LANCASHIRE, England – Brooke Henderson will have some Canadian company at the Women’s British Open.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., earned the 17th and final spot in qualifying in a playoff on Monday at Royal Lytham & St. Annes Golf Club.

Marchand was one of 12 golfers battling for seven spots in a playoff after those dozen players shot 3-under 69 in the 18-hole qualifier.

It came down to Marchand and Paula Creamer for the final spot on the fourth playoff hole. Marchand parred the hole, while Creamer bogeyed, giving the spot to the Canadian.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton missed the playoff by one shot, settling for a 70. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., carded an 80.

Henderson, of Smiths Falls, Ont., and Marchand will be the lone Canadians in the field for the fourth major on the LPGA Tour schedule, which starts on Thursday.

The USGA and The R&A are proposing regulations regarding the use of green-reading materials, reaffirming the need for a player to read greens based on their own judgment, skill and ability.

Following a six-week period of feedback and consultation with interested parties that begins today, the regulations will be finalized in a published “interpretation” of Rule 4.3 (Use of Equipment) and adopted Jan. 1, 2019, when golf’s new rules take effect.

“Both the USGA and The R&A are committed to the position that a player’s ability to read their line of play on the putting green is an essential skill that should be retained,” said Thomas Pagel, Senior Director, Rules of Golf and Amateur Status for the USGA. “The focus of the interpretation is to develop an approach that is both effective and enforceable.”

David Rickman, Executive Director – Governance at The R&A, said, “We have looked carefully at the use of these green-reading materials and the extremely detailed information they provide and our view is that they tip the balance too far away from the essential skill and judgment required to read subtle slopes on the greens. It is important to be clear, however, that we still regard the use of yardage books and handwritten notes to be an entirely appropriate part of the game.”

The key elements of the proposed interpretation are as follows: 

• Minimum Slope Indication Limit – A minimum slope indication limit of 4 percent (2.29 degrees) is proposed (this includes lines, arrows, numbers or any other indicators); this will have the effect of eliminating such indicators of slope from those areas of the putting green where the hole is most likely to be positioned (which tend to be cut on reasonably flat sections of the putting green with a degree of slope of less than 3.5 percent – or 2 degrees). This proposed limit also equates roughly with the amount of slope that is readily visible to the naked eye.

• Maximum Scale Limit – A maximum scale of 3/8 inch to 5 yards (1:480) is proposed; this will limit the size in print form to a pocket-sized publication and has the effect of restricting the space for handwritten notes (also referenced below).

• Indicative Information – General information that is included in traditional yardage books or course guides, such as basic illustrations that show the outline of the putting green and include indicative information like the tops of ridges or general slopes, will continue to be permitted.

• Handwritten Notes – Handwritten notes will continue to be allowed, but such notes cannot be used to create either a direct copy or a facsimile (replica) of a detailed green map.

Interested parties are encouraged to contact the USGA at rules@usga.org or The R&A with questions, feedback or suggestions for improvement prior to Sept. 14, 2018.  The draft interpretation and illustrations can be viewed here.

The governing bodies will issue the regulation by no later than Oct. 15, 2018 for its planned Jan. 1, 2019 adoption.

MEDICINE HAT, Alta. – Daniel George, Bennett Ruby, William Duquette and Brady McKinlay fired matching 68s to share the lead after the first round of the Canadian Junior Boys Championship at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club on Monday.

Two of the co-leaders — Duquette of Laval, Que., and Ruby of Waterloo, Ont., — recorded an eagle in their first round.

“My eagle was pretty sweet. It was all over the pin and then it just spun around and went right back into the cup.” ” said Ruby with a laugh. “I didn’t realize I made the shot until I saw my mom pointing at it.”

After starting on the back-nine and firing an eagle on his second hole, Duquette remained pretty consistent.

“It was a pretty good round. I hit the ball pretty well, my putter could have been a bit more consistent, but overall it was good,” said Duquette after his first round. “This is my third Canadian Junior Boys Championship and it’s always a nice tournament to play in with all the best players in Canada.”

