Canadian All Abilities Championship Media Release

Golf Canada to host inaugural Canadian All Abilities Championship at Humber Valley Golf Course

Canadian All Abilities Golf Championship
(Golf Ontario)

Golf Canada is committed to providing the highest level of competition for amateur golfers of all abilities and is proud to announce the inaugural Canadian All Abilities Championship will be conducted Sept. 22-24 at Humber Valley Golf Course in Toronto.

The national golf championship will be contested as a 36-hole competition and will feature players from across Canada with neurological, intellectual, sensory, and physical impairments. 

temp fix empty alt images
Laura Wilson (Golf Canada) Councillor Michael ford (etobicoke north) and goran mitrevski (city of toronto) donating a solorider golf cart to Humber Valley golf course during media day on sept. 21, 2021

Originally scheduled to launch in 2020, but delayed due to restrictions from the pandemic, the Canadian All Abilities Championship supports Golf Canada’s commitment to create a more inclusive and respectful sport environment across the Canadian golf community.

“We are extremely proud to officially announce the formation of the inaugural Canadian All Abilities Championship,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue. “We are happy to contest another national golf championship for a new group of talented and committed competitors. We also want to thank our friends at the City of Toronto for sharing in this inclusive journey and inviting the athletes to compete for a national title at Humber Valley.”

With international competitors not permitted for this year’s championship, a total of 30 players from regions across Canada will compete at Humber Valley include 15 who recently took part in the Ontario Disability Championship, September 14-16 at Woodington Lake Golf Club in Tottenham, Ont. A full list of championship competitors is available here.

Humber Valley Golf Course is a municipal golf facility located on the west bank of the Humber River. The club has invested a significant amount of capital in recent years to improve accessibility and course conditions to appeal to golfers of all ability and skill levels.

“Humber Valley Golf Course is celebrating 100 years of operation this year”, said Toronto Mayor, John Tory. “City staff have worked hard to update course conditions over recent years to improve accessibility and allow golfers of all abilities and skill levels to play. I’m delighted that Humber Valley Golf Course is able to host athletes to compete for a national title at the inaugural Canadian All Abilities Championship.”

temp fix empty alt images

A number of significant enhancements have been made to Humber Valley’s facilities including widened doorways and an elevator installed in the clubhouse. The City of Toronto has also invested in a number of course modifications including making tee decks and bunkers more accessible by flattening out areas of entry point. 

All players with a European Disabled Golf Association (EDGA) Player Pass have been approved to compete for points on the World Ranking for Golfers with Disabilities (WR4GD). Players are eligible for an EDGA Player Pass if they classify in one of the following disability categories: Amputation; Intellectual; Visual Impairment; Neurological; Other (short stature, orthopedic, etc.). 

There are four different divisions in the Canadian All Abilities Championship that players will compete in, regardless of disability classification: Women’s Gross Stroke Play; Women’s Net Stableford; Men’s Gross Stroke Play; and Men’s Net Stableford. 

Notable WR4GD Canadians in the field include Natasha Stasiuk of Oakville, Ont. (No. 5 World Gross Ranking) as well as Kurtis Barkley of Williamsburg, Ont. (No. 12 World Gross Ranking); Vic McClelland of High River, Alta. (No. 53 World Gross Ranking & No. 4 World Net Ranking); and Rod Reimer of Thorndale, Ont. (No. 111 World Gross Ranking & No. 2 World Net Ranking).  

As a legacy of the inaugural Canadian All Abilities Golf Championship, Golf Canada will be donating a SoloRider (Para Golfer adaptive golf equipment) to the City of Toronto to support golfers with disability. 

Golf Canada has worked with several partner organizations on the Canadian All Abilities Championship including Special Olympics Canada, Blind Golf Canada, Canadian Amputee Golf Association, Emeritus Golf, The R&A, EDGA, and others to ensure an inclusive and fair competition is provided to the athletes. The inaugural championship is proudly supported by Golf Canada national partners CP, Levelwear, Titleist & Footjoy, and Sport Canada as well as championship partners including Turf Care, the R&A and Dol Turf. 

