FALMOUTH, Maine – Steve LeBrun, Brett Stegmaier, Brent Grant and Jim Knous each carded opening- round 7-under 64s to co-lead after the first round of the inaugural Live and Work in Maine Open. The quartet leads 57 players under par entering the second round at Falmouth Country Club. 

LeBrun, Stegmaier and Grant each went low in the morning wave while Knous led the scoring in the afternoon wave. Stegmaier led the field with nine birdies in the first round, including at his first two holes of the day (Nos. 10-11) and last three holes of the day (Nos. 7-9). 

Stegmaier, a 37-year-old who grew up in nearby Connecticut, entered the week just 134th in the points standings with two top-25s and no top-10s in 28 starts. Similarly, Steve LeBrun entered the week without a top-25 finish this season and 149th in the points standings. The 43-year-old from southern Florida turned professional in 2000 and was honest when asked about his standing with only six events remaining in the Korn Ferry Tour season. 

“It’s been a brutal year or two years; I’m not going to lie,” said LeBrun. “But I’ve been preparing for a week to win, whether it’s here or on the PGA TOUR, for a long time. It’s been a lot of years. I’ve been off and on this Tour since 2004. You’d like to think that all of the stuff that you’ve gone through would prepare you for that time when you have a putt on the last hole.” 

In contrast to Stegmaier and LeBrun, 25-year-old Brent Grant is in the midst of his rookie season on the Korn Ferry Tour. He entered the week off of back-to-back top-10 finishes, but those finishes sandwiched a five-week break to rest an aggravated wrist injury. 

Currently at 71st in the points standings, Grant is looking to retain his Korn Ferry Tour membership by finishing inside the top 75 or earn his first PGA TOUR card by finishing the season inside the top 25. With a win, Grant projects to move to 30th in the standings. 

With a 64, Knous carded the lowest round in the afternoon by two strokes. The Colorado School of Mines alum birdied two of the three toughest holes on the course (Nos. 2 and 8) to reach 64. 

“I made probably four or five putts in that 10-15-foot range, a few long two putts, and then I made a bomb on No. 2,” said Knous. I think that was 40 feet and it was one of the hardest holes on the course, so that’s a plus.” 

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., shot a 4-under 67 and is tied for ninth. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., both shot 69’s and are tied for 27th.

Second-round tee times will run from 6:30 a.m. to 1:40 p.m. on Friday off of the first and 10th tees at Falmouth Country Club. 

JOHNS CREEK, Ga. (AP) – Lizette Salas was in her happy place Thursday, and not just because she kept bogeys off her card at tough Atlanta Athletic Club and posted a 5-under 67 for a one-shot lead in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

Her game is rounding into form as the Solheim Cup approaches. That’s a big deal to her, too.

But the broad smile went well beyond golf.

The COVID-19 pandemic took its toll on the 31-year-old Californian, dulling her usual spark and creating anxiety that she initially mistook for nerves.

She had never talked about it publicly until Thursday, confident that the worst is behind her. She never spoke about it to her parents or coaches or support team. A Mexican-American with a hardscrabble road to the LPGA Tour, she attributes her stubbornness to talk about such matters to her Hispanic background.

“It was hard for me to even speak about it just because I felt like other people are going through the same thing. Why do I need to feel sorry for myself?” she said. “Over time, it accumulated and got worse, and when I finally got out here, it was just … so bad that the golf couldn’t help.”

One round wasn’t going to solve everything, and Salas saw enough of the Atlanta Athletic Club to realize it won’t be smooth sailing all week.

She led by one shot over Charley Hull of England, who had a 68 for the best score in the afternoon. What makes Hull happy is she’s going home on Monday after a month on the road, which preceded a seven-week stretch playing the LPGA Tour schedule.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was in a tie for third following a 3-under 69, while 2016 winner Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., opened with a 2-over 74.

Jessica Korda and former U.S. Women’s Open champion Jeongeun Lee6 were in a group at 69, among nine players who managed to post scores in the 60s.

Nelly Korda, who last week became the first two-time winner on this LPGA Tour season of parity, was at 70 along with a trio of major champions, including ANA Inspiration winner Patty Tavatanakit, who started with three birdies in five holes and closed with a pair of birdies.

Inbee Park, the seven-time major champion and Olympic gold medalist, played better than her score of 71, all because of one hole.

She had mud on her ball from rain earlier in the week, and it hooked some 50 yards left on the par-4 eighth hole, down an embankment and into the water. After a drop in deep rough to a short-sided pin, she conservatively went long to keep it rolling back down the hill, and she three-putted for triple bogey from some 70 feet.

Park atoned for that with a 75-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 71.

