DP World Tour

Sergio Garcia beats Mikko Ilonen in playoff to win Qatar Masters

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Sergio Garcia (Ross Kinnaird Getty Images)

DOHA, Qatar – Sergio Garcia birdied the third extra hole to beat Mikko Ilonen in a playoff Saturday and win the Qatar Masters for his second victory in three events.

Garcia entered the round three shots behind overnight leader Rafa Cabrera-Bello but birdied six of his last 12 for a 7-under 65, forcing Ilonen to make an 18-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to force the playoff with a 66. They both finished on 16-under 272.

Garcia missed an 8-foot birdie putt on the last that would have given him the win in regulation, and then couldn’t make an eagle putt for the victory on the first playoff hole.

The Spaniard and Ilonen both had birdies on the second extra hole as well before Garcia sealed the victory with a tap-in birdie at the third to Ilonen’s par.

“I started the day thinking if I can shoot a 6 or 7 under, I can have a chance,” Garcia. “I’m very happy to be able to win it.”

Cabrera-Bello only managed a 69 and fell to a tie for third with Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark (68).

Garcia’s victory helped make up for last year’s disappointment in Doha, when he finished runner-up after England’s Chris Wood eagled the last hole to claim his first European Tour win. It also came on the heels of his victory at the Thailand Golf Championship in December, when he had his girlfriend Katharina Boehm caddie for him. Boehm was among the first to congratulate him after he sealed the win on Saturday.

“When things off the golf course are on good terms it is a little easier to concentrate when you don’t have too many things in your head,” Garcia said. “I am very fortunate with Kathy and with my family and all those around me, so it’s great to be playing well and to be in this winning situation with the goal now to keep improving.

“I still feel like I can do better and that is the goal.”

Ilonen was seeking just his third tour victory after ending a six-year winless drought last June at the Nordea Masters.

“I came up two shots short of my target in regulation thinking a 64 would win outright, but a 66 was good enough for the playoff,” the Finn said. “But Sergio was a bit better than me.”

Olesen had the chance to join the playoff but missed his eight-foot eagle putt on 18.

European No. 1 Henrik Stenson finished strongly with birdies on his last four holes for a 67 that put him in a tie for 28th – perhaps a good sign at the end of a disappointing tournament ahead of next week’s Dubai Desert Classic.

Jordan Spieth leaves Tiger in his wake and takes the lead into weekend at Torrey Pines

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Jordan Spieth (Donald Miralle/ Getty Images)

SAN DIEGO – Jordan Spieth turned out to be the star attraction Friday playing with Tiger Woods at Torrey Pines.

Spieth again showed game well beyond his 20 years with a 9-under 63 on the North Course, giving him a one-shot lead over Stewart Cink going into the weekend at the Farmers Insurance Open. Cink drilled a 3-wood from 280 yards onto the green at the par-5 ninth on the tougher South Course for a two-putt birdie and a 71.

Woods rarely gets upstaged at Torrey Pines, where his eight professional wins include the 2008 U.S. Open.

But in his first competition in six weeks, Woods hardly looked the part as the defending champion. He did not make birdie on any of the par 5s for the second straight day, and a three-putt bogey on the par-5 ninth hole on the North gave him a 71.

He was nine shots behind.

Phil Mickelson’s ailing back wasn’t much better, though Lefty plodded along and shot 73 on the South to finish eight shots out of the lead. Mickelson contemplated pulling out to rest his back, and said only that he would give it a shot Saturday depending on how he felt.

It was the first time Spieth has played with Woods in a tournament – they played a practice round together at the Presidents Cup last fall – and the Texan felt and played as if it was any other round on the PGA Tour.

Then again, the first time he played with Mickelson, Spieth closed with a 62 at the TPC Boston last year, a round that led Mickelson to call Presidents Cup captain Fred Couples and lobby for Spieth to be picked for the team.

