. Mickelson opened with a 69 and eagled the final hole Friday for a 67. Lefty is looking for his first victory since capturing the 2013 British Open at Muirfield. Mickelson has several agendas this weekend, one of which includes locking up his spot on another Ryder Cup team. He already holds the record by qualifying nine times in a row, and he doesn’t want captain Tom Watson to have to use a wild-card pick this time.

PART-TIME STRICKER: Steve Stricker will be an assistant captain for the U.S. Ryder Cup team. But first, he has to take care of some business at the final major of the year. The 47-year-old Stricker, who became a part-time player last year to spend more time with his family, still has plenty of game. He shot 68 Friday and was four strokes off the lead heading to the weekend. He has been a top-10 finisher in the majors 11 times, most notably a runner-up finish to Vijay Singh at the 1998 PGA Championship. He would be one of the oldest major champions in golf history if he comes through at Valhalla.

TIGER’S FUTURE: Tiger Woods won’t be at Valhalla this weekend – he missed the cut at a major championship for only the fourth time in his professional career – but there are plenty of questions about his future. Woods shot back-to-back rounds of 74, leaving him a whopping five shots below the cut line. Woods said his ailing back flared up again, and he conceded that he needs to get stronger. It looks like he’ll have plenty of time to work on his game. Unless he plays next week at Greensboro, North Carolina – which he’s never done – his season is effectively over. Woods failed to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, and there seems little chance he will be picked for the Ryder Cup by Watson. For Woods, the focus turns to 2015.

Inbee Park se retrouve toujours aux commandes de la Classique Meijer à l’issue de la troisième ronde disputée samedi, sur les allées du Blythefield Country Club, au Michigan.

Park, qui a calé deux longs coups roulés sur le neuf de retour, a remis une carte de 68, soit trois coups sous la normale. Elle détient présentement un coup d’avance sur Mirim Lee, qui a joué 67.

La meneuse, qui est classée troisième au monde, a calé un coup roulé de 25 pieds de la frise du 14e, une normale-3. Par la suite, elle y est allée d’un boguey au 15e, une normale-4, avant de rebondir avec un oiselet d’une distance de 35 pieds au 16e trou.

Suzann Pettersen, de son côté, suit en troisième position à -11, trois coups devant Line Vedel Hanse et quatre devant Harukyo Nomura et Beatriz Recari.

Du côté des Canadiennes, Lorie Kane, qui a joué 71, est à égalité en 43e position à +1, tandis que ses compatriotes Rebecca Lee-Bentham et Alena Sharp reposent au 60e rang.

Inbee Park a gagné à six reprises l’an dernier et a remporté le tournoi Manulife Financial, en juin dernier.

BELMONT, Mich. – Inbee Park found a new putter – and her old touch.

The South Korean player took the second-round lead Friday in the Meijer LPGA Classic, birdieing her first three holes en route to her second straight 5-under 66.

The third-ranked Park finished on the front nine, adding birdies on the par-5 fifth and eighth holes in her bogey-free round at Blythefield Country Club. She won six times last year and took the Manulife Financial in June in Canada for her 10th LPGA Tour title.

“My putting feels like I’m back to last year,” Park said. “Hopefully, I can hole some more putts the next two days.”

After using a mallet putter since 2008, Park tried a friend’s blade putter Tuesday and started making putts. She hasn’t stopped since with 27 putts in each round after having TaylorMade quickly make her an identical version.

“I just never used that style of putter for a long, long time and I just wanted to have a change because I tried everything else and it didn’t really work,” she said. “This was pretty much my last option.”

She said the improved putting was especially obvious in the second round.

“Yesterday I hit a lot of the shots closer, but today I made 15 to 20-footers, at least a couple of them,” she said.

Fourth-ranked Suzann Pettersen was a stroke back. The Norwegian player matched the course record with a 64.

South Korea’s Mirim Lee also shot 64 to reach 8 under, and South Korea’s Amy Yang was fourth at 7 under after a 67.

