Savannah Grewal will make her Augusta National Women’s Amateur debut on Wednesday, but it’s not the first time the lone Canadian in the field has competed at the storied golf course.

The 20-year-old Grewal from Mississauga, Ont., won the Girls 14-15 Drive, Chip, and Putt competition at Augusta in 2017. Now that she’s back at Augusta as the top-ranked Canadian women’s amateur, Grewal is ready to complete the circle.

“That was a huge deal because up until that point in my life, I never thought that I’d ever get to be at Augusta National, never mind compete at Augusta National, especially as a female,” said Grewal, referring to Augusta National Golf Club’s policy of only having male members until 2012. “That was huge for me and it gave me a lot of goosebumps so I was super excited at that time and it kind of feels like I’ve almost come full circle in a sense.”

An international field will compete in the Augusta National Women’s Amateur starting Wednesday. The opening 36 holes will be contested over two days on the Island and Bluff nines at Champions Retreat Golf Club in Augusta, Ga. The entire field will then play Augusta National for an official practice round on Friday, followed by the final round featuring the top 30 competitors who made the cut.

Grewal said that her previous success at Augusta as a junior will likely help her stay focused mentally this week.

“I think that could definitely help me like just kind of stay very grounded and very present in the moment and not get too caught up on the fact that there’s going to be a lot of people watching and I’m at Augusta National,” she said.

Grewal is a pre-med student at Clemson University, playing for the varsity golf team. She’s also a member of Golf Canada’s amateur women’s team.

She had an excellent 2021, finishing third at the Spirit International Amateur Championship and at the Clemson Invitational. She also tied for 17th at the North & South Amateur, tied for 12th at the FSU Match Up and tied for 16th at the ACC Championship to sit 154th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Grewal said her success is partially due to her ability to get in the zone.

“I’m someone who doesn’t really worry too much about what’s going on around me. I like to really stay in the moment,” she said. “I’ll do small things like write little reminders on my glove, maybe something in my yardage book.

“Once I’m over the ball, I focus on my breathing and everything else kind of fades away to the background.”

The Augusta National Women’s Amateur began in 2019, with Brigitte Thibault of Rosemere, Que., representing Canada in the first edition of the tournament. It was cancelled in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but was held again last spring.

Read more about Grewal and her return to Augusta here.

Scottie Scheffler, whose hot run of golf through the early part of 2022 has earned him the No.1 spot in the Official World Golf Ranking, will make his RBC Canadian Open debut this summer. 

The 25-year-old captured the World Golf Championships-Dell Technologies Match Play with a 4 & 3 win over Kevin Kisner in the finale. His first WGC title was his third PGA Tour victory in his last five starts. 

After his WGC triumph, Scheffler became the 25th man to reach No. 1 since the Official World Golf Ranking debuted in 1986. 

A celebrated amateur and college star at the University of Texas, Scheffler broke through for his first Tour win at the WM Phoenix Open in February before winning the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard in early March. 

It took Scheffler 92 starts to get to No.1. Only Tiger Woods (21 starts) and fellow Texan Jordan Spieth (77 starts) needed fewer starts as a professional to ascend to the top of golf’s ranking.

He is the sixth-youngest player to reach the top spot in the history of the ranking and couldn’t have drawn up a better start to his professional career. 

Scheffler turned pro in the summer of 2018 and earned Korn Ferry Tour Player of the Year honours the next year thanks to two victories. Eighteen months ago, he was named PGA Tour Rookie of the Year. 

He was also part of the United States’ winning Ryder Cup team last fall. He earned his spot on the team by finishing in the top 20 in each of the four majors in 2021, and inside the top 10 in three of the four. 

And now Canadian golf fans will have the opportunity to cheer him on in person this summer.  

After a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic the RBC Canadian Open is set to return June 6-12 with Scheffler a part of an exciting field expected at St. George’s Golf and Country Club this summer.More field announcements are set for the coming weeks, along with the return of the RBCxMusic Concert Series on both Friday and Saturday nights.

Tickets are available here.

Golf’s incredible journey celebrated like you’ve never seen before ⬇️

CARLSBAD, Calif. (AP) – Atthaya Thitikul won the JTBC Classic on Sunday for her first LPGA Tour title, three-putting for bogey on the second hole of a playoff to outlast Nanna Koerstz Madsen.

“It’s just crazy in my mind right now,” Thitikul said. “I cannot believe that I became LPGA winner. It’s feel amazing as well.”