In both cases, Spieth was more interested with the score than the audience.

“Any time you can shoot a lower score than a 66 or 65 and you can really get it deep and be in a zone and not worry about what your score is … that’s special,” Spieth said. “That’s proving that I can play my best golf when it matters on a PGA Tour venue. Each time you can do that, you get more and more confident that you can do it more often.”

As for playing with Woods? He only shrugged.

Spieth grew up watching, idolizing and being amazed by Woods. But this was only a Friday.

“They were both rounds that I needed to move up the leaderboard,” he said about playing with Woods this week and Mickelson last year. “They weren’t in the last couple groups on Sunday, so they weren’t to win. They were to get myself up and in a position.”

Spieth was at 10-under 134 and will be in the last group Saturday with Cink and Nicolas Colsaerts, who shot 67 on the South and was two shots behind.

“I’m looking forward to playing with Jordan. I’ve never seen him hit a ball, so that will be fun,” Cink said. “It’s always exciting to see the young guys play. I’m playing really well. I’m really excited about golf right now and the way I’m playing. I’m having some fun out there and seeing a lot of good things.”

The final two rounds will be on the South, which is about 600 yards longer and on Friday played more than 4 1/2 shots harder.

Spieth didn’t hit the ball better than his opening-round 71 on the South. His putter made the difference. He rolled in a bending 18-foot birdie putt on the 10th hole and his confidence grew up there. He avoided a three-putt on the 17th by making a 15-footer for par, and he really took off down the stretch. He holed another sidehill birdie putt on the par-3 sixth from about 20 feet, and he made a 15-footer for his final birdie on the eighth hole. The rest of his birdie putts were inside 4 feet.

“The kid’s got talent,” Woods said. “He hits it a long way, phenomenal putter. He made a boat load of putts today from the 10- to 20-foot range, and on poa greens, that’s not easy to do. He was pouring them in there. He had speed to them, too. That’s what you have to do to putt on poa.

“He putted with a lot of confidence.”

That wasn’t the case for Woods, whose only birdies came on his opening hole and on his sixth hole, a flip wedge to 4 feet. He didn’t feel like he was off by much, but that’s all it took. The course is set up in such a way that the thickest grass is just off the fairway.

“I wouldn’t say it’s rusty,” Woods said. “I was just a fraction off, and at this level and on golf courses like this, if you’re just a fraction off it doesn’t take much, especially as tight as the North Course is. I had so many balls that landed in the fairway that went in the rough. Now I can’t be aggressive, I’ve got to play conservative into some of these flags. When you should be able to fire at some of these flags, I just couldn’t.”

The cut was at even-par 144, and 83 players advanced. There will be another cut to top 70 and ties after the third round.

Woods wasn’t ruling himself out just yet. He remembered the time he made the cut by two shots in 1999, and then had a 62-65 weekend to win by two shots. But that was before the South Course was lengthened. No had better than 67 the first two days this week on the South.

Brad Fritsch got around Torrey Pines 2-under par and is tied for 11th, 5-shots back of Spieth. The Ottawa native almost recorded the shot of the day, nearly holing his tee shot on the 201 yard, par-3 16th hole.

Graham DeLaet was the other Canadian to make it to weekend play in California. The Weyburn, Sask. native dropped 21 places Friday after shooting a 1-over 73. He’s tied for 50th 1-under with Woods.

Mike Weir withdrew Friday due to a neck injury. He’s reported to have had three days of physiotherapy to treat the problem. He was 5-over after the opening-round.

LPGA Tour

Jessica Korda leads Bahamas LPGA Classic

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Jessica Korda (Rob Carr/ Getty Images)

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas (AP) – Jessica Korda took the second-round lead in the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic, birdieing four of her last seven holes in high wind Friday for a 7-under 66.

The 20-year-old Korda had an 11-under 135 total on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course.

