BETHESDA, Md. – Naval Academy graduate Billy Hurley III shot a 4-under 67 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Ernie Els into the final round of the Quicken Loans National.

Hurley had four birdies in the bogey-free round at Congressional to reach 15 under.

Els holed out for eagle on the par4 12th with the shot of the week and finished with a 65.

Jon Rahm, who held the lead after one round and shared it with Hurley after two, struggled. Playing his first event as a professional, the 21-year-old former Arizona State star from Spain had four bogeys in a 70 that left him three strokes behind Hurley.

Hurley, who grew up in Leesburg, Virginia, has been able to take advantage of favourable conditions at Congressional this week for Tiger Woods’ annual tournament.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 14th after a 69 and is 5 under. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is 4 under after shooting a 72.

MADISON, Wis. – Jean-Francois Remesy had two eagles in an 8-under 64 on Saturday to take the second-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ inaugural American Family Insurance Championship.

The last alternate to get into the field after losing a playoff in a Monday qualifier, the 52-year-old Frenchman holed out for eagle from 92 yards with a 52-degree wedge on the par-4 first. He also eagled the par-5 11th, and had four birdies in the bogey-free round to reach 13-under 131 at University Ridge.

“If I can afford the bogeys, game is OK, putting is OK,” Remesy said. “I feel great. It is a dream to come and play in the States.”

Making his seventh start on the 50-and-over circuit, the two-time French Open champion is one of the tour’s smallest players at 5-foot-8 and 148 pounds.

Gene Sauers and Bart Bryant were a stroke back. Sauers, tied for the first-round lead with Estaban Toledo after an opening 63, had a 69. He’s is in contention two weeks after withdrawing from the Constellation Senior Players Championship because of a bulging disk.

“I’m still right there, so I’m OK,” Sauers said. “I put a lot of pressure on probably all parts of my game today, driving, all irons. I wasn’t making the putts, leaving them all short, leaving myself 3-, 4-, 5-footers for par. Hopefully, things will be a little different tomorrow, I can relax and calm down and get into the zone again like I was the first day.”

Bryant birdied the final hole for a 66. He won his lone tour title in 2013.

“I actually did not drive the ball great today, which is usually my strong point,” Bryant said. “But I made a boatload of putts, and I think whenever you have a great tournament you look back, that’s usually what the catalyst is. I made a huge putt on No. 8, probably a 40- or 50-footer, then I made another 20-footer there on the last hole and a couple other 15-footers.”

Large crowds again followed the players in the event that hometown PGA Tour player Steve Stricker helped launch and hosts. He turns 50 in February and will be eligible to play next year.

Mike Goodes (66) was 11 under, and Kirk Triplett (66), Billy Andrade (67) and Kevin Sutherland (69) were 10 under.

Bernhard Langer was 8 under after a 69. The 58-year-old German star is coming off a victory two weeks ago in the Constellation Senior Players Championship, his second major win of the year. He has three overall victories this year to push his senior total to 28.

Wes Short Jr. also was in the group at 8 under, following an opening 72 with a 64. He was 7 under in a six-hole stretch on the back nine, making a hole-in-one on the 12th and five birdies.

“The back side was a lot of fun,” Short said. “There’s a lot of birdie holes out there. You can get it going on that back side. You know, get 2 or 3-under on the front, and then the back side is where you can kind of take advantage of the course.”

He used a 7-iron on the 194-yard 12th.

“It started a little bit left and the wind drifted it back,” Short said. “I thought it was going to be close, but then it disappeared. Only second hole-in-one I made in competition, so that was pretty fun.”

Toledo shot a 79 to drop into a tie for 47th at 2 under. He had a quadruple-bogey 9 on No. 9.

John Daly had a 72 to remain 1 under. He’s making his sixth tour start since turning 50 in late April.

BETHESDA, Md. – The PGA Tour announced Saturday that the Greenbrier Classic scheduled for next month has been cancelled because of the devastating flooding in West Virginia.