McKinlay of Lancombe, Alta., and George of Richmond Hill, Ont., round out the four heading into Tuesday’s round with a one-stroke lead.

In the 16-and-under juvenile division, Jace Minni sits atop of the leaderboard 2 under. Last year’s juvenile division winner, Team Canada’s Christopher Vandette, sits one-shot back with a piece of second alongside Spencer Grainger and Luca Ferrara.

Team Ontario leads the inter-provincial competition after the team consisting of Nolan Piazza, Matthew Anderson and Luc Warnock shot a combined 1 over. Team Quebec and Alberta are tied for second at 2 over.

In addition to the 2018 Canadian Jr Boys Championship title, the individual champion will earn an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship at from Aug. 6-9.

For full results click here.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Mackenzie Hughes buried his face in his hands after his 14-foot putt on the 18th hole slowed to a stop short of the hole by a few inches.

The 27-year-old from Dundas, Ont., finished in a season-high tie for eighth place at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, and captured the Rivermead Cup as the top Canadian for the second consecutive year.

But that last oh-so-narrow miss on 18 at Glen Abbey was a fitting ending to a week he’d “sniffed” golf greatness, but fallen just short.

“Talking to me right now, I’d say I’m a bit disappointed, just because right at the end there, those par 5s coming in (16 and 18) were both playing downwind, and if you’re out here playing with your buddies, probably birdie them both, but a little tougher in this pressure,” Hughes said.

“Just to kind of get sniffing around the lead here, I know Dustin (Johnson) is a little bit ahead, but if he was to have faltered, and you were to have posted 18 or 19, which wasn’t that out of the question, all of a sudden it looks like a pretty good chance.”

World No. 1 Johnson won the Canadian Open’s final appearance at Glen Abbey, shooting a 66 to go 23 under for the tournament.

Hats off to @MacHughesGolf, who won the Rivermead Cup as the low Canadian at 15 under par ????#RBCCO #OurOpen pic.twitter.com/odPGMUHHVE

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 29, 2018

Hughes, with wife Jenna and nine-month-old son Kenton watching on, began the day in a tie for 13th, and climbed up to fifth before a bogey on 15. He recovered with a birdie on 16, prompting a roar from the crowd when his 21-foot putt rolled in.

The Rivermead Cup was the original Canadian Open trophy, awarded to the tournament winner from 1920 to 1935, until Seagram’s took over sponsorship and wanted its own cup.

Hughes’ strong week is great timing with only two events left on the season to secure a PGA Tour card. Needing to finish in the top 125 in the FedExCup standings, he began the week at 174, but was projected to climb 22 spots to No. 152.

But the Canadian, who grew up about half an hour’s drive down the Queen Elizabeth Way from Glen Abbey, said, with the tour card looming, he felt the pressure on every hole.

“A birdie on 18, and every shot coming in really meant a lot because once you get up to that top five, top three kind of echelon, the points really ramp up,” Hughes said. “I kind of sensed that opportunity coming in and maybe got a little bit tight at the end, I don’t leave that putt (on 18) short ordinarily, so that’s just maybe getting a bit tight.

“I’ve got two weeks left . . . next week I can hopefully keep building on it.”

Fans along the course Sunday hollered “Go Leafs go!” at Hughes, a nod partly toward the Maple Leafs jerseys he wore all week walking up to No. 7. Known as “The Rink,” the seventh hole is circled with hockey boards. Officials wear hockey referee sweaters.

“The Rink’s been awesome, it’s a great addition to this tournament, you kind of feel the additional support, the cheers for myself seemed just a hair notched up, which is pretty cool, and not something we experience very often,” Hughes said. “I had some fun there this week with a chip-in and handing out some Leafs jerseys, so all in all it was a fun week on No. 7.”

Calgary’s Ryan Yip (70) finished at 12 under and tied for 22nd. Roger Sloan (68) of Merritt, B.C., finished at 10 under, one shot ahead of Chris Crisologo (69) of Richmond, B.C., Canada’s only amateur to make the cut. David Hearn (72) of Brantford, Ont., finished at 7 under and in a tie for 61st.