U.S. Women’s Open champion Yuka Saso and Lexi Thompson, whose back-nine collapse at Olympic Club three weeks ago cost her the Women’s Open, played with Park. Each shot 73.

Defending champion Sei Young Kim had a 76, while Michelle Wie West was at 77.

Salas had no such issues. She finished with a tough par putt, had no complaints with any part of her game and make a nervy par putt at the end to keep a clean card.

Salas spoke on days getting darker before it got light, and turning point was a month ago at the Pure Silk Championship at Kingsmill, site of her lone LPGA Tour victory in 2014. Her caddie from that win, John Killeen, is back on the bag. There were positive memories, good vibes.

“That just lit a spark in me,” Salas said.

She ended 18 straight tournaments of pedestrian play with a tie for fifth, added another top 10 last week in Michigan and is trending.

“I had to take care of my mental health, and that’s something that a lot of people don’t really take into consideration,” she said. “I think for me coming from a Hispanic background, it’s very hard to talk about that, but I’m very fortunate to have a team that was willing to bend over backwards to help me and to get me to where I am right now.

“I just understand myself more, and I’m at a point where I like myself again, even when days aren’t as good as others. It’s been a quite a roller coaster of emotions,” she added. “Here I am, and I’m playing much better. Just happy to be here.”

Salas spent her time during the pandemic staying off her phone and reading more books, which helped her to slow down life, decompress and get more sleep.

One of them was titled, “I’m Not Your Perfect Mexican Daughter,” which she felt like an autobiography. She also read a book about Mexican painter Frida Kalo.

“And when you look back at her history, she did things her way and enjoyed her own process,” Salas said. “So I’ve just been highlighting a few things here and there. It really … it puts me to sleep. It’s a win-win.”

And then she burst into a big smile, which had been missing for too long.

If you were to create your perfect golfer from tee to green using only Canadian golfers, whose driving abilities would you take? Whose putting skills? Whose silky-smooth swing? Let’s break down what the ultimate golfer might look like when comprised of some of Canada’s very best.

Driving

When it comes to hitting off the tee, it’s not hard to find a few names. One that comes to mind is Taylor Pendrith. Pendrith is currently one of the heaviest hitters on the Korn Ferry Tour circuit. For the 2020-2021 season, his average driving distance is 319.9 yards. Currently ranked fourth in driving distance on the Korn Ferry Tour, he is just over 4 yards off the first-place number. Back in September of 2020, Pendrith made his major debut at the U.S. Open where he finished third in average driving distance among some of the best in the world.

A decade ago, Graham DeLaet was making similar impact on the PGA Tour. In his first season back in 2010, DeLaet ranked sixth in driving distance with a 305.7-yard average. Between 2012 and 2017, DeLaet routinely ranked inside the top 40 in the same statistic. In 2013, DeLaet had the fourth longest drive on the PGA Tour that season, hitting one drive 420 yards.

If we’re talking about driving excellence, Brooke Henderson’s name must be there. For the past five seasons, Henderson has ranked inside the top 25 on the LPGA Tour for driving distance. Last season, she matched her career high ranking of eighth, with an average driving distance of 266.784 yards. However, she doesn’t just bomb the ball – there’s something to be said about her accuracy as well – Henderson ranked 35th for driving accuracy last season. Currently, Henderson is ranked sixth for average driving distance at 278.654 yards.

One of the best Canadians to ever play the game, Stan Leonard won three times on the PGA Tour and eight PGA of Canada Championships.  At one point in the 1940’s, Leonard’s tee shots were already averaging 275-280 yards, according to a 1948 Maclean’s article.

Irons

On the LPGA Tour, Dawn Coe-Jones had enviable irons. Between 1992 and 2000, she almost routinely finished inside of the top 25 for greens in regulation percentage, and for the two seasons where she was outside, she was still in the top 60 on the LPGA Tour.

Over on the PGA Tour, Stephen Ames’s approach shots were also enviable. Between 2004 and 2008, Ames consistently finished inside the top 50 on the PGA Tour when it came to strokes gained: approaching the green. In 2004, he also finished 24th for greens in regulation.While on the PGA Tour Champions, between 2015 and 2019, Ames consistently finished inside the top 35 in greens in regulation. At his most recent win at the Principal Charity Classic on the Champions Tour on June 6, Ames led the field in greens in regulation with 87.04 per cent – nearly four per cent clear of Fred Couples in second.

Before Ames, there was Dave Barr. Between 1987 and 1994, Barr was consistently in the top 15 for greens in regulation percentage on the PGA Tour. In 1988, he ranked second with a 73.63 per cent average, and in both 1989 and 1992 he finished third.

