Acton, ONT. – After years of playing professional golf, Vancouver’s Bryn Parry is well educated about the strengths and weaknesses of his own game.

On Tuesday at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club in Mississauga, Ont., the 46-year-old PGA of Canada professional from Point Grey Golf & Country Club used all that knowledge to shoot a 5-under-par opening round.

“Over the years I’ve learned what I can and can not do,” Parry said. “I don’t tend to try things that I don’t think I can pull off—so I’m hitting what I consider to be the easiest shot for me at the safest target.”

Apparently, he thought he could pull off a fair bit, though. His scorecard backed it up.

Parry opened his PGA Championship of Canada presented by TaylorMade and adidas Golf with a birdie on the first hole at Credit Valley. He then made a bogey at the sixth before reeling off six birdies in a row on holes Nos. 8-13.

“It’s funny because I hadn’t made more than three in a row all year,” Parry admitted. “But I made some putts out there and before you know, I had made six in a row.”

“When you’re playing shots that are correct for where the holes are, or the style of the green, or the length of the hole, then the swings you’re going to make are the easiest moves to the biggest targets,” he said. “And I like to play that way, so I feel most secure when I play that way.”

Parry is one of seven past PGA Championship of Canada winners in the field this week at Credit Valley. Additionally, this impressive field features 21 PGA of Canada national championship winners.

Ranked No. 80 on SCOREGolf’s Top 100 Courses in Canada for 2016, Credit Valley last played host the PGA Championship of Canada 25-years ago in 1993, which was won by 12-time PGA TOUR winner Steve Stricker. The club has also recently hosted two PGA Women’s Championships (2010 and 2016) and a PGA Seniors’ Championship in 2015.

2015 PGA Championship of Canada winner Danny King sits alone in second place after an opening-round 67.

Like Parry, King preached patience as the key to success at Credit Valley.

“I was really patient out there today,” King said. “The game plan out here is to get it in the fairway off the tee and control your ball into these greens.”

Brad Kerfoot, 2015 PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada winner, and Oliver Tubb are tied for third at 2-under-par. 1984 PGA Championship of Canada and five-time PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada winner Jim Rutledge, along with fellow B.C.-native John Shin round out the top five at 1-under.

For the full leaderboard and second-round tee times, click here.

The 69-player field will be whittled down to the top-16 players following tomorrow’s second round. The final 16 will fill out the match play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

Currently, Jean Laforce, 2014 PGA Championship of Canada winner Dave Levesque, Billy Walsh, Tim Alarie, Gar Hamilton, Brennan Rumancik, 2012 PGA Championship of Canada winner Eric Laporte and Greg Pool would be involved in an eight-for-five sudden-death playoff to determine the match play brackets if the cut was today.

Re-launched in 2011, the PGA Championship of Canada was contested strictly as a match play event through 2014 with players from the four brackets—Stan Leonard, George Knudson, Al Balding and Moe Norman—looking to advance through the six rounds to capture the historic P.D. Ross trophy. However, the 2015 championship at Cabot Links saw a format change, with 69 top-ranked players from the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC playing two rounds of stroke play. The top-16 players from the 36-hole stroke play portion of the event filled out the four match-play brackets with the eventual champion winning four match play rounds.

This year’s championship at Credit Valley follows the same format.

In addition to the above mentioned, past champions of the PGA Championship of Canada include Moe Norman, George Knudson, Marc-Etienne Bussieres, Dave Al Balding, Bob Panasik, Tim Clark, Lanny Wadkins, Jim Rutledge, Wilf Homenuik, Stan Leonard, Lee Trevino and Arnold Palmer.

The player who sits atop the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC at the conclusion of the PGA Championship of Canada earns an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

The Ladies’ British Open Amateur Championship didn’t have any Canadian entries at last year’s tournament. The entire women’s national amateur squad is making the trip this time around.

Maddie Szeryk of London, Ont., Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain and Naomi Ko of Victoria will lead Canadian hopes starting Tuesday at the Hillside Golf Club.

“They all have the appropriate game to come and play well here,” said Canadian women’s head coach Tristan Mullally.

The tournament’s first stage includes two rounds of 18-hole stroke play on the championship links course. The field of 144 will be trimmed to 64 for the match play stage.

Each round of match play will consist of 18 holes leading up to Saturday’s final. The tournament shares top billing with the US Women’s Amateur as the premier events in women’s amateur golf.