Golf Canada acknowledges and respects the Indigenous Peoples of Canada that for hundreds of generations have been the keepers of the territories where we all live and work. We also acknowledge, along with our partners at the City of Toronto, that Humber Valley Golf Course is located on the traditional territory of many nations including the Mississaugas of the Credit, the Anishnabeg, the Chippewa, the Haudenosaunee and the Wendat peoples and is now home to many diverse First Nations, Inuit, and Métis peoples. We also acknowledge that Toronto is covered by Treaty 13 with the Mississaugas of the Credit.

A complete list of Golf Canada’s competitions is available here.  

Amateur

Golf Fore the Cure celebrates introducing over 10,000 women to the game

Golf Fore the Cure 2021 National Event
Golf Fore the Cure 2021 National Event at Islington Golf Club (Jeff Vogan/ Golf Canada)

The 17th annual Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event concluded the fundraising season with close to 100 women taking to Islington Golf Club in Etobicoke, Ont. The group event included 18 holes of golf, raffles, prizing and games to celebrate the efforts of thousands of participants from coast-to-coast.  

Established in 2003, the program has since raised over $7.2 million in fundraising with 100 percent of the proceeds going towards the Canadian Cancer Society and the Québec Breast Cancer Foundation. 

“The remarkable efforts from volunteers, site coordinators, and our partners at Subaru, the Canadian Cancer Society and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation continue to be a driving force behind the achievements of Golf Fore the Cure,” said Kara Anthony, Golf Canada’s female participation coordinator. “We’re excited for next season and the continued growth of women’s golf in Canada.”

temp fix empty alt images
Golf Fore the cure participants share a smile during the 2021 national event at Islington Golf Club (Jeff Vogan/ Golf Canada)

Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru was created to drive women’s participation in golf through the use of fun, non-intimidating activities. Through a unique partnership structure with the Canadian Cancer Society and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation, the program has women across the country participating in golf activities and raising money and awareness for a cause close to Canadian hearts—the fight against breast cancer.

The top three fundraising teams

TOP FUNDRAISING SITES 2021  
Club Total Coordinator
Laval-sur-le-Lac$41,695.00Johanne Gagnon
Golf NB Provincial Event $33,199.44Marilyn Pollock 
Oakville Golf Club$19,065.80Dee Bond
TOP FUNDRAISING SITES 2020  
Club Total Coordinator
Golf NB Provincial Event $20,296.25Barb Goguen/Marleen Embleton 
The Links at Penn Hill (NS)$9,965.23Maureen Sturgeon
RattleSnake Point Golf Club $9,320Lorelle Weavers 

The Canadian golf industry generates $330M in philanthropic dollars generated at more than 51,000 tournaments and charitable golf events.

Subaru Canada has been a proud partner of Golf Fore the Cure since 2007.

To learn how to get involved with Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru, visit golfcanada.ca/golfforethecure

Canadian Men's Senior Championship

Club De Golf Le Manoir Richelieu set to host 2021 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship

Club de Golf de Manoir

LA MALBAIE, Que. – The 2021 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship, conducted by Golf Canada, will be contested at Club de Golf Le Manoir Richelieu from Sept. 21-24, marking the 59th playing of the national championship.

A full field of 156 participants aged 55-and-over will compete in the 72-hole stroke play tournament in hopes of becoming the first Canadian Men’s Senior Champion since Gene Elliot captured the title in 2019. The tournament was not played in 2020 due to COVID cancellations.

“We have every expectation that Canada’s top senior golfers will provide for an exciting competition set against the backdrop of the St-Lawrence River and stunning Charlevoix region,” said tournament director Dan Hyatt. “The panoramic views coupled with significant course upgrades make Club de Golf Le Manoir Richelieu worthy of the associated accolades and will challenge the skills of our competitors.”

Practice rounds take place Monday, Sept. 20. Championship play will be conducted Tuesday, Sept. 21-24 with 18 holes of stroke play each day. Following the opening two rounds, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. The champion receives an exemption into the 2022 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at Saucon Valley Country Club, in Bethlehem, Pa.