One of Canada’s best current golfers, Alena Sharp has been playing on the LPGA Tour since the mid-2000’s and was a member of Team Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Over the course of her career, Sharp’s greens in regulation percentage have been impressive. Between 2007 and 2011, Sharp finished inside the top 50 on the LPGA in greens in regulation, and between 2007 and last season, she’s only ranked outside of the top 65 at the end of the season three times. She’s currently ranked 48th in the category this season.

Short Game

It wouldn’t be a list comprising of some of Canada’s best golfers if Mike Weir weren’t on it. Currently on the PGA Tour Champions, Weir has the best sand save percentage out of anyone with 67.44 and is ranked at 15th in scrambling at 61.70 per cent. Between 2005 and 2014, while playing on the PGA Tour, Weir was ranked in the top five of sand save percentage four times. Twice, Weir had the best strokes gained: around the green number on the PGA Tour – in 2005 with .521 average strokes gained, and again five years later with .559 average strokes gained.

With two wins on the PGA Tour, Nick Taylor is one of Canada’s best current male golfers. In 2017, Taylor was ranked 58th in strokes gained: around the green, 33rd in scrambling, and 16th in scrambling from the rough. In 2018, Taylor was ranked inside the top 30 in scrambling and sand save percentage, and just last season, he ranked 21st in scrambling from the fringe.

With four wins on the LPGA Tour, Lorie Kane is one of the best Canadians to play the game. Between 1997 and 2005, Kane had some of the best greens in regulation statistics on the LPGA Tour – never failing to fall outside of the top 25, including sixth in 2001. Accompanying that, between 1997 and 2011, Kane also had some incredible sand saves statistics, finishing inside the top 25 six times and in 2011 she was ranked second with a 63.33 percentage.

Putting

Sandra Post is one of the most legendary golfers to come from Canada. Post was the first Canadian to play on the LPGA Tour, and won eight times. In an article from Maclean’s from 1968, Post herself says that putting is the best part of her game.

On the PGA Tour, Mackenzie Hughes’s putting is top-notch. In 2020, Hughes finished eighth in strokes gained: putting with a .681 average and had the ninth best overall putting average at 1.566. In 2019, Hughes sunk the longest putt of the season when his putt from 85’8” out found the hole. The year before that, he had the 16th longest successful putt, and in 2020 he held the 20th spot. He’s currently ranked third in avoiding three-putts with only 19 occurrences in 70 rounds of golf.

Adam Hadwin is another name that comes to mind when talking about putting. Back in 2016, Hadwin had one of the hottest putters on the PGA Tour. He ranked 11th in strokes gained: putting, fifth in putting average, 25th in one-putt percentage, and 12th in three-putt avoidance. In 2017, he ranked 26th in strokes gained: putting, and 11th in one-putt percentage.

Accuracy

Moe Norman is a legend in the golf universe. Known for his incredible golf swing, Norman had enviable accuracy that is still talked about today – nearly 70 years after playing in his first PGA Tour event.

George Knudson is another golf legend, and he achieved an incredible eight wins on the PGA Tour. And, like Norman, Knudson was known for having an incredible swing – playing a huge role in his accuracy.

Currently, Corey Conners is one of the best Canadian golfers on the PGA Tour and a big part of his success is due to is his accuracy. In 2020, Conners placed 20th in driving accuracy percentage and sixth in greens in regulation percentage. In 2019, he ranked 42nd in driving accuracy percentage and first for greens in regulation percentage. That season, when he did miss, it wasn’t by much – he ranked fourth in distance from the edge of the fairway with an average of 19’8”. Currently, he’s ranked 10th in greens in regulation, with 69.71 per cent.

With two wins on the LPGA Tour, Gail Graham is one of Canada’s best. Winning in 1995 and 1997 – Graham’s driving accuracy was consistently enviable. Between 1992 and 1997, Graham routinely ranked inside the top 60 on the LPGA Tour in driving accuracy. In 1996, she even ranked 21st.

So, who would you choose to create your ultimate Canadian golfer?

Carlsbad, CA – This week at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, Titleist takes another step forward in the design, technology and performance of its next generation T-Series irons and U-Series utility iron. Following a rigorous two-year development process, the new Titleist T100, T100-S and U505 utility iron are now available to PGA Tour players to use in competition, with the first opportunity available Thursday in Cromwell, Conn. The new T200 irons are expected join the family on tour in the coming weeks.

Based on initial tour player testing and feedback, the new iron lineup is poised to continue Titleist’s run as the most played iron on the PGA Tour for each of the last seven years and 16 of the last 17 seasons.  Titleist has captured the iron count at every PGA Tour event this season, averaging more than 28% of all sets in play each week. The T100 irons are the most played single model with more than 10% of all sets in play this season.

