GLENVIEW, Ill. – Two Canadian golfers sit in the top 10 at the halfway mark of the Korn Ferry Tour’s Evans Scholars Invitational.

Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is two shots off the lead in third at 8 under, while Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., is seven shots back and tied for eighth at 3 under.

American Cameron Young leads at 10 under through 36 holes.

Stuart Macdonald of Vancouver is tied for 12th at 2 under, while Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., is tied for 22nd at 1 under.

Pendrith, who is fifth in the tour standings, already has secured a PGA Tour card for next season as he is guaranteed to finish in the top 25.

Svensson also currently holds down a PGA Tour spot at No. 18.

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Nick Hardy, one of roughly a dozen players in the Evans Scholars Invitational presented by First Midwest Bank field with local ties, had no issues navigating the kind of chilly, windy morning one would experience at a Chicago Bears tailgate. New Yorker Cameron Young actually enjoyed his first four holes in the same conditions, because once he reached the fifth fairway, scattered rain showers blew in and turned Thursday afternoon into one of the most miserable golf rounds he ever endured. 

Hardy and Young emerged from the wicked Chicago area weather with matching 7-under 64s, finishing the opening round with a one-stroke edge over Canadian Adam Svensson. 

Stuart Macdonald shot a 68, while both Taylor Pendrith and Ben Silverman shot 69 to put all four Canadians inside the top 20 after the first round.

A native of Northbrook, Illinois, Hardy has a share of the 18-hole lead for the third time in 42 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour. Young sits atop the leaderboard for a fifth consecutive Korn Ferry Tour round, as he turned in a wire-to-wire victory (solo leader after every round) amid rainy conditions at last week’s AdventHealth Championship. 

Hardy eagled his opening hole, the par-5 first, countered his only bogey of the day (a three-putt five on No. 3) with one of his six birdies the following hole, and snuck a 6-foot par putt in the side door at the par-5 18th to tie his lowest first-round score on the Korn Ferry Tour. 

“It was a tough day. Everything is tough with that much wind,” Hardy said. “The greens are fast, so you’ve got to control your pace really well, and predict the wind well on putts. I was unhappy I blew it by about six feet and (had) a sidehill putt (on No. 18). I was definitely antsy to make that. I just took the absolute high line because I didn’t want to four-putt… tried to drip it in, and I hit a great putt. Luckily, it caught the right side of the hole and went in. 

Hardy also caught a break at the par-3 17th. As his tee ball sailed 25 yards left of his target and dangerously close to the water, Hardy just hoped for a kind bounce. The ball landed softly enough it hung up in the rough within the penalty area. Hardy took advantage of his good fortune, saving par there and narrowly avoiding a three-putt bogey at the 18th. 

“I thought it was going to be okay when it was in the air, but I was sweating the bounce. If it got a bad bounce, it easily could’ve gone in the water,” Hardy said. “Saving that shot was huge. You have to finish that stuff off in the early rounds of the week if you want to put yourself in position Saturday and Sunday.” 

A strong contingent of fans followed Hardy around The Glen Club. It was hardly a surprise given the fact Hardy played countless rounds at nearby Anetsberger Golf Course, a nine-hole par-3 course less than three miles from The Glen Club, throughout his childhood. Hardy is also very familiar with this week’s venue, having grown up five minutes from it; he played the course in multiple Illinois Open Championships as well. 

Hardy starred at the University of Illinois, where he was a two-time All-American, the 2018 Big Ten Player of the Year, and a three-time All-Big Ten First Team selection. Hardy played alongside fellow Illinois alum Brian Campbell Thursday, and their gallery included Dylan Meyer, a former Fighting Illini teammate with status on the Forme Tour. 

Young’s bogey-free 64 marked his fifth consecutive round in the 60s, and second consecutive tournament-opening 64. Prior to last week, Young had 16 starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and never led after any of the 48 rounds he played. 

