BLAINE, Minn. (AP) – Rickie Fowler’s improved driving helped him shoot a 5-under 65 on Sunday in the final round of the British Open.

Looking for a late push in the FedEx Cup standings, Fowler carried over the strong play Thursday with a 7-under 64 in the first round of the 3M Open.

Fowler set the opening-round pace with a bogey-free round later equaled by Jhonatton Vegas and Troy Merritt, who attended Spring Lake Park High School, about six miles south of the TPC Twin Cities.

Fowler, who has never missed the FedEx Cup playoffs in 11 seasons, started the tournament ranked 124th in the standings, with the top 125 making the playoffs. There are two weeks remaining after the 3M Open to qualify for the playoffs.

“I know where I’m at, what we need to do and stuff like that,” Fowler said. “Really just focusing on things we’ve been working on, playing more consistent good golf. More days like today and things will be fine. Kind of keep things, like I said, simple and small, focus on the day-to-day and this week, and go from there. Everything will work out.”

Vegas capped an eventful opening round in the dark when his approach on the par-5 18th landed on top of a hospitality tent. His ball was eventually found and he was given free relief. He birdied the hole to tie for the lead.

Scott Stallings was trying to equal the course record of 62 before he double-bogeyed the 18th following more than a two-hour delay due to lightning in the area. Stallings was a stroke back at 65 with Adam Schenk and Canadian Roger Sloan. Sloan, from Merritt, B.C., had two holes to play when play was suspended due to darkness with 11 players still on the course.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., fired a 4-under 67. Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., opened with a 69, while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot 71.

After his disappointing finish last weekend in the British Open, Louis Oosthuizen shot 68. Dustin Johnson, who withdrew with a back injury after an opening 78 in the 3M Open last year, opened with a 70.

Johnson was playing with Keith Sbarbaro, TaylorMade’s vice president of tour operations, as his caddie after Johnson’s brother, Austin, his usual caddie, tested positive for COVID-19.

Johnson said his brother has already been cleared for his next tournament, the FedEx St. Jude Invitational in Memphis, Tennessee, from Aug. 5-8.

Fowler, who’s looking for his first win since the 2019 Phoenix Open, didn’t have any mistakes. Starting on the back nine, the 32-year-old from California made three straight birdies on his turn from the 18th to the second hole.

He gained some confidence following his final round last weekend at Royal St. George’s. Fowler was one of 30 players to take a charter straight to Minnesota from the British Open.

“That was something that was kind of holding me back from making birdies, moving forward last week,” Fowler said about his driving. “So today, I mean, going off of what we did Sunday last week, just needed to tighten a few things up. This golf course is fairly generous off the tee. There’s a few lakes, ponds that you just need to avoid. Other than that, it’s go, attack for the most part.”

Fowler and Merritt were in the morning wave that started in hazy and humid conditions and then had to wait through a delay of 2 hours, 24 minutes. Stallings was alone in the lead when play resumed, but his second shot on the 18th found the water, and his follow-up overshot the green.

Merritt, who’s missed the cut in his last two starts, could be the sentimental favorite back in Minnesota. He finished with eight birdies, including his final two holes to equal Fowler.

“I’ve seen this golf course now for about 20 years,” Merritt said. “Came to watch the seniors play when I was in high school and got to play it once or twice. It’s just a lot of fun. It’s great for the players, it’s great for the fans, you can make a lot of birdies, the scoring’s usually really low. So, if you like shootouts, this is the golf course for you and you’re going to get another one this week.”

Did you enjoy watching our Canadian men compete at The Open in England? Will you watch Brooke Henderson , Alena Sharp, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes at the Tokyo Olympics? Do you look forward to the post-pandemic return of the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open?

When you do, does Golf Canada ever cross your mind? It should. Because Golf Canada is the association that promotes and supports the game of golf in this country. Most of our best players, pro and amateur, might not be where they are today without programs instituted by Golf Canada, like Future Links, Team Canada, and more. The affiliated Golf Canada Foundation raises and grants funds for the advancement of the game including scholarships. Do you (more or less) play by the Rules of Golf?

