Toronto – The Canadian Golf Superintendents Association (CGSA) has announced Jeff Calderwood will be joining its team, becoming Executive Director effective October 2. Calderwood is well known in the golf industry for his 25 years of success as the CEO of the National Golf Course Owners Association Canada (NGCOA Canada), which he will continue.

“The CGSA board of directors and staff team are excited about Jeff’s leadership for the future benefit of the Association itself and superintendents throughout Canada,” stated CGSA President Jim Flett. “His strategic approach to association management and such relevant experience are a great fit for the CGSA’s leadership needs. I would like to publicly welcome Jeff to the CGSA and really look forward to working together.”

“There are so many synergies between the best interests of superintendents and the ownership of golf courses,” noted Calderwood. “So the two Associations are very well aligned already. I think my experience can then help develop the CGSA’s strategies to further benefit superintendents directly while adding value for their overall golf operations.”

The CGSA and NGCOA Canada have also entered into a new partnership to share in delivering the Golfmax Purchasing Program, adding mutually beneficial value to both the CGSA membership and to ownership. All CGSA members are now able to take advantage of Golfmax national account pricing on various turf department supplier agreements, as well as some additional personal benefits.

ATLANTA – With two swings, Justin Thomas showed that every shot counts in the FedEx Cup, even at the season-ending Tour Championship.

Thomas had six players ahead of him Friday when he smashed a 335-yard drive down the bottom of the hill on the par-5 18th hole at East Lake, and then a 5-iron that settled 6 feet below the cup for a closing eagle.

Just like that, Thomas had a 4-under 66 and a share of the lead with Paul Casey and Webb Simpson and was back in control – a loose term the way this tournament is shaping up going into the week – of his chase for the $10 million bonus.

“It’s nice to have everything in my own hands and know that if I just take care of what I need to do, then it’s over,” Thomas said.

It’s not over yet, not even close.

Casey stumbled with some errant tee shots into the troublesome rough for back-to-back bogeys in a 67 that slowed his momentum. Simpson paid for a wild drive on No. 13 with a double bogey and made nothing pars coming in for a 67.

They joined Thomas at 7-under 133.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is five shots back and tied for 18th after a 67.

As one of the top five seeds, Thomas only has to win the Tour Championship to capture the FedEx Cup. Even a third-place finish might be enough to take home golf’s richest bonus depending on who wins.

But that list is plenty deep after two sweltering days at East Lake.

Jon Rahm, the No. 5 seed who also has a clear path to the top prize, played bogey-free for a 67. He was one shot behind, along with Patrick Reed (65), Justin Rose (66) and Gary Woodland (67), all of them trying to win for the first time this year.

Dustin Johnson, the No. 3 seed, has been sputtering along. He failed to birdie either of the two par 5s, managed only a 69 and still was only four shots behind.

“I just want to get within striking distance,” Johnson said. “If I can get it within three, I would be happy.”

He was four behind, so it doesn’t require much math to figure out he’s not far away.

Jordan Spieth was lucky to still be just four shots behind. The No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup missed five straight greens in regulation on the back nine and kept in the game with some crucial par putts. He had to settle for a 70 and headed straight for the practice area.

Twenty players from the 30-man field were under par, meaning they were separated by just six shots with 36 holes ahead of them.

“It’s the easiest one to win because there’s only 30 guys,” said Kevin Kisner, who shot another 68 and was three behind. “But then I look up there and everyone is 6 under, and it doesn’t look so easy.”

Thomas made birdies with a wedge in his hand, failed to save par from a bunker on the fifth hole, and then turned a mediocre round into a solid one with that 5-iron into the 18th for birdie.

He already can state his case as the best player on the PGA Tour this year, with five victories and his first major at the PGA Championship. Thomas outlasted Spieth and Marc Leishman to win at the TPC Boston three weeks ago, and now he’s tied for the lead going into the weekend at East Lake.

Much like Spieth in 2015 when he ended his best season with the FedEx Cup, Thomas would love to have the perfect ending.

“I want to win any week,” he said, “but it definitely would be a nice cap.”