It was a rough day for Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., who both finished a 4 under and tied for 71st place. Taylor (77) went into the week ranked No. 127 in the FedExCup standings, and needing to improve two spots by season’s end to maintain his PGA Tour card. But he plummeted 42 spots down the leaderboard Sunday, and finished with a double bogey on No. 18, eliciting a groan from the crowd when he hit the ball into the water.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Dustin Johnson pulled away from the field after a nearly two-hour rain delay to win the RBC Canadian Open for the first time.

Johnson shot a 6-under 66 to finish the only Canadian stop on the PGA TOUR at 23-under par.

The world No. 1 tied for second in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in 2013 and 2016.

Byeong Hun An (69) and Whee Kim (69) finished as runners up at 20-under in the US$6.2 million event, with Keegan Bradley (64) placing fourth at 19-under.

Mackenzie Hughes (68) of nearby Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for eighth at 15 under overall to claim the Rivermead Cup.

A Canadian has not won the national title since Victoria’s Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954.

Johnson entered the day in a four-way tie for the lead with Kim, Hun An and Kevin Tway but had seven birdies and a bogey to pull away from the group.

A nearby lightning storm delayed play for an hour and 45 minutes and shrunk the massive crowd that usually trails Johnson from hole to hole.

Hamilton Golf and Country Club will host the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. It is also shifting forward in the PGA TOUR’s schedule, moving to early June in the week before the U.S. Open.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – No. 7 at Glen Abbey Golf Club has become the featured hole at the RBC Canadian Open the past two years. With hockey boards surrounding the tee, goalie masks being used as tee blocks, and officials wearing referees’ stripes, it’s a distinctly Canadian experience.

But with the RBC Canadian Open moving to Hamilton Golf and Country Club in 2019 and Glen Abbey possibly slated for redevelopment by course owner ClubLink, there were questions about the fate of the so-called Rink.

“The rink is on wheels, the rink’s going to go where we go,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum on Sunday. “The rink’s going to move with us. We’ve already got those officials from that hole, they want to go with it. The players love it.”

In particular, Applebaum loves how fans pound their fists on the boards after players tee off. Although it caused some confusion among players in 2017 when the Rink was first unveiled, they’re now on board with it too.

“Bring the noise, bring the thunder,” said Applebaum from the media centre in the bowels of Glen Abbey’s clubhouse.

Glen Abbey was the first course designed solely by golf legend Jack Nicklaus and was completed in 1976. It’s become the home of Golf Canada and the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame, which holds its induction ceremony the same week as the Canadian Open, as long as the tournament is being held at Glen Abbey that year.

Applebaum thinks this year’s RBC Canadian Open – which saw a four-way tie atop the leaderboard between world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Whee Kim, Byeong Hun An and Kevin Tway heading into the fourth round – is the perfect sendoff for the storied course.

“Beer sales are up, food sales are up, merchandise sales are up and attendance will be up,” said Applebaum, who predicted that total attendance for the week would be over 80,000. “For me, it’s a win across the board. Spectacular.”

Hamilton will host the 2019 and 2023 events, with Applebaum believing the host for 2020 will be announced within the next two or three months. His intention is to keep the men’s national championship in the Greater Toronto Area, while the CP Women’s Open will continue to move back and forth across the country.

In addition to changing locations, the RBC Canadian Open will occupy a new spot on the PGA TOUR’s calendar beginning in 2019.

Historically, the RBC Canadian Open was held in September, but starting in 2007 it was played in late July, the prime golf season. But starting in 2019 it will be held in early June, the week before the U.S. Open, essentially turning it into a tune-up event for some of the biggest names in golf.

“The guys that have traditionally played our event seem like they will continue, but all the new people that haven’t played in the past, are talking about it,” said Applebaum. “The Phil Mickelsons, the Rory McIlroys, the Rickie Fowlers, it’s great to have that grouping of players who haven’t played it.”

ST. ANDREWS, Scotland — Stephen Ames was in the top three after all four rounds this week at The Senior Open presented by Rolex, including T1 after 36 holes. He carded a final-round 69 and finished T3, his best finish and third top-10 in a senior major.