A 65-and-over Super Senior Championship will run simultaneously throughout the championship, with a winner being crowned after 72 holes of play. In 2019, Lars Melander of Oakville, Ont., claimed victory after a final round of 1-under-par 70 helped him to secure the title and hoist the Governor’s Cup.

Interprovincial team competitions that are usually played concurrently with national championships will not be contested in 2021 due to the increased complexity involving group travel.

Club de Golf Le Manoir Richelieu was inaugurated by U.S President William Taft in 1925 and is known for having won numerous awards. Originally designed by English golf architect Herbert Strong, the course has since been significantly upgraded under renowned architect Darrell Huxham. The addition of a new nine brings the total to 27 world class holes of golf.

Additional information, including a full list of competitors, can be found here.

NextGen Championships

Ella Weber and Cameron Pero win divisions at NextGen Fall Series East Championship

Next Generation 2021 Fall Series East
Cameron Pero, Ella Weber (Kenneth Harrison/ Golf Canada)

Timmins, Ont. — The final round of the NextGen Fall Series East Championship concluded with Ella Weber of Burlington, Ont., sealing the victory in the Girls division with a two-stroke win at the Hollinger Golf Club on Sunday. In the Boys division, Cameron Pero of Bloomfield, Ont., emerged as champion with a three-stroke victory.

Weber, who plays out of RattleSnake Point Golf Club, closed with a final-round 77 to leapfrog into first place to take home the title. The four-time CJGA champion made her mark in the front nine, carding an even par 36 to distance herself from the field.

“It feels great—I’m really excited to have won,” said the Team Ontario member. “The key for me was my ability to take irons of the tee and try to hit fairways and greens… try to take it one step at a time.”

Rounding out the top three were Nyah Kelly (Lindsay, Ont.) and 36-hole leader Karolyn Zeng (Vaughan, Ont.), both finishing tied for second place at 18 over par. The duo will join Weber next year at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

temp fix empty alt images

In the Boys division, Pero held on to his second-round lead on Sunday after a final-round 72 (+1) sealed the deal. The Picton Golf & Country Club member birdied two of his first four holes to find an early rhythm on route to the three-stroke victory.

“Everything came together this week for me,” said Pero. “My irons left me a lot of easy putts which really helped… the course was super tough.”

Finishing second was Ben MacLean of Niagara Falls, Ont., who shot a 1-under-par 70 on Sunday to finish at 4 over. He was trailed by Aurora, Ont., product Ryan Somerville who closed the tournament at 9 over par. All three competitors earned exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, Ont., from Aug. 8-11.

The competition marked the third year of the Fall Series, and first under the new NextGen umbrella. The second and final NextGen Fall Series championship takes place next week from Sept. 24-26 at Myrtle Point Golf Club in Powell River, B.C.

Click here for scoring and additional information.

PGA TOUR Americas

Team Canada’s du Toit captures ATB Financial Classic in his hometown

Jared du Toit
Jared du Toit (Mackenzie Tour - PGA Tour Canada)

CALGARY, Alta. –  Jared du Toit came up clutch, winning the ATB Financial Classic by one shot over fellow Calgarian, Wes Heffernan. Playing in the second-to-last group of the day, du Toit collected three birdies on the back nine, including a 20-footer on No. 18, to hold off Heffernan who also made a birdie on the last. 

“If you win by four or five (shots), it probably feels good, but it feels good in a different way,” said du Toit of his winning putt. “When you make a nice one, it’s a thrill for sure, and being in Calgary and having people cheer me on this week, it meant a lot for sure.” 

It was du Toit’s first start on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada schedule this season after struggling to a 66th-place finish on the Forme Tour. 

“It’s hard to win anywhere,” said du Toit. “When you’re beating 100-plus guys at the end of the week, you have to feel pretty good about your game. For me, doing that this week, I’m feeling even more confident heading into future weeks.” 

It was another tough-luck finish for Heffernan, who also finished in second place in the 2017 event. Playing in the last group of the day, he got a pretty good idea that he needed an eagle finish to force a playoff.