Canada’s Maude-Aimée LeBlanc finished tied for fourth for her best performance of the season. Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., shot a 4-under 68 round.

After Koerstz Madsen’s 15-foot bogey putt hit the edge of the cup and stayed out away, the 19-year-old Thitikul rolled her 10-foot par try close and holed out for the breakthrough victory.

“A lot things going through my head,” said Thitikul, a two-time champion of the World Junior Girls Championship. “But one thing that I really want to focus is like just, `Do your every single shot.? Just like, `If you lose, if you win, this is another chance to learn. So do your best every single shot.? That’s it.”

At 19 years, 25 days, Thitikul is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour since Brooke Henderson in the 2016 Portland Classic at 18 years, 9 months, 23 days. The Thai player also has two victories on the Ladies European Tour.

Koerstz Madsen lost two weeks after winning a playoff in Thailand to become the first Danish champion in LPGA Tour history.

They matched pars on the first extra trip down 18, with Thitikul missing an 8-foot birdie try. Koerstz Madsen drove left on the second playoff hole and hit her second from an awkward stance near the cart part into the greenside water.

“It’s a hard shot,” Koerstz Madsen said. “It’s a hybrid from the rough _ not a very good lie, above the feet. I just tried not to pull it too much from that lie, and then obviously I did not pull it. I pushed it quite a lot.”

Thitikul shot an 8-under 64, making nine birdies and a bogey to post at 16-under 272 at Aviara Golf Club in the final event before the first major of the season next week at Mission Hills in Rancho Mirage.

Koerstz Madsen, three strokes ahead of Na Rin An and and six in front of Thitikul entering the round, had a 70. She took the lead with a birdie on the par-5 17th, then bogeyed 18 to fall into the playoff.

“It wasn’t a very good playoff,” Koerstz Madsen said. “I played a good week and I’m happy with the game. I could have maybe have done a little better today, but it was what I could do.”

An was third at 15 under after a 68.

“I think I played well overall, but there were some parts that were a bit disappointing,” An said. “With a major tournament next week, I want to focus on my game even more.”

Top-ranked Jin Young Ko (68) was 14 under with Pajaree Anannarukarn (68) and Canada’s Leblanc. Coming off a victory three weeks ago in Singapore, Ko extended her tour record for consecutive sub-par rounds to 34. She’s won six of her last 11 tournaments.

“I’m very excited to play next week’s major,” Ko said. “But this is a little sad, too, last tournament at Mission Hills.”

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) – Scottie Scheffler is the hottest player in golf and now has the ranking to prove it.

Six weeks after his first PGA Tour victory, Scheffler won the Dell Technologies Match Play for his third title in his last five starts, this one enough to move him to No. 1 in the world.

One year after losing in the championship match, the 250-year-old Scheffler never trailed against Kevin Kisner, building a 3-up lead through six holes and giving him no chance to catch up. Scheffler closed him out with a par on the 15th for a 4-and-3 victory.

Scheffler never trailed in the semifinal win over Dustin Johnson or against Kisner – he went the final 57 holes at Austin Country Club without trailing – and he was so solid in the championship match that Kisner didn’t win a hole.

Scheffler won at Austin Country Club, where the Texas Longhorns occasionally practiced. Scheffler earned a business degree in four years without summer school.

Scheffler won the Phoenix Open six week ago, and followed that with a win at Bay Hill to move to No. 5 in the world. He needed help from Jon Rahm to get to the top. Rahm, who had been No. 1 since July 18, lost in the fourth round in 19 holes to Brooks Koepka. That paved the way for Scheffler to replace him by winning the Match Play.

He’s the sixth-youngest player to reach No. 1 since the world ranking began in 1986. Scheffler joined Kisner as the only players to win the Match Play the year after losing in the championship match. Scheffler $2.1 million.

In the morning semfinals, Scheffler beat Johnson 3-1, and Kisner edged Corey Conners 2 up. Conners beat Johnson 3 and 1 in the consolation match. The Listowel, Ont., native was the first Canadian ever to advance to the semifinals.

“And I feel like I’ve done a good job this week. Left a few out there today, but the course is tricky. But yeah, feel great about all parts of my game.”

Adam Hadwin, a lifelong Blue Jays fan, was floored when he was introduced to the honorary observers that would be following his pairing in the final round of the Valspar Championship on Sunday: Toronto relievers Ryan Borucki and Jordan Romano.