“That’s how I’ve been as a player through my career. When it starts feeling good, I feel like it just keeps going,” said Young, who played collegiately at Wake Forest. “I’m very comfortable. I’ve made a few little changes with the putter… being more comfortable and happier on the greens has changed how I’m looking at each day, and it’s bleeding all the way through the bag.” 

Once the showers rolled in, Young began his scoring run. After birdies at Nos. 5, 7, and 8, Young escaped wild drives at the ninth and 10th with a par and birdie, respectively. An 83-yard hole-out eagle at the par-4 13th took Young to 6-under, and an easy up and down for birdie at the par-5 18th, where he hit a 5-wood pin high and just left of the green from 258 yards out, capped the 7-under round. 

“Frankly, one of the best rounds I’ve ever played in my life. Crowned with a hole-out on the back nine, where I was just trying to hang on,” Young said. “I like days like this. I’ve had some good battles, especially in the last few months, through some weather. My caddie and I were joking, we kind of thrived on it. We’re just out there doing the best we can not to care it’s raining on us, that we’re miserable, and that it’s cold. We’re just smiling through it, and it helps when things are going well.” 

Friday’s forecast currently calls for more rain and temperatures once again hovering around 50 degrees. Don’t expect that to faze Young, who welcomed the impending weather conditions. 

“At this point, bring it on.” 

Second-round tee times will run from 6:45 a.m. to 2:16 p.m. local time Friday off the first and 10th tees. 

FORT WORTH, Texas (AP) – Phil Mickelson kept hearing congratulatory words as he made his way around Colonial, and there was a huge roar from the crowd when the PGA Championship winner made a long putt to finish his round. Jordan Spieth kept making birdies in the same group.

Spieth shot a 7-under 63 on a breezy Thursday and was tied for the first-round lead at the Charles Schwab Challenge with Sergio Garcia, who had a 15-foot birdie attempt on the 18th hole that circled the edge of the cup but didn’t go in. Both former Colonial champions had bogey-free rounds.

The 50-year-old Mickelson, only four days after becoming the oldest winner of a golf major, was 10 strokes back after a 73 that ended with the 22-foot birdie while playing with local favorite Spieth and defending Colonial champion Daniel Berger (68).

Garcia matched the closing 63 he had at Colonial when he got the first of his 11 PGA Tour wins 20 years ago at age 21. He was 5 under on the four-hole stretch right in the middle of the round. He birdied holes No. 8-10 before an eagle at the 620-yard 11th, where he blasted out of a greenside bunker on the course’s longest hole.

“It was quite breezy. It was gusty, so it wasn’t easy to pull some of the clubs,” Garcia said. “There were some tough holes out there, but I was able to hit really good shots on those holes, and a couple up-and-downs when I needed them.”

Right after Mickelson’s final putt at the 387-yard ninth, Spieth had a tap-in for his third birdie in a row, and seventh overall – and right after a 71-foot chip-in from the rough at the par-3 eighth. The 2016 winner and two-time runner-up had his best score in 33 career rounds at Colonial, one of two local events for the Dallas native, after rolling in a 12-foot birdie putt to start the day.

“It’s hard to go any lower,” Spieth said. “That’s what I talked about before the tournament. If I could get a couple to go in early in the first round, and the confidence, and the work I’ve been doing on my stroke the last few days … I thought that would exude just a little bit of confidence into the rest of the round on greens where I’ve been very successful on before.”

Erik Compton, the two-time heart transplant recipient who got into the field on a sponsor exemption, and Jason Kokrak had 65s. The 41-year-old Compton played bogey-free after birdies on the first two holes of his second PGA Tour start this year. He missed the cut at the Honda Classic.

Mickelson, the 2000 and 2008 Colonial champ, missed nine of 14 fairways – some with irons off the tee – in a scrambling early-starting round that followed an emotionally draining few days.

After winning Sunday at Kiawah Island in South Carolina, Mickelson flew home that night to California, then allowed himself a couple of days to relish his historic accomplishment. Lefty said he never considered skipping Hogan’s Alley, a tree-lined course he considers perfectly suited for his game because he doesn’t have to keep hitting drivers.