“We were on the 18th tee, and my caddie said, ‘We haven’t heard a roar yet,’” said Heffernan of the noise that would signify a du Toit birdie. “Then I teed my ball up, got ready to hit and all of sudden we heard the roar. At that point we knew (du Toit’s putt) was to get to 11-under.”

Despite another heartbreaking finish, Heffernan also birdied No. 18, with a big put off his own, eliciting another roar from the partisan gallery. 

“When I finished second four years ago, I made a similar putt from the other direction,” said Heffernan. “So, I had some pretty good vibes over that one, and it was just one of those (putts) that went in, which was nice. A great way to finish.”

https://www.instagram.com/p/CUBONP2FaWh/

A third Calgarian, Mitchell Fox, rocketed up the leaderboard on Sunday with the round of the day. His 6-under 65, left him in a third-place tie (9-under), with Australian, Will Barnett, who now makes his home in Coquitlam, British Columbia. Sudarshan Yellamaraju rounded out the top five, finishing at 8-under. 

Next year’s ATB Financial Classic will take place in Edmonton as the event rotates between the two cities.

NextGen Championships

NextGen Fall Series East Championship heads to Hollinger Golf Club

Hollinger Golf Course
Hollinger Golf Club

Timmins, Ont. — Golf Canada’s first NextGen event is set to begin on Friday, Sept. 17, as the Fall Series East Championship gets underway at Hollinger Golf Club.

With support from Golf Ontario, the 54-hole stroke play tournament begins with a practice round on Sept. 16. This marks the first official playing of the NextGen championships—the series was unable to play since the 2020 re-brand due to COVID cancellations.

The host, Hollinger Golf Club, is northern Ontario’s only 18-hole Championship full bent grass golf course and sports two distinct nine-hole loops with elevated tee-shots and holes winding through the Canadian Shield.

“Hollinger Golf Club is in phenomenal shape and will serve as a true test to this talented field of competitors,” said tournament director Mary Beth McKenna. “The community of Timmins has rallied behind this event in a major way to make the tournament an exciting stop for the competitors, volunteers and fans.”

The field will consist of 64 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division, with the top three earning exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Boys Championship from Aug. 8-11 at Rivershore Golf Links in Kamloops, B.C.

The Junior Girls Division is made up of 26 golfers, also with the top three (including ties) earning exemptions into the 2022 Canadian Junior Girls Championship from July 26-29.

Additional information about the 2021 NextGen Fall Series East Championship can be found here.

PGA of Canada

Branson Ferrier wins PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada by two strokes

Branson Ferrier wins PGA of Canada Assistant's Championship
Branson Ferrier (PGA of Canada)

(CALGARY, Alta.) – Entering the final round of the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf tied for the lead at 7-under alongside Yohann Benson, Barrie, Ontario’s Branson Ferrier seized his opportunity, firing a final-round 68 to win by two strokes over Kevin Stinson.

It was a cold and rainy morning at The Winston Golf Club, with the thermometer reading 6-degrees Celsius (but feeling more like freezing). 11 players entered the day within three strokes of the lead, trying to gain ground on Ferrier and Benson.

They could not.

On the third hole of the day, Ferrier made a 12-foot putt for eagle and didn’t relinquish the lead the rest of the day as he claimed his third-career professional victory.

“I hit a really good shot into number three and as soon as I got to the ball, I saw it going in,” said the Vespra Hills Golf Club Apprentice Professional. “That felt good to get going early. There were quite a few guys close behind myself and Yohann (Benson) early on, so I had to get out of the gate hot and mentally that helped me out early.”

Graduating from Alabama State University in 2017, Ferrier noted that he became a sponsored member at Vespra Hills Golf Club in 2018 before joining the turf staff last year. This year, he has stepped into a role in the golf shop.

“They’ve been unbelievable,” said Ferrier with a smile. “They’ve taken me under their wing and now I work in the golf shop helping our GM Dave Caldwell and our Head Pro Chris McNair, helping manage the place, running some events and really getting to take a hold of the junior program. They were gracious enough to let me come out here for the week and I can’t thank them enough.”

Seems like a good decision.