Casey and Simpson are enduring long droughts. Casey last won at the KLM Open in 2014, while Simpson last won four years ago in Las Vegas. Both overcame a few stumbles on the back nine to share the lead.

Casey seems to have done everything but win the last three years, with six top-5 finishes in the last eight FedEx Cup playoff events.

“It would cap off a very good season, make a very good season a great season,” he said. “Yeah, it would be a lot of satisfaction in that. Hopefully, ask me again on Sunday and I can give you the full explanation. Right now, I’m too busy just trying to focus on trying to string together four great rounds of golf. It’s amazing how this golf course just bunches and you can’t seem to get away.

“Guys are right there, sort of biting at your heels,” he said. “So it’s going to be a tough one.”

It was recently reported that girls under the age of 18 are the fastest-growing segment of new golfers because, no doubt, of better introductory programs and the emergence of exciting new role models like Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont.

At the age of 20, Henderson already is the winner of four LPGA titles in only her second full season on tour. In those two seasons, golf fans have become familiar with seeing her on TV and in person at tournaments.

But back in 2014, the spectators at the inaugural World Junior Girls Championship at Angus Glen in Markham, Ont., had an inkling of what was to come. In her final event as an amateur, Henderson finished fourth.

“It’s a great tournament, great championship. To be able to compete against the best in the world and to represent Canada is really a dream come true,” said Henderson at a CP Women’s Open press conference in August. “I’ve been able to do that since I started my career. I think the best thing is just to have fun, to enjoy it, to embrace everything and try to use it as a learning experience…”

She is just one of the outstanding players who have competed in this event, co-founded by Golf Canada and Golf Ontario and supported by the R&A and the International Golf Federation to showcase the best young female golfers from around the world. American Angel Yin, now an LPGA standout who was a star at the recent Solheim Cup, is another example.

The fourth annual World Junior Girls Championship takes place Sept. 26-Sept. 29 at Ottawa’s The Marshes Golf Club, which also played host in 2015. Its growth mirrors the reports that more girls are taking up the game.

“It started as a platform for the top girls 18 and under in the world and just keeps building momentum,” says Golf Canada’s Manager of Rules and Competitions Mary Beth McKenna, who is in her third year as the event’s tournament coordinator. “There is some incredible talent and this is a wonderful platform for them to display that talent.”

Twenty teams from around the world will tee it up in the 72-hole tournament in Ottawa. As host country, Canada has two teams. (For full team bios, click here)

Canada One is comprised of Monet Chun of Richmond Hill, Ont., Celeste Dao of Notre-Dame Ile Perot, Que., and Ellie Szeryk of London, Ont. Canada Two consists of Alyssa DiMarcantonio of Maple, Ont., Euna Han of Coquitlam, B.C., and Emily Zhu of Richmond Hill.

Ann Carroll is Golf Canada’s women’s national development squad coach and will guide Canada One at the championship. Matt Wilson, Golf Canada’s director of next-generation performance, will coach Canada Two.

“Canada One is our highest-ranked team overall so far and that’s got some exciting potential,” says Carroll. “Canada Two is young. Emily Zhu is only 13, for example. But this is a great opportunity to expose these girls to top-level coaching and competition.”

In addition to the actual tournament, Carroll enjoys the rare opportunity to discuss best practices with the other coaches, about half of whom are also women. “It’s a great trend to see more women coaching internationally. I’m excited about the direction we’re going with girls’ golf in so many ways.”

The on-course competition is the centrepiece of a week-long celebration of the game at The Marshes, with a focus on the development and promotion of junior girls’ golf. The days leading up to the event itself will see a PGA of Canada coaching summit as well as a free junior girls’ skills clinic.

So if you’ve got a young girl in your family who has expressed an interest in golf or you just want to see who might be the next Brooke Henderson or Angel Yin, you should check out the World Junior Girls Championship.

For full details, visit www.worldjuniorgirls.com.

ATLANTA – Kyle Stanley and Jordan Spieth got off to strong starts in the Tour Championship with entirely different goals in mind.