Gathering feedback from the game’s best players through every stage of the R&D process, and then earning their validation under the pressure of competition over the coming weeks and month across the worldwide professional tours, are critical elements in the development of all high-performance Titleist golf equipment. 

Titleist Golf Club R&D representatives are on site to work with players as they test the new products, determine the model that best fits their game, and gather additional feedback.

Stay tuned to Titleist.ca and Titleist’s social channels for updates as this process continues over the coming weeks across the worldwide professional tours.

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Two career-changing putts for Jon Rahm brought two trophies Sunday.

He cradled his 3-month-old son, Kepa, as he walked off the 18th green at Torrey Pines on Father’s Day. And then he collected the silver U.S. Open trophy after a performance filled with passion and absent of blunders that wiped out everyone else.

Rahm made a bending 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to catch Louis Oosthuizen. He buried another curling, left-to-right birdie putt from 18 feet on the final hole for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory.

The 26-year-old Rahm became the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Open, finally getting the major prize to go along with his enormous talent. His victory also returned him to No. 1 in the world.

On a back nine filled with double bogeys by so many contenders and a shocking meltdown by defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, Oosthuizen was the last to fall.

Trailing by one shot, Oosthuizen drove into the canyon left of the 17th fairway for a bogey that left him two shots behind, and then he missed the fairway on the par-5 18th that kept him from going for the green for a look at eagle to force a playoff.

He settled for a birdie and a 71. It was his second straight runner-up in a major, and his sixth silver medal since he won the British Open in 2010 at St. Andrews.

“Look, it’s frustrating. It’s disappointing,” Oosthuizen said .“I’m playing good golf, but winning a major championship is not just going to happen. You need to go out and play good golf. I played good today, but I didn’t play good enough.”

Only two weeks ago, Rahm was on the cusp of another big win. He had a six-shot lead at the Memorial after 54 holes, only to be notified as he walked off the 18th green at Muirfield Village that he had a positive COVID-19 test and had to withdraw.

Worse yet, his parents had flown in from Spain to see their new grandson, and Rahm was in self-isolation and couldn’t be there for a special moment.

Sunday made up for it. His parents were at Torrey Pines to witness a world-class performance capped off by one of the great finishes in U.S. Open history.

“It had to happen in a beautiful setting like this,” Rahm said. “Three generations of Rahms on this green. One of them doesn’t know what’s going on.”

For so much of the back nine, it was utter chaos with blunders that can define a U.S. Open.

DeChambeau, trying to become only the fourth player since World War II to win back-to-back in the U.S. Open, took the lead with an 8-iron that stopped inches away from a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth. He had gone 30 consecutive holes without a bogey.

And then his lack of accuracy off the tee cost him. A bogey on No. 11. A bogey from deep rough on No. 12. And then on the par-5 13th, DeChambeau went from deep rough to deep rough to bunker, blasting out of the sand over the green next to a beer box, making double bogey.

He took a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 17th hole with a shot in the canyon and a shank. He shot 44 on the back nine for a 77.

“I didn’t get off the rails at all. It’s golf,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve had plenty of times where I hit it way worse than today and I won. It’s just one of those things where I didn’t have the right breaks happen at the right time.”

Mackenzie Hughes, one shot behind going to the back nine, had his tee shot on the par-3 11th bounce off a cart path and get stuck in a tree, leading to a double bogey that ended his chances. Hughes finished off the weekend T15 and made history as the first Canadian since Mike Weir in 2003 to be in the final group on Sunday at a major.

Former PGA champion Collin Morikawa chopped his way down the 13th for double bogey that took him from one shot behind to out of the mix.

Rory McIlroy wasn’t immune, either. With a chance to end his seven-year drought in the majors, McIlroy made a careless three-putt for bogey on the 11th when he was one shot behind, and then caught a bad lie in the bunker that led to double bogey on No. 12.

Of the contenders, Rahm was the only player who didn’t drop a shot on the back nine.

Harris English finished with two birdies for a 68 to finish at 3-under 281, giving him third place.

Brooks Koepka got within one shot of the lead it was so close that 10 players were separated by one shot during one point in the final round until he made a pair of bogeys coming in for a 69. He tied for fourth with Morikawa (70) and Guido Migliozzi, who shot 68 in his major debut.

Rahm becomes the second player this year to capture his first major, joining with Hideki Matsuyama at the Masters.

What a perfect time, a first-time dad winning on Father’s Day, two weeks after a chance to win was taken away by COVID-19.