But the rough is thick after a lot of rain recently, and there is a good chance of more Friday.

Mickelson, playing his last tournament before the hometown U.S. Open at Torrey Pines next month, went into the rough on his first swing of the day. While saving par at the 407-yard 10th, he quickly had the first of his five bogeys at No. 11, where he hit two shots into the rough and another into a greenside bunker. He finally made a birdie at the par-3 16th from inside of 5 feet, then immediately gave that stroke back at No. 17 with the first two shots into the rough before a 44-foot shot into a bunker.

“It was almost like I was trying a little too hard, and I wasn’t just calm and let it happen, and I was a little bit antsy,” Mickelson said, then adding the term unsettled. “Like I just couldn’t quite get calmed down in that same frame of mind.”

Mickelson said the course was very playable, even with the 15-20 mph winds, because of receptive greens. But he couldn’t keep the ball in the fairway.

“You can’t play this course out of the rough because then you have tree trouble, which I had repeatedly, and I didn’t putt well,” he said. “But I won the PGA, so I’ll see if I can get it turned around for tomorrow and get a little better focus, a little better energy.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a four-under 66 and is in a tie for fifth. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., shot an even-par 70, Nick Taylor of Abbotsford shot a 71, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 72, and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., shot a 77.

Canadians Brendan MacDougall and Sam Meek finished second at the U.S. Amateur Four-Ball on Wednesday.

MacDougall of Calgary, and Meek of Peterborough, Ont., came back after being down by two to win their semifinal match in an extra hole earlier in the day on Wednesday.

The pair then almost immediately began the final match against Kiko Francisco Coelho and Leopoldo Herrera III.

MacDougall and Meek took the early lead after the second hole, but Coelho and Herrera were up by two by the time they reached the 12th hole.

They were still down by two heading into the last four holes but were able to come back once again and tie it by the time the match arrived at 18. The match would once again be pushed into an extra hole, where Coelho and Herrera won.

MacDougall and Meek have been teammates at the University of Nevada for the 2020-21 season, and McDougall has been a member of Team Canada’s Amateur Squad for the past three years, while Meek was on it in 2020.

As a result of coming second, MacDougall and Meek have received exemptions into the next three U.S. Amateur Four-Ball Championships.

This was the sixth U.S. Amateur Four-Ball conducted by the USGA, and the first to be played at Chambers Bay, in University Place, Wash.

There have been seven USGA champions from Canada, with Judith Kyrinis being the most recent champion when she won the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship in 2017 at the age of 53.

The next USGA event is the U.S. Women’s Open from June 3 to 6.

The long road to the PGA Tour was indeed a lengthy journey for Canada’s Taylor Pendrith.

He didn’t decide on professional golf plans until midway through his four-year run at Kent State University. Pendrith turned pro in 2014 and has since endured the grind of the lower-level circuits.

He bounced from tour to tour, lost status for a couple years, battled injuries and survived on minimal earnings.

Pendrith’s hard work would eventually pay off. A strong showing on the Korn Ferry Tour this season has cemented a spot on the PGA Tour for the 2021-22 campaign.

“It really is a story of perseverance,” said Golf Canada men’s team coach Derek Ingram. “Next (season) when he gets on the PGA Tour, everyone is going to be talking about overnight success and how quickly he took to it, how he came out of nowhere.

Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., played a variety of sports as a youngster, including baseball and hockey. He tried golf when he visited his sister at the Muskoka golf club where she worked at the time.

“He’d be hitting balls and we’d be like, ‘Man, he can hit it,’ said Jennifer Pendrith, now a superintendent at Kawartha Golf and Country Club in Peterborough, Ont. ”He just had this natural ability to hit the ball.

“He started getting really into it and it took off from there.”