So it bugs me when the topic of Golf Canada is raised, usually during a post-round gathering, and someone inevitably utters that hoary old line about a Golf Canada membership being akin to paying taxes. (In the interest of full disclosure, I once worked for Golf Canada, then known as the Royal Canadian Golf Association. So while I may be empathetic about their mission, I also have more than a working knowledge of the association’s mandate and programs.)

The “taxes” line is usually followed by something like this: “I don’t need to be a member. I don’t need a handicap.” 

Well, yes, you do, if you are remotely serious about your game. Even if you don’t intend to play in a pro-am or a provincial or national event, who in their right mind wants to play a competitive round for even the smallest of stakes with someone who says on the first tee, “I usually shoot about xx”? And then goes out and shoots xx minus 10.

In addition, there is no better way to track your improvement (or lack thereof) than by maintaining an accurate handicap. Posting your scores and stats hole-by-hole helps you understand where the flaws are in your game.

OK, so now that you understand why you need a handicap index, why else would you want to be a Golf Canada member? Here are a couple of more reasons.

• Incident protection: Up to $2,500 reimbursement for damaged, lost or stolen equipment; up to $1,000 towards the cost of repairing or replacing a window; up to $2,500 for golf cart-related accidents; up to $1,000 for travel-related accidents.
• Plus significant discounts on goods and services: 15 per cent off tickets to the RBC Canadian Open and CP Women’s Open; up to 25 per cent off Avis car rentals; 10 per cent off Hilton Hotel room bookings with complimentary upgrades at participating properties; 10 per cent off Golf Canada merchandise; golf benefits with RBC Insurance for home and auto.

All this for $49.95? Less than the cost of a dozen name-brand golf balls!

“It’s a no-brainer,” says an admittedly biased Ryan Logan. “If people knew about all the buckets the membership dollars go into … but the challenge is to get that message out there.”

Logan is Golf Canada’s Director of Membership and he is justifiably pumped about the benefits included in a Golf Canada membership. He is equally enthused about the impressive trend in scores being posted this year.

Logan acknowledges golf participation boomed during the pandemic and sees a commensurate increase in record-setting score posting in 2021. The data backs him up. In March, approximately 160,000 scores were posted nationwide, an increase of 64 percent over 2020. In April, when the weather improved and COVID-related lockdowns relented in some regions, there were about 500,000 posted, an astounding increase of more than 800 per cent. May saw 1.2 million scores posted, a bump of 53 per cent, and June postings were up 15 per cent year over year to 1.7 million.

The pandemic impacted the way scores were posted as well. With the club kiosks removed because of the fear of spreading the virus through contact points, many golfers availed themselves of the new Golf Canada app.

The app is free to use. (Although if you want an official handicap index, you must be a Golf Canada member.)  But anyone can use it to track their scores, find courses, play various on-course games (stroke or match play, skins), use the on-course GPS function to determine distances to a selected target, and more.

Take it from me. The app is intuitive and easy to use. I’ve started posting my scores hole by hole and so have many others, says Logan. The new World Handicap System encourages golfers to do so and Canadians have responded. According to Logan, about 20 per cent of scores were hole by hole pre-WHS. That doubled in 2020 and he estimates that up to 70 per cent of all scores will be itemized in that manner this year.

Having said all this, some of you still won’t be persuaded to shell out $49.95. So be it.

Golf, Canada!

Click here to become a Golf Canada member.

They were the Olympic rookies at the 2016 Rio Olympics.

Five years later, Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp are Canadian Olympic veterans.

The Tokyo Olympics this summer will be Henderson and Sharp’s second Games together representing the red and white. With success in the LPGA apparent for both golfers in the five years since Rio 2016, both Henderson and Sharp revel in the opportunity to medal in Tokyo.

“I am honoured and proud to be a part of Team Canada this summer,” Henderson said. “I love representing my country and feeling all of the support of family, friends, and Canadian golf fans back home.”

Sharp turned pro in 2003 and is still going strong at age 40. With nine professional wins, Sharp continues to be a model of consistency for Canadian women’s golf on the LPGA Tour. Look no further than the 2021 KPMG Women’s PGA Championship, where she started with two sub-70 rounds, before finishing a T-25.