“There was some guys standing on the tee and I just kind of went up and I didn’t recognize them, I had no idea who they were,” said Hadwin, who threw out the first pitch before a Jays game at Rogers Centre in July 2018.

“Ryan introduced himself and I kind of had to do like a triple take and I’m like wait a second, I know that name!”

Borucki, who said he watches the PGA Tour almost every weekend, said it was a really cool moment for him and Romano, who is from Markham, Ont.

“Right when I introduced myself, I said, ‘Hey, my name is Ryan Borucki. This is Jordan Romano,’ and Adam’s like, ‘Wait, really? Like no way,”’ said Borucki. “It was just a cool feeling because I idolize PGA golfers and just that he knew who me and Jordan were.

“I remember he walked away and me and Jordan were like ‘that was really cool.”’

Borucki and Romano are self-professed “very avid golf fans” and are currently attending Blue Jays spring training camp in Dunedin, Fla., a short 20-minute drive from Innisbrook Golf Club, the host facility for the Valspar Championship.

When the two pitchers were told they had the option of trailing Hadwin for the day, the choice was obvious.

“We’ve got to go with Hadwin. Obviously, Canadian guy, we know that he’s a huge Blue Jays fan. We have to support our guy,” said Borucki. “The minute we met him, he’s such a good guy, so friendly.

“He was so good to us while we were out there and it was really a pleasure being able to follow him the entire round.”

Hadwin, from Abbotsford, B.C., started the fourth day of the event in contention but shot a 1-over 72 in the final round to tie for seventh. He finished at 12 under overall five shots back of eventual winner Sam Burns, who beat Davis Riley in a playoff.

“I hope they enjoyed the day,” said Hadwin of the Blue Jays pitchers. “I wish I had played a little bit better in front of them but it was amazing having a couple guys from the team that I root for support me during that final round.”

Borucki, who had only attended one PGA Tour event in person before, loved his time on the course with Hadwin.

“Being able to walk inside the ropes is just an experience in itself.” said Borucki. “It was definitely one of the best days of my life as a baseball player, and as a PGA Tour fan. Oh, I was in heaven out there.”

Although he was disappointed in his final result, it was Hadwin’s second consecutive top-10 finish. He tied for ninth at the Players’ Championship the previous week. The two strong showings elevated him up to 44th in the FedEx Cup rankings on Monday.

“I was able to do that the last couple of weeks through some golf courses that aren’t exactly easy in some situations.”

Rebecca Lee-Bentham made it a priority to recharge in the off season and now the long Canadian National Team member feels rejuvenated and is focused on having a successful season on the golf course.

“During the offseason I did a little bit of coaching at a new golf facility in Los Angeles called The City Golf. I went on a couple golf trips to play some of the courses on my bucket list – Pebble Beach, Spanish Bay, Spyglass, and Shadow Creek,” Lee-Bentham revealed, adding that she made it a priority to slow down and focus on her mental and physical health.

Born and raised in the Greater Toronto Area, Lee-Bentham was an amateur standout who first joined Golf Canada’s National Team Program in 2007.  The former Canadian Junior Girls champion and honour roll student would go on to earn a golf scholarship to the University of Texas.  

Shortly after winning the Canadian Women’s Amateur in July of 2011, she decided to forego her remaining years at the NCAA DI university to chase down her childhood dream of competing on the LPGA Tour.  And the Longhorn alum was able to realize that dream when she secured full playing status at the LPGA Q-School tournament later that year.

“She was a good classmate. I’m excited to see another Longhorn doing something big. I’m proud of her and I wish her a lot of success,” said NBA star Tristan Thompson at the time upon learning about his former classmate’s big achievement.

Lee-Bentham entered her rookie season on the LPGA Tour as a bright eyed 19-year-old in 2012 along with Maude-Aimée Leblanc.

In her sophomore season, she was the top earning Canadian on the LPGA Tour and was named by Canadian golf writers as the 2013 Female Professional Golfer of the Year.

However, nagging injuries and the constant grind would lead to inconsistent results over the next few years and Lee-Bentham decided to retire in the summer of 2016.

After stepping away from the competitive side of the game, Lee-Bentham stepped into the coaching side of the sport.

“Mentally speaking, when you do something over and over under a lot of pressure, it becomes stressful and the joy can be lost. Sometimes you just need a little break to realize the love you have for the game and you begin to appreciate the skill that you worked so hard to develop,” she said.