Jennifer set up a small putting space in the family backyard so Taylor could work on his short game. Their father, meanwhile, set up a ‘contraption’ for Taylor to work on his ball striking.

“I think he had an old pool tarp or something and he hung it up so that he could hit balls in his own sort of little driving range,” she said. “It was kind of neat.”

Taylor Pendrith said he found golf to be “peaceful” and quickly fell in love with the game.

“I just seemed to hit the ball really far, so that was fun for me,” he said in a recent interview. “I just wanted to hit it as hard as I could and see how far I could hit it. It all just came together.

“I never really had a coach until I was 18 in the year off that I took before university.”

In his final season at Kent State, Pendrith was named co-Mid-American Conference golfer of the year with teammate Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., now a regular contender on the PGA Tour. Pendrith was one of only two players in school history to play in the NCAA Championships in all four college seasons.

His lower-level pro breakthrough came in 2019 when he won twice on the Mackenzie Tour. Pendrith said it did wonders for his confidence.

“I think over the last few years I’ve had a different mindset, trying to put less pressure on myself,” he said.

His injury list, meanwhile, has been a long one. Since turning pro, Pendrith has had wrist and shoulder problems and torn ligaments in his forearm and hand.

He also had a “weird palm injury” where he couldn’t hold a club for four months. Pendrith adjusted his practice and training routine to minimize injuries and feels his mental game is stronger too.

He locked up his PGA Tour card last month after eclipsing 1,700 ranking points on the Korn Ferry Tour this season.

“I’ve worked really hard for the last six or seven years to get to this point,” Pendrith said. “It has taken me a bit longer than others and some of my other friends but I’m happy to finally get that card and join them next (season).”

Currently seventh on the Korn Ferry money list at over US$353,000, Pendrith is fifth on the tour’s points list. He’ll likely get into two PGA Tour events this season but is trying to make a push for top spot on the Korn Ferry list as it would give him more exemptions next season.

Pendrith, who turns 30 on Sunday, is third in average driving distance on the Korn Ferry tour at 320.4 yards. He’s 123rd in driving accuracy (60.86 per cent) and is tied for 27th in putting average.

“He’s a nice combination of long and straight,” Ingram said. “He’s become very consistent over the last two or three years in his iron play and the rest of his game. On top of being long, he’s got one of the nicest set of hands you’ll see around the greens of a PGA Tour player.

“Very soft, subtle hands and the ability to get the ball close to the hole from even very difficult spots. It’s a nice toolbox that he has and it’s quite full.”

Pendrith has played in a handful of PGA Tour events over his career, finishing in a tie for 43rd at the RBC Canadian Open in 2014 at Royal Montreal.

He qualified for his first major last September at the US Open, finishing in a tie for 23rd at Winged Foot.

“I think I’ve proven myself at all levels and that I can compete with the best,” he said.

Agreement will see Parkland Corporation become the Official Fuel and Convenience Store Partner of Golf Canada helping golfers fuel up on gas and snacks on their way to the golf course

Golf Canada – Golf Canada and Parkland Corporation (“Parkland”) announced today a marketing partnership that will see Parkland Corporation and their JOURNIE™ Rewards loyalty program become the Official Fuel and Convenience Store Partner for the National Sport Federation.

Through the partnership, Golf Canada members will be invited to join the JOURNIE™ Rewards loyalty program and collect points for fuel discounts, and the choice of free snack items and carbon credit offsets throughout the golf season.

“We are proud to welcome Parkland Corporation to the golf space and look forward to working together to support their goal of driving interest in the sport and getting Canadians to the golf course” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer John Sibley. “Parkland’s vast network of locations across Canada allow us to offer additional value to our members when fuelling up on gas and snack items. Filling up on the way to or from your local golf course is a regular activity for all enthusiasts and Parkland is keen on rewarding this inherent element of the golf experience.”

For Parkland Corporation, aligning with the sport and engaging with Golf Canada’s community of golfers were driving factors in the partnership.