“We went from beautiful, sunny, slight wind to cloudy and hurricane wind,” Korda said. “It was a tough day out there. I mean, a little mentally draining because you really had to put everything into every shot.”

The 2012 Women’s Australian Open winner for her lone LPGA Tour title, Korda recently started working with swing coach Grant Price. She struggled with her swing last year and felt that it led to some injuries in her left shoulder and wrist.

“It was just time for a change,” Korda said. “There was just stuff that wasn’t working. I’ve worked with (Grant) before, so I was really comfortable going into it, and he’s just super positive, and that’s something that I really needed coming into this year.

“We’re just working on keeping everything in plane and keeping it really simple to where if something does go wrong on the golf course, I can fix it myself.”

Price, Hall of Famer Nick Price’s nephew, is fighting testicular cancer.

Paula Creamer, playing alongside Korda, was a stroke back after a 65.

“Feeding off Paula was good,” Korda said. “She made four birdies in a row after (starting with a double bogey), and it wasn’t like she wasn’t giving herself opportunities. It was birdie after birdie. It was awesome to play with somebody like that because they really do push you and keep making you try harder.”

Creamer drove left on the first hole and three-putted from 7 feet. She birdied 10 of the last 17 holes.

“After that, I said, `Let’s go make some birdies.’ And I did,” said Creamer, winless since the 2010 U.S. Women’s Open. “I love playing in windy conditions. I always have. The more difficult, the better. You have to be kind of a feel player out in these kind of situations and trust what you’re doing and committing to your shots, and that’s something that I really worked hard on in the offseason and it paid off today.”

Michelle Wie and Monday qualifier Jenny Suh were tied for third at 9 under. Wie had a 65, and Suh shot 66.

Wie had 28 putts in her bogey-free round.

“I think I just had a good rest this offseason,” Wie said. “When I came back in January and I picked up my golf clubs, I was really excited to play. I was so ready to get back into a rhythm.”

Suh failed to gain fully exempt status on the tour when she lost a playoff at Q-school.

“I know what the weekend could do and what it could hold for me, but I’m just going to keep enjoying myself and try to make as many birdies as possible,” Suh said.

Lydia Ko, the 16-year-old New Zealander who shared the first-round lead with Meena Lee, was three strokes behind at 8 under after a 70. The fourth-ranked Ko is making her first start as an LPGA Tour member. She won the Canadian Women’s Open the last two years as an amateur and closed last season with a victory in a non-tour event in Taiwan in her second pro start.

Na Yeon Choi (68), Christel Boeljon (67) and P.K. Kongkraphan (69) also were 8 under.

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was 6 under after a 71.

On the Canadian front, Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Alena Sharp of Hamilton were the lone Canadians to make the 36-hole cut. The pair both sit at 2-under and are tied for 35th.

Jennifer Kirby failed to make the cut in her debut as a LPGA Tour member. The former Team Canada member and Paris, Ont. native finished 2-over to miss the cut by a stroke.

Maude Aimee-LeBlanc of Sherbrooke, Que. finished 1-stroke back of Kirby at 3-over, while Langley’s Sue Kim was 11-over.

Amateur Team Canada

Rank and Tanguay lead Canadians heading into final round of South American Amateur

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Garrett Rank (USGA)

BARRANQUILLA, ATLANTICO, Colombia – Team Canada’s Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont. fired a 3-over 75 to sit tied for 6th, five strokes back of leaders Paul Howard and Jimmy Mullen of England, following the third round of the South American Amateur Championship.

Fellow Canadian Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. continued his strong play as well, carding a 1-under 71 to climb into a tie for 12th on the leaderboard. Kitchener, Ont. native and National Team member Chris Hemmerich slipped to 24th after struggling with a 6-over 78.

Development Squad member Valérie Tanguay leads all Canadian females after shooting a 3-over 75 to move up six spots on the leaderboard to sit tied for 8th. Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C. also cracked the top 10, sitting in a tie for tenth at 19-over par with the windy conditions at Barranquilla Country Club.