The tournament had been scheduled for July 7-10 at the Greenbrier Resort in White Sulphur Springs, which was inundated with floodwaters after heavy storms rolled into the state Thursday. Tour officials say the Old White TPC, the host course, suffered extensive damage and “is beyond reasonable repair to conduct the tournament.”

PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem said officials were heartbroken by the devastation in West Virginia and offered their thoughts and prayers.

“Cancelling the Greenbrier Classic is certainly the most prudent course of action as our foremost concern is the well-being of those who are having to live through this tragic situation,” Finchem said.

Greenbrier County claimed 15 of the 23 deaths attributed to the flooding.

This is the first time a PGA Tour event has been washed out since the Viking Classic in Madison, Mississippi, in 2009. Unplayable conditions also led to the cancellation of the 1996 AT&T Pebble Beach National Pro-Am.

More than 150 players had committed to playing the Greenbrier, which was set to follow the World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational. The PGA Tour is at Congressional this weekend for Tiger Woods’ Quicken Loans National.

The Greenbrier was supposed to be the final chance to qualify for the British Open at Royal Troon on July 14-17, with one spot available to the highest finisher who was not already eligible. Andy Pazder, the tour’s chief of operations, said the Royal & Ancient Golf Club, which runs the British Open, was deciding what to do with that spot.

One possibility is to award it to the Barracuda Championship, to be played next week opposite the WGC-Bridgestone.

At the Greenbrier, owner Jim Justice said the focus is on helping the people of West Virginia.

“So many have lost loved ones, their homes, and have no place to go,” Justice said. “All of us are united with only one common goal: to help the people through this terrible time.”

The Greenbrier Classic began in 2010. The PGA Tour is committed to holding the event through 2021.

“We know we will have the opportunity to return again next year, and we look forward to that time,” Finchem said. “But for now, that is of secondary concern. The priority is safety of the residents and their recovery from this disaster.”

Whitecap, Sask. – Co-leaders Max Rottluff of Dusseldorf, Germany and Carter Jenkins of Raleigh, North Carolina completed one hole of the third round at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open on Saturday when play was suspended due to dangerous weather.

After Jenkins and Rottluff recorded opening pars at the first hole, play was initially suspended for 3 hours and 57 minutes at 9:48 a.m. due to dangerous weather in the area. Though play resumed at 1:45 p.m., storms returned and the round was suspended again four minutes later, eventually wiping out play for the day.

“Unfortunately, a number of storm cells producing lightning passed through the area today, preventing us from getting players back out on the course,” said PGA TOUR Tournament Director, Jamie Wiles. “Having made the 36-hole cut, we are confident that without any further delays we’ll be able to get 72 holes completed by tomorrow.”

With players having as many as 35 holes to complete, Sunday promises to be a grind for players in contention.

“It’s more of a mental challenge than anything, staying prepared and being ready for tomorrow,” said Brad Clapp, who had played one hole and was in a tie for fifth at 10-under when play was suspended. “Weather permitting, hopefully we’re going to get the two rounds in tomorrow. I know the Tour does everything it can to get it in, and we’ll try for that tomorrow.”

One shot behind Jenkins and Rottluff were Orlando, Florida’s Ross Beal and Calgary, Alberta’s James Love, who both also opened with pars at the first before play was suspended. 

Round three will resume with players in position at 8 a.m. on Sunday. Players will not be re-grouped for round four.

EDMONTON – Jack Wood, a Banff Springs Golf Club phenom, needed one extra hole in the final match to claim victory at the 2016 Alberta Match Play Championship. The UBC Thunderbird and No. 10 seeded player took down the No. 1 seed University of Houston Cougar, Matt Williams.

Williams held a 1-up advantage on the final hole when play was suspended due to dangerous weather conditions with players in the fairway. When play resumed, Wood was able to save par while Williams bogeyed, sending the match to extra holes. Wood made a solid par three on the extra hole while Williams again bogeyed, leaving Wood victorious after four gruelling matches over the past two days at RedTail Landing Golf Club.

