On Saturday, February 9^th, 2014, Douglas Alexander of London, Ont. was introduced as the 111^th President of Golf Canada. Below is the acceptance speech shared by the London Hunt and Country Club member during Golf Canada’s Annual General Meeting.

Past Presidents, ladies and gentlemen.  Thank you for your welcome – and thank you for the honour of allowing me to be the President of this great organization.  This is a game, a sport I love and I can assure you that I am excited about what we can achieve together in the year ahead.

I am going to share with you my views on the state of the game and what I see in the year ahead for Golf Canada.  I will share my reflections shortly, but before I do that, let me start by properly recognizing the contribution made by our Past President Mike Carroll. 

Mike, we all thank you for all you have done for Golf Canada. You have provided very effective leadership in a year when we have made significant progress. Our financial results are the best in many years and you have encouraged us to focus on matters of strategic importance. I believe the gathering of all of the Provincial volunteer leaders in Prince Edward Island last fall was a pivotal moment in deepening our relationships with our partners.  It is an initiative we will build upon as we move forward.  You have been very generous with your time, for which we also thank Ann and your family, and you have shared your passion for the game, your wisdom and advice. I am delighted you will continue to be at the Board table throughout the coming year and I will be most appreciative of your advice and support.  Please join me in acknowledging our Past President, Mike Carroll.

As Mike mentioned a few moments ago, I took up the game at a very young age in Scotland so there is no question that many of my perspectives have been shaped by my introduction to the game and the way it is played there.  

In Scotland, golf is part of our culture. I played with my grandmother as often as I could and with some people who are still my closest friends today.   I would go out and play nine holes in the evening with my mum and dad – it was the one family activity that we all enjoyed and we spent quality time together.  Fifty plus years later I still view golf as a game that at its heart and soul is about camaraderie and friendship. 

Where else do you get to spend several hours walking with your friends, sharing conversations and laughs, enjoying some competition and afterwards sitting down and enjoying a drink and a bite to eat?  What other game has such a deep grounding in integrity and sportsmanship – calling penalties on ourselves and being quick to congratulate a player on a good shot.  From my perspective the qualities or the experiences that are at the heart of the game are as strong as ever. 

I reflect on starting the game at the age of five and then think of my friend Ed Ervasti who recently celebrated his centennial birthday. He plays four to five times per week and is disappointed if doesn’t shoot his age or better every time he plays. What an example of golf as the game of a lifetime. For Ed, it’s as much about competition as it is about camaraderie.  We can all relate.

So, if I can build a case that the game of golf is something that we love and are passionate about, why are there discussion about the challenges in the game and the need for change.  There has been much discussion since the HackGolf concept was introduced at the PGA Show two weeks ago, a discussion that has continued into the hospitality suite this week!!

Certainly any dialogue about the game is good and I welcome the discussion. In reading about the initiative, I wonder why they chose to ask what folks didn’t like or would change, rather than encouraging golfers to share what drove their own passion for the game. The phrasing of the ask ultimately dictates the tone of the response.

As I mentioned earlier, I believe the game is strong, but I would suggest it is perhaps how we play the game that can be improved.  Time, cost, length, difficultly are all factors bandied about however, I’d suggest that in most communities across the country, there are course options that present wonderful alternatives.

I am currently reading the “The Kingdom of Golf in America” by Richard Moss and he offers some interesting insights.  He argues that part of the great enjoyment of the game is the challenge it offers each of us every time we play. In his words, mountain climbing will not become more popular by blasting the tops off the mountains.  We cannot take away the challenge – but also we probably do not need the supply of 7,000 yard courses with deep hazards and punishing greens.

We need a balance.  We have to be aware of social and cultural changes – the game of golf and golf clubs originated as places where friends came together.  Today, all of us – and younger generations in particular – can communicate through social media and lay claim to their number of friends as a badge of honour on Facebook. 