Stanley ran off four straight birdies on the front nine, one of them from 40 feet, and then added two more late in his round on a steamy Thursday afternoon at East Lake for a 6-under 64. In his Tour Championship debut, he had a two-shot lead over a group that included U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka.

Spieth had a 67, and while it was a grind, he had no gripes about that.

He is the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup, and no one from the top five had a lower score. That kept Spieth on track in his bid to join Tiger Woods as the only two-time winners of the $10 million bonus since the FedEx Cup began in 2007.

The top five seeds only have to win the Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup, though there have been three occasions where someone else won at East Lake and walked away with golf’s biggest payoff when the leading players faltered.

That explains why Spieth spent more time looking at the leaderboard than he typically does in the opening round.

“I don’t know the scenarios, so it really doesn’t make a difference for me to watch the scoreboard other than to figure out how to get to the leaders,” he said. “It’s a weird scenario teeing off last when it’s the first round and there’s only 30 guys.”

And it didn’t help to see what Stanley was doing.

Stanley, the No. 22 seed and a long shot for the FedEx Cup, thought East Lake was plenty tough during the practice rounds. He just didn’t make it look that way, stuffing a wedge into 2 feet on No. 3 to start his run of four straight birdies.

He extended his lead by hitting a tee shot over the water to a front pin on the nervy par-3 15th and making his 18-foot birdie, and then holing a 10-foot birdie on the 16th.

“I don’t have too good of a game plan for this golf course seeing it for the first time,” Stanley said. “But I felt like maybe that would be key, just hitting a lot of fairways and giving myself chances on second shots.”

Stanley isn’t too wrapped up about the $10 million bonus, though Bill Haas won it in 2011 as the No. 25 seed.

He was two shots ahead of Koepka – who played bogey-free – Webb Simpson, Paul Casey and Daniel Berger, who made eagle on the final hole.

Spieth was among five players at 67 that included two other top seeds, Justin Thomas (No. 2) and Jon Rahm (No. 5). Rahm made eagle on the par-5 sixth, and he nearly ended his round with another eagle.

For Spieth, it was a struggle.

He spent most of the week trying to eliminate the right side of the golf course and thought he had that ironed out. And then he pulled his opening tee shot Thursday and was happy just to reach the green on East Lake’s toughest hole for par. He hit a sharp draw on the par-3 11th, turning and swinging his club in disgust as it bounded down a hill. He turned to his caddie and said, “We might have to hit a provisional,” fearing the ball would leave the property.

Instead, he took two shots to reach the green, the second a daring flop from the Bermuda rough to a pin that ran away from him. He hit that to 2 feet for bogey.

That was the last of his blunders. He settled in with three straight birdies and a tough par from the bunker on the par-3 ninth, and then couldn’t make a putt. Spieth missed four birdie chances inside 12 feet on the back nine.

“I get done and look back and I’m surprised we’re at 3 under,” he said. “I felt like it was really a grind out there, and it’s just because the first four, five holes of the round, I was all over the place tee-to-green. And then my whole back nine, I had a chance to birdie all but one of the holes and only made one of them.”

The good starts by Spieth, Thomas and Rahm are not helpful for most of the players around them. Koepka is the No. 9 seed, with Casey at No. 10, so they would need the top seeds to stumble over the next three days.

Dustin Johnson, the No. 3 seed, is not out of the picture after his bogey-free round. His problem was that he made only two birdies, the first one on the par-3 11th hole and the other with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th. He had a 68.

Marc Leishman, at No. 4 coming off his victory in the BMW Championship last week, opened with a 71.

Canada’s Adam Hadwin is the lone Canadian in the field. He also had a 71.

OTTAWA – So there’s good news and there’s bad news, golf fans: the good news is that watching golf can significantly improve your health and reduce your risk of heart attack, stroke or diabetes.

The bad news: watching it on TV doesn’t count.

But let’s be honest – if your idea of watching golf involves spending the better part of a weekend couch-bound with a bowl of salty snacks and a high-definition big screen, you already know you’re missing out on the magic of being there to see the game played at the highest level up close.

So, if you were looking for an excuse to head to New Jersey for next week’s biennial Presidents Cup matches, now you have one.