As Sharp is on the backend of her career, Henderson is just beginning. She meteorically rose in the women’s game, winning the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship in 2016. Since then, Henderson has 10 LPGA Tour victories, making her the winningest Canadian golfer in the sport’s history (male or female).

As Henderson experienced a soar in popularity and success, she had her Canadian compatriot Sharp to lean on for advice and mentorship.

“It means a lot to share this journey with Alena again,” Henderson said. “She’s been a huge mentor and a great friend to me.”

Since competing in the Rio Olympics, Henderson and Sharp continue to elevate Canadian women’s golf with class and excellence. At the 2018 CP Women’s Open in Saskatchewan, Sharp brought awareness and respect to the Humboldt Broncos junior hockey team, evidenced by her green and yellow golf bag. Henderson went on to cement her legacy at Wascana Country Club with a CP Women’s Open title, becoming the first Canadian woman to win the national golf championship since Jocelyne Bourassa in 1973.

Henderson’s first embraces were with her sister/caddie, Brittany, and her Dad, Dave. Sharp was the first to congratulate Henderson, spraying the champagne in celebration on the 18th green.

Whenever Henderson wins, it’s not long after she receives a congratulatory message from Sharp. Henderson also returns the favour, being there for her teammate during important moments of her life. For example, when Sharp got married last November to her caddie and partner, Sarah Bowman, Henderson included herself in the festivities.

It’s evident that the bond between Henderson and Sharp runs deep beyond the tee box, fairway, and putting green.

“We’re there to cheer each other on in the golf competition, but when you go to an Olympic Games, you become part of a bigger team,” Sharp said.

Competing in the Olympics will look different in 2021 than in 2016. For Henderson and Sharp, they will practice together at Kasumigaseki Country Club, scouting the course before the women’s golf competition commencing. Both Canadians will lean on their male counterparts, Corey Conners and Mackenzie Hughes, for advice, as the men’s tournament occurs a week before. The women’s competition takes place from August 4-7, 2021.

“Anything can happen over four days,” Henderson said. “You have to work hard, focus, get a good plan together and I’m just excited to have the opportunity to go and compete.”

Life beyond the course won’t possess the jubilation that exists in the Olympic Village. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, no fans will be permitted on the course, as well as no friends and family. Instead, golfers must rely on their own energy to get motivated.

Henderson and Sharp are used to playing tournaments without spectators over the past year. Away from the course, they will keep themselves busy, whether that’s playing cards or watching Netflix.

The Tokyo Olympics are five years in the making for Henderson and Sharp. After a T-7 finish for Henderson and 30th for Sharp, they are looking to build on their performances to get on the podium.

Most of all, in an Olympics unlike any other, Henderson and Sharp will have their partnership and friendship, that will extend far beyond the outcome at the Games.

(Note: To purchase Team Canada fan gear, please click the link here)

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. – Inspired by the putters he has made for major winners and champions on the worldwide professional golf tours, Scotty Cameron has re-imagined one of his most iconic designs to create three new models called Champions Choice. Crafted in a limited run to be released this summer, the new putters bring the sleek, tour-proven shapes of the Special Select family of putters together with an integrated Teryllium insert and Scotty Cameron’s revered “Button Back” setup, as well as unique graphics and accessories celebrating the history of winning with Scotty Cameron putters.

In select Titleist golf shops worldwide beginning Friday, August 6, the new Champions Choice putters will be offered in three models: Newport Button Back, Newport 2 Button Back (also available in left-handed) and Flowback 5.5 Button Back. Each putter features a solid milled 303 stainless steel body with a soft Teryllium inlay fused together with the iconic button head machine screws and modern vibration dampening technology.