Second-ranked Lydia Ko, the 17-year-old New Zealand player coming off a victory in the Marathon Classic in Sylvania, Ohio, was tied for fifth at 5 under after a 68. Germany’s Sandra Gal, the first-round leader, also was in the group at 5 under, following her opening 65 with a 72.

Top-ranked Stacy Lewis, a three-time winner this year, was even-par after a 72.

Pettersen, who won the last of her 14 LPGA Tour titles last year, is coming off a three-week break from competition, but free from back pain that hampered her earlier this year and eager to play again. She said it was nice to go low.

“It’s not like the easiest course if you miss the fairways,” she said. “I just tried to play to my strength, hit fairways, hit greens and I made a couple of putts.”

Lee said she hit the fairways and made long putts. She was clearly elated with her play.

“Best round,” she said.

Ko seemed surprised to be in the hunt and admitted she isn’t hitting the ball well.

“I had to make an up-and-down a lot of times,” she said. “I mean, I was kind of struggling with my long game but luckily my chipping and short game worked really well.”

Pettersen, who played in the same group, called Ko the chipping queen on the tour.

“It’s just phenomenal to see such a great touch around the greens,” she said.

Women’s British Open winner Mo Martin withdrew Friday morning because of a thumb injury. It was unclear if she will play next week in the LPGA Championship.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Michelle Wie withdrew after nine holes Thursday because of a wrist injury.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham is the leading Canadian, sitting tied for 25th at 1-under 141.

Alena Sharp and Lorie Kane also made the 36-hole cut, while Jennifer Kirby and Sue Kim had their week’s cut short.

OTTAWA, Ont. – With a closing birdie at his final hole of the day, Leicester, England’s Greg Eason fired a 5-under 66 on Friday at Hylands Golf Club to take a one shot lead through 36 holes at the Forces and Families Open.

The 22-year old rookie sits at 13-under par through two rounds and leads by one over North Vancouver’s Eugene Wong, who fired a 10-under 61 on Friday, a new career best as a professional.

“I managed to make a few putts and scramble the best I possible could out of it,” said Eason, who led after Thursday’s first round following an 8-under 63. “I stayed patient and then luckily had a nice finish.”

Eason briefly opened up a three stroke advantage, playing his first 12 holes in 5-under par before a pair of bogeys dropped him behind Wong, who birdied his final two holes to card the new course record at Hylands’ North Course. Eason would respond with birdies on two of his final three holes, including an approach from 107 yards to three feet at the par-4 9^th, his final hole of the day, to take top spot heading into the weekend.

“I played the hole before that terribly, so it was nice to scrape a par out of it and then put a shot close on the last too,” said Eason, who salvaged a par on the eighth thanks to a tricky up-and-down.

The 2014 All-American at the University of Central Florida will be in familiar territory heading into the third round with the lead, having shared top spot through 36 holes three weeks ago at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel in Thunder Bay. Eason said the experience of being in contention he gained there will be invaluable, especially as a first year professional.

“The week [in Thunder Bay] really helped me for this week to put myself in a similar situation and to hopefully try and get a similar, if not better result,” said Eason. “It’s given me a lot of confidence for sure, playing in front of that many people and handling the different emotions there are, with the ups and downs and the journey that you’re going through in the round.”

Two shots behind Wong was Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida’s Jeff Dennis, who birdied his final hole of the day to hold solo third place at 10-under heading into the weekend.

A hot putter and a strong finish helped Eugene Wong to the best round of his career on Friday, adding another notable point to his already-strong resume. The 23-year old stuck a wedge at his final hole of the day to four feet and made the putt for a 10-under 61, the new record at Hylands Golf Club’s North Course.

“It’s probably the best I’ve ever putted. I just made everything that I saw on my line,” said Wong, a two-time All-American and the 2010 Jack Nicklaus Award winner at the University of Oregon and twice a winner on PGA Tour Canada. “I knew had to birdie to shoot 10-under, but I wasn’t really thinking about that. I was just thinking ‘Hit a good shot,’ and I hit a great one.”

Wong, who currently sits ninth on the Order of Merit, will be looking to add to his two wins in 2012, coming at The Great Waterway Classic and the TOUR Championship of Canada.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – For Tiger Woods, there was a familiar complaint.