Miguel Angel Jimenez became the first Spaniard to win The Senior Open presented by Rolex on Sunday, edging defending champion Bernhard Langer by one shot.

Jimenez dropped only one stroke en route to a final round 3-under 69 and ended on 12-under 276 at the historic Old Course.

Jimenez was following in famous footsteps as the second Spaniard to win at St. Andrews after Seve Ballesteros won The Open in 1984.

“This is the place where everyone wants to win and the place where Seve won his second British Open,” Jimenez said. “It has always been my ambition to win here. It feels like I am part of history.”

The 54-year-old Jimenez played the sort of round every professional golfer dreams of on the final day at St. Andrews, and often in unpleasant — occasionally vicious — weather conditions.

Langer shot a 68 to come second.

Americans Kirk Triplett (69) and Scott McCarron (68) tied for third alongside Canada’s Stephen Ames (69). All three finished on 10 under.

Jimenez won the Regions Tradition in May, holding off a hard-charging Steve Stricker for his first senior major title.

On Sunday, in the immediate aftermath of his second major title of the year, the self-styled “most interesting man in golf” played down his celebrations but the prolonged raising of his arms was evidence enough of his delight.

And relief. Only by making a vital nine-foot putt for par on the penultimate green had Jimenez held onto his overnight lead.

“I didn’t play too good over the last few holes,” Jimenez said. “I didn’t hit many solid shots. And I missed short putts on both the 14th and 15th. At that stage I was feeling the stress. My heart was really pumping very fast.”

In search of a fourth victory in this event, Langer had cause to regret a couple of lapses, most notably the three-putts he needed to complete the par-4 13th hole. It was his only bogey of the day, but it was enough to give Jimenez a three-shot edge that proved just too much to overcome.

“Miguel played an awesome four days of golf, and he’s a very well-deserved winner,” said Langer, who closed with a 4-under 68. “I was pretty happy overall. It wasn’t easy in some of the conditions that we had.”

The leaders made their share of mistakes down the stretch into a diminishing wind but their problems were nothing compared with earlier in the day. At its height, the wind and rain transformed the back-nine into a succession of par-5s. Despite the late improvement in the conditions, the 72-man field was a collective 136-over par.

Former Australian Open champion Peter Fowler – not exactly the shortest hitter in the field – was short of the 465-yard 13th after a good drive and full-blooded 3-wood. Even worse, two holes later he was unable to reach the fairway on the 455-yard 15th with his best drive. Around three hours later, Jimenez comfortably found both greens with mid-irons.

There was ultimate disappointment for Tom Watson. Playing what could be his final competitive round at St. Andrews, the 68-year old American — five times a British Open champion and three-times a winner of this event — had a closing 77 that left him in a lowly tie for 21st place at 1 under.

Watson was still afforded a rousing send-off.

“As ever, the fans were really very good to me,” Watson said. “I gave it right back to them. I appreciate what they do for me. This is a unique setting in golf, probably the most unique. You come into the town on the last hole and finish amongst all the buildings with the people hanging over the rail up there. There’s no other place like it.”

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Bryan Crawford of Ancaster, Ont. has been named the new Tournament Director of the RBC Canadian Open. The appointment was officially announced by Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum during a press conference held on the final Sunday of Canada’s national men’s golf championship.

Crawford served the past three years on the Leadership Team of Canada Basketball in the role of Senior Director, Operations. He led several of the organization’s strategic business functions including overseeing the development, implementation and operations of all Canada Basketball hosting and revenue generating activities. Bryan also developed and drove the long term, multi-event hosting strategy for major FIBA international events including athlete relations, volunteer management, community engagement, government relations, corporate partnerships and event execution.

Prior to that, he honed his executive management skills in the role of Interim Executive Director / Director of Operations with Ontario University Athletics (OUA), leading the operational, commercial and promotional activities as well as strategic planning for the governing body of interuniversity sport in Ontario.