Though Ferrier made bogey on hole 4 after the eagle, he followed it up with three consecutive birdies and didn’t make a single bogey on the back nine. As soon as he went pin-hunting on the difficult 17th, it was all but over.

“I’ve been in this position two times before,” said Ferrier, who won on the Great Lakes Tour in 2017 and the East Coast Pro Tour in 2019. “I was calmer than I was in the other two times, so that was comforting, knowing I converted both other times I was in a final group.”

With the win, Ferrier takes home $9000, as well as some important RBC Player Ranking Points. After finishing 30th earlier this season at the BetRegal PGA Championship of Canada, the win should catapult Ferrier near the top of the standings.

Ferrier noted after the event the crucial role Callaway and all the PGA of Canada’s sponsors play when it comes to tournament golf.

“If we were only playing for the money we put into a tournament like this, nobody would come because it simply wouldn’t be worth the travel,” said the Alabama State 2016 Male Athlete of the Year. “To have Callaway’s support to help with the purse and to run an event like this, it’s absolutely crucial and the only way events like this can happen, so I’m very grateful for them.”

Meanwhile, Kevin Stinson managed his second runner-up performance of the year, firing a final-round 68 to place two-strokes ahead of a group of four players at 7-under.

The NoSweat Hardest Hole of the Day on Tuesday was the 195-yard par-3 11th hole. Nine players made birdie on the hole and after a random draw, Tyler LeBouthillier claims the $125 prize courtesy of NoSweat.

In addition to NoSweat’s presence at the championship, LivRelief, the Official Pain Relief Cream of the PGA of Canada, has given free full-sized product to all players and Focus Golf Target set up one of their professional targets on the 17th hole during the practice round.

Like at the BetRegal PGA Championship of Canada and DCM PGA Women’s Championship, each player received three attempts to land as many balls inside the target as possible. Craig Titterington made two of his three shots and was awarded the $250 prize.

For results of the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada, click here.

LPGA Tour

Henderson chasing 3rd victory at Portland Classic

Brooke Henderson
CARNOUSTIE, SCOTLAND - AUGUST 18: Brooke Henderson of Canada plays from a green-side bunker on the 8th hole during the Pro-Am prior to the AIG Women's Open at Carnoustie Golf Links on August 18, 2021 in Carnoustie, Scotland. (Photo by Andrew Redington/Getty Images)

Brooke Henderson´s 10 LPGA Tour victories make her the winningest professional golfer in Canadian history. And with the first three wins coming in the Pacific Northwest, it’s no surprise that her three words to describe Portland are “amazing times three.”

Henderson’s professional career lifted off when she won the 2015 Cambia Portland Classic in an eight-stroke runaway romp, setting a 72-hole scoring record of -21 that still stands, and only matched once in the tournament’s history by 2019 champion Hannah Green. The following year, Henderson captured her first major title by winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship just 200 miles north of Portland at Seattle’s Sahalee Country Club. A second Portland victory just a month later cemented the Pacific Northwest as one of Henderson’s favorite locales.

“In 2015 winning this event changed my life, was a dream come true. Looking back on all those great memories in 2015 and then defending in 2016 just brings a huge smile to my place.”

Brooke Henderson

Henderson comes to the 2021 tournament fresh off three weeks at home in Canada, one of the longest stretches she’s ever stayed away from competition in her professional career. Some hard work with her dad and coach Dave, combined with much-needed rest after what she called an “up-and-down year,” gives Henderson a good feeling as she takes to Oregon Golf Club.

“I feel like this golf course is definitely a shot makers’ golf course and a lot of strategy is involved,” she said. “Got to play smart. Feel like every hole you have to have an individual strategy for. Each hole is really different from the next.”

Korn Ferry Tour

PGA TOUR announces 2022 Korn Ferry Tour schedule

Korn Ferry Tour
(Getty Images)

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Florida – The PGA TOUR announced today the Korn Ferry Tour’s 2022 schedule, which features 26 tournaments across four countries and 18 different states with the season culminating at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance in September.

“True to its mission, the Korn Ferry Tour continues to identify, develop and prepare golf’s next stars to compete on the PGA TOUR from day one,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “The immediate success we’ve seen from the likes of Sungjae Im and Scottie Scheffler and now Will Zalatoris, the last three recipients of the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, is indicative of the quality and talent on the Korn Ferry Tour.”