“We are delighted to partner with Golf Canada and welcome golfers into JOURNIE™ Rewards, one of Canada’s leading fuel and convenience loyalty programs,” said Steve McClelland, Vice President, Loyalty Programs and Partnerships, Parkland Corp. “We are committed to helping our customers make the most of every stop with more than 1,000 participating Chevron, Ultramar, and Pioneer gas and convenience stores, including ON the RUN branded locations. We are perfectly positioned to help golfers fuel their journeys this summer and stock up with high quality food and snacks to and from the golf course. Hydration and nutrition are key factors in playing your best golf, and this partnership is a great way to help with that.”

Members will be eligible to collect weekly JOURNIE™ Rewards offers via their Golf Canada App including a surprise offer after their 25^th golf round of the season. In addition, throughout June and July, golf fans will have the chance to win a destination golf experience (subject to provincial health and travel restrictions) to Bear Mountain Resort in Victoria, home of two highly-regarded golf courses as well as Golf Canada’s National Training Centre.

DAYTONA BEACH, FLA., May 25, 2021 – The Board of Directors of the LPGA has unanimously elected Mollie Marcoux Samaan as its next Commissioner. Marcoux Samaan, currently Ford Family Director of Athletics at Princeton University, will become the ninth Commissioner of the LPGA since its formation in 1950. She will succeed Commissioner Mike Whan who notified the LPGA Board late last year of his intent to step down in 2021. Whan was recently announced as the next Chief Executive Officer of the USGA. Marcoux Samaan will be working with the LPGA Board and the University to transition to her new role in the months ahead.  

“Our selection of Mollie Marcoux Samaan as the LPGA’s next Commissioner is the outcome of an extensive and deliberate search process. The position attracted a diverse group of outstanding internal and external candidates, all passionate about the LPGA. We concluded that Mollie is the right leader to guide the LPGA’s next chapter of growth, impact and achievement,” said Diane Gulyas, Chair of the LPGA Board of Directors and the Search Committee.

“Mollie understands the power of golf to change the lives of girls and women. As a values-centered leader, she’s known for her skills in collaboration, managing through complexity and building a winning team culture. In every role, she’s had an outstanding record of performance in navigating change, forging lasting partnerships, and seeing – and seizing – new opportunities,” Gulyas said.

“Our search process was disciplined and thorough. We were impressed and honored by the large number of quality of leaders interested in the LPGA. But in the end, Mollie stood above the rest. We were impressed by her track record working with athletes; with her ability to forge new and innovative partnerships; and with her personal passion, authenticity and proven persistence for excellence,” said Juli Inkster, World and LPGA Hall of Famer and a member of the Search Committee.

“The LPGA Commissioner role is one of the best jobs in sports today and the opportunity of a lifetime. I’m passionate about the game of golf and have been an LPGA fan since I was a little girl. I appreciate the LPGA’s history and the tenacity of its 13 Founders. I’m truly inspired by our Tour players and teaching professionals. I’m excited to dive into the LPGA initiatives to impact women and girls in the game at every age and ability. And, to learn about and contribute to all aspects of the LPGA’s business,” said Mollie Marcoux Samaan.

“I believe passionately that sports have the power to change the world. And in this moment in time – with the positive energy around women’s sports, women’s leadership and society’s commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion – I believe the LPGA has an incredible opportunity to use our platform for positive change.

‘I’ve devoted my career to developing character, confidence and opportunities through sports. My mission and the LPGA’s mission are fully aligned: providing women and girls the opportunity to achieve their dreams through golf.

“Under the leadership of Mike Whan and the executive team, the LPGA is strongly positioned for continued growth and impact. I’ll look forward to working with Mike and the leadership team to meet the many people and organizations that have been so integral to the LPGA’s success. With its committed sponsors and fans, talented players and members, and exceptional staff and Board, my role will be to continue the positive momentum and increase opportunities, awareness, impact and respect for the LPGA worldwide,” Marcoux Samaan said.