I think we’re all very conscious of what’s happening in society. We probably don’t spend as much quality time as we’d like with friends and loved ones. You don’t have to go someplace to connect with friends – technology makes it easy. We don’t spend quality time with those closest to us – that’s more of a cultural issue than a golf issue, but it’s certainly impacted our sport.

As we move forward I believe it is critical that we respect the traditions of our game, but be relevant for modern society.  That means that we must protect our core values, but be prepared to make changes to adapt to current cultures.  I think we are making progress and we must recognize them and promote them.

Equipment is better than it’s ever been. For the recreational player a ball that flies further and a club that is easier to hit is a welcome development.

The quality of teaching, coaching and program delivery has never been stronger thanks to the efforts of PGA of Canada professionals.

Initiative like Tee-it-Forward remind us that golfers always have the choice to play a course that fits their game.  While we may aspire to play like the PGA TOUR players we watch on a Sunday, the reality is we don’t hit the ball as far.  More importantly, I would argue strongly that golf is more fun when we can reach greens more easily and play the courses as they were designed to be played.

There is a greater awareness than ever about what courses can do – both with conditioning and setup – to impact the golfer experience.  Again the vast majority of us are not good enough to be playing on Augusta-like greens. I played in Scotland last fall when it is questionable if any of the greens were running above 10 on the stimpmeter – and we had a wonderful time.  Let’s make sure courses are set up for enjoyment, not difficulty.

The rules of golf are critical to the integrity of a competition – I’ve played in club, provincial and national events and understand how the rules protect the entire playing field. But the rules don’t dictate any golfer’s ability to enjoy the game. It’s a false argument to suggest the rules are driving people away.

Handicapping is the great equalizer in our sport – that doesn’t preclude golfers from negotiating strokes on the first tee. Any golfer regardless of ability can compete equitably and that is something unique to our sport.

Golfers should be encouraged to be competitive to their own degree of comfort; to fully test one’s game and strive to improve but not stress about it; to enjoy the challenge and to share the experience with friends.

And finally, and most importantly, I think clubs and courses are better understanding the opportunities that come by making their facilities welcome to all members of the family and developing programs that will bring children into the game.

I don’t believe we need to change the game to make it more fun. I think we need to do a better job of selling the experience of golf. Selling the idea of spending quality time with friends and family; selling the values and integrity that golf can offer our children.

I know the people in this room are prepared to tackle the challenges that face our game. Outside of these meetings, we need to be leaders in every sense. We need to be ambassadors. If we’re not talking up the sport, marketing what makes golf great, who will?  

As I begin this term as president, I’ve challenged myself to be a vocal advocate of the sport. I look forward to working closely with the (Golf Canada CEO) Scott Simmons and the staff, our volunteers and our industry partners.  As leaders in the industry – whether at the club, provincial or national level – it’s our responsibility to be the most vocal ambassadors for what makes the game great.

Let me offer a few comments on my vision for Golf Canada – it is a question I have been asked many times in recent weeks.  There is a smart answer I could give that says I don’t have a vision – because simply we all share One Vision – and I honestly don’t believe it is something that any president should bring forward as an individual. We have worked collectively to develop our vision for the future and in the course of the last few days, we have shared the progress we have made – and the work that remains to be done.

I am very comfortable with our role as the National Sports Organization and the four pillars in our plan – participation, excellence, capacity and interaction. It’s important for all of us to understand what it means to be the National Sport Organization and governing body of golf in this country. The four pillars represent the areas of focus that drive our strategic plan. It means getting real serious with what we need to do.

I want to build on the initiatives started by (former president) Mike Carroll and our past Boards. It’s encouraging that Golf Canada and the provincial golf associations – with buy in at both the staff and board level – are working collaboratively to promote, market and support the game. Synergies – working together to make an impact greater than any of us could do on our own.

I want to better understand how we can work with all of our partners in the golf industry for the betterment of the game. 

I want to understand what the course owners and managers are doing to welcome new participants and how can we help.