Turns out attending a golf tournament in person can be almost as beneficial to one’s health as playing the game itself, says a new study from the University of Edinburgh, that august Scottish campus just 90 minutes around the Firth of Forth from the cradle of the game in St. Andrews.

The study, billed as the first to assess the physical activity of tournament spectators, found that nearly 83 per cent of participants exceeded the recommended daily step-count levels, taking on average some 11,589 steps over a day spent watching the on-course action in person.

“Walking is one of the best things you can do for your health, adding years to life and increasing health and happiness,” said Dr. Andrew Murray, the researcher from the school’s Physical Activity for Health Research Centre who authored the study.

“These pilot findings show golf spectators can experience physical activity to benefit their health while watching a top-quality sport at close quarters. This could have huge implications on event attendance and encouraging more people to attend a professional event or begin playing the sport.”

With the help of the Golf and Health Project, a grow-the-game initiative spearheaded by the World Golf Federation, Murray gathered his data at Scotland’s Gleneagles resort during the 2014 Ryder Cup, easily one of the most compelling events on the global pro golf calendar.

For the uninitiated, the Ryder Cup and its opposite-year cousin, the Presidents Cup, are three-day team events between 12-player squads that take place every two years, comprising three days of match-play battles that culminate in 12 marquee singles matches on the final day.

It’s the ultimate test for a true golf fan, with action critical to the outcome taking place throughout all 18 holes. What’s more, there’s no parking one’s backside in a folding chair or grandstand at the 18th green – key matches often end well before the final hole.

And here’s the kicker: The Presidents Cup – complete with Adam Hadwin, Canada’s top golfer and all-around good dude, on the International team – gets underway next week at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J., across the Hudson River from the island of Manhattan.

Hadwin, whose first PGA Tour win came in March at the Valspar Championship, finished in a tie for 13th earlier this month at the Dell Technologies Championship, locking up a spot on the team he’d been coveting from the beginning.

“It never really left my mind this year,” he said of playing in the Presidents Cup.

Liberty National, in case you’re wondering – and by now you should be – is an eight-hour drive from Toronto, and six hours due south of Montreal. Single-day tickets are still available for US$115 each for competition days, and US$50 for practice days. A full week’s pass runs US$500.

There is, of course, one catch.

“Our study shows that the vast majority of spectators did spend at least some time walking the course,” Murray said in an email. “The health benefits would not apply to the small number that sit in one location all the time.”

Murray recommends taking the full measure of the golf course for a better grasp of the tournament’s ebb and flow: “You’ll get health benefits and also see all of the course that the players are up against.”

The Golf and Health Project aims to grow the game by promoting the many virtues of playing and watching what it calls a “holistic” sport – one that can help mitigate countless ills, from diabetes, cancer and cardiovascular problems to depression and self-esteem – and promoting its growth among young people.

It cites one Swedish study that found golfers, particularly those who walk the course, typically live up to five years longer than non-golfers, thanks to the fact that the game can generate sustained levels of moderate physical activity, contrary to its cigars-and-scotch image.

“Regular physical activity is one of the best presents we can give our children, making them on average healthier and happier,” Murray said.

“It’s also a great opportunity for family time and fresh air, which we also know are key determinants of wellness, from a public health perspective.”

Want to support a Canadian event? Tickets for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club are already available. Details available at www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.

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Golfers live longer

DAYTONA BEACH, FLORIDA – The Symetra Tour, the official qualifying Tour for the LPGA, will broadcast the final-round of the Symetra Tour Championship on Sunday, October 8 to a worldwide audience on Facebook Live. The broadcast will originate on the LPGA Tour’s Facebook page.

The broadcast will begin at 1:00 p.m. and run through the conclusion of the tournament and the card ceremony, where ten players will become LPGA members.

The Symetra Tour Championship, which will be contested at LPGA International in Daytona Beach, is the final event of the 2017 season. Following the conclusion of play, the top ten on the Volvik Race for the Card money list will receive their LPGA Tour cards for 2018.

This is the second time ever that the Tour has broadcast live golf on Facebook Live. The final-round of the Florida’s Natural Charity Classic to open the season was also broadcast on Facebook Live. Between the two Facebook feeds, there were more than 60,000 views.