“With match play, it’s always a bit of a challenge because you can play well in stroke play, play great golf and still get beat,” Mullally said from Southport, England after walking the course with the Canadians during their practice rounds. “But (we’ll) worry about that in a couple of days.”

The picturesque course features several elevated tees with many holes overlooking the Irish Sea. The early weather forecast is calling for warm, sunny conditions with little wind.

#TeamCanada‘s @naomiko_golf, @mszeryk and @gracestgermain lead ?? hopes at the @RandA #LadiesAmateur

Read ➡️ https://t.co/xEdYV2c3Fz pic.twitter.com/MZhxMuCwk1

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) June 26, 2018

Szeryk is the top Canadian on the women’s world amateur golf ranking list at No. 16 while Lee, who finished tied for 35th at this month’s Meijer LPGA Classic, holds the No. 40 position. Ko is at No. 176 and St-Germain is ranked 247th.

Szeryk closed out her college career with a tie for 17th at last month’s NCAA Championship. The Texas A&M player won four tournaments during her time with the Aggies and set an NCAA career record with 91 rounds of even-par or better.

“Maddie has been the most consistent performer in Canada over the last couple of years,” Mullally said. “She’s up to 16th in the world based on just playing well all of the time.”

Lee finished tied for fifth at the NCAA playdowns for the best individual finish in Ohio State Buckeyes history. She won three individual titles during her junior year and is slated to return for her final collegiate campaign next season.

“Jaclyn has had a great run of form,” Mullally said. “The way she hits the ball, she can really (use) different trajectories. I can see her having a really good run this week.”

St-Germain is off to the University of Arkansas in the fall while Ko played at North Carolina State last season. Ko had to borrow clubs for Monday’s practice round after the arrival of her usual set was delayed.

Marlene Stewart Streit was the last Canadian to win the Ladies’ British Open Amateur. She posted a 7-and-6 victory over Philomena Garvey in 1953.

The Pam Barton Memorial Salver is awarded to the winner of the championship. An international team award is presented after the stroke play qualifying rounds.

Ireland’s Leona Maguire beat Spain’s Ainhoa Olarra 3 and 2 to win last year at Pyle & Kenfig in Bridgend, Wales.

The tournament was founded in 1893.

ROGERS, Ark. – Nasa Hataoka didn’t have the star power in her final grouping at the NW Arkansas Championship.

What the Japanese teenager did have by the time she was finished was her first victory on the LPGA Tour.

Hataoka shot an 8-under 63 to run away with the tournament at Pinnacle Country Club on Sunday. The 19-year-old did so in record-breaking fashion, finishing with a tournament-best 21-under 192 total – three better than the mark set last year by So Yeon Ryu.

Tied at 13 under with ninth-ranked Minjee Lee entering the day, Hataoka was paired with Lee and third-ranked Lexi Thompson on Sunday. She jumped to the early lead and never let up while matching the lowest round of the week.

Austin Ernst was second after a 65. Lee and Thompson topped the group at 13 under.

Brittany Marchand (70) of Orangeville, Ont., finished at 5 under while Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay was 2 under.

They were all left looking up at the five-foot-two Hataoka, who entered the week ranked 30th.

“I (have) played with Lexi and all the big-name players,” Hataoka said. “Playing with them was really big for me, and winning this tournament was so huge for me.”

Hataoka won twice late last year on the Japan LPGA and has finished in the top 10 in five of her last six LPGA Tour stars, including a playoff loss last month in the Kingsmill Championship. This year has been a far change from last year when she made only eight of 19 cuts on the LPGA Tour, including a missed cut in Arkansas.

Much of her success has come in the last three months after she won the tour’s qualifying tournament in December to earn her full tour card. Hataoka missed the cut in two of her first three tournaments this year, but she’s now earned prize money in 10 straight events – including $300,000 on Sunday.

“She played amazing,” Thompson said. “… She’s just got a great game, no weaknesses, pretty long off the tee and just rolls it amazing on the greens. So, it was great to watch. It was definitely a well-deserved win.”

The final round was delayed by an hour and a half because of morning thunderstorms. When Hataoka did finally tee off, she did so in a tie with Lee at 13 under.

That didn’t last long after Hataoka chipped in from just off the green on the par-3 third hole for a birdie to reach 14 under. Lee, meanwhile, left her chip shot well short on the rain-soaked green and two-putted for a bogey that dropped her two shots off the lead.