What a perfect place La Jolla, which reminds him of his home in the Basque region of Spain, the site of his first PGA Tour victory, where he proposed to his wife.

“I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I knew we were coming to a special place. Rahm continued,“I just felt like the stars were aligning, and I knew my best golf was to come.”

The eagle putts looked familiar for a Saturday at Torrey Pines in June, even with Tiger Woods nowhere in sight.

Mackenzie Hughes watched his 60-foot eagle putt from the back of the green to the front on the par-5 13th slide into the cup. Louis Oosthuizen could only hope his 50-foot eagle putt on the 18th found the center of the cup, and it kissed off the pin and disappeared.

Woods made eagle putts from one end of the green to the other on the 13th and 18th holes in 2008 that set the stage for a Sunday filled with anticipation.Suddenly, this U.S. Open has that familiar feel.

A major that for two days had the sleepy, chill vibe of San Diego now has an urgency for Oosthuizen and Rory McIlroy trying to end long droughts, hope for newcomers like Hughes and Russell Henley, a half-dozen other possibilities that include Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.

“It’s a golf course where anything can happen,” said Oosthuizen, in the mix at a major for the second straight time. “It’s just a tough, old-fashioned golf course. You’re going to have nerves. You’re going to feel it. It’s about how you’re going to handle it.”

Hughes added a final birdie for a 3-under 68 and was the first to get to 5-under 208.

Oosthuizen made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 16th and ended his round of 70 with the 50-foot eagle on the 18th to join him.

They were tied with Russell Henley, who had a two-shot lead early on the back nine and appeared to be hanging on for dear life at the end. He went from the bunker to the rough to the bunker on the easiest hole at Torrey Pines and had to make an 8-foot par putt for a 71.

McIlroy (67) and DeChambeau (68) were two shots behind.

McIlroy has gone seven years without a major, a drought accentuated by rarely even having decent chances. DeChambeau can get the last laugh in his beef with Brooks Koepka by joining him as a back-to-back U.S. Open champion.

“I thought like two 68s over the weekend from where I was after Friday was going to have a good chance,” said McIlroy, who started the third round six shots behind. “I’ve done the first part of that job. Now it’s up to me tomorrow to go out and try to play a similar round of golf.”

Woods is recovering from his February car crash that badly injured his legs and is not back at Torrey Pines. In his absence, the broadcast used every opportunity to relive memories of his two eagles that gave him the 54-hole lead.

It took two players to do that this time, but it was equally spectacular.

“The charge that goes through your body when the ball goes in the hole and the crowd erupts is why we play. It gives me goosebumps now thinking about it.” And he’ll have plenty of nerves Sunday playing in the final group with Oosthuizen, who has had five runner-up finishes in the majors — two in playoffs — since winning the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews.

Henley holed a bunker shot on the par-3 11th for birdie for a two-shot lead and made a great par save from the cabbage behind he 12th green. But he showed signs of cracking over the last hour, dropping shots on the 15th and having to escape with par on No. 18.

Thirteen players remained under par going into the final round. Eight players were separated by three shots on a tough course that might not be as accessible as it was Saturday, when all three par 5s were set up to be reachable in two.

McIlroy did his best work to save bogey. He ran off three birdies in four holes to start the back nine, only to pull his tee shot into a ravine. He took a penalty drop instead of going into the ravine — a smart decision considering television showed a large rattlesnake in the area — and limited the damage to a bogey.

A birdie on the 18th for a 67, matching the low score of the week, gave him a chance to win a major for the first time since the 2014 PGA Championship.

“This is the only tournament in the world where you fist-pump a bogey,” McIlroy said. “Only losing one there was a big deal, and getting it up-and-down out of the bunker on 16 and making that birdie on 18 just to get that shot back that I lost, really big.”DeChambeau played it big, too, going with driver just about everywhere and missing some fairways by such a wide margin that he had good lies in fan-trampled grass.

It led to his first time in 67 rounds at the majors without a bogey on his card, and his 68 gave him a chance to join Koepka and Curtis Strange as the only back-to-back Open winners in the last 50 years.

“You’ve got to be really patient out here at these majors,” DeChambeau said. “It’s something that is not easy to do. I feel like I’m starting to understand major championship golf and how to play it and how to go about managing my game, my attitude and just my patience level. If I can continue to do that tomorrow, I think I’ll have a good chance.”

Koepka, meanwhile, was among those who lost a good opportunity. He shot 71 and was only five shots behind, but with 13 players ahead of him.

Jon Rahm, slowed by a double bogey on No. 14 and not nearly enough birdies, had a 72 and was in the group at 2-under 211 along with Scottie Scheffler (70) and Matthew Wolff (73).