“Facebook is a great platform for the Symetra Tour because it allows us to showcase our global talent to people in the United States and around the world,” said Chief Business Officer Mike Nichols. “Our first Facebook Live attempt was a success and a good launching point, but we’ve really invested in this second attempt and believe that people will really enjoy this. Figuring out how to do this more frequently in 2018 is a priority.”

The broadcast will cover holes 14 through 18 on Sunday, October 8 with a full scale production truck and crew on site.

The broadcast will be produced by Ohlmeyer Kusserow Group, which is led by Executive Producer/Managing Editor Chris Ohlmeyer, who has over 25 years experience in the television industry. Ohlmeyer produced all of ESPN’s LPGA coverage from 1998-2009 and also produced the Ricoh Women’s British Open from 2006-2013. Furthermore, he produced the Kraft Nabisco Championship, now the ANA Inspiration, from 2006-2010.

The all-female announce team will be led by LPGA.com Managing Editor Amy Rogers, who hosted the first broadcast. Prior to joining the LPGA, Rogers was a reporter at WESH in Orlando. She also was a host and feature reporter of the Emmy Award winning show “ONE” on WUCF-TV in Orlando. She began her broadcast career as a sports anchor and reporter at WRNN/Fios 1 in New York City. Two-time LPGA winner Gail Graham, who freelances for Golf Channel, will serve as the analyst. Graham served as the on-course reporter at numerous LPGA events in 2017 and also both played and was the on-course reporter at the Senior LPGA Championship. Graham has also spent time around the Symetra Tour while playing in the joint Symetra Tour/Legends Tour events over the years. She also serves as a mentor to Symetra Tour professional Megan Osland.

“I am excited to be part of the broadcast team for the Symetra Tour Championship,” said Graham. “The event is the culmination of an exciting year and with ten LPGA cards on the line, I am sure we will see some great play. The Symetra Tour has produced some of the LPGA’s young stars and as a former LPGA player, I think it is great that the broadcast of this event will give fans the chance to meet the next stars before they reach the LPGA.”

The Symetra Tour will likely add a third member of the broadcast team at a later date.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR today released the full 2017-18 Season schedule of 49 FedExCup tournaments, representing an increase of two events with the previously announced additions of THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES at Jeju Island, Korea, and the elevation of the Web.com Tour’s Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship in the Dominican Republic. Total prize money for the season will be a record of more than $363 million.

THE CJ CUP @ NINE BRIDGES, Korea’s first official PGA TOUR event, debuts October 16-22 at The Club at Nine Bridges as one of eight tournaments in the 2017 portion of the schedule, which was released in August.

The Corales Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, which was held for two years on the Web.com Tour, will debut on the PGA TOUR March 19-25, 2018, the same week as the World Golf Championship-Dell Technologies Match Play. The Tom Fazio-designed Corales course will continue to serve as the tournament course.

The Puerto Rico Open, in turn, moves from Match Play week to February 26-March 4, coinciding with the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. With the addition of the two new international tournaments, the schedule includes nine tournaments in eight countries outside the United States.

Other significant changes relate to venues. The AT&T Byron Nelson (May 14-20) moves to the new Trinity Forest Golf Club in Irving, Texas, while two FedExCup Playoffs events change courses: THE NORTHERN TRUST (August 20-26) returns to The Ridgewood Country Club in New Jersey and the BMW Championship (September 3-9) visits historic Aronimink Golf Club near Philadelphia for the first time, marking only the second time in the tournament’s 115 years of play that it will be held in Pennsylvania (1959 being the other).

Additionally, the U.S. Open (June 11-17) returns to Shinnecock Hills Golf Club in Southampton, New York, for the first time since 2004; The Open Championship (July 16-22) rotates to Carnoustie Golf Links in Scotland and the PGA Championship (August 6-12) will be held at Bellerive Country Club in St. Louis for only the second time (first being in 1992).