Hataoka stretched her lead to four shots after reaching the 520-yard par-5 seventh hole in two and two-putting for birdie.

The following hole, she nearly holed out from the fairway for an eagle. Her approach shot hit the edge of the hole, resulting in a short break while a rules official did some minor repairs, and she settled for a two-putt par to remain at 16 under.

It was one of the few moments that didn’t go Hataoka’s way on Sunday, or all week. She followed by sinking a 20-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole to reach 17 under, and got to 17 under on No. 12.

A final birdie at the 15th pushed Hataoka into record-setting position at 19 under. She didn’t flinch on the final few holes, birdieing the par-3 17th and par-5 18th to reach 21 under.

Local favourite Stacy Lewis shot a 65 to tie for 22nd at 9 under. The former University of Arkansas star is expecting her first child in early November.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Bubba Watson says TPC River Highlands feels like home. It certainly a comfortable place again this week.

Watson overcame a six-stroke deficit Sunday to win his third Travelers Championship title, shooting a 7-under 63 for a three-stroke victory.

The left-hander became the first three-time winner on the PGA Tour this season and pulled within one of Billy Casper’s tournament record of four victories.

He finished at 17-under 263. Third-round leader Paul Casey, Stewart Cink, Beau Hossler and J.B. Holmes tied for second. Casey shot 72, Cink 62, Hossler 66 and Holmes 67.

Watson also came from six back to win the 2010 event for his first tour title and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.

“I feel like this is my home course,” Watson said. “As soon as they put the schedule up, I sign up for this. I want to come back here. This means so much, not only from the golf side of it, but from the family side. My dad, it was the only time he got to see me win (in 2010). He got to see me qualify for the Ryder Cup at this event. So all these things just mean so much to my family.”

During the victory ceremony, Watson children – six-year-old son Caleb and three-year-old daughter Dakota – received small trophies of their own.

Watson shot a 33 on the front nine, but really got it going on the back, with five birdies. He tied Casey at 16-under par by getting up and down from the bunker for a birdie on the course’s signature 15th hole.

Still tied on the par-4 18th, Watson hit his tee shot 366 yards, then pitched inside three feet, giving caddie Ted Scott a big high-five before taking the lead with the putt.

“Hitting some of those shots, especially the shot on 18, downwind, it was very difficult, but somehow pulling it off” Watson said. “And that’s what we all try to do on Sundays is pull off the amazing shot.”

Adam Hadwin (66) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Mackenzie Hughes (70) of Dundas, Ont., tied for 42nd.

Casey, who shot 65, 67 and 62 to lead the field by four shots coming into Sunday, birdied his opening hole. But he gave that back on the fifth and had back-to-back bogeys on 16 and 17 to end any chance he had of catching Watson.

The Englishman has finished in the top 20 in eight of his last nine tournaments. He was second here during his first visit in 2015, came in 17th a year later and had a fifth-place finish in Cromwell a year ago.

“There was a lot of fight in there,” Casey said. “But, I fought my golf swing all day as you can see coming down the last couple of holes.”

Watson earned $1.26 million and a 500 FexEx Cup points, moving him into third place in the standings.

Cink tied the best round of the week with a 62 on Sunday. The two-time Travelers Champion came out blazing, opening with three straight birdies and putting up a 29 on the front nine. He was 7-under through 10 and acknowledged thinking about a sub-60 round after making birdie on the 15th.

“I knew that I needed three birdies to shoot 59. But quickly, I also remembered that the golf tournament was on the line and it would mean a lot more to me to win the Travelers Championship than to shoot a 59.”

He bogeyed 16, but finished the round with his 10th birdie.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth, who was tied for the lead after the opening round, shot a 69 to finish at 4 under. There hasn’t been a repeat champion in Cromwell since Phil Mickelson in 2001 and 2002. Spieth said he was originally planning to take time off until he defends his title at the British Open, but may re-evaluate that as he works on his game.

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka shot a 65 to tie for 19th at 9 under. He said his top priority right now is rest, but said that won’t come until after he attends a bachelor party for his best friend next week.

“I don’t feel like I need to play; I feel like my game is in a good spot,” he said. “I played really well this week, just some stupid mistakes, just mental errors. That’s all it was, lack of focus, low energy. To be honest with you, I’m not surprised.”

Qualifier Chase Seiffert shot a 63 on Monday just to make the tournament. He shot a 64 Sunday to finish at 12 under and tie for ninth.