I want to get a better sense of what superintendants have planned to impact the golfer experience and how we can promote it.

I’m just as eager to find out how PGA of Canada professionals are delivering quality golf activities at the club level and how we can support it. Golf has a wonderful story and I want to help tell share it.

Let me close by saying that I am encouraged by the state of the game in Canada. Golf is a great game.  We are still the highest participation sport in Canada. 

Our athletes are performing against the world’s best.  We have Canadian heroes emerging – Graham DeLaet is performing at a very high level. We have more players on the LPGA, PGA and Web.com Tours than we have seen for many years and PGA TOUR Canada has made a tremendous first impression.  Our Team Canada National Amateur Squad players are winning and we have 9 players inside the top 100 of the World Amateur Rankings, including 16-year old Brooke Henderson. 

We have the Olympics just around the corner which will give the game greater profile. 

We have a clear direction with financial stability and we are committed to working closely with our partners across the country. Yes there are challenges – but we I am very confident we can deal with them. And my confidence is grounded in this room – with the commitment and passion you have shown in our meetings this week. 

I am looking forward to working with the Board and I want to offer a sincere thank you to everyone – volunteers and staff alike – who has agreed to give their time and talents in the year ahead.

I hope everyone comes away from this week’s Annual General Meeting leaving positive about the game; enthused about the many aspects in golf that can make our sport a more attractive option than the recreational activities we are competing with.

I would challenge everyone in this room when you head home to your respective provinces or golf clubs to look for opportunities to make a difference.  Let’s embrace every opportunity to better promote this great game.

Also, click here to check out Golf Canada’s Strategic Plan.

GOLD COAST, Australia – Cheyenne Woods won the Australian Ladies Masters on Sunday for her first major professional tour victory, holding off 17-year-old Australian amateur Minjee Lee by two strokes.

The 23-year-old Woods, Tiger Woods’ niece, closed with a 4-under 69 at Royal Pines to finish at 16-under 276. Lee also shot 69 in the event sanctioned by the European and Australian tours.

Woods birdied the par-5 15th to open a two-stroke lead, hitting a wedge from about 120 yards to 4 feet. On the par-5 18th, she matched Lee with a birdie, holing out from 1 1/2 feet.

From Phoenix, Woods is the daughter of Earl Dennison Woods Jr., Tiger Woods’ half brother.

Woods turned professional in 2012 after an All-America career at Wake Forest and her only previous pro victory came in 2012 in a SunCoast mini-tour event. In December, she missed the cut in the LPGA Tour’s qualifying tournament in a failed bid to earn a spot on the circuit.

Woods will play next week in the LPGA Tour-sanctioned Women’s Australian Open in Victoria.

South Africa’s Stacy Lee Bregman and Sweden’s Camilla Lennarth tied for third at 12 under. Bergman closed with a 72, and Lenmarth had a 70.

Canada’s Lorie Kane finished 50th after putting together rounds of 69-75-74-75 to finish 1-over.

JOHANNESBURG, South Africa – George Coetzee came from four shots back to win the Joburg Open, his first European Tour title, and a place at the British Open on a profitable Sunday for the South African.

Coetzee’s final-round 6-under 66, with six birdies and no bogeys, took him to 19-under 268 overall and past compatriots Thomas Aiken and Justin Walters, the overnight co-leaders.

The 27-year-old Coetzee was flawless on the East Course at Royal Johannesburg and Kensington Golf Club to clinch his maiden title in his 107th tour event, a sequence that included 24 top-10 finishes.

“I don’t know what I’m feeling,” he said. “I’m lost for words. I’ve been waiting a while and I started doubting so I’m very happy.”

Coetzee won by three shots from England’s Tyrrell Hatton (66), South Korea’s Jin Jeong (71) and Walters (73), who needed an eagle on the last to take Coetzee to a playoff and made bogey instead. Jeong and Walters claimed the other two British Open places on offer at Royal Joburg, with Hatton missing out because his world ranking was lower than the two he tied with for second, the European Tour said.