Canadian Results – Round 3

Men: Click here for full results

T6. Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.) 74-71-75 (+4)
T19. Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) 75-76-71 (+6)
T24. Chris Hemmerich (Kitchener, Ont.)  78-72-78 (+12)
T47. Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) 81-81-75 (+21)
T52. Matt Williams (Calgary) 80-82-79 (+25)
59. Carter Simon (Sutton, Ont.) 83-84-81 (+32)

Women: Click here for full results

T8. Valérie Tanguay (St-Hyacinthe, Qué.) 74-85-75, +18
T10. Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.), 80-74-81, +19
T30. Jaclyn Lee (Calgary)  81-87-79, +31

19th Hole

PING launches new Rapture 3-wood and Ketsch putter

temp fix empty alt images for attachment

PING recently unveiled the 13-degree Rapture 3-wood for golfers looking for a versatile driver alternative or hotter-faced 3-wood. The multi-material, adjustable design combines a Ti 8-1-1 titanium body, high-strength beta-titanium face and dense tungsten sole plate for increased ball speed and lowered spin, leading to more distance and accuracy.

“The weighting properties of titanium and tungsten provide our engineers a lot of opportunities to improve performance,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “The high-strength beta-titanium material allowed us to really focus on creating a hotter face that yields ball speeds and distance unlike any we’ve seen in fairway woods. The tungsten positions the weight extremely low so we can optimize the CG position. It has a taller face and deeper head profile, so golfers will have complete confidence with the Rapture. We think golfers will really appreciate this unique combination of technology to improve their performance. It’s extremely long off the tee. We’re excited to get it in golfers’ hands.”

A tall, extreme-variable-thickness face made of high-strength beta titanium (30% stronger than standard titanium) enlarges the hitting surface for increased forgiveness while accelerating ball speed to generate distance. Almost 25% of head mass is isolated in the tungsten sole plate, which positions the CG much lower in the Ti 8-1-1 head, further improving energy transfer for higher ball speed and less spin. The matte-black 219cc head has a deep profile for inspiring confidence. The standard 13 degrees of loft can easily be adjusted plus or minus ½ degree using PING’s Trajectory Tuning technology. The lightweight adjustable hosel has the same outer diameter and mass of PING’s traditional fixed hosels and provides the benefits of adjustability without sacrificing the performance that’s often lost in clubs with larger hosel designs.

Ketsch putter

Precision milled at PING headquarters the new Ketsch putter will offer unprecedented distance control, extreme forgiveness and accurate alignment.

It is the newest model to benefit from variable-depth grooves, which produce consistent results across the face. A 17-4 stainless steel sole weight creates a high MOI and makes the aluminum, mallet-style head highly forgiving.

“What really stands out about the Ketsch is the captured look it provides at address, inspiring confidence and promoting a consistent stroke, the key to holing more putts,” said John A. Solheim, PING Chairman & CEO. “It has three white, contrasting alignment aids extending from the top of the matte-black crown. The center line runs all the way to the back to make aiming easy. Our research shows that the head shape promotes extremely consistent alignment for the majority of golfers. Those factors, combined with our revolutionary variable-depth grooves and a high MOI, will help golfers putt more consistently.”

Variable-depth grooves milled into the face ensure ball-speed consistency whether the ball is struck in the center of the face, toward the heel or toe, high or low. Grooves are deepest in the center and shallower toward the perimeter, which PING calls True Roll (TR) Technology. PING studies show an increase in ball-speed consistency of nearly 50% compared to a non-grooved face when measured at nine points across the face.

To fit their body type and putting style, golfers can choose a fixed-length shaft (35 inches is standard), or they can upgrade to an adjustable-length version they can modify between 31 and 38 inches prior to a round.