Seiffert’s round included an eagle at the sixth hole that saw him put second shot 301 yards over the green, before holing out from 49 feet away. The 26-year-old former Florida State star also qualified last year and tied for 43rd.

“I feel like my game’s good enough to be out here full-time and kind of confirms that with the way I’ve been playing this week and last year here as well,” he said.

Jason Day holed out on 18 from 38 feet, just in front of the greenside bunker to finish at 69 and 11 under.

ROGERS, Ark. – Minjee Lee wasn’t all that concerned when she missed her first cut of the year this month at the ShopRite LPGA Classic.

The ninth-ranked Australian has certainly looked at ease and back in form at Pinnacle Country Club in her first event since then.

Lee and Japan’s Nasa Hataoka each shot 6-under 65 on Saturday to share the second-round lead in the NW Arkansas Championship 13-under 129. Lee is chasing her fifth victory since turning pro three years ago. It’s also an opportunity to put any lingering frustration over that missed cut two weeks ago behind her for good.

“I didn’t particularly hit it bad, even though I missed the cut at ShopRite, I just didn’t really hole any putts,” Lee said. “I’d been hitting it pretty solid going into that tournament and even into this tournament, too. Just to see a couple putts roll in has been nice.”

The 22-year-old Lee needed only 24 putts during her opening 64 on Friday, helping her to match the low round of her career. Despite needing 28 putts Saturday, she still briefly took the outright lead after reaching as low as 14 under after a birdie on the par-5 seventh.

Lee missed the green on the par-4 ninth soon thereafter to lead to her only bogey of the day and a tie with the 19-year-old Hataoka, who is in pursuit of her first career win.

Hataoka birdied six of eight holes midway through her bogey-free round on Saturday. It was yet another stellar performance from the Japanese teenager, who has finished in the top 10 in four of her last five tournaments and will be a part of Sunday’s final pairing.

“I try to make birdies and try to be under par, that’s really the key for me to get a top ten,” Hataoka said. “Golf is just trying to be in the top 10 every single week, so that’s the key.”

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson matched the low round of the day with a 64 to get to 11 under. She hit 17 of 18 fairways and shot a 5-under 30 on her opening nine, The American is in search of her first win since September in the Indy Women in Tech Championship.

Ariya Jutanugarn and Celine Boutier were 10 under.

First-round leader Gaby Lopez followed her opening 63 with a 75 to drop to 4 under. Fellow former Arkansas star Stacy Lewis also was 4 under after a 72.

Brittany Marchand will be the sole Canadian making the cut into Sunday’s final round at 4 under.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Paul Casey has come close each of the three previous times he has played in Connecticut. He has a great chance to break through Sunday in the Travelers Championship.

Casey shot an 8-under 62 on Saturday to take a four-stroke lead into the final round.

Casey, whose win at Valspar in Florida in March was his first PGA Tour title in nine years, called the bogey-free round at TPC River Highlands his best of the year.

The Englishman had six birdies and an eagle – at the signature par-4 15th hole – where he hit his tee shot onto the green and then sank a 23-foot putt. He broke out of the pack hitting all 18 greens and has a streak of 23 straight heading into Sunday. He was at 16-under 194.

“It was clinical,” he said. “I did everything I wanted to do. I can’t do any more than that.”

Casey was second here during his first visit in 2015, came in 17th a year later and had a fifth-place finish in Cromwell a year ago.

“I love this golf course,” he said.

Russell Henley was 12 under after a 67,and J.B. Holmes (65), Anirban Lahiri (65) and third-round leader Brain Harman (69) were 11 under.

“I think I can shoot a low number on this course,” Henley said. “You’ve got to make the putts. I’m definitely hitting it well enough, and if I can get a couple putts to fall, that would be good. But I can’t control what (Casey) is doing. I can just try to keep playing solid.”

Jason Day shot 66, and Bubba Watson 67, leaving them 10 under. Watson came from six back to the 2010 event and beat Casey in a playoff in 2015.

Watson would join Billy Casper as the only players to win this tournament more than twice. Casper won his fourth Connecticut title in 1973.

“I’m hoping the weather is real sunny when I’m teeing off and as soon as I putt out it gets windy and a little be of rain and gives me a better shot at it,” he said.

Morning rain and drizzle throughout the day kept the greens soft, but nobody was able to stay with Casey.