Aiken struggled to a 74 and was tied for fifth on 15 under with Englishmen Andy Sullivan and Matthew Baldwin and Spaniard Alvaro Quiros.

Charl Schwartzel, No. 4 in the Race to Dubai and the highest-placed player on Europe’s money list competing in Johannesburg, was tied for 59th after a second straight 72.

Coetzee was smooth through his final round to set the target at 19 under and birdied all three of the par 5s in his front nine. He enjoyed a lucky break on No. 15 when his wayward tee shot bounced off a tree and back into the fairway and he went on to sink a 20-foot putt for birdie.

Hatton and Jeong couldn’t catch him and, two shots back with two to play, Walters left a birdie putt just short on No. 17 to leave himself a tough task on the last. He could only manage bogey, with Coetzee, from nearby Pretoria, confirmed as the champion while he was signing autographs for fans.

“I got to share this with my family and my friends,” the first-time winner said. “It was my mum’s birthday yesterday and I wanted to do it for her as I forgot to buy her a present.”

Coetzee was the sixth South African to win the title in eight Joburg Opens.

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – The wind was so strong, the conditions so demanding, that Jimmy Walker felt like Saturday at the AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am was competing against the golf course instead of the rest of the field.

Golf’s hottest player wound beating them both.

Walker finally made his first bogey of the tournament, and that was only a nuisance. He ran off five birdies at Monterey Peninsula for a 4-under 67, the best score of a blustery day, giving him a six-shot lead going into the final round.

Walker went 187 starts on the PGA Tour without winning. He now has a chance to win for the third time in his last eight tournaments. He won the Frys.com Open last fall about an hour away at CordeValle. He won for the second time this season last month in Honolulu. In both those tournaments, Walker was trailing going into the last day.

This time, he has the largest 54-hole lead at Pebble Beach since Phil Mickelson led by seven in 2005. Mickelson went on to win by four shots.

“I’ve never had whatever big lead this is going into the last round,” Walker said. “Just go out and hit good shots and play good golf and see what happens.”

He was at 13-under 202.

Tim Wilkinson of New Zealand had a 69 and Hunter Mahan had a 72, both at Monterey Peninsula. They were at 208.

Havoc happened on Saturday on all three courses, particularly at Pebble Beach.

The third round was not completed because of a delay lasting 2 hours, 19 minutes due to gusts at 30 mph that made golf balls roll off the green, mostly at Pebble Beach. In a three-course rotation, play has to be stopped at all three courses.

The average score at Pebble Beach was just over 75.

Jordan Spieth caught the brunt of it. Tied with Walker going into the third round, Spieth was 5-over through 15 holes when the round was halted by darkness. That included a pair of three-putts on the front nine when he went out in 40, and another three-putt from 18 feet. Spieth missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the 16th hole, and then chose to mark the 5-foot par putt he had coming back.

Walker opened with a 66 at Pebble Beach when it was calm, the best time to play it. That doesn’t mean he was off the hook on the Shore Course at Monterey Peninsula. He just had to play his best, and he did.

On the par-3 ninth, typically a 6-iron, Walker smashed a 5-wood into the wind and couldn’t reach the green. He made one birdie with an 8-iron from 140 yards, and was hitting 4-iron that went only about 165 yards.

“It just feels like a battle,” Walker said. “You’re not battling really anybody else. You’re not battling the field or a tournament. You’re just out there trying. The golf course is trying to beat you up.”

Richard Lee had a 72 at Spyglass Hill and was alone in fourth at 209. Phil Mickelson had a 71 at Spyglass and was among those eight shots behind. Only three players broke par at Pebble _ none better than Dustin Johnson’s 70. Brendon Todd looked as if he might have one of those rounds until bogeys on the last two holes.

“Nine and 10 are par 5s today. I couldn’t reach either one,” Todd said. “There were no birdie holes out there.”