Wood went 1 up, 2-and-1, 3-and-1, 1 up (19 holes) in his victories over Max Sekulic, Brett Pasula, Jared Nicolls, and Matt Williams, respectively.

By virtue of competing in the final match both Wood and Williams have earned quota positions into the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship taking place at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club, August 8-11th. Wood has also punched his ticket into the 2017 Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. He becomes the second member selected to Team Alberta after Emmett Oh of Calgary earned the first spot last week at The Glencoe Invitational where he finished as the low Albertan.

DUBLIN – Graeme McDowell rejected the chance to replace Rory McIlroy in the Irish Olympic team on Thursday, becoming the latest high-profile golfer to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Games.

While McIlroy cited concerns about the Zika virus, McDowell said he decided months ago not to leave the United States in the weeks leading up to the birth of their second child.

Next in line for Irish selection for the first Olympic golf competition since 1904 is three-time major champion Padraig Harrington.

“I will work very hard over the next few weeks to achieve this selection as it would be a huge honour for me to represent Ireland at the Olympic Games, having played an active role in golf’s bid to be re-included in the Olympic Games program,” Harrington said in a statement.

McDowell, the 2010 U.S. Open champion, said his wife Kristin was due to give birth “just a couple of weeks” after the Olympic golf ends on Aug. 20.

The International Golf Federation responded to the latest Olympic setback by saying it recognizes the “unique circumstances for Graeme and his family.”

“While we are disappointed that he is not available for the Olympic Games, we sympathize with his position,” the federation said in a statement.

BETHESDA, Md. – Tiger Woods can play soccer with kids and ride a bike but hasn’t progressed far enough in his rehab to set a timeline on when he’ll return to professional golf.

Woods, who hasn’t played on the PGA Tour in 10 months after two back surgeries last year, isn’t yet able to play 36 holes a day and practice how he’d like. Before getting back, he said he’d have to play several days to show his body can handle the workload.

“I need to get to where I can play 18 holes out here and go to the range for an hour and work on my game,” Woods said Wednesday on the eve of the first round of his Quicken Loans National tournament. “That’s what I used to do, that’s one of the reasons why I think I’ve had some success – I was able to work on it during the week. Just not quite there yet.”

The 40-year-old is battling soreness day-to-day when he practices and said he needs to get into golf shape some more. He hasn’t had any setbacks and hasn’t lost distance on his drives, but the strain of playing on consecutive days is still a struggle.

Woods said he has pushed through injury rehabs before and vowed not to do it again. He missed nine months in 2008 and 2009 after surgery to repair the ACL in his left knee.

“Trying to do it correctly this time,” he said. “I’m just playing it week-to-week and I keep getting better, I keep getting physically better. I just hope that everything clicks in and I can do it sooner rather than later.”

Woods hasn’t played since the Wyndham Championship in August. The 14-time major winner said it’s especially tough to miss his own tournament, which he has hosted since 2007.

“I want to be out there,” Woods said. “I feel like I should be able to compete against these guys. I miss playing against these guys. I have to sit on the sidelines just like everybody else. I might get an inside-the-ropes pass, though.”

The Quicken Loans National following the U.S. Open hurt the quality of the field that will tee off Thursday at Congressional Country Club. But Woods appreciates that Jim Furyk, Ernie Els and Vijay Singh are among those taking part, along with sixth-ranked Rickie Fowler.

“These guys could be resting and get ready for next week but they’re here playing,” Woods said. “It’s neat to see these guys are veterans and they’ve gone through countless wars with us, they’ve been around for a long time and for them to come out here and play.”

Watching the U.S. Open on Sunday, Woods criticized the USGA for how it handled a rules situation with eventual champion Dustin Johnson. Officials told Johnson at the 12th hole they’d decide after his final round whether to penalize him for his actions on the fifth green, and he had to play the final seven holes not knowing what his score was or how far ahead he was of the rest of the field.