As Canadians, we have a spring checklist: clean up the garden, switch over to summer tires, clean the barbecue, get out the patio furniture … Who am I kidding? All that stuff is a distant second to our top priority: Getting back on the course after an interminable winter.

So here are my top 10 items for that real spring checklist.

1. Are my clubs clean?

The answer is obvious. If you cleaned them at the end of last season and stored them inside, yes. If you tucked them away after the last muddy round, no. Fill the laundry sink with warm, soapy water and, using a stiff brush, thoroughly clean the grooves. Scrub the grips, too. That segues nicely into Item 2.

2. Do I need new grips?

Maybe. If you play a lot, you might need to replace them annually. If you clean them as mentioned above and they still feel slick, time for a change. Most golf retail stores and even some pro shops have spring specials. There are many varieties so, if possible, try a few options to make sure you get the right one. If you’re a DIY person, you can change them yourself but it’s hardly worth the effort.

3. Should I get the lofts and lies on my irons checked? ?

I had to hand this one over to Tony Covey, Managing Editor of MyGolfSpy, the online encyclopedia of golf equipment. “If you’re serious about your game, loft and lie angles should be checked annually (though I have friends who have me check their irons after a couple of bad shots). If you play a softer forging, checking loft and lie is essential (they’re going to move on their own). Some of the harder casting materials don’t move much and at all, which is why many now have a notch for easier adjustment.”

4. Am I playing the right clubs?

Unless you’ve recently been professional fitted, that’s almost impossible to answer. Are you still playing the blade irons and persimmon woods you inherited from your grandpa? Are you hitting hand-me-downs? Are you a senior whose swing speed and strength have decreased over the years? The basic answer is: Do you think your clubs are preventing you from reaching your potential? If you don’t want to go through an in-person fitting, all major club manufacturers have excellent free online fitting apps. (My wife ordered her new sticks using an online fitting app. We were impressed.)

5. Can I get a tee time? ⛳️

Yes, but with demand for golf going through the roof, you have to be smart and persistent. Check the tee-time reservation requirements at the course you want to play and get online or on the phone at the earliest opportunity. Golf Canada’s course lookup tool is a great place to start.

6. What will the course conditions be like? ?

Look at your front yard. Early in the season, there’s no new turf growth, the underlying soil is saturated … you get what you get. Keep in mind the course is fragile in the spring so divots and ball marks must be repaired immediately. Temporary greens are commonplace. The course isn’t in mid-season form but neither is your swing. Which brings us to the next item.

7. What if I forget how to swing?

Don’t laugh. There are few things worse for a golfer than stepping onto the tee for the first round of the season and looking at your driver like it’s a writhing reptile. If a local range has opened, hit it. If not, there’s lots of online instruction. I spent hours over the winter working on my short game using the videos on Gareth Rafleski’s website. Some golf-related stretching and strength-building exercises wouldn’t hurt. If you’re keen on tracking your progress, consider checking out Golf Canada’s free mobile app to go digital with your game and enhance the course experience.

8. What should I wear?

Whatever you wore at the end of last season should be appropriate. Waterproof footwear, rain pants and layers up top. Temperatures can vary wildly this time of year. Better to err on the side of too much than too little. That extra sweater, jacket, towel … all can be packed away in your bag. As my dear old mom used to say, “Better to have it and not need it than …”

9. What kind of balls should I use?

As long as they’re round and findable, any ball will do this time of year. In summary: Use the kind of balls you can afford to lose and then break out the Pro V1s.

10. What about COVID-19?

Without doubt, we in Canada will have to endure a season very similar to 2020. Adhere to all health protocols on and off the course and we will get through this. Respect your course’s regulations and its employees. You can keep up to date on the latest using Golf Canada’s resource guide.

Find your course by clicking here.

It is with great regret before the long weekend that the Québec golf world learned of the death of Guy Bernier, after a very courageous fight against cancer.

In his case, the word courage in recent years is fully warranted. He was 67 years old and had been retired for two years from Golf Canada.