Play was stopped about an hour after the last group teed off. It was a peculiar sight to see clouds gathering on the Pacific horizon, and officials trying to spray water on the greens to help balls stay on the putting surface.

It didn’t work.

And when play resumed, Brian Gay was given relief on the fourth green at Pebble Beach because of standing water left from hosing down the greens. He was able to move his ball some 15 feet to the other side of the green.

But the big trouble was the wind.

Kevin Chappell’s approach to the par-3 fifth sailed over the cliff, and he ambled down toward the beach to play the shot. The par-5 sixth at Pebble, usually reachable with a long iron, was a true three-shot hole. On the 109-yard, downhill seventh hole into the wind, the club of choice was a chip 8-iron.

It was most difficult with the putting _ being able to stand over the ball, trying to hit it as it wobbled and judging the speed. Geoff Ogilvy three-putted from 3 feet twice in a three-hole stretch on his way to an 81. Spieth had a pair of three-putts that sent him tumbling out of contention. The worst was on the ninth, when he gunned his 12-footer for par about 4 feet by the hole, sent the next one 5 feet by on the other side and raised his arms in mock triumph when he made the third one.

D.A. Points might have had the best time. His score didn’t count.

Points was disqualified Friday for using a sponge ball as a training device while waiting on the 18th tee. He returned Saturday to contribute to the pro-am side of the competition with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. The team shot 77 and missed the cut.

“It meant an enormous amount to me,” Rice said. “He didn’t have to do that. It speaks really well for him and for the tour that he came out played, anyway.”

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – A desert critter saved leader Bubba Watson at least a stroke Saturday in the Phoenix Open. Some pigskin play cost Phil Mickelson to the chagrin of the rowdiest fans in the largest crowd in golf history.

The estimated 189,722 fans had a lot to see on a sunny, cool day at TPC Scottsdale.

Watson’s drive on the par-5 13th went into a desert bush and settled next to a burrowing animal hole that would have interfered with his swing. He got a free drop, ended up saving par on the way to a 3-under 68 and a two-stroke lead at 15 under.

Mickelson made a double bogey on the par-3 16th hole, the 20,000-seat stadium hole where he “lost focus” thinking about throwing footballs into the crowd. He had a 72 to drop to 3 under.

Canadian Graham DeLaet shot himself up the leaderboard with a 6-under 65. DeLaet, from Weyburn, Sask., is six shots off the pace at 9-under 204.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 73, and is 13 shots back at 211.

SEA ISLAND, Georgia – Team Canada’s Corey Conners continued his strong play in Georgia, carding a second-round 73 to remain in the hunt heading into the third and final round of the Jones Invitational.

Conners, a Kent State senior, is one of four players tied for fourth place at Ocean Forest Golf Club. The 21-year-old of Listowel, Ont. native was a model of consistency Saturday, recording 15 pars on the day. He is 1-over par, chasing the lead held by three others at even par.

National Team member Adam Svensson slipped down the leaderboard into a tie for 20^th. The  Surrey, B.C. native was hurt by three consecutive bogies on the back nine to finish with a 3-over 75. The 20-year-old is now 5-over par through two rounds of play (74-75).

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. also shot a 3-over 75. He is currently 6-over par (75-75) and sits tied for 29th.

Elmira, Ont. native Garrett Rank improved on his opening-round Saturday, carding a 2-over 74 after his opening round of 77. He moved up 13 spots to sit tied for 37th.

Victoria, B.C. native Kevin Carrigan had a difficult day. The 27-year-old slipped into a tie for 61st after recording an 8-over 80.

View the full leaderboard here.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Defending champion Stephen Gallacher had seven birdies and an eagle on the back nine Saturday to surge past Rory McIlroy and take a two-shot lead into the final round of the Dubai Desert Classic.