One final change sees the open week during the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs shifting by one week. The first three events will be held consecutively – THE NORTHERN TRUST, the Dell Technologies Championship at TPC Boston (August 27-September 3) and BMW Championship. Then comes the open week, followed by the season-ending TOUR Championship at East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta (September 17-23).

As previously announced by Golf Canada and RBC, the RBC Canadian Open, Canada’s National Open Championship, takes place July 23-29, 2018 at Glen Abbey Golf Club.

Incheon, Korea – Canada’s Richard T. Lee completed his remarkable comeback from injuries by overcoming a two-shot deficit to win the Shinahan Donghae Open by one shot on Sunday.

Lee’s final round of five-under-par 66 was enough to see him lift his second Asian Tour title at the expense of Malaysia’s Gavin Green, who was left to settle for second place after he had started the day with the lead.

Lee’s career had appeared in a freefall with his Asian Tour card seemingly lost after he suffered from a dislocated shoulder and muscle spasm and was left without a win for three years.

But the Toronto-born golfer’s resolve to win again saw him return to Korea early to practice where he played on the Bear’s Best Cheongna Golf Club for at least six times before the tournament got underway.

Lee’s efforts were finally rewarded when he posted rounds of 68, 71, 68 and 66 to lift the Shinhan Donghae Open trophy with his winning total of 11-under-par 273.

Green meanwhile remained optimistic about his future despite having to wait longer for his maiden breakthrough on the Asian Tour.

The Malaysian had several chances to at least force a play-off with Lee coming down the stretch but spurred his chances by missing several costly putts.

Zimbabwean Scott Vincent, who finished tied-second last year, enjoyed another good outing when he signed off with a 68 to share third place with Younghan Song and Hyungseok Seo from Korea.

Lee’s father played on the PGA Tour and was roommate with K.J. Choi when they used to play together. His father introduced Lee to golf and still coaches him today. His last win on the Asian Tour dated back to 2014 where he also won the event by one shot.

VICTORIA – David McKenzie birdied the final six even-numbered holes for a 7-under 64 and a share of the lead with Jerry Smith on Saturday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Pacific Links Bear Mountain Championship.

McKenzie, the 50-year-old Australian who Tuesday qualified to get in the field, began the unique run on the par-4 eighth and added birdies on Nos. 10, 12, 14, 16 and 18 to match Smith at 12-under 130 on Bear Mountain’s Mountain Course.

“I’m just trying to stand upright and play golf,” McKenzie said. “If I play well, it’s good. If I play bad, I’m unhappy, but it’s not the end of the world. That’s probably been the biggest thing.”

Making his third senior start after turning 50 on July 26, McKenzie is trying to become the first qualifier to win since Willie Wood in the 2012 Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.

“It would be nice, but my thoughts at the moment are just to keep playing,” McKenzie said. “I’ve got a qualifier on Tuesday if I don’t win or don’t finish in the top 10 here, so I’ll plan for the worst and hope for the best.”

McKenzie tied for second last month in the regular European Tour’s Fiji International.

Smith, tied for the first-round lead with Steve Flesch, followed his opening 64 with a 66. Smith opened with an eagle on the par-5 first.

“If you hit good shots out there, you get rewarded and you get opportunities to make birdies,” Smith said. “If you don’t, you’re really having to work to save pars.”

He won the 2015 Encompass Championship for his lone tour title.

“I’m glad to be where I am,” Smith said. “Last group is always good. I’ve been there a few times this year. I’ve had one good Sunday, one not so good, so maybe third time’s a charm. It’ll be tough, it’s going to be a battle out there.”

Jerry Kelly was a stroke back after a 66. Kelly won the Boeing Classic three weeks ago outside Seattle for his first tour victory.

Lee Janzen was 10 under after a 64, and Doug Garwood was another shot behind after a 67.

Flesch had a 70 to drop into a tie for sixth at 8 under.

Charles Schwab Cup points leader Bernhard Langer also was 8 under after a 69. Coming off a two-week break, the 60-year-old German star won three of the tour’s five majors and is tied with Scott McCarron for tour victory lead with four.

John Daly, a stroke back after an opening 65, had two triple bogeys in a 79 to tumble into a tie for 60th at 2 over.