Dustin Johnson shot a 68 and was among those at 1-under 212, four behind and very much in the game in this major and on this golf course.

SAN DIEGO – The U.S. Open prides itself on being the most open of all majors with some 9,000 players from all walks of golf having a chance to compete.

Open, indeed.

The weekend at Torrey Pines features major champions and major contenders, players who are unknown or unheralded, all of them still within reach of that U.S. Open trophy. Nine shots separated first from last.

It starts with Richard Bland, a 48-year-old from England who finally won on the European Tour last month in his 478th try. Bland had a 4-under 67 and walked off Torrey Pines with his name atop the leaderboard in only his fourth major. His first one was 23 years ago.

Russell Henley had a chance to build a two-shot lead Friday afternoon when he stood over an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-5 ninth. He missed, and then watched his 2-foot par putt spin out of the cup. That gave him a 70 to join Bland 5-under 137.

They will be in the final group Saturday, with plenty of heavy hitters behind them and getting far more attention. Former British Open champion Louis Oosthuizen (71) and Matthew Wolff (68), the U.S. Open runner-up last year at Winged Foot, were one shot behind.

Another shot back were two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson (67) and Jon Rahm (70), a past winner at Torrey Pines and former world No. 1.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., vaulted up 53 spots into a tie for seventh at 2 under, three shots back of the leaders, with a second round of 4 under 67. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 1 over to sit at even par and is now sitting T13.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and his buddy, Brooks Koepka, were at also even par, only five shots behind. They were on the same score. They will not be in the same group.

Also at even-par 142 was Justin Thomas, who had a 68.

Henley doesn’t know much about Bland except that he pays a little attention to golf worldwide and recalled hearing about his British Masters win to end his long quest for a victory.

“I’m sure he knows nothing about me, too,” said Henley, a three-time winner on the PGA Tour who has played 26 majors without a top 10.

Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., (72) and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont. (73) missed the cut.

Bland’s victory in the British Masters made him the oldest first-time winner in European Tour history. That also was the start of a three-tournament series for the leading 10 players to get into the U.S. Open. Travel restrictions from the COVID-19 pandemic eliminated the 36-hole qualifier in England.

This is only his fourth major _ twice at Royal Birkdale in 1998 and 2017, once at Bethpage Black for the U.S. Open in 2009 _ and he came in on a high note.

Oosthuizen, coming off a runner-up finish in the PGA Championship, finished with two pars in the morning to cap off a 67 to share the first-round lead with Henley. He didn’t get any lower in the second round and shot 71, but was right in the mix.

So was Wolff, a surprise only because he lost all joy playing golf after such a hot start out of Oklahoma State that he walked away from the game for two months, even missing a major at the PGA Championship. He returned to the toughest test in golf and shot 70-68, two-putting for eagle on the last hole.

“It’s awesome that I came out here and played well, but I think more importantly, I’m just getting closer to being more comfortable and being happy and enjoying it,” Wolff said. “I feel like I’ve done a very good job of enjoying it, but I’ve still got a long way to go to keep a level head. Like I said, I’ll probably be working on the same thing that I’m working on now for the rest of my career.”

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy were headed the wrong direction. Johnson, who missed the cut in the Masters and PGA Championship, dropped to 4 over until a late rally gave him a 73 and a spot in the weekend. He was seven behind. McIlroy had to birdie two holes down the stretch for a 73. He was six behind.

The 36-hole lead at Torrey Pines in the 2008 U.S. Open was 3-under 139. The course is strong as ever with enough wind, though a marine layer has kept sunshine from baking out some of the greens. Then again, the weekend awaits.

The weekend will include Phil Mickelson, whose deft scrambling kept him inside the cut line and he finished with a birdie for a 69. He was seven shots behind in his quest to complete the career Grand Slam.

Bland will be a big part of the weekend, and that’s the charm of the U.S. Open.

“I love that about the game,” defending champion Bryson DeChambeau said after a 69 left him five shots behind. “Anybody, any age group, can play this great game and compete and contend. If you’re got the skill set to get the ball in the hole in the least amount of shots, you can be up there with the young guns.”

Bland is the classic journeyman, happy to be making a living at golf for more than two decades, disappointed to have not won until he broke through last month, not nearly surprised as most everyone else that he was tied for the U.S. Open.

When Oakdale Golf and Country Club was announced last month as the venue for the 2023 and 2026 RBC Canadian Opens, there were two very disparate reactions among Canadian golfers.

From the few who knew of Oakdale or were fortunate enough to have played it, the reaction likely was: “What a great choice!”