Gallacher equaled the European Tour record for the lowest nine-hole score with an inward 28 for a 9-under 63. That gave him a 16-under total of 200, with McIlroy in second after 69. Tiger Woods was 11 shots back after a 70.

“This is the best back nine I’ve had in my career by far,” said Gallacher, who started the day four shots behind McIlroy. “So to get myself back into contention when I needed to, and given the stature of this tournament, it feels good.”

Gallacher started with seven straight pars before a bogey on the eighth. But he birdied the next four holes before an eagle on the par-5 13th, where he hit a 7-iron to within three inches with his second shot. After another par on the next hole, he finished with four straight birdies.

“I struggled at the start and played the first four holes a bit ropey,” the Scot said. “But I then hit a beautiful drive and 7-iron (at the ninth) to about 3 foot, and from then on I never missed a shot.”

The Desert Classic is celebrating its 25th anniversary, and Gallacher now has a chance to become the first person to win back-to-back titles at the event. McIlroy earned his first European Tour victory here in 2009 and is still very much in the hunt despite battling food poisoning during the second round on Friday. McIlroy, who had his lowest score in three years with a 63 in the opening round, mixed three birdies and an eagle with two bogeys on Saturday.

“My stomach is better today, still not 100 percent but it’s better than it was yesterday,” McIlroy said. “I feel like I can catch him (Gallacher) up tomorrow. I don’t really want to focus on what he’s doing – try to focus on my own thing.”

Woods, who won here in 2006 and 2008, failed to get back in contention after a disappointing day on the greens. The top-ranked American had two bogeys and four birdies but missed a number of opportunities to pull closer.

“I only hit a couple of bad shots, (but) missed a ton of putts,” said Woods, who was in a tie for 37th. “Really hit it good but just threw away a lot of shots.”

Thorbjoern Olesen of Denmark shot a 65 to sit tied for third with Brooks Koepka of the United States, another two shots behind Gallacher. Race to Dubai winner Henrik Stenson fell out of contention with a 75 that included two double bogeys and left him 12 shots back.

DUBAI, United Arab Emirates – Tiger Woods is making his first visit to India next week to play an exhibition with a top business executive.

Woods said he will be the guest of Pawan Munjal, the CEO and managing director of Hero Motor Group, which makes motorcycles and scooters. They are to play an 18-hole match on Tuesday at Delhi Golf Club, which has hosted the Indian Open.

Munjal first met Woods when visiting the Tavistock Cup in Orlando, Florida. Woods also is close to India native Arjun Atwal, a U.S. PGA Tour winner.

Woods has been conducting corporate outings in Asia and Australia for the last couple of years. The Hindustan Times said the event would not be open to the public.

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. – Phil Mickelson made it to the weekend in the Phoenix Open. Another popular left-hander and a fellow former Arizona State player set the pace.

A week after withdrawing from Torrey Pines because of back pain, Mickelson shot a 4-under 67 in his afternoon round Friday at cool and breezy TPC Scottsdale. The defending champion was eight strokes behind leaders Bubba Watson and Matt Jones.

“I’m not totally out of it,” Mickelson said. “Obviously, heading into the weekend, I’d like to be closer, but as we have seen in the past, there is that 8-, 9-, 10-, in some cases 11-under par round out there.”

Indeed, the three-time champion has shot 11-under 60 twice in the event, in the second round in his 2005 victory and last year in the first round.

Watson, the long-hitting left-hander who won the 2012 Masters, followed his opening 64 with a 66 to reach 12 under. Jones, the Australian who played at Arizona State and lives in Scottsdale, had his second straight 65.

“It’s right where I want to be going into the weekend,” Watson said.

The 43-year-old Mickelson felt soreness in his back two weeks ago in Abu Dhabi, and pulled out at Torrey Pines after making the 36-hole cut. He flew to Georgia to see back specialist Tom Boers and was told his facet joints locked up.

“My back feels great,” Mickelson said. “Like I said, it was a simple fix. I just don’t want to overdo it.”