Guy Bernier worked at the national sport federation as the regional director for Québec. He succeeded Rémi Bouchard after Bouchard became a full-time pro.  

His mandate was to maintain the presence of Golf Canada in the 325 clubs of the province, which his personality allowed him to do and succeed.

The ambassador role was a second career for Guy Bernier, his first very successful one having been in equipment sales.

You probably had some of his equipment in your bag as well since he was associated with two winning brands, first with Spalding Top Flite before becoming Mr. Callaway in 1981 for 18 years before running his own agency.

This was the era of Michel Norman Sr., Helene Norris, Russell Campbell, Richard Dufresne and Max Oxford and company, before the advent of big box stores and internet shopping, when he had to visit the pros all over the province and Ottawa area in their stores several times a year – which created a deep bond.

The many messages of sympathy on social media show the level of appreciation that he enjoyed.

Golf Canada also published the following statement:

“We pass along our sincere condolences to the family & friends of our dear friend and former colleague Guy Bernier.  He was a highly respected contributor to our sport, a gentleman in his dealings as our Regional Director in Quebec, a passionate enthusiast of the game & a friend to many across the golf community. #RIP”

Our condolences to Guy Bernier’s wife and two boys.

Click here to view Bernier’s obituary.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. (AP) – Wei-Ling Shu eagled the par-5 15th hole Sunday, creating a four-shot swing that gave her a two-shot lead, and won the LPGA Tour’s Pure Silk Championship for her first career victory.

She closed with a 3-under 68 to finish at 13-under 271, two shots clear of playing partner Moriya Jutanugarn.

Jutanugarn had a 70. Jessica Korda was third at 10 under after a 70.

Brooke Henderson (67) of Smiths Falls, Ont., finished in a tie for 10th place at 6 under. Alena Sharp (71) of Hamilton, Ont., was at 1 under.

Shu’s eagle, aided by a fortuitous bounce that left her with a very makeable putt, came as Jutanugarn, who started the hole with a two-shot lead, drove into a bunker, needed two shots to get out, hit her approach to the edge of the green and three-putted for a double bogey.

And it all happened on the easiest hole on the course, again showing it can also be the decisive one.

The victory for the 26-year-old from Taiwan, in her 147th career start, was all but assured with another birdie on the par-4 16th that stretched her lead to three. And it came on a sweltering day on the Kingsmill Resort’s James River Course with parched fairways and greens that were fast and firm for all four rounds unusual for May in Virginia.

For much of the day, the battle for the lead was like a juggling act.

Jessica Korda pulled into a three-way tie for the lead with third-round co-leaders Shu and Jutanugarn with a birdie at the par-4 sixth while Jutanugarn bogeyed and Hsu made par. Korda went ahead two holes later with a par when her two playing partners bogeyed.

That sequence started a near-constant shifting of the lead, with Jutanugarn and Hsu getting back to a share of the lead after the 10th hole, and Sarah Kemp making it a four-way tie with a birdie on the par-4 12th in the group just ahead of the final threesome.

Hsu regained the top spot at No. 12 with a birdie while Korda fell two back, and then Jutanugarn enjoyed the same two-shot swing with a birdie at the par-3 13th while Hsu two-putted for bogey after missing the green.

Jutanugarn’s lead doubled with her third birdie in four holes on the par-4 14th, setting up the remarkable final lead-swap at 15.

Jutanugarn did sink a long birdie putt on the par-3 17th, applying some pressure to Hsu, but she rolled in a putt for par, pumping her right fist as it dropped into the cup.

Korda also birdied the 17th, leaving Shu with a two-shot lead heading the par-4 18th, but Korda bogeyed the 18th, leaving Jutaugarn alone in second and Korda third.

Kemp was fourth at 9 under after a 70.

The tournament, once among the most popular on the tour, failed to attract several of the game’s top players, perhaps because its purse of $1.3 million is third-lowest on the tour.