Largest contingent of Canadian athletes at an Olympic Games since Los Angeles 1984

TORONTO – On Tuesday, the Canadian Olympic Committee (COC) announced that a Canadian delegation of 370 athletes and 131 coaches will be participating at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This contingent of athletes will be Canada’s largest team to compete at an Olympic Games since Los Angeles 1984.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games will officially open on Friday, July 23 and continue through Sunday, August 8. The competition will feature 339 events across 33 sports and 50 disciplines. This will be the second time that the Olympic Games will take place in Tokyo, which previously welcomed the world in 1964. 

Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners will represent Canada at the Kasumigaseki Country Club. The first round of Men’s Individual Stroke Play will begin on July 29th, 2021, with the final round taking place on August 1st.

Brooke Henderson and Alena Sharp will then hit the course starting August 4th, 2021 for the first round of the Women’s Individual Stroke Play. The final round is scheduled August 7th.

The full list of Team Canada athletes and coaches with breakdown by sport and home province can be downloaded here. 

QUOTES

“This is a very special moment for these 371 athletes, who have faced some of the most challenging circumstances over the past 16 months to be named to Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 delegation. The fact that we have the largest Canadian team at a Summer Olympics in over 35 years speaks volumes to the focus and resilience of Canadian athletes and the sport community. While we are looking forward to watching them shine on the international stage, their glory will go beyond their accomplishments. This is about their journey to get to Tokyo and how they have inspired the nation.”

– Eric Myles, COC Chief Sport Officer

“These unique times have forged a special Canadian Olympic Team. Even before Canada’s incredible athletes get to their first competitions in Tokyo, I am extraordinarily impressed by their results. Despite the pandemic, through their creativity and perseverance, they have become the largest Canadian Olympic Team in three decades. In far less than ideal conditions, they have found a way to be faster and stronger than ever and I have no doubt that they are ready to reveal something special at Tokyo 2020. Their stories are ones that we can all be proud of.”

– Marnie McBean, Three-time Olympic champion and Team Canada’s Tokyo 2020 Chef de Mission

“With the Opening Ceremony just nine days away, it is an honour to be a part of this Team Canada. Every single athlete on this team has faced adversity, uncertainty and disruption, having to adapt and adjust to a new timeline and a new world. That they have come this far is a testament to their determination and perseverance. I am so excited that, after a year’s delay, we will all have the opportunity to show Canada, and the world, what we have been working for.”

– Rosie MacLennan, Two-time defending Olympic champion and Chair,  COC Athletes’ Commission

SANDWICH, England (AP) – Collin Morikawa received the claret jug, thrust it into the air and gave it a kiss, a two-time major champion at age 24.

This time, there were people to cheer him.

The American closed with a bogey-free, 4-under 66 and won the British Open in his debut Sunday, becoming the first player to capture two different majors on the first attempt.

His victory 11 months ago in his first PGA Championship came in the first major with no spectators amid the coronavirus pandemic.

So it was a very different scenario for Morikawa, a mature-beyond-his-years Californian, as he made one of the greatest walks in golf down the 18th fairway at Royal St. George’s, first to applause and then to a standing ovation.

After tapping in for par to win by two shots over Jordan Spieth, he gave a fist pump before applauding the spectators in the huge grandstand around the 18th green, part of a crowd of 32,000 people who enjoyed immaculate weather around the links off Sandwich Bay.

They got to witness a player making a historic start to his major championship career.

Morikawa is halfway to the career Grand Slam after eight starts and the first player since Bobby Jones in 1926 to win two majors in so few appearances. He follows Gene Sarazen, Jones, Jack Nicklaus, Seve Ballesteros, Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Spieth in winning multiple majors before turning 25.

His total of 15-under 265 was a 72-hole record in 15 British Opens at Royal St. George’s.

And he did it with style, flushing iron shots for birdies or stress-free pars and getting up-and-down on the rare occasions he found trouble.

Starting the final round one shot behind Louis Oosthuizen, Morikawa was tied for the lead after four holes and then made three straight birdies on Nos. 7-9 to overtake the South African, who hadn’t trailed since the 12th hole of his second round.

Morikawa made key par saves at Nos. 10 and 15, between which he rolled a birdie putt up and over a ridge and into the cup on the 14th to build a two-stroke lead he never lost. Spieth parred his final four holes and also shot 66.