The Ketsch is available in three shaft bends to fit any stroke type: Straight, Slight Arc, or Strong Arc. Results from hundreds of player and robot tests at PING show that golfers are more consistent with a putter balanced to fit their stroke type. The midsize PP58 black rubber grip is designed with a familiar shape, but its larger size quiets the wrists for improved confidence and stroke repeatability.

Both the Rapture 3-wood and Ketsch putter are currently available to pre-order from PING-authorized golf shops.

Image.ashx2
19th Hole

Titleist updates NXT Tour, Velocity and DT Solo balls for 2014

temp fix empty alt images for attachment

Titleist has updated the NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity and DT Solo golf balls to deliver even better performance and feel in its new 2014 versions.

New NXT Tour and softer-feeling NXT Tour S provide exceptional distance and commanding short game scoring performance. Both new models have been improved with a re-engineered softer compression core and cover so golfers will experience even softer feel. The NXT Tour S is available in both white and high optic yellow colors.

Titleist’s research and design team designed the 2014 Velocity with a reformulated LSX core to produce a high initial ball speed for powerful distance. A new, spherically tiled 328 tetrahedral dimple design delivers a more penetrating trajectory with a shallower angle of descent for even more roll. The result is even more explosive distance on all full swing shots.

The new DT Solo – also available in both white and optic yellow colors – has been redesigned to provide the best combination of soft feel and distance in a DT yet. With its super soft compression core and soft ionomer cover, the 2014 model features a new spherically tiled 376 tetrahedral dimple pattern that contributes to even longer driver and iron distance while retaining the distinctly soft feel and consistency DT players have come to love and trust.

“When we make an improvement to a Titleist golf ball, it’s in direct response to what golfers tell us they need and want,” said Bill Morgan, Senior Vice President of Titleist Golf Ball research and design. “We’re constantly in the field talking with golfers, capturing their launch conditions on all types of shots, and observing how different golf balls perform for their game. All of this information feeds the product development process and allows us to focus our design efforts and ultimately our prototype testing in ways that will enhance performance for these golfers.”

More than 40,000 golfers from around the world participated in the white-box testing and validation process, with golfers receiving prototype NXT Tour, NXT Tour S, Velocity or DT Solo golf balls for on-course evaluation. Player feedback was then gathered through Team Titleist and shared with Titleist R&D.

All new models are available in golf shops beginning February 7, 2014.

DP World Tour

Cabrera-Bello, Webster share 1-shot lead after third round in Qatar

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Rafa Cabrera-Bello (Andrew Redington/ Getty Images)

DOHA, Qatar – Rafa Cabrera-Bello of Spain squandered a two-shot lead in finishing tied with Steve Webster of England on top of the leaderboard heading to the final round of the Qatar Masters on Friday.

Cabrera-Bello shot a 1-over-par 73 and was caught by Webster, who carded 70 at Doha Golf Club for three-round totals of 12-under 204.

They were only one stroke ahead of Adrien Saddier of France, the biggest mover with six birdies in his opening seven holes in a round of 64, South African Thomas Aiken (70) and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (68) on a packed leaderboard.

Just four shots separated the top 19 players, among them Paul Lawrie (69) at 10 under and looking to become the first three-time Qatar champion, and Sergio Garcia (69) at 9 under. Garcia was runner-up last year with George Coetzee of South Africa (73), who was at 10 under.

Cabrera-Bello, chasing his first win on the European Tour in two years, began the day leading by two on 13 under, and went three shots clear with a birdie at the second hole.

However, he dropped shots on Nos. 6 for a second straight day, 13 and 15.

“I didn’t think I played that bad,” Cabrera-Bello said. “On the back nine, I didn’t quite make the birdie putts as I did yesterday, but overall, I could have won it today.

“I’m a bit disappointed for not keeping a few shots ahead of the pack. I’m still on top of the leaderboard and still people need to try and catch me.”