The shot of the day came from James Hahn, who aced the 154-yard 11th hole. Hahn’s tee shot went over the greenside bunker on the right front of the hole, struck the bottom of the flag pole and went into the hole, which required some repair work to the front lip after taking the hit.

“Sorry, not sorry,” joked Hahn, who said this was the sixth or seventh ace of his lifetime, but the first on Tour.

U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka shot a 69 to get to 4 under. Koepka said he plans to go right at every pin Sunday, then take time off from golf before the British Open.

“I’m going to try to shoot 60,” he said. “You’re so far back, you’ve got to kind of make a move and if you shoot 10 (under), you never know what can happen.

It was a bit of a squirrely round, quite literally for Rory McIlroy.

His opening tee shot was delayed when a squirrel camped right in front of him in the tee box. McIlroy finally got the shot off, hitting it wide right and into the rough en route to a bogey.

McIlroy had an eagle at 15, but three-putted 18 for a bogey and a 69. He was tied for 15th place at 8 under.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth was 3 under after a 71. He opened 63-73.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 71 to finish the round at under-4 while Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 73.

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — Daniel Pow and Michael Gligic are the low Canadians, tied for sixth heading into Sunday’s final round at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open.

The round of the day, and perhaps the tournament considering the conditions, belonged to Canadian Daniel Pow. The Monday qualifier rattled off five birdies in a row to polish off his round of 63, propelling him 53 spots up the leaderboard into a tie for 6th with fellow Canadian Gligic.

Gligic, who fired an impressive ten birdies during the second round of the event, went into the day second. After moving his way up the leaderboard early with birdies on the 2^nd and 4^th hole, the 28-year-old made a double bogey on the 8^th before shooting even par on the back nine to put himself in a tie for 6^th going into Sunday.

While it looked like it could be a one-man show come Sunday, Paradise Canyon Golf Club showed its teeth on Saturday at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open. Cold and rainy conditions kept second-round leader Zach Wright at bay, allowing Chris Williams to overtake Wright with a remarkable 65.

“The weather was always a challenge, we knew it was going to be going into the day because the forecast called for high winds and some rain,” said Williams. “I just rolled with the punches and hit some good shots when I needed to, made some big putts and it turned out to be a good day.”

Williams, the number-one ranked amateur golfer in the world in 2013, seems to have re-found his form in 2018. Saturday’s 6-under score is his 9^th round under 70 this season on the Mackenzie Tour.

Williams put himself in position to jump up the leaderboard after matching the Paradise Canyon Golf Club course record on Friday with a bogey-free 61.

The 27-year-old spread his birdies sporadically in the third round, making his first on the 3^rd hole before two straight on 7 and 8 had him at 3-under going into the back nine.

On the back, Williams birdied 13, 15 and 18 to sign his second consecutive bogey-free card.

“I knew it wasn’t playing super easy and I knew guys weren’t going super low,” said Williams. “I saw a leaderboard at 13 or 14 that had me at the top, so I had an idea, but I didn’t really know exactly what was happening behind me. Leaderboard watching isn’t something I usually do but walking up 18 and seeing my name at the top was nice.”

Going into the final round with a 3-stroke lead, Williams doesn’t expect to change how he plays heading into Sunday.

“Tomorrow is just another day,” said Williams. “That’s just how golf is. Each day, it’s a new day, and you never know what can happen and you have to prepare for everything.”

Meanwhile, second round leader Zach Wright struggled on Saturday, surrendering his lead after bogeys on the 12^th and 14^th holes.

The major blunder of the week for Wright came at an inopportune time, hitting his ball in the water on the par-3 17^th, where he would make double bogey. Wright isn’t out of the competition by any accounts. Thanks to the lead he built over the first two rounds, Wright finds himself tied with T.T. Crouch at 17-under.

LETHBRIDGE, Alta. — A stellar 10-birdie effort catapulted Michael Gligic into a share of 2nd at 13 under par through 36 holes at the Lethbridge Open.

“I made a putter grip change this week. I went from the conventional to the claw and I’ve never really done it before, but I made a bunch today. My ball striking was pretty good, I didn’t get into too much trouble and was just fortunate to make a couple putts,” said Gligic, a Burlington, Ont., native.