From the vast majority of the others, the response might have been: “Where? Why?”

For the edification of the latter group, here’s why the first group was ecstatic.

Oakdale Golf and Country Club is located near the centre of the Greater Toronto Area and will celebrate its centennial in 2026, the year it plays host to its second Open. The club was formed by members of Toronto’s Jewish community and the original nine-hole course was designed by Stanley Thompson. An additional nine holes were built soon after and a third nine designed by Thompson’s protégé Robbie Robinson, also a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, opened in 1957.

Although it has never hosted an RBC Canadian Open or a CP Women’s Open, it has welcomed the Ontario Men’s Better Ball just about every year since 1959. It will also serve as the site for the final qualifier for next year’s RBC Canadian Open, scheduled for Toronto’s St. George’s Golf and Country Club.

“In addition to spectator access and admissions, we have to consider so many more components: the TV broadcast, media, catering, parking, hospitality, volunteers, accommodations … all that infrastructure.

“As host sites go, Oakdale is somewhat of a unicorn. It’s unique, the best of all worlds.”

Oakdale General Manager John Caven says while the members were “cautiously optimistic” about inviting the Open to Oakdale, that changed to excitement after a couple of meetings with Golf Canada where the pros, and cons, of our country’s only PGA TOUR event were discussed. The club first “raised its hand,” as Caven phrases it, in 2019 to be considered as a venue for its centennial year.

But, he emphasizes, there were many elements to the decision.

“It’s giving back in many ways. We see it as a privilege to host a Canadian Open. Of course, there is the factor of what it could do for our club but there is so much more it could do for our area, for Canadian golf. For that week, we are the focal point of golf around the world, really.”

When the club reached out to Golf Canada in 2019, it was in the midst of a multi-million-dollar restoration/renovation project under the guidance of Canadian course architect Ian Andrew. (For architecture buffs, the Thompson lineage continues with Andrew. He worked with Doug Carrick who started his career with Robinson. Carrick had done some work at Oakdale more than a decade before.)

Players and spectators will see a traditional tree-lined course that incorporates holes from all three nines to create a 7,460-yard layout for the Open. Visually, it will be reminiscent of recent Open venues such as Hamilton Golf and Country Club and St. George’s (also a Thompson design).

Andrew virtually toured the course, using drone flyovers, with representatives of Golf Canada and the PGA TOUR and will be tweaking some bunkers and tees to address the abilities of the world’s best players. During his project, his goal was to make the original 18 true to Thompson’s design and to rework the other holes to feel like a third Thompson nine.

His assessment of what will happen during the RBC Canadian Open at Oakdale?

“I believe the players will just try to hang on for the front nine where the greens are smaller and the fairways are tighter and then go low on the back which is shorter with bigger greens. In that way, it will be like the Masters used to play where it gets really exciting when they’re coming in on Sunday.”

He sees the closing hole creating some excitement with its risk-reward design.

“The final hole has some similarities with Hamilton’s finisher with a creek crossing the landing area and the approach played up to an elevated green. The biggest difference is the creek meanders, which most players can potentially try to shorten by playing up ‘Knudson’s Alley.’ The final green is the most contoured on the property and being in the wrong quadrant will be a tough two-putt. A big swing is a very distinct possibility on the last hole.”

Andrew’s mention of the late George Knudson reminds us that Knudson, an eight-time PGA TOUR winner, was a former club professional at Oakdale. Wilf Homeniuk, like Knudson a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, enjoyed a 30-year teaching tenure as an Oakdale pro. Not coincidentally, the three nines at Oakdale are named Thompson, Knudson and Homeniuk.

With all its Hall of Fame lustre, an impressive course and an outstanding facility in a perfect location, Oakdale Golf and Country Club is positioned to host two memorable editions of the RBC Canadian Open. And maybe more in the future?

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Russell Henley’s visit to the rough-and-tumble South course at Torrey Pines went a lot better Thursday than the last time he played, especially under the circumstances.

Anything around par never hurts in a U.S. Open. He opened with a 4-under 67, finishing just as the wind off the Pacific was kicking into gear.

Henley got up-and-down by holing a 6-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th hole for a one-shot lead over Francesco Molinari and Rafa Cabrera Bello among early starters.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka, looking tough as ever in the strongest events, and San Diego native Xander Schauffele were at 69.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., was part of a group of 12 golfers three shots off the pace at 1 under. Hadwin finished the day with 3 birdies.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot 2 and 4 over, respectively. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., had a later tee time.

A 90-minute fog delay before the opening tee shot meant the first round had no chance of being completed until Friday morning.