Webster, looking to win for a first time in over six years, bogeyed the fourth and fifth holes to fall to 8 under then played the rest of the way in 4 under. On the par-5 18th, he pitched to 10 feet for a birdie putt and outright lead but missed.

“I don’t know what happened at first as I was hitting it really good on the range, but then I got a bit cocky on the course and the first six holes was like I had never played golf before,” Webster said.

Saddier, who graduated sixth from qualifying school to compete in his rookie tour season, has already showed his potential with a sixth-place tie in the Nelson Mandela Championship last month.

His round of 64 was five shots better than his previous tour low of 69 when he competed as an amateur in the 2012 European Masters.

After a 74 to lie 3 under, Henrik Stenson had a long session on the range under coach Pete Cowen.

Ernie Els (71, 2 under) and Luke Donald (74, 1 under) couldn’t stay in contention, and U.S. PGA Championship winner Jason Dufner slumped to 3 over following his round of 78 that included seven bogeys and one birdie.

PGA TOUR

Stewart Cink takes early lead at Farmers Insurance Open

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Stewart Cink (Donald Miralle/ Getty Images)

SAN DIEGO – The best score belonged to Stewart Cink. The best round belonged to Pat Perez. Tiger Woods didn’t come close to claiming either Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open, where the seven-time champion failed to break par in the opening round for first time in his career.

Cink ran off three straight birdies late in his round on the easier North Course at Torrey Pines for an 8-under 64. That gave him a one-shot lead over Gary Woodland, who also was on the North, which is more than 600 yards shorter.

Perez was on the South Course, host of the 2008 U.S. Open and with greens so firm this year that it felt like a major. Perez had a 67, the best score on the South by two shots, and even more astounding is that he played bogey-free.

The South played nearly four shots harder than the North.

Woods, making his 2014 debut, failed to birdie any of the par 5s and had to settle for a 72.

Even at eight shots behind, he wasn’t worried about a chance to win at Torrey for the ninth time – including a U.S. Open. The courses are so different than it’s difficult to gauge where anyone stands until everyone has had a crack at both courses. The weekend rounds are on the South.

Phil Mickelson, meanwhile, felt awful.

He was coping with a back locked up on him, unusual for Mickelson because he doesn’t have a history of back pain. It got so bad at one point that Mickelson thought about withdrawing from his hometown event, especially after his 4-iron on the par-5 18th at the North Course nearly went out-of-bounds. Mickelson used his short game to make birdie, and then made another birdie on the next hole and he scratched out a 69.

Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch opened with a 3-under 69 and is tied for 17th. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., is tied for 29th after carding a 70. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot an even par 72 and is tied for 63rd. Riley Wheeldon (T126) of Comox, B.C, who qualified on Monday, signed for a 4-over 76. Mike Weir (T136) was another shot back.

LPGA Tour

Lydia Ko tied for lead in Bahamas LPGA Classic

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Lydia Ko (Rob Carr/ Getty Images)

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Lydia Ko took a share of the lead in her first start as an LPGA Tour member, matching Meena Lee with a 5-under 68 on Thursday in the season-opening Bahamas LPGA Classic.

The 16-year-old Ko turned pro late last year. She won the Canadian Women’s Open the last two years as an amateur and closed last season with a victory in a non-tour event in Taiwan in her second pro start.

Ranked No. 4 in the world, the South Korean-born New Zealander had six birdies and a bogey on Atlantis Resort’s Ocean Club course.

“I just tried to play my own game and be relaxed,” Ko said. “I got off to a shaky start and I needed to make a 4-footer for par, but when I made birdie at No. 2, I was able to relax. I was actually shocked that I wasn’t nervous. I felt I even played better than my score. I gave myself a lot of opportunities.”

Lee, from South Korea, eagled the par-4 13th and had four birdies and a bogey.

“I had a wintertime working hard, so that’s why I have more confidence than last year,” said Lee, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour. “That’s why I feel very good and happy to play in the first tournament.”