“It was awful because no one knew what was going on,” Woods said. “It wasn’t fair to Dustin, it wasn’t fair to the other players who had a chance. It just wasn’t fair to anyone.”

Asked how he would’ve handled that situation, the three-time U.S. Open champion said: “I’m a little bit feistier than Dustin, so I think I would’ve probably said a few more things during the round.”

Woods would like to get back into competition and won’t rule out playing in any future event. That doesn’t mean he’ll be ready for the British Open next month, only that he’ll continue doing his “mundane” exercises and building up strength.

“I’m just playing it week to week and I keep getting better,” Woods said. “I keep getting physically better. I just hope that everything clicks in and I can do it sooner rather than later.”

LATROBE, Pa. – Arnold Palmer didn’t make a live television appearance at Bay Hill. For the first time, he didn’t hit the ceremonial first tee shot at the Masters. He struggles with mobility, which kept him from attending the U.S. Open.

Just don’t get the idea Palmer is slowing down entirely.

The day after the U.S. Open, he drove his golf cart up to the back entrance of his office across from Latrobe Country Club. The 86-year-old Palmer had just returned from hitting balls. And he was as frustrated as ever.

“I’m just not making very good contact,” Palmer said. “I’ll get there.”

Palmer, who lost in a playoff at Oakmont in 1962 and played in his final U.S. Open there in 1994, watched the final round and like everyone else, questioned the USGA’s handling of a penalty stroke on Dustin Johnson for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Palmer could relate. The conversation shifted to the 1958 Masters, as Palmer recalled a dispute with rules official Arthur Lacey over whether he was entitled to relief from an embedded ball on the fringe behind the 12th green. Told that he wasn’t, Palmer declared he was playing two balls until he could reach the rules chairman. He made double bogey with the embedded ball, par with the second ball that he dropped. On the 15th hole, he was told he was right and would have a par on the 12th.

“I played two holes” without knowing what he would he make on the hole, he said.

He was sharp. He was funny. And he is busy.

One of his projects is book being published by St. Martin’s Press called, “A Life Well Played: My Stories.” The book allows him to share new stories and provide more insight into old stories. In a release announcing the book, Palmer writes, “Though I have written a number of books in the past, this one was particularly important to me because I delved into the process, I realized just how much I still wanted to say to my friends in golf and to fans of the game in general.”

The book is to be published at the end of October.

More evidence of how Palmer occupies his time was behind his desk. On a table was a stack of items nearly a foot high – photos, pin flags, books – from people around the world wanting to get them signed. His press secretary, Doc Giffin, said Palmer takes time every day to sign them. How long does he spend? Thirty minutes? An hour?

“Oh no,” Giffin said. “Sometimes, depending on how he’s feeling, he’ll do it for two or three hours.”

The British Open returns next month to Royal Troon, where Palmer won his second claret jug with a six-shot victory in 1962. When told he would be thought of during that week, Palmer came to life.

“I might be there,” he said. “I’m thinking about playing.”

There was a pause. There was a wink. There was a smile.

“Or maybe I’m just being ornery,” he said.

Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most high-profile sports stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is “a risk I am unwilling to take.”

“After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realize that my health and my family’s health comes before anything else,” the four-time major winner said in a statement released by his management company.

The fourth-ranked McIlroy was scheduled to play for Ireland as golf makes its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) said it was “extremely disappointed” not to have McIlroy on its team.

“However, as we have always said, it is down to the individual and of course we respect his decision, which he has taken for personal reasons,” the OCI said in a statement.

The 27-year-old McIlroy said this month that he and his fiancee, Erica Stoll, may consider starting a family “in the next couple of years.”

“Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low,” McIlroy said, “it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.”