The difference between Torrey Pines for a PGA Tour stop in January and Torrey for the toughest test in golf? Henley couldn’t say. He has only played the Farmers Insurance Open one time, in 2014, and it was memorable for the wrong reasons. He holed a 40-foot shot on the 18th hole for birdie to break 80.

That’s about all he remembers except for “leaving the course feeling like I just got beat up.”

There was plenty of bruising going on Thursday in the U.S. Open.

Former U.S. Open champion Webb Simpson had to birdie the last hole to break 80. Max Homa four-putted from 20 feet for triple bogey on No. 12 and three-putted for double bogey on No. 14. That led to a 76.

PGA champion Phil Mickelson, who turned 51 on Wednesday, shot a 75 on Thursday. That’s not the start he hoped for in his bid to finally get a U.S. Open title for the career Grand Slam. What bothered him were two soft bogeys toward the end of his round.

“Look, it’s part of this tournament, and I was able to go without any doubles. I just didn’t make enough birdies to offset it,” Mickelson said.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, world No. 1 Dustin Johnson and Jon Rahm were among those playing in the afternoon.

There were a few cheers for “Bryson” directed at Koepka as fans tried to keep their feud going, though Koepka didn’t appear to be the least bit distracted. This is a major, and he showed why he’s called “Big Game Brooks” when the biggest tournaments roll around.

For so much of the day, Koepka made it look easy by keeping it in the short grass, off the tee and on the green. He was bogey-free and 4 under through 11 holes when he missed the green on the par-3 third and made bogey, and he dropped another shot from on the sixth, which has been converted to a par 4 for the U.S. Open.

Even so, it was a solid start for Koepka, a four-time major champion coming off a runner-up finish to Mickelson at the PGA Championship. It wasn’t easy. He made it sound that way.

“It’s pretty simple. It’s a lot simpler than what guys make it,” Koepka said. “I think a lot of guys make it more difficult than it needs to be. Just got to understand where the flag is, what you’re doing and where to miss it.”

The surprise might have been Molinari, the former British Open champion who has not been the same since losing a two-shot lead on the back nine at the Masters two years ago that paved the way for Tiger Woods slipping on another green jacket.

The Italian had to pull out of the PGA Championship with a sore back. He mentioned other nagging injuries. He’s had three top 10s this year. He also has missed the cut in three of the last four tournaments he played. But he was solid at Torrey, and two birdies over his last three allowed him to match his best start in a U.S. Open.

Henley was among three players from the early draw who reached 4 under at some point, and the only player who stayed there thanks to his birdie at the end.

Koepka played his final seven holes with two bogeys, no birdies and no complaints. Patrick Rodgers was 4 under with five holes to play until he dropped three shots coming in. That didn’t rattle him too much, either.

“I really felt like I played decently coming in, but just playing a U.S. Open, you’re sometimes a bounce away or a lip-out away from a tough hole or a tough situation,” Rodgers said. “That’s just part of this event.”

Golf Canada is saddened to learn of the passing of former Golf Ontario executive director and Ontario Golf Hall of Fame member, David (Dave) Mills. The 74 year old passed on Friday June 11, 2021, surrounded by family.

OBITUARY I TRIBUTE WALL I MEMORIAL VIDEO

Mills had been involved with Golf Ontario since 1986. He served on the board of directors from 1989-1997, before being appointed executive director in 1997, where he helped turn around an association that was experiencing significant financial and administrative challenges.

Mills led several initiatives during his time with Golf Ontario, including: the GAO Scholarship Program, educational seminars, Golf in Schools, learn to play clinics, new provincial championships, Team Ontario, participation in Canadian and Ontario Summer Games, a partnership with Ontario Golf Magazine to be official magazine of Association, led the process to establish Ontario Golf Hall of Fame and helped to have golf recognized as an “Official Sport” by Sport Canada.

Perhaps one of his greatest accomplishments was leading the process to amalgamate the Ontario Golf Association with the Ontario Ladies Golf Association to create one of the largest amateur golf associations in North America.

Mills was also a certified rules official and has volunteered his expertise at numerous GAO events and at the RBC Canadian Open, national amateur championships and Skins Games. He retired from the GAO in 2014, but continued to volunteer at provincial events.

In retirement, Mills also dedicated his time to re-establish the Belleville Sports Hall of Fame. Now known as the Dr. Robert L. Vaughn atrium, this Hall of Fame can be viewed in the Belleville CAA Arena (Yardmen Arena).

Dave Mills had a great love for the game of golf and for his wonderful family, and he cherished every moment he got to tee it up with friends and family.

Golf Canada extends its deepest condolences to the Mills family and friends.

To read more on his impact on golf across the province, click here.