And in 2019, with a new found appreciation of the sport, the former LPGA pro decided to relocate to Irvine, California in order to make a return to competitive golf.

Derek Ingram – the former women’s national team head coach, and currently, the men’s national team head coach – believes Lee-Bentham has unfinished business on the golf course.

“Rebecca needed to step back and remember why she played the game and what it was all about. I personally feel she is a top 60 player in the world or better when she is engaged and practicing the right way,” he said upon learning about her return to competitive golf back in 2019.

Besides Ingram and Thompson, there are many supporters in her corner that believe Lee-Bentham still has what it takes to play the game at the highest level.

Recently, she was awarded the 2021 GJAC Women’s Player Bursary to support her in quest. 

“I really appreciate the extra support from the Golf Journalists Association of Canada and Mackenzie Investments. I’m grateful to receive the bursary that will help cover a bit of the expenses this upcoming season,” she said.

Lee-Bentham will also be receiving support from Golf Canada as it was recently announced that she will be a rejoining the Young Pro Squad for 2022. The long time National Team member is grateful for all the support she has received from Golf Canada throughout her career.

“Golf Canada gives their players the support that is needed to get onto the Tour. Along with financial support, they have a team of coaches and trainers to guide players from the junior level to life as a professional golfer,” Lee-Bentham noted

“There are a lot of costs associated to making it onto the tour and even more once you get on tour such as paying your way into Q-School, having a training facility and golf course to practice at, equipment, coaching, travel costs, caddie fees, tournament entry fees, and the list goes on,” she continued.

“I believe having funding and support is crucial to any player’s success on tour. Golf is an individual sport but it requires a team, alongside the player, to make it to the top.”

Lee-Bentham will be competing on the Epson Tour this year with the goal of taking her talents back onto the LPGA Tour.

“Ironically, before I started playing golf, my dad worked for Epson as an electronic engineer and retired early to support my golf career. What Epson is doing for the women’s tour is amazing and a huge step in the direction we all want to see,” she pointed out.

Having first been introduced to the sport at the age of 12 by her dad, Ken Lee-Bentham, the former Canadian Women’s Amateur Champion and former LPGA Tour pro is celebrating a special milestone this month as she is turning 30 years old.

“As the years go by, there are more and more things to look back on and be grateful for. I’m constantly in awe when I think about where this game has taken me and all the opportunities I’ve been blessed with.  At the same time there is more to life than just golf, so I am reminded to find balance and prioritize the things that matter to me the most,” said Lee-Bentham.

As the Young Pro Squad member prepares to start her season, she feels rejuvenated and is mentally prepared to celebrate a successful year ahead.

“My goal this season is to finish Top 10 on the money list on the Epson Tour and have a tournament win. I would also love to qualify for the US Women’s Open again and earn a spot into another LPGA event,” she said.”I’m approaching this year with the mindset that I’m just going to learn, improve each week and enjoy having the opportunity to compete and do what I love.”

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Sam Burns celebrated another victory Sunday at the Valspar Championship, and it was nothing like he experienced a year ago.

Not even close.

He lowered his arms and forcefully shook his fists as raw emotion poured out of him on the 16th green, a reaction worthy under the circumstances. Burns capped off his back-to-back wins at Innisbrook with a birdie putt from just outside 30 feet to beat PGA Tour rookie and longtime friend Davis Riley on the second playoff hole.

“It felt like it looked,” Burns said with a wide smile, the trophy at his side from his third PGA Tour victory in the last year, a run that began with his first win a year ago at the Valspar Championship when he won by three shots.

“All through today, just trying to make sure that I never got too high or too low and just tried to stay even-keeled,” he said. “And to see that go in, I mean, that’s just what I felt.”

There was plenty to cause stress during a four-man chase along the back nine on the Copperhead course at Innisbrook.

Burns, who closed with a 2-under 69, had control until he had to make a 9-foot putt for bogey just to keep the lead. Riley, who steadied himself after a triple bogey on the par-5 fifth hole, hit 5-iron to 6 feet for birdie on the 17th to catch him.

Riley, who started the final round with a two-shot lead and closed with a 72, had a 15-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a win. Burns was watching from a distance, hopeful only of a chance to play golf. The putt missed to the right, and two holes later Burns was a winner again.

He is the second straight back-to-back winner at Innisbrook following Paul Casey’s consecutive wins in 2018 and 2019. The tournament was canceled in 2020 because of the pandemic.

The victory moves Burns to No. 10 in the world for the first time, knocking Dustin Johnson out of the top 10 for the first time in seven years.