Yes, his back was hurting again.

His performance at the PGA Championship is becoming more the norm, as well.

Once the game’s most dominant player, Woods looked old and tired at Valhalla. He was surely overmatched Friday, shooting his second straight 3-over 74 to miss the cut at one of golf’s majors for only the fourth time in his professional career.

Not that this was a big surprise.

Woods was playing in only his fourth tournament since back surgery in late March, and he hasn’t been a factor in any of them. He failed to make the cut at the Quicken Loans National. He had his worst 72-hole showing in a major at the British Open. He had to withdraw on the final day of the World Golf Championship at Firestone after taking an awkward swing and hurting his back again. He showed up Wednesday at Valhalla, proclaimed himself fit – and flopped again.

“I tried as hard as I could. That’s about all I’ve got,” Woods said. “Unfortunately, I just didn’t play well. Consequently, a pair of 74s is not very good.”

With the cut at 1 over, Woods wasn’t even close to playing on the weekend.

He was effectively done after shooting a 4-over 39 on the front nine, including a double bogey at No. 6 – where he three-putted from 18 feet – and a really ugly bogey at the par-5 seventh. He drove into a muddy bog far left of the fairway and had to punch out. He sailed his third shot over the green, and a sloppy chip came up short.

Woods played better on the back side – a couple of birdies, a single bogey – but he was all done at that point.

He said his chances effectively ended when the same problem that left him barely able to bend over at Firestone cropped up again on the driving range at Valhalla.

“I was sore,” Woods said. “There was no doubt I was sore. It went out on me on me on the range. I just had to play through it.”

There were no obvious indications of pain on the course, certainly nothing like his tortured departure from last week’s tournament. He appeared to reach for his back a little after the errant tee shot on No. 7, but didn’t actually touch it. There were plenty of grimaces, but those usually came after he hit another poor shot.

Woods insisted he had the “same feeling, same pain, same spasms” that forced him to drop out at Firestone, though he was encouraged that it wasn’t in the same spot as his back surgery.

“It was telling me on the range that it probably wasn’t a good idea (to play),” he said, referring to his back. “I couldn’t make a back swing. I can’t get the club back. I’m coming through fine. I just can’t get the club back. That throws everything off. I can’t get anywhere near the positions I’m accustomed to getting to. I just can’t do it. I have to rely on my timing and my hands, and hope I time it just right.”

He’ll not have plenty of time to work on his game and build up his strength.

If he doesn’t play next week at the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, – and he never has – his season is over. Woods needed to win the PGA to qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs.

It also seems highly unlikely that Woods will be one of the wild-card picks by U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson, who said over and over that he wanted to see some sign the 14-time major champion was rounding into form.

Instead, Woods can’t even beat the 64-year-old captain, finishing behind him at the British Open and three shots worse at the PGA.

“I don’t know,” Woods said, when asked about his chances of being chosen by Watson. “He hasn’t called.”

Might be best if he sits out this Ryder Cup.

Woods conceded he needs to get stronger and more fit to have any chance of being close to the player he once was.

“I felt like I wasn’t that far away when I came back at the Quicken Loans,” Woods said. “But obviously, the more I play, I can’t develop my strength while playing a lot. I need to get back in the gym and get stronger.”

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – Tiger Woods is in danger of missing the cut at a major championship for only the fourth time in his professional career.

Woods played the front nine of the PGA Championship at 4-over 39 on Friday, pushing his total score to 7 over. With the projected cut at 1 over – and little chance it would go much higher – he needed a sudden burst of birdies after the turn to have any chance.

That seemed highly unlikely.

Through his first 27 holes at Valhalla, Woods made only one birdie – a chip-in from off the green at the 16th hole Thursday.

The last time he failed to make a major cut was the 2011 PGA Championship in Atlanta. He also missed at the 2009 British Open and 2006 U.S. Open.

GLEN COVE, N.Y. – Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson remains red-hot, advancing to Saturday’s U.S. Women’s Amateur semifinals after beating UCLA’s Alison Lee 1 up at Nassau Country Club.