Lefty saved par with a 12-footer on the par-5 15th hole after hitting his second shot into the water. On Thursday in his opening 71, he reached the green in two and three-putted for par from about the same distance.

“Very difficult conditions to go really low,” Mickelson said.

Harris English and Greg Chalmers shot 67 to reach 10 under, and Pat Perez, Kevin Stadler and Hideki Matsuyama were 9 under. Matsuyama had a 67, and Perez and Stadler shot 68.

Watson opened with a birdie on the par-4 10th. In 50-degree conditions with the wind hours away on the cloudy day when it barely reached the mid-60s, he hit a 315-yard drive to set up a 70-yard shot that he hit to 4 feet.

“Back is not as loose as you want it to be, weather is not as warm as you want it to be,” Watson said. “But I hit a good tee shot, and then I hit my wedge in there close and I made the putt. … That got me going.”

Wearing lime greens shoes and an otherwise all-black outfit, Watson bogeyed the par-3 seventh after driving right. He made a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 eighth and closed with a bogey on the par-4 ninth after his wedge shot spun off the green.

“I had two sloppy bogeys coming down the stretch, but I will take it,” Watson said.

Jones birdied four of his last six holes. He also played in the morning.

“We definitely got the good side of the draw,” Jones said.

Despite the cooler weather, the tournament set an attendance record for the third straight day with an estimated crowd of 123,674. Since Monday, an estimated 313,054 people have attended the event. The seven-day record of 538,356 was set in 2008.

It also was expected to be cool over the weekend, with highs in the low-60s.

Jones is a regular at the course, but doesn’t consider that an advantage.

“The golf course is so different tournament week than it is when you play out here regularly,” Jones said. “It’s a lot harder, a lot faster. The greens are a lot quicker. The pins are a lot more tucked out here. So, it’s like a new golf course when you come here for a tournament.”

Brandt Snedeker had the best round of the day, a 64 in the morning to reach 8 under.

“My putting, plain and simple,” Snedeker said. “I hit the ball extra good yesterday and had some of the worst putting I had all year. Today, I kind of did the opposite.”

La Quinta winner Patrick Reed also was 8 under after his second 67. Playing alongside Watson, Reed hit to a foot for a birdie on the par-3 16th stadium hole.

Making a statement about the PGA Tour’s decision to ban caddie races to the green on the rowdy hole, players Robert Garrigus and Morgan Hoffman sprinted to the putting surface. Garrigus made a birdie, and Hoffman had a bogey.

Keegan Bradley followed his opening 66 with an 80, The score was the second-highest of his PGA Tour career, following an 82 last year in the Masters. He made a triple-bogey 8 on No. 3 and had eight bogeys and two birdies.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is eight shots back, with a 1-under 70 leaving him at 4-under 138 for the tournament. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., is another stroke back after turning in a 72.

The rest of the Canadian contingent missed the cut, which was 1-under 141. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., finished at 145. Amateur Ki Taek Lee of Vancouver wound up at 147, while Calgary’s Stephen Ames was another shot back.

SEA ISLAND, Georgia – Team Canada’s Corey Conners sits just two-strokes off the pace after the opening round of the Jones Cup Invitational at Ocean Forest Golf Club.

Conners, 21, shot an even par 72 which featured four birdies on the back 9. He is currently tied for fifth with three others and will look to make his way up the leaderboard when play resumes tomorrow.

Kevin Carrigan of Victoria, B.C. also opened well in Georgia – he currently sits at tied for 15th after carding a 2-over 74. Team Canada member and Surrey, B.C. native, Adam Svensson, also fared well. The 20-year-old Barry University student sits tied with Carrigan in 15th spot after going 2-under on his final six holes.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., also a member of Team Canada’s National Team, finished in a tie for 25^th after opening with a 3-over 75.

Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont. struggled in his opening round to a 5-over 77. He currently sits 50th.

Scoring can be viewed online here.