“Man, it’s crazy,” Burns said. “Davis played well today, especially the way he finished. I tried to stay steady. I didn’t make a lot of mistakes. A lot of time on Sunday if you plot your way around, make a bunch of pars, throw in a few birdies, a lot of times it works well. So happy.”

They finished at 17-under 267.

Both made pars on the 18th in the playoff, with Riley saving par from a front bunker. Neither looked to be in great birdie position on the 16th until Burns’ putt caught the left edge and went 180 degrees around the cup before falling in the back side.

Riley hit a strong pitch needing to hole it to extend the playoff and missed long.

“I can’t hang my head about anything,” Riley said. “I played a lot of good golf and unfortunately I didn’t have my best stuff today and I stumbled on hole 5 today and that kind of cost me. But at the end of the day it’s a great week to build on.”

Justin Thomas (70) and Matthew NeSmith (71) each finished one shot out of the playoff, and each had a share of the lead at some point during a tense final round in warm, windy conditions on the Copperhead course.

Thomas was one shot out of the lead when he laid up 54 yards short on the par-5 11th. It settled in a tiny hole that kept him from clean contact, and his wedge went just long into light rough. His chip ran 12 feet by the hole and he took bogey at the easiest hole in the course.

One hole later, Burns made a 15-foot birdie putt and Thomas suddenly was four shots behind. He had two straight birdies to stay in the game and had a chance when Burns took bogey on the 17th. But then Thomas hit his tee shot into the slope of a bunker right of the 18th and couldn’t reach the green.

“I didn’t really do anything at all today and I very easily could have won the tournament,” Thomas said. “I mean, good drive on 18, and I have a wedge in there and could be in this playoff just as easily. But a lot to build on a, lot of positives, and we got a big stretch coming up, so I’m excited for it.”

NeSmith was one shot behind heading to the 10th tee. He made all pars until a 12-foot birdie putt on the 17th. He had a 35-foot putt from the fringe to join the playoff and narrowly missed.

Riley had never been in contention on the back nine on the PGA Tour and looked like he might not get there Sunday after his triple bogey.

From well left of the fairway, he went left down the adjacent sixth fairway, only to chunk his third shot from 106 yards into the base of a tree. He took a penalty drop, hit long into the rough, chipped long again into the rough and made triple bogey.

But he steadied himself with a 50-foot birdie putt from the fringe on No. 8 and a nervy 7-foot par putt on the ninth and the race was on.

PALM HARBOR, Fla. – Davis Riley was expecting a big stage Saturday in his rookie year on the PGA Tour. He was playing with fellow Alabama alum and close friend Justin Thomas, both of them in the mix on the weekend in the Valspar Championship.

Indeed, they had the largest gallery at Innisbrook. Most of the cheers were for Riley.

Riley made three birdies from tough spots to close out the front nine, and then rode the cheers of “Roll Tide” until he had a 9-under 62, a tournament scoring record and a two-shot lead over Matthew NeSmith going into the final round.

“Super exciting,” Riley said. “Just beginning of the day I was excited to play with Justin. He’s a good friend of mine. We’ve kept in touch. And obviously he’s a one of the best players in the world. Playing with him was really fun.”

Canada’s Adam Hadwin, who won at Innisbrook five years ago for his only PGA Tour title, shot 70 and was at 13-under 200. He had three birdies and two bogeys.

The 34-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., was second entering weekend play after rounds of 64 and 66. His 70 dropped him into fifth place.

Adam Svensson (67) of Surrey, B.C., was at 7 under and Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (68) was one stroke behind him.

After judging the distance perfectly out of the rough for a 5-foot birdie on No. 6, Riley was in rough left of the seventh fairway with a tree blocking his path to the green. He used a 7-iron for a chip-and-run from 135 yards, the ball rolling the last 60 yards and up a narrow ramp to the green to 10 feet for birdie.

From the upslope of the bunker in front of the ninth green, 70 feet away, Riley blasted it hard and watched it bang into the cup on the fly for another birdie.

“It was really impressive,” Thomas said. “It’s a big moment for a rookie _ anybody – and he handled it like a rock star and made 9 under look very, very easy.”

Thomas did his part with a third straight 66, which any other year would have set the 54-hole scoring record at the Valspar Championship. Just not this one after Riley’s performance.

Riley was at 18-under 195, breaking by four the tournament record last set a year ago by Sam Burns, who remains very much in the mix to win back-to-back.