By making par at the last after another perfect drive, Morikawa played his final 31 holes without a bogey on a course that has confounded many great players because of its quirky bounces and undulating fairways.

All the more remarkable was that this was his first major test on a seaside links. Morikawa knew little about this style of golf before playing the Scottish Open last week at The Renaissance Club, which is not a traditional links but featured the kind of tight lies and rolling terrain that prepared him for it.

He even had three new irons in his bag this week.

For Oosthuizen, who was seeking a wire-to-wire win and a second claret jug he had a runaway victory at St. Andrews in 2010 it was another near miss in a career full of them. He was runner-up this year at the PGA Championship and the U.S. Open, two of his six second-place finishes at majors.

This time Oosthuizen tied for third with U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm (66) after closing with a 71 his first round not in the 60s this week. He never recovered from losing his lead with an ugly bogey on the par-5 seventh hole. He caught way too much ball with his third shot from a greenside bunker, which bounced onto the putting surface and landed in a bunker on the other side.

Morikawa made a routine birdie on the hole to move two ahead of Oosthuizen. Spieth had made eagle at No. 7 a few minutes earlier.

Spieth, the British Open champion in 2017 at Royal Birkdale, had his closest call in a major since then. Ultimately, his bogey-bogey finish on Saturday left him too far behind the flawless Morikawa.

MacKenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 1-under 69 and finished tied for sixth spot with American Brooks Koepka.

After starting the day in fourth, Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., fell to 15th with a 3-over 73.

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. – James Hahn missed a chance to shoot the 13th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history Saturday. He settled for a 12-under 60 and a chance to win Barbasol Championship.

Eight strokes back entering the day, Hahn had two eagles in the career-best round to move within two strokes of leader J.T. Poston at Keene Trace.

“To come up one short stings a little bit,” Hahn said.

Hahn’s 132-yard approach on the par-4 18th spun back, leaving a 35-foot putt that he missed to the right a few minutes before second-round leader Poston teed off.

Jim Furyk set the tour record with a 58 in the 2016 Travelers Championship and also is one of 11 players to shoot 59.

Hahn chipped in for eagle on the par-5 15th to get to 11 under and made a 6 1/2 birdie putt on the par-3 17th.

“When I looked at the leaderboard, it said that I was 11 under and I could swear I was 10,” Hahn said. “I had no idea what I was shooting at that point, I had to double-check the scorecard and that was kind of the “Oh, boy” moment. Yeah, then you start thinking crazy things coming down the stretch, but I pulled it together.”

Poston had a bogey-free 66 to get to 19-under 197. He won the 2019 Wyndham Championship for his lone tour title.

“It was another good one, bogey-free, which is always nice around here,” Poston said. “Never want to give any back when everybody’s making some birdies.”

Luke List was a stroke back after a 65. He’s winless on the tour.

Because of wet conditions the players were allowed to use preferred lies.

The 39-year-old Hahn made a 5-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth, and has four eagles in the first three rounds. His two PGA Tour victories came on demanding courses in the 2015 Northern Trust at Riviera and 2016 Wells Fargo at Quail Hollow.

He turned to a local caddie at Keene Trace after parting ways with his usual lopper.

“A couple weeks ago my caddie actually left me, so I was searching around for a caddie,” Hahn said. “This week I was fortunate enough to have a local guy that knows the golf course. His name is Joe Muschong and he’s helped me out a lot this week and kept me cool throughout the round.”

Hahn also changed his putting routine.

“Earlier in the week I was kind of messing around with different practice routines with my putting stroke,” Hahn said. “Yesterday, actually, I changed my routine, decided not to take any more practice strokes at the ball. That freed me up a little bit, but had no idea I was going to shoot like that today.”

Joseph Bramlett had a 67 to join Hahn at 17 under.

David Lingmerth (65) and Seamus Power (67) were 16 under. Jason Dufner (65) was another stroke back with Derek Ernst (66), David Hearn (67), Bo Hoag (67) and Ryan Armour (69).

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont. finishes the third round tied for the twelfth spot. Pendrith completed the round 3 under, putting his total round under 14.