The 16-year-old Henderson Team Canada member who was low amateur in the U.S. Women’s Open ended the match with a par halve on the par-4 18th. After Henderson won the par-3 16th with a par to take a 2-up lead, the 19-year-old Lee, from Valencia, California, cut it to one with a birdie win on the par-4 17th.

Henderson, from Smith Falls, Ont., is trying to become the third Canadian winner in tournament history, following Marlene Stewart in 1956 and Cathy Sherk in 1978.

Henderson, the no. 2 ranked female amateur in the world, will face 16-year-old Hannah O’Sullivan of Paradise Valley, Arizona, a 5-and-4 winner over 21-year-old former Pepperdine player Grace Na of Alameda, California.

Their semi-final match will begin at 10:00am EDT on Saturday, with the final match to be played on Sunday.

In the other semifinal, 16-year-old Kristen Gillman of Austin, Texas, will play 15-year-old Andrea Lee of Hermosa Beach, California. Gillman rallied to beat 18-year-old Su-Hyun Oh of Australia in 20 holes, and Andrea Lee topped 14-year-old Eunjeong Seong of South Korea 2 and 1.

For live scoring, click here.

Brooke Henderson (USGA)

Brooke Henderson and Alison Lee (USGA)

The final round of the Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Men’s Championship was cancelled due to a sever storm. As a result, Frank Van Dornick captured his third Alberta Senior Championship, with yesterday’s 2-stoke lead turning into 2-stroke victory.

Stuart Nicholson of Bearspaw wins the Super Senior contest for players aged 70+ or older after rounds of 72 and 75. Nicholson, who won the Senior Championship in 2007, earned his first Super Senior title.

Van Dornick, Jim Russell, and Pat McGowan will be invited to represent Alberta Golf on the Senior Men’s Interprovincial Team at the 2014 Canadian Senior Men’s Championship at Capilano Golf & Country Club in West Vancouver. Additionally, the top 25 including 2 Super Senior’s will earn a quota position into the aforementioned national Championship.

For final results, click here.

DIGBY, NS – Ernie Sheaves drive home to Cape Breton will be a happy one. The 58 year old was sharp en route to a 2-under par 69 and a four stroke victory at the NSGA (Nova Scotia Golf Association) Senior Men’s Championship today at Digby Pines Golf Resort and Spa.

Sheaves, who entered today’s final round at even par, was locked in a battle with Paragon’s Tom Banks through the first 10 holes. However, Sheaves would turn it on the last seven holes taking the title in convincing fashion.

Sheaves started his day with a bogey on the par 4 #1 before also bogeying the par 4 #4, a birdie brought him back to +1, which equalled Banks’ score through nine holes.

Sheaves carded an impressive stretch of four birdies in five holes to seal the win, which were a result of some great approach shots.

“I have always been a good iron player, it’s been the strength of my game even when I was out west working” said Sheaves, who spent years working in Fort McMurray. “I told myself before yesterday I was just going to focus on taking it shot by shot, when I got on my run I knew how tough that can be for the other guy, and I just had a ton of confidence”.

Banks posted rounds of 72-71-72 to finish two strokes over par. Banks will join his fifth Nova Scotia senior team headed to the Canadian Men’s Senior Championships in consecutive years.

After Gerry MacMillan and Mike Hebb declined team spots because of prior engagements, a three-way playoff occurred to determine the final team spot. Bill Burns of Lingan, Peter Stirling of Ashburn, and Andy Wilson (Digby) were the competitors and after one hole Burns was victorious after sinking a par amid rainy conditions. After two more holes, Stirling would best Wilson to earn the alternate spot on the provincial team.

To see full results from the 2014 Men’s Senior, click here.

LOUISVILLE, Ky. – On a soggy day at Valhalla, Rory McIlroy put himself in a familiar position – at the top of the leaderboard in the PGA Championship.

For Tiger Woods, this also is becoming the norm.

Another major disappointment. He’s heading home for the weekend.