Crawford is a former professional athlete, having spent seven seasons as a member of the Toronto Argonauts Football Club where he served as a Special Teams Captain and CFL Players’ Association Representative. A native of Ancaster, Ont., Bryan holds a B.A. in Political Studies and Development from Queens University where he was a two-sport athlete in football and track and field. He has been selected by the Canadian Olympic Committee as a COC Emerging Leader and has been a community ambassador for the ALS Society of Ontario, Right to Play, Climb for Cancer and the Argonauts’ Huddle Up Against Bullying Program.

Crawford will report directly to Golf Canada Chief Championship Officer Bill Paul. He will work collaboratively with Golf Canada’s sales, partnership, marketing and commercial teams and will be a key contact and central hub of the organization’s relationship with the PGA TOUR.

He began his new role on July 18, spending advance and tournament week getting oriented during the 2018 event in order to hit the ground running to lead the 2019 RBC Canadian Open in its new date, June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.

BEIJING, China—It took a while, but Canada’s Peter Campbell can now call himself a Tour winner. Campbell shot a closing 70 to hold off China’s Huilin Zhang and win his first pro title at the Beijing Championship, the ninth event of this year’s PGA TOUR Series-China. Campbell, 35, is the third Canadian to win on Tour, following 2015 winners Justin Shin and Eugene Wong.

The left-hander held a two-stroke lead after the second and third rounds at Topwin Golf & Country Club, and finished at 17-under, just one ahead of playing partner Zhang, who was two strokes better that Campbell on Sunday but not quite good enough.

Campbell, who has also played on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamerica, had even considered withdrawing ahead of the Beijing Championship after missing the cut in the previous two events. But with a “no-care attitude” at Topwin, that ultimately helped him cope with the pressure of leading.

“It worked. I don’t know how I did it. I mean, nothing really phased me out there. It’s unlike anything I’ve ever done before, so definitely something to think about going forward,” said Campbell, who was previously in position to win earlier this season, tied for second, after 54 holes of the Chongqing Championship in March. A Sunday 74 left him tied 14th, still his best result in the first eight events.

His resume changed Sunday.

“It’s just awesome. This just came out of nowhere, and I was able to put some good swings together. It was a tough day, we had a good group, we all battled out there and luckily I was able to come away with it.”

Campbell opened his day with a birdie, bogeyed the fifth and birdied the eighth to make the turn one ahead of Zhang, who birdied Nos. 4, 7 and 8 as hot, humid temperatures descended on China’s capital city.

Campbell birdied 12 and 13 to stay one ahead of Zhang, who started the back nine with a bogey and three birdies. The Florida-based Canadian doubled his lead on 14 when he sunk a tricky putt for par, and Zhang missed a shorter par putt.

However, Campbell’s lead was back to one after he three-putted for bogey on the par-3 16th, but two closing pars were enough for the win, with Zhang’s birdie putt on 17 that would have tied things with a hole to play lipping out.

“We were trading shots out there, it was fun,” said Campbell, who spends summers with his family in his native Nova Scotia. “We hit some really good shots, and we holed some good putts. Luckily, I was able to stay ahead for most of the day.”

Zhang, a two-time Tour winner, produced his best performance of the season—a tie for 11th at the Changsha Championship in May his highest finish until his return to Topwin.
With one last gasp, on the par-5 closing hole, Zhang missed the green with his 5-wood second shot and was unable to get close enough with his chip to give himself a strong birdie chance. Even with that disappointed, he was still satisfied with his week.

“My swing and putting were great this week. I was very focused on my game, and this is my best result in the past two years,” said Zhang, who just missed playing on last year’s Web.com Tour after finishing sixth on the 2016 Order of Merit.

“This was a great round, and I became more confident as the day went on. I hope I can play well in the remaining five events and I’ll try to finish in the top five to get onto the Web.com Tour.”
Korean Woojin Jung finished third, at 15-under, one ahead of American Ryann Ree. South Korea’s Todd Baek, winner of May’s Haikou Championship, shared fifth at 13-under, with American Sejun Yoon.