NeSmith, who set the 36-hole record and led by four shots when he made the turn, made his first bogey of the week at No. 10 and then made three more. He sprinkled in enough birdies and a solid par save on the 18th for a 69.

Riley and NeSmith will be in the final group Sunday.

“This is what I’ve dreamed of as a little kid, coming out here and playing in the final group,” NeSmith said. “On the PGA Tour the final group is the coolest thing in the world, and to have that opportunity and to play well was great. And I just tried to enjoy the walk. It’s hard. It’s obviously very hard. But I did a good job.

Thomas and Burns (67) were three shots behind and have the experience of winning.

Thomas is now 14 under for the three rounds on the back nine alone. He needs a better start on Sunday, but has few complaints about his game.

“Didn’t feel like a great round playing with Davis,” he said. “But yeah, it was a solid day and put myself in a good position for tomorrow.”

NeSmith had reason to wonder what happened. He did everything right, with birdies on the par 5s, at 15-foot birdie putt on No. 7 and an 8-foot birdie on the ninth to reach 18 under.

But he began showing a few cracks in his iron game, going into a bunker on the 10th, long on a pair of the par 3s and hitting a poor chip that led to bogey on the 16th.

Even so, he was right there with a chance to win for the first time and earn a trip to the Masters, where his dad used to work as a part-time caddie.

The Copperhead course played slightly tougher with the strongest breeze of the week on the tree-lined property. Even three days of sunshine couldn’t make the greens too firm, and players still took aim and scored low. The average score was 69.7.

Xander Schauffele had a 68 and was in the large group at 11-under 202, all of them likely too far behind to make up that kind of ground.b

PALM HARBOR, Fla. (AP) – Two days around the Copperhead course has created very little stress for Canada’s Adam Hadwin, with his game and between the ears.

The 34-year-old from Abbotsford, B.C., has been patient about when to attack and relied on confidence in his putting stroke to pile up the birdies and one big par.

Hadwin finished the second round of the Valspar Championship in second place, two shots behind Matthew NeSmith, who tied the Copperhead course record at Innisbrook with a 10-under 61. NeSmith also set the tournament record for 36 holes in building a lead going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship.

Hadwin, meanwhile, was out of position on the seventh hole in the right bunker when he made a 15-foot putt to escape with par. On the par-3 eighth, he made a 20-foot birdie and before long was on his way.

Scoring has been low all week after rain softened the course and the wind has been minimal. Even so, no one had posted better than 64 until NeSmith put together the round that was more than nine shots better than the average.

He had eagle putts on three of four par 5s, making an eight-footer on the par-5 14th. He shot 30 on the front nine, and his 18-foot birdie putt on his final hole at No. 9 burned the edge of the cup.

The 61 tied the course set by Padraig Harrington in 2012.

NeSmith was at 14-under 128, breaking by two shots the 36-hole record at the Valspar Championship that Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley set a year ago.

Hadwin, whose lone PGA Tour victory was five years ago at Innisbrook, had a 66.

Burns remained in the hunt in the title defense of his first PGA Tour victory. He recovered from a rugged start to post a 67 and was three shots behind with Scott Stallings (66).

Justin Thomas was four behind.

NeSmith only missed one fairway and two greens, and the only stress he was under came on the par-4 second hole, his 11th of the day, when he had to make an eight-foot par putt to avoid a three-putt from 50 feet.

His bonus came two holes later by making a 40-footer on the par-3 fourth.

Thomas was right alongside Hadwin most of the morning, running off four birdies in a five-hole stretch along the back nine. He took care of both par 5s on the front nine and was at 12 under when he attempted one shot he would like to have back.

Blocked by a tree in the rough, Thomas thought he could get enough spin on his ball to hook it toward the green with a 52-degree wedge. It just didn’t work out that way. He missed well to the right by some 30 yards, put it into a bunker between him and the green and took double bogey.

He had to settle for another 66, a good effort over 36 holes, and a reminder to not take on too much, especially in the early rounds.

“I should have just tried to hit it in the front bunker and it was a pretty easy up-and-down,” Thomas said. “As soft as the greens are, I was like, `If I can get this thing turning and landing around there, I can actually had a putt at this.’ As good as I felt with my putter, I felt like if I got it on the green, I could make a 3. But it wasn’t necessary. It just didn’t really need to happen.”

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., finished the day in a group tied for 49th, Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., was tied for 73rd, and Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was tied for 83rd.