Defending champion Jim Herman was 14 under after a 65. He won in 2019, and the event was cancelled last year.

SANDWICH, England (AP) – Even with his swing getting loose over the final hour Saturday, Louis Oosthuizen walked off the 18th green with a one-stroke lead at the British Open and another shot at ending his 11-year wait for a second major title.

A third round as undulating as the fairways at Royal St. George’s ended how it started, with Oosthuizen holding off Collin Morikawa and Jordan Spieth, and three shots separating them.

Oosthuizen, a runner-up in the last two majors, overcame his first real wobble of the tournament on the back nine with a key par save on the 15th and an 8-foot birdie on the par-3 16th that led to a 1-under 69.

That put him at 12-under 198 as the South African stayed on course to be the first wire-to-wire winner at golf’s oldest championship since Rory McIlroy in 2014.

Morikawa slid a 15-foot birdie putt just past the hole on the 18th green, settling for a 68 as he bids for a second major to go with his win at last year’s PGA Championship. The American was four shots behind after 10 holes and made a strong push at about the time Oosthuizen showed signs of fading. He trimmed Oosthuizen’s lead to one shot.

Spieth was tied for the lead until he bogeyed his last two holes he missed a par putt from 2 feet at the 18th to complete a disappointing back nine of lost chances. The three-time major champion had a 69 and was three shots back, just as he started the day.

It had all looked so different with an hour left in the day, with the three players tied for the lead at 11 under with four holes to play on a day the pin positions not the weather proved to be the greatest defense at Royal St. George’s.

The wind didn’t get above 10 mph and a cloudless sky with bright sunshine looked sure to bring another day of low scoring.

However, pins were tucked away, sometimes near slopes, while the firmer fairways brought the deep rough and pot bunkers into play.

It ensured some big names were unable to launch a challenge.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson started four shots off the lead but plunged out of contention by making five bogeys in his opening 11 holes. Two late birdies could give him only a 73, leaving him eight shots behind.

Brooks Koepka, a four-time major champion, was a shot further back after managing only a round of 72.

McIlroy started much further back but reached the turn at 4 under for the championship after making five birdies. The back nine was another story and McIlroy threw an iron to the ground he called it a “little toss” during a run of three bogeys in five holes on his way to shooting 69, his first round in the 60s at Royal St. George’s.

It left him only on 1 under and with no chance of a second claret jug.

Instead, Corey Conners (66) and Scottie Scheffler (69) moved into contention at 8 under while Jon Rahm looking to add the British Open to his U.S. Open from last month shot 68 and was 7 under alongside MacKenzie Hughes and Dylan Frittelli.

Marcel Siem, who qualified from the second-tier Challenge Tour in Europe only last week, rebounded from an 8 after going out-of-bounds at the par-5 14th with two birdies in his final three holes. He was in a three-way tie for ninth place, six off the lead.

All of them are chasing Oosthuizen, who won at St. Andrews in 2010 and has rung up a career Grand Slam of runner-up finishes since then. That includes the U.S. Open last month, where he was leading with two holes to play until Rahm’s birdie-birdie finish. He also was runner-up in the PGA Championship to Phil Mickelson.

NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) – J.T. Poston shot a bogey-free 6-under 66 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship.

Poston had a 13-under 131 total at rain-soaked Keene Trace in the tournament that was delayed twice Thursday because of rain and lightning. Because of the wet conditions, players were allowed to use preferred lies in the fairways.

“It’s been really good,” Poston said. “Just ball-striking’s been a lot better than I’d say it has been the last few months. Just nice to give myself a lot of looks. They’re bent greens, it’s soft. Hit the ball close to the hole and you can make a few putts, too.”

Poston had late birdies on the par-4 seventh and par-5 eighth in the round that began on No. 10. The 28-year-old former Western Carolina player won the 2019 Wyndham Championship in Greensboro for his lone PGA Tour title.

He’s comfortable on Keene Trace’s greens.

“They’re a lot like what I grew up on in Hickory, North Carolina,” Poston said. “They’re bent and they’re about the same speed as what I’m probably used to when I was a kid. Just kind of brings back some good memories of putting on that putting green growing up. It just feels normal to me.”