The Tour will resume next month with the Suzhou Open at Jinji Lake Golf Club from August 30-September 2 and the Qinhuangdao Championship at Qinhuangdao Poly Golf Club from September 6-9.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – A small boy followed Mackenzie Hughes around the final 11 holes Saturday at the RBC Canadian Open, easy to spot in a huge Toronto Maple Leafs jersey that hung down to his knees.

Hughes had delighted the boy – and the crowd gathered at the seventh hole at Glen Abbey, know as “The Rink” – when he walked up to the green wearing the Leafs jersey he’d autographed. Spotting the boy in the crowd, he tugged off the sweater, reached across the rope and handed it to him.

Priceless.@MacHughesGolf making this junior’s day with a @MapleLeafs jersey at #TheRink ?? pic.twitter.com/yfwbrC5eT7

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) July 28, 2018

The lone PGA Tour stop north of the border wears its Canadian pride on its sleeve, and Hughes was happy to play his part.

“I signed it before the round, and after I was on the green, I tried to find a young Leafs fan in the crowd,” Hughes said. “(I’m a) big Leafs fan.”

The 27-year-old from Dundas, Ont., just outside Hamilton, had plenty of fans himself Saturday as he climbed 24 spots up the leaderboard with his 5-under 67 in the third round. Hughes is in a group of eight tied for 13th at 11 under, six shots behind the four leaders.

Hughes opened with four birdies on his first five holes. On No. 5, he hit a phenomenal recovery shot from under the trees to get onto the green, then finished with a long putt for birdie. He double-bogeyed on No. 11, but finished strong with five birdies on the final six holes.

“I was playing well today and I got a tough break on 11,” Hughes said. “Hit a great drive, middle of the fairway, and had the worst divot I’ve ever been in in my life. And I normally don’t skull over the green, and I skulled over the green, made a 6 there, and I was 2-under in a good spot going into the back nine.”

“But, unlike maybe (Friday) where I was probably a bit impatient at times, I just told myself I was playing well and had some chances coming in and kind of got hot there.”

Dustin Johnson, Kevin Tway, Byeong Hun An and Whee Kim shared the lead at 17 under.

Calgary’s Ryan Yip shot a 66 to climb 40 spots into a tie for 21st, seven shots off the pace. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 72 and dropped 19 spots to a tie for 29th, David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., and Ben Silverman (73) of Thornhill, Ont., are 10 shots back and tied for 43rd. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C., Canada’s only amateur to make the cut, are tied for 53rd, 11 shots back.

Glen Abbey first dressed up its par-3 seventh hole last summer in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday last year. “The Rink” resembles an arena, with hockey boards replacing the rope lines. Officials wear referees’ jerseys.

A day earlier, Hughes took a shot with the Leafs sweater on, charming the crowd when his chip from just off the green went in.

“I was trying to figure out if I could hit a chip without the sleeves getting in the way and the Leafs emblem all over my chest getting a little bunched up,” Hughes told reporters. “But I was, like, ‘This is very chip-in-able and if I do it with the jersey on, it’s way cooler.”’

Moments after Saturday’s round, talk turned to the Maple Leafs’ major off-season acquisition John Tavares.

“Very excited,” Hughes said of the former New York Islanders star. “He’s coming to an already very talented roster, so I think the next three, four years with him will help us out.”

Hughes had a breakthrough in the fall of 2016, when he won the RSM Classic in his fifth PGA Tour start as a member. He went wire-to-wire for the win and became the first Canadian-born golfer to win on the tour since Taylor at 2014.

Taylor had a disappointing Saturday, salvaged slightly by an eagle on the 18th hole.

“I couldn’t buy a putt the whole day, it was nice to finally make one on 18 there. Yeah, just couldn’t make a putt. Just couldn’t get it going,” said Taylor, who heads into the fourth round nine shots back of the leaders. “It was nice to finish that way, get a little momentum going into tomorrow, and getting back to even was big.”

The 30-year-old, who’s 127th on the FedExCup rankings, needs a solid result Sunday, and down the stretch of the season, to climb to into the top 125 and keep his PGA Tour card.