McCarron was 6 under after a 65. He lost a playoff to Colin Montgomerie last year at Bear Mountain, and tied for second last week in Japan after winning three of the previous six events.

Montgomerie had a 68 to get to 4 under.

Nick Faldo was 1 under after a 68.

LAKE FOREST, Ill. – As much as Marc Leishman has been through, especially off the golf course, it takes a lot to get to get under his skin. He tells his wife that even after a particularly bad round, give him 10 minutes and he’ll be fine.

His last tournament, when Leishman lost a two-shot lead on the back nine at the TPC Boston, was an exception.

“That one probably took a day,” he said. “It stung a bit.”

Saturday at the BMW Championship brought Leishman on the verge of redemption.

Leishman got up-and-down from a tough lie behind the 18th green for one last birdie that gave him a 3-under 68 and extended his lead to five shots over Jason Day and Rickie Fowler going into the final round at Conway Farms.

Leishman, who was at 19-under 194, gets another chance to win a FedEx Cup playoff event and grab one of the top five seeds at the Tour Championship next week. The top seeds have a clear path to claim the $10 million bonus.

And this opportunity is much better than two weeks ago.

Leishman shared the 54-hole lead at the Dell Technologies Championship TPC Boston with Justin Thomas, who surged past Leishman and held off Jordan Spieth. This time, no one could make a run at him on a warm day with a steady wind that made conditions faster and more difficult.

Fowler rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt from just short of the green on the opening hole, and made only one birdie the rest of the way. He missed putts from the 6-foot range on consecutive holes on the back nine, one of them for birdie, and couldn’t make birdie with an iron in his hand for his second shot on the par-5 18th.

Day pulled within two shots with a birdie at the turn, but played the back nine with eight pars and a bogey. He also had an iron for his second shot on the 18th, but it plugged into the side of the bunker.

Fowler and Day each shot 70.

“Leish is playing spectacular,” Day said. “He’s going to be very difficult to beat tomorrow. I’ve got to come and play really good golf because he’s not making any mistakes. He’s hitting it in the right spots, hitting in on the greens and holing putts. That’s a good formula for success.”

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is the low Canadian at 9 under after a 69. Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., is 1 under.

The excitement figured to come from the race to East Lake.

The top 30 in the FedEx Cup advance to next week’s Tour Championship, where all have a mathematical chance at the $10 million bonus and are assured spots in every major except the PGA Championship next year.

Phil Mickelson, finally finding his form late in the year, has a chance to make it to the Tour Championship. He had a 69 – his seventh straight round in the 60s – but failed to take advantage of the easiest par 4 at Conway Farms – the reachable 15th – and took bogey on both par 3s.

“I’m playing well enough to get in contention and win again,” said Mickelson, whose last trophy came from the British Open in 2013. “And I want to get in that field because I think if I do, I think I’ll have a really good shot at it.”

Going into Sunday, Masters champion Sergio Garcia and a pair of PGA Tour rookies, Mackenzie Hughes and Patrick Cantlay, were projected to get into the top 30.

Still in the mix is Stewart Cink, who next week during the Tour Championship receives the Payne Stewart Award. Cink at one point was projected inside the top 30 until closing with a pair of bogeys. Just like everyone else, there’s one more day.

The race for the BMW Championship title has fewer possibilities.

Justin Rose had a 66 and was alone in fourth, though he was seven shots behind. Jon Rahm of Spain had a 65 and joined the large group at 11-under 202 that included Cantlay, Matt Kuchar and Charley Hoffman.

It would cap off a big week for Leishman in other ways.

His wife, Audrey, nearly died two years ago from toxic shock syndrome. She eventually recovered, and this year gave birth to a daughter, Eva, their third child. To recognizes Sepsis Awareness Month, Leishman arranged for players to wear ribbons on their caps.

“That’s what took Audrey ill to being with, and we’re just trying to get an awareness out there,” he said.

He created the “Begin Again Foundation” to help families that have gone through tough times with sepsis and toxic shock syndrome, and already have helped 700 families. Leishman is sure to get plenty of attention with a wire-to-wire victory at the BMW Championship.