The Korn Ferry Tour’s 2022 schedule will feature the return of international events after they were cancelled in 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Korn Ferry Tour will kick off its 2022 slate with The Bahamas Great Exuma Classic at Sandals Emerald Bay (January 16-19) and The Bahamas Great Abaco Classic at The Abaco Club (January 23-26), followed by the return of the Panama Championship (February 3-6) and Country Club de Bogota Championship (February 10-13). 

The Lake Charles Championship, set for March 24-27, will make its debut on the Korn Ferry Tour’s schedule after being postponed in 2020 due to the pandemic, and again in 2021 due to the impact from Hurricanes Laura and Delta along the Louisiana coast. 

“After recently concluding the Korn Ferry Tour’s super season in dramatic fashion, we’re excited about what lies ahead in 2022, including a significant increase in purses, the return of four international events and the debut of the Lake Charles Championship,” said Korn Ferry Tour President Alex Baldwin. “The Korn Ferry Tour is experiencing unprecedented growth and fan engagement and these key additions will add to this momentum as our athletes chase their PGA TOUR dreams in 2022.”

During the 2022 season, the Korn Ferry Tour will see its purses rise, as regular season events increase to a minimum purse of $750,000. The purse for the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna – the Tour’s regular season finale – will increase to $850,000. By the 2023 season, all regular season events will feature a purse of at least $1 million, while the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna will increase to $1.25 million and all three events in the season-ending Korn Ferry Tour Finals will increase to $1.5 million.

Today, the Korn Ferry Tour announced a partnership with NV5, a leading provider of compliance, technology, and engineering consulting solutions for public and private sector clients supporting sustainable infrastructure, utility, and building assets and systems, to become the title sponsor of the Korn Ferry Tour’s event in Glenview, Illinois for at least the next five seasons. The tournament will now be known as the NV5 Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank and will be played May 26-29.

The Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna will continue to serve as the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season finale and will be played August 11-14 in Omaha, Nebraska. Following the conclusion of the Pinnacle Bank Championship presented by Aetna, where 25 PGA TOUR cards are awarded to the top 25 players in the Korn Ferry Tour’s regular season points standings, the Tour begins the three-event Korn Ferry Tour Finals.

The Korn Ferry Tour Finals commence with the Albertsons Boise Open presented by Chevron – which announced a historic $2.9M charitable donation during their 2021 event – and will be played August 18-21 in Boise, Idaho. Players then head to the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Championship (August 25-28), which recently announced a five-year extension of the tournament at The Ohio State University Golf Club’s Scarlet Course. The season concludes at the Korn Ferry Tour Championship presented by United Leasing & Finance at Victoria National Golf Club in Newburgh, Indiana on Sunday, September 4, 2022.

The regular season finale and the three Korn Ferry Tour Finals events will represent four of six tournaments broadcasted on GOLF Channel in 2022. GOLF Channel’s broadcast coverage of the Korn Ferry Tour will begin with the BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation (June 9-12), which will feature the debut of the PGA TOUR University presented by Velocity Global Class of 2022. The Utah Championship presented by Zions Bank (August 4-7), the penultimate event of the Korn Ferry Tour regular season, will also be broadcast on GOLF Channel.

In addition to the six tournaments slated for GOLF Channel broadcasts during the 2022 season, the Korn Ferry Tour will also stream live coverage of the Veritex Bank Championship, which will be the first live Korn Ferry Tour tournament coverage available to fans during the 2022 season.

“Providing Korn Ferry Tour fans with more content and additional live coverage is extremely important to our Tour right now, and we’re excited to deliver live coverage from the final two rounds of the Veritex Bank Championship, one of our best-in-class events, on Friday, April 15 and Saturday, April 16,” Baldwin said.

PGA TOUR

Cantlay keeps lead at East Lake as Rahm has 65 to close gap; Conners T20

temp fix empty alt images for attachment

ATLANTA (AP) For the second day in a row, no one had a better score than Jon Rahm at the Tour Championship. That’s just what he needed to make up ground on Patrick Cantlay going into a weekend chase for $15 million.