Australian golfer Marc Leishman has already pulled out of the Olympic tournament, citing concerns over the health of his family because of the mosquito-borne virus which is linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults. Leishman’s wife, Audrey, nearly died last year from toxic shock syndrome.

Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Vijay Singh have also said they won’t compete at Rio, mostly due to scheduling commitments.

Last month, 150 health experts issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency calling for the games to be delayed or relocated “in the name of public health.” The agency, the World Health Organization, responded that such steps would “not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.”

The OCI said it has been taking its lead on the Zika situation from the International Olympic Committee.

“They have provided us with every assurance and we have total confidence that the games will be safe for all athletes,” the Dublin-based organization said.

McIlroy, who has won three of the four majors in golf, had been eligible to compete for either Britain or Ireland at the Olympics. He eventually chose Ireland, which he had represented throughout his amateur career and twice in the World Cup.

“I trust the Irish people will understand my decision,” McIlroy said. “The unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me.

“I will continue to endeavour to make my fans and fans of golf proud with my play on the course and my actions off it.”

The International Golf Federation said it was “disappointed with Rory’s decision but recognizes that some players will have to weigh personally a unique set of circumstances as they contemplate their participation in golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with the Zika virus foremost among them.”

It added that “the Olympics is the world’s greatest celebration of sport and we remain excited about golf’s return after a 112-year absence.”

The IGF, founded in 1958, is recognized by the IOC as the official world body for golf.

The USGA wishes to congratulate Dustin Johnson on his victory and thank him, and the other players in the field, for their professionalism and grace throughout the championship. Dustin is a wonderful champion, a talented golfer and a gentleman.

Our team at the USGA has seen and heard a great deal of discussion and debate about the ruling on Dustin’s ball moving during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. In addition to the explanations we offered upon the conclusion of the final round, we add these comments.

Upon reflection, we regret the distraction caused by our decision to wait until the end of the round to decide on the ruling. It is normal for rulings based on video evidence to await the end of a round, when the matter can be discussed with the player before the score card is returned. While our focus on getting the ruling correct was appropriate, we created uncertainty about where players stood on the leader board after we informed Dustin on the 12th tee that his actions on the fifth green might lead to a penalty. This created unnecessary ambiguity for Dustin and the other players, as well as spectators on-site, and those watching and listening on television and digital channels.

During any competition, the priority for Rules officials is to make the correct ruling for the protection of the player(s) involved and the entire field. In applying Rule 18-2, which deals with a ball at rest that moves, officials consider all the relevant evidence – including the player’s actions, the time between those actions and the movement of the ball, the lie of the ball, and course and weather conditions. If that evidence, considered together, shows that it is more likely than not that the player’s actions caused the ball to move, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty. Officials use this “more likely than not” standard because it is not always apparent what caused the ball to move. Such situations require a review of the evidence, with Decision 18-2/0.5 providing guidance on how the evidence should be weighed.

Our officials reviewed the video of Dustin on the fifth green and determined that based on the weight of the evidence, it was more likely than not that Dustin caused his ball to move. Dustin’s putter contacted the ground at the side of the ball, and almost immediately after, the ball moved.

We accept that not everyone will agree that Dustin caused his ball to move. Issues under Rule 18-2 often require a judgment where there is some uncertainty, and this was one of those instances. We also understand that some people may disagree with Rule 18-2 itself. While we respect the viewpoints of those who disagree, our Committee made a careful and collective judgment in its pursuit of a fair competition played under the Rules of Golf.

In keeping with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our work on behalf of the game of golf, we pledge to closely examine our procedures in this matter. We will assess our procedures for handling video review, the timing of such, and our communication with players to make sure that when confronted with such a situation again, we will have a better process.

We at the USGA deeply appreciate the support of players, fans, and the entire golf community of our championships and our other work for golf – and we appreciate your feedback as well. We have established an email address (comments@usga.org) and phone mailbox (908-326-1857) to receive comments. We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

We all share an abiding love of this great game. Let us continue to work together for its good.