“It’s important on a lot of levels, it’s so bunched that a great round would go a long way,” said Taylor, who played Saturday with world No. 1 Johnson. “Again, it was huge to make that eagle to get back to even, I feel like I salvaged something on the last hole. … I would’ve like to play better, but I’m still in a good spot.”

One of Taylor’s highlights of the day also came on No. 7, birdying to a loud round of applause.

“It was awesome, that’s a moment you’ll remember for a long time, it’s pretty fun to do it on that hole,” he said. “I’ve birdied that hole every day this week, it’s been good to me.”

The 27-year-old from Dundas, Ont., just outside Hamilton, had plenty of fans himself Saturday as he climbed 24 spots up the leaderboard with his 5-under 67 in the third round. Hughes is in a group of eight tied for 13th at 11 under, six shots behind the four leaders.

Hughes opened with four birdies on his first five holes. On No. 5, he hit a phenomenal recovery shot from under the trees to get onto the green, then finished with a long putt for birdie. He double-bogeyed on No. 11, but finished strong with five birdies on the final six holes.

“I was playing well today and I got a tough break on 11,” Hughes said. “Hit a great drive, middle of the fairway, and had the worst divot I’ve ever been in in my life. And I normally don’t skull over the green, and I skulled over the green, made a 6 there, and I was 2-under in a good spot going into the back nine.”

“But, unlike maybe (Friday) where I was probably a bit impatient at times, I just told myself I was playing well and had some chances coming in and kind of got hot there.”

Dustin Johnson, Kevin Tway, Byeong Hun An and Whee Kim shared the lead at 17 under.

Calgary’s Ryan Yip shot a 66 to climb 40 spots into a tie for 21st, seven shots off the pace. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 72 and dropped 19 spots to a tie for 29th, David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., and Ben Silverman (73) of Thornhill, Ont., are 10 shots back and tied for 43rd. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., and Chris Crisologo of Richmond, B.C., Canada’s only amateur to make the cut, are tied for 53rd, 11 shots back.

Glen Abbey first dressed up its par-3 seventh hole last summer in celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday last year. “The Rink” resembles an arena, with hockey boards replacing the rope lines. Officials wear referees’ jerseys.

A day earlier, Hughes took a shot with the Leafs sweater on, charming the crowd when his chip from just off the green went in.

“I was trying to figure out if I could hit a chip without the sleeves getting in the way and the Leafs emblem all over my chest getting a little bunched up,” Hughes told reporters. “But I was, like, ‘This is very chip-in-able and if I do it with the jersey on, it’s way cooler.”’

Moments after Saturday’s round, talk turned to the Maple Leafs’ major off-season acquisition John Tavares.

“Very excited,” Hughes said of the former New York Islanders star. “He’s coming to an already very talented roster, so I think the next three, four years with him will help us out.”

Hughes had a breakthrough in the fall of 2016, when he won the RSM Classic in his fifth PGA Tour start as a member. He went wire-to-wire for the win and became the first Canadian-born golfer to win on the tour since Taylor at 2014.

Taylor had a disappointing Saturday, salvaged slightly by an eagle on the 18th hole.

“I couldn’t buy a putt the whole day, it was nice to finally make one on 18 there. Yeah, just couldn’t make a putt. Just couldn’t get it going,” said Taylor, who heads into the fourth round nine shots back of the leaders. “It was nice to finish that way, get a little momentum going into tomorrow, and getting back to even was big.”

The 30-year-old, who’s 127th on the FedExCup rankings, needs a solid result Sunday, and down the stretch of the season, to climb to into the top 125 and keep his PGA Tour card.

“It’s important on a lot of levels, it’s so bunched that a great round would go a long way,” said Taylor, who played Saturday with world No. 1 Johnson. “Again, it was huge to make that eagle to get back to even, I feel like I salvaged something on the last hole. … I would’ve like to play better, but I’m still in a good spot.”

One of Taylor’s highlights of the day also came on No. 7, birdying to a loud round of applause.

“It was awesome, that’s a moment you’ll remember for a long time, it’s pretty fun to do it on that hole,” he said. “I’ve birdied that hole every day this week, it’s been good to me.”