McIlroy, the overwhelming favorite from Northern Ireland, started on the back nine after a 50-minute rain delay Friday, made a couple of early birdies, then claimed the outright lead for the first time when he rolled in a 30-foot eagle putt at the 18th hole.

McIlroy picked up two more birdies in his final three holes for a 4-under 67, good enough for a one-shot lead over Jason Day and Jim Furyk. Day turned in the best round of the day with a 65, and Furyk had a 68.

Rickie Fowler and Ryan Palmer were two shots back, with Fowler surging into contention again at a major by shooting 66. He is already the first player since Woods in 2005 to finish in the top five of the first three majors of the year.

And don’t forget Phil Mickelson, who rolled in an 8-footer for eagle at the final hole for a 67. Lefty was just three shots back.

Woods, meanwhile, struggled to his second straight 74 and failed to make the cut at a major for only the fourth time in his professional career.

“That was tough,” Woods said. “I hit a lot of shots out there. Seventy-four of `em. It was a long day.”

Palmer was tied for the lead after the opening round with Lee Westwood and Kevin Chappell. Palmer turned in the best follow-up from that group, shooting 70 to stay firmly in the mix. Westwood faded a bit with a 73 and was four shots back. Chappell struggled to a 74 and dropped six strokes off the pace.

Woods was 109th place after Thursday, his only realistic goal to make the cut.

He wasn’t even close.

Woods lipped out a 3-foot birdie attempt at the third, missing a chance to gain some momentum. He followed with a bogey at No. 4, after driving into a fairway bunker, and took a double bogey at the sixth when he drove far left of the fairway and three-putted from 18 feet. Still reeling from that debacle, he yanked his tee shot at the par-5 seventh into a muddy bog, could only pitch up to the fairway, pulled the next shot behind the green, failed to reach the short grass with his chip, and made another bogey.

The back nine was better – a couple of birdies, one bogey – but it didn’t matter at that point.

Wood was all done at this PGA, still stuck on 14 major titles, the last one coming more than six years ago.

McIlroy, on the other hand, is at the top of his game. He arrived at Valhalla having won his last two tournaments. He captured the British Open at Royal Liverpool with a wire-to-wire performance, and rallied for a victory at Firestone last weekend.

Midway through the final major of the year, he is once again the guy everyone is chasing.

“I’m confident,” McIlroy said. “I’m really in control of my game and my emotions. I need to do that over the weekend as well.”

He dropped a shot with a bogey at the 12th, but birdied two of the next three holes. He seized the outright lead for the first time with the long putt at No. 18 and nearly made another eagle at the par-5 seventh. He stuck a shot from 243 yards to 8 feet, but the putt stayed right of the cup.

McIlroy grimaced and rolled back his head.

No problem.

He closed with another birdie at the ninth, finishing off his round by curling in a 16-footer that left him at 9-under 133 overall.

McIlroy is going for his fourth major title at age 25, having already won the PGA Championship at Kiawah in 2012. He’s got plenty of youth behind him – Fowler is 25, Day 26.

The old-timers didn’t fare too shabby, either.

Steve Stricker – a 47-year-old, part-time player who was picked as an assistant U.S. Ryder Cup captain this week – showed he’s still got plenty of game. He made four birdies on his first nine holes on the way to a 68, which left him four shots back along with Westwood. Also at 5 under were Graham DeLaet (68), Victor Dubuisson (68), Joost Luiten (69), Henrik Stenson (71).

Kentucky native Kenny Perry will get to celebrate his 54th birthday on Sunday at Valhalla after shooting 69. A pair of 51-year-olds, Vijay Singh and Colin Montgomerie, also made the cut.

A steady rain forced officials to suspend the round after just 20 minutes because of too much water on the putting surfaces and fairways. Work crews already were using squeegees on the greens when another burst of showers hit Valhalla.

Play was halted as Palmer was playing the first hole. He hung out in the tower with some volunteers, snapping pictures of the water.

“I wasn’t quite sure we should have teed off, to be honest with you,” he said. “You could barely see the fairway.”

The sun came out late in the day.

Not soon enough to brighten Woods’ day.