Third-ranked Stacy Lewis was a stroke back at 69 along with Jessica Korda, Brittany Lang, Mirim Lee, Austin Ernst, Danah Bordner, Amelia Lewis, P.K. Kongkraphan and Candie Kung.

Lewis played alongside Ko.

“When she gets some confidence in herself, the rest of this tour better watch out,” Lewis said. “When I saw we were paired together, I was pretty happy. She is just a really likable kid. …

“I think our games are very similar, just the way we play. We both hit it solid and make some putts. She rolled it great today. For the first seven, eight holes, she made everything she looked at.”

Lewis had five birdies and a bogey.

“I thought I’d be a little bit more rusty than I was,” Lewis said. “But I got off to a good start, and really just hit the ball really solid and was able to control some shots in the wind and the shots that I saw I was able to pull off. I was really happy with the way I hit the ball.”

Ko recently signed an equipment deal with Callaway, changed her swing coach and hired a new caddie.

“Over the last month hearing the word change, it could pretty much be my middle name,” Ko said.

Lewis also commented on all the changes Ko has made.

“You can change your clubs, your coach, all these things, but she’s still the same person,” Lewis said.

Jaye Marie Green had a 71. The 19-year-old Green won the LPGA qualifying tournament by 10 strokes last month, finishing the 90-hole event at a record 29 under.

Michelle Wie shot 72.

Defending champion Ilhee Lee opened with a 74. Last May, the inaugural event was reduced to three 12-hole rounds because of flooding.

Rebecca Lee-Bentham of Toronto leads the five Canadians in the field after shooting a 1-over par 74. She’s tied for 60th.

Sue Kim of Langley, B.C. recorded an ace on the par-3 12th. She’s tied with fellow Canadian Maude-Aimee LeBlanc for 104th. The pair shot 6-over 79’s.

Amateur Team Canada

Canadians climb South American Amateur leaderboard

temp fix empty alt images for attachment
Naomi Ko (Golf Canada/ Graig Abel)

BARRANQUILLA, ATLANTICO, Colombia – Team Canada’s Garrett Rank fired one of the only under-par rounds of the day at the South American Amateur Championship on Thursday.

The Elmira, Ont. native closed his final nine with two birdies on a windy day at the Country Club de Barranquilla in Colombia to finish at 1-over 145 after 36 holes. Rank’s 1-under 71 vaulted him up the leaderboard into a tie for third with Colombia’s Mateo Gomez. The duo trails England’s Paul Howard by five strokes heading into the third round.

Chris Hemmerich of Kitchener, Ont. and Tony Gil of Vaughan, Ont. both moved inside the top-20 after solid second rounds. Hemmerich currently sits in a tie for 16th after carding an even-par 72, while Gil carded a 4-over 76 to finish the day in a tie for 19th.

On the women’s side, Development Squad member, Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C. overcame tough conditions to card a 2-over 74 and move into a tie for third. Ko currently sits at 10-over 154. Scotland’s Gemma Dryburgh and Oona Vartianinen of Finland lead the championship at 6-over par.

Valérie Tanguay struggled during the second round carding a 13-over 85 to finish in tie for 14th. Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee sits in 38th position at 24-over.

Canadian Results – Round 2

Men: Click here for full results

T3. Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.) 74-71 (+1)
T16. Chris Hemmerich (Kitchener, Ont.)  78-72 (+6)
T19. Tony Gil (Vaughan, Ont.) 75-76 (+7)
T49. Étienne Papineau (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.) 81-81 (+18)
T49. Matt William (Calgary) 80-82 (+18)
T59. Carter Simon (Sutton, Ont.) 83-84 (+23)

Women: Click here for full results

T3. Naomi Ko (Victoria, B.C.), 80-74, +10
T14. Valérie Tanguay (St-Hyacinthe, Qué.) 74-85, +15
38. Jaclyn Lee (Calgary)  81-87, +24