Now he just has to finish.

“After what happened at the Dell I got extra determination to finish this one off and my game is in a better spot,” he said.LAKE FOREST, Ill. – As much as Marc Leishman has been through, especially off the golf course, it takes a lot to get to get under his skin. He tells his wife that even after a particularly bad round, give him 10 minutes and he’ll be fine.

His last tournament, when Leishman lost a two-shot lead on the back nine at the TPC Boston, was an exception.

“That one probably took a day,” he said. “It stung a bit.”

Saturday at the BMW Championship brought Leishman on the verge of redemption.

Leishman got up-and-down from a tough lie behind the 18th green for one last birdie that gave him a 3-under 68 and extended his lead to five shots over Jason Day and Rickie Fowler going into the final round at Conway Farms.

Leishman, who was at 19-under 194, gets another chance to win a FedEx Cup playoff event and grab one of the top five seeds at the Tour Championship next week. The top seeds have a clear path to claim the $10 million bonus.

And this opportunity is much better than two weeks ago.

Leishman shared the 54-hole lead at the Dell Technologies Championship TPC Boston with Justin Thomas, who surged past Leishman and held off Jordan Spieth. This time, no one could make a run at him on a warm day with a steady wind that made conditions faster and more difficult.

Fowler rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt from just short of the green on the opening hole, and made only one birdie the rest of the way. He missed putts from the 6-foot range on consecutive holes on the back nine, one of them for birdie, and couldn’t make birdie with an iron in his hand for his second shot on the par-5 18th.

Day pulled within two shots with a birdie at the turn, but played the back nine with eight pars and a bogey. He also had an iron for his second shot on the 18th, but it plugged into the side of the bunker.

Fowler and Day each shot 70.

“Leish is playing spectacular,” Day said. “He’s going to be very difficult to beat tomorrow. I’ve got to come and play really good golf because he’s not making any mistakes. He’s hitting it in the right spots, hitting in on the greens and holing putts. That’s a good formula for success.”

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is the low Canadian at 9 under after a 69. Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., is 1 under.

The excitement figured to come from the race to East Lake.

The top 30 in the FedEx Cup advance to next week’s Tour Championship, where all have a mathematical chance at the $10 million bonus and are assured spots in every major except the PGA Championship next year.

Phil Mickelson, finally finding his form late in the year, has a chance to make it to the Tour Championship. He had a 69 – his seventh straight round in the 60s – but failed to take advantage of the easiest par 4 at Conway Farms – the reachable 15th – and took bogey on both par 3s.

“I’m playing well enough to get in contention and win again,” said Mickelson, whose last trophy came from the British Open in 2013. “And I want to get in that field because I think if I do, I think I’ll have a really good shot at it.”

Going into Sunday, Masters champion Sergio Garcia and a pair of PGA Tour rookies, Mackenzie Hughes and Patrick Cantlay, were projected to get into the top 30.

Still in the mix is Stewart Cink, who next week during the Tour Championship receives the Payne Stewart Award. Cink at one point was projected inside the top 30 until closing with a pair of bogeys. Just like everyone else, there’s one more day.

The race for the BMW Championship title has fewer possibilities.

Justin Rose had a 66 and was alone in fourth, though he was seven shots behind. Jon Rahm of Spain had a 65 and joined the large group at 11-under 202 that included Cantlay, Matt Kuchar and Charley Hoffman.

It would cap off a big week for Leishman in other ways.

His wife, Audrey, nearly died two years ago from toxic shock syndrome. She eventually recovered, and this year gave birth to a daughter, Eva, their third child. To recognizes Sepsis Awareness Month, Leishman arranged for players to wear ribbons on their caps.

“That’s what took Audrey ill to being with, and we’re just trying to get an awareness out there,” he said.

He created the “Begin Again Foundation” to help families that have gone through tough times with sepsis and toxic shock syndrome, and already have helped 700 families. Leishman is sure to get plenty of attention with a wire-to-wire victory at the BMW Championship.

Now he just has to finish.

“After what happened at the Dell I got extra determination to finish this one off and my game is in a better spot,” he said.