Ryan Armour and Joseph Bramlett were a stroke back, each shooting 67.

“It was softer today,” Armour said. “Definitely that rain yesterday afternoon, the two rain delays we had, I was not getting any bounce on the driver, it was kind of hit and plug, which I would love it if it would bounce a little more, the length I hit it, but I’m still able to get to three of the par 5s, which is good for me.”

Brian Stuard, tied for the first-round lead after a 64, shot a 69 to drop into a tie for fourth at 11 under with Taylor Pendrith (68), Luke List (68) and Seamus Power (68).

Pendrith finished his late afternoon round in the rain.

Defending champion Jim Herman was 7 under after a 70. He won in 2019, and the event was canceled last year.

Will Grimmer, tied with Stuard for the lead after wrapping up an opening 64 in the morning, shot a 74 in the second round to drop to 6 under.

Wilco Nienaber, the big-hitting South African who received a foreign exemption to play, had a 71 to get to 5 under.

John Daly missed the cut with rounds of 76 and 70.

SANDWICH, England (AP) – Louis Oosthuizen set a 36-hole record at the British Open and is halfway to ending that run of near misses at the majors.

He’ll have to hold off a cast of major champions on the weekend at Royal St. George’s.

On a day of pleasant summer weather that took the fear out of the links off Sandwich Bay, Oosthuizen broke away from a three-way tie with a birdie-birdie-eagle run from the 12th hole. He shrugged off his first bogey of the week for a 5-under 65 and a two-stroke lead on Friday.

Former PGA champion Collin Morikawa had a 64 and was two shots behind.

Another shot back was Jordan Spieth (67), going after his fourth major.

Lurking was two-time major champion Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world, who shot 65.

Oosthuizen was at 11-under 129, breaking the 36-hole Open record first set by Nick Faldo in 1992 at Muirfield and matched by Brandt Snedeker in 2012 at Royal Lytham & St. Annes.

This will be the fifth time in the last nine rounds at a major that Oosthuizen, the 2010 Open champion at St. Andrews, has had at least a share of the lead. He was runner-up at the last two majors, to Phil Mickelson at the PGA Championship in May and to Jon Rahm at the U.S. Open last month.

He’ll also be aware of the quality of player behind him, though.

Morikawa, making quite a debut in links golf, made seven birdies in his first 14 holes as part of a clinic in iron play. He missed a 5-foot par putt on No. 15 and had a 10-foot birdie putt on the final hole catch the lip.

Spieth, four shots behind when he teed off, was tied for the lead after 12 holes and then played the last six holes in 1 over.

Then there was Dustin Johnson, a runner-up at Royal St. George’s in 2011, who stuck his approach at the last to 3 feet for a birdie and a round of 65, which left him tied for fourth place at 7 under with Dylan Frittelli of South Africa (67) and Scottie Scheffler (66).

One shot behind an eclectic mix of players at 6 under including two more South Africans in Justin Harding and Daniel Van Tonder were Rahm (64), Brooks Koepka, and MacKenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont. (69). Listowel, Ont.’s Corey Conners had his second straight 68 to sit at 4 under.

After Friday’s round, both Canadians are sitting in the top 20, Hughes is tied for the 12th spot with Conners close behind tied for 17th.

Koepka made four birdies in his last five holes for a 66, then continued his petty feud with Bryson DeChambeau with perhaps the best shot of his round.

During a television interview, Koepka said he was driving it great, adding: “I love my driver” a clear nod at DeChambeau, who complained on Thursday that his driver “sucks.”

DeChambeau just made it to the weekend at Royal St. George’s by shooting a 70, which saw him make the cut on the number at 1 over.

Rory McIlroy did, too, needing a birdie on the final hole for another 70. He was 11 shots behind.

Other big names weren’t so lucky: No. 7 Patrick Cantlay, No. 9 Patrick Reed, former Open champions Francesco Molinari and Henrik Stenson, and Darren Clarke, the 2011 champion at Royal St. George’s, were all headed home.