Rahm birdied his last three holes Friday for a 5-under 65. Cantlay birdied his last two holes for a bogey-free 66 to keep one shot ahead.

It’s not quite a two-man race for the FedEx Cup with 36 holes still to play at East Lake, though it was shaping up as a possibility. Bryson DeChambeau was the next closest player, and his 67 lost ground Friday. He was six shots behind.

“We definitely feed off each other,” Rahm said. “And that’s probably why you see the difference in the scoreboard right now.”

Cantlay looked as though he was protecting a lead, often playing to the fat of the green. That was more a product of showing respect to an East Lake course that punishes even slight misses on the wrong side of the hole. He hit 16 of 18 greens, and only twice did he have par putts from about the 5-foot range.

“I’m playing really well, and I think I’m playing the golf course the right way,” Cantlay said.

Cantlay started the Tour Championship at 10-under par because he was the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup. Rahm began four shots back.

Asked if the idea was to chip away at the lead, Rahm replied, “What other strategy is there?”

“As soon as we teed off, that didn’t matter,” he said of the four-shot deficit. “There’s a lot of golf to be played, even now.”

The reason for Cantlay’s pre-tournament advantage was because of last week at Caves Valley.

Cantlay and Rahm played in the final threesome, along with DeChambeau, going into the weekend at the BMW Championship. Cantlay finished 66-66 and won in a playoff. Rahm closed with 70-70 and tied for ninth, dropping to the No. 4 seed.

That now seems long ago.

The Tour Championship, to a degree, feels normal now.

Cantlay was at 17 under. He and Rahm will be in the final group again.

DeChambeau had more work to do, as did Justin Thomas, who made two bogeys and failed to birdie the par-5 18th in his round of 67. He was seven behind.

“A place like this, there’s not really a lead that’s safe with how tough it it can play,” Thomas said. “But at the end of the day, I can’t worry about what the other guys are doing. I just have to go out and try to make some birdies and stop making mistakes.”

Harris English made his share of mistakes with five bogeys in his round of 69, leaving him in the large group at 9 under.

So did Jordan Spieth. He was going for his fourth straight birdie to get right in the mix, facing a 10-foot putt on the 13th hole. He three-putted, lost momentum and shot a 67. Spieth, Rory McIlroy (66) and Louis Oosthuizen (67) were at 8 under.

The lone Canadian, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., fired a 2-over 72 and fell back to 2 under heading into the weekend.

Gone are the low scores from the opening FedEx Cup playoff events, at rain-soaked Liberty Natitonal and Caves Valley, where players at each course had a putt at 59. The best anyone has managed at East Lake, still slightly soft from rain and a light breeze, had been a 65.

So it’s tougher for players to make up a lot of ground unless the leaders come back, and there has been little indication Cantlay and Rahm are going to do that.

Cantlay had plenty of looks at birdie, and didn’t hear many calls of “Patty Ice” because not many of those putts were going in. He got up-and-down from a bunker on the par-5 sixth. His wedge into the 13th spun back to an inch of the cup.

Rahm holed a 35-foot putt from off the green at the 13th, gave it back with a bad drive to the right on the next hole, and then closed the gap to one shot with a 10-foot birdie on the 16th.

The final two holes felt like a duel, even for a lazy Friday afternoon.

Rahm poured in a 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th, and Cantlay matched his birdie from 15 feet, the first time he had made a putt longer than 5 feet all day.

On the closing hole, Rahm blasted out of the front bunker to tap-in range. Cantlay chipped down the slope and with the grain one of the few times he was out of position and watched it trail off 8 feet from the hole. He made that to regain the lead.

“When you have somebody like him who played a round with very few mistakes you could argue that it could have been a lot lower it only motivates me to keep doing a little bit better,” Rahm said. “Even though I want to focus on myself, you know he’s not going to let up and he keeps putting it in the fairway and on the green and in the fairway and on the green.

“It can raise your playing level a little bit,” he said, “as well as me raising his level when I’m making birdies.”