With a stellar ten birdies in his second round, ?? @MGligicGolf is close to victory in a tie for second at @PGATOURCanada @LethPCOpen ???
pic.twitter.com/t3TUO2KJmX

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) June 23, 2018

As he has been doing all year, 36-hole leader Zach Wright tore up the course at Paradise Canyon Golf Club on a calm Friday morning, shooting 61 to put himself at 19-under-par at the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open.

The 61 comes with a trio of achievements for Wright: a five-stroke lead going into the weekend, a new course record and a Mackenzie Tour 36-hole scoring record.

The 62-61 start breaks the record previously held by current PGA TOUR player Aaron Wise, who shot 15-under through the first 36 holes at the 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Championship.

Wright, who started the day on the back nine, worked his way around the golf course without a blemish on the scorecard for the second consecutive day.

The Louisianan State University alum began the day rather inauspiciously by his standards, maneuvering the front nine with two birdies, but an eagle on the 18^th hole began Wright’s run.

The Phoenix, Arizona native played holes 9-17 in 8-under par, making three birdies in a row from 3-5 before jotting down back-to-back circles on 7 and 8. Narrowly missing a 25-foot birdie try on his last hole, Wright signed for a 61.

“So far it’s been easy for me,” said Wright. “I’ve just been hitting wedge shots that’ve been going close, driving it pretty well and just making putts when I can.”

Wright has been the most consistent golfer on the Mackenzie Tour this season, leading the Order of Merit by posting T2, T6 and T2 finishes through the first three events of the season. This week though, Wright has been able to separate himself from the field with his ability off the tee.

“I’m hitting the driver really far and it’s going relatively straight,” said Wright, who is playing his first full season on the Mackenzie Tour. “I’ve been leaving myself with short clubs into greens and I’ve been hitting those close. When I’ve had 15 footers I’ve been rolling some of those in too, so things seem to be going my way and I just have to keep going.”

Wright is trailed by five players at 14-under, including Canadian Michael Gligic. The Burlington, ON native had previously missed all three cuts on tour before the event, but 10 Friday birdies has him in position to attack Wright’s lead on the weekend.

Others at 14-under include Cody Blick, Danny Walker, Chris Williams and Jared Bettcher.

ROGERS, Ark. — Since its first year on the LPGA Tour in 2007, the crowds at the NW Arkansas Championship have belonged to Stacy Lewis.

Another former University of Arkansas star staked her claim as the hometown favourite Friday when Gaby Lopez shot a career-low 8-under 63 to take the first-round lead at Pinnacle Country Club.

Like Lewis, the two-time winner of the tournament, Lopez starred as a three-time All-American for the Razorbacks before joining the LPGA Tour in 2016. Despite flashes of potential, Lopez had yet to join Lewis among the ranks of the world’s best — missing the cut in her last two tournaments and entering this week ranked 136th in the world.

For a day, at least, the Mexican standout felt right at home atop the leaderboard in her adopted home state.

“I feel like home,” Lopez said. “I feel so, so comfortable out here, because I feel that everyone and every single person out here is just rooting for us.”

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., was just two shots back to tie for ninth after firing a 6-under 65 for her best round on the LPGA Tour this year. She bogeyed on No. 16 but recovered with an eagle on the 18th hole. Her previous best was a second round 3-under 68 at the Kingsmill Championship in mid May.

Moriya Jutanugarn was a stroke back along with Minjee Lee, Catriona Matthew, Nasa Hataoka, Lizette Salas, Mirim Lee and Aditi Ashok. Six others finished at 6 under on a day when only 26 of the 144 players finished over par, thanks to some mid-week rain that softened the greens and calm skies throughout the day.

Jutanugarn finished second at the tournament last year and is trying to win for the second time on the LPGA Tour this year. Her younger sister, Ariya, is already a two-time winner this year and shot an opening-round 66.

Lewis, the former world No. 1 who won the event in 2007 in 2014, finished with a 66. She’s expecting her first child in early November

Defending champion So Yeon Ryu, coming off a victory Sunday in Michigan, shot a 67.

Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay shot a 1-under 70 to tie for 79th, Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 2-over 73 to tie for 128th and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., was 3-over 74.

Friday was Lopez’s long-awaited day to standout, though, much to the delight of the pro-Arkansas crowd.

After missing the cut her last two times out, Lopez took some time off and returned home to Mexico City to rest her mind and work on her game. The work paid off with two straight birdies to open her round and a 6-under 30 on her front nine.

Lopez needed only 25 putts and finished two shots off the course record of 61, and she overcame a poor drive on the par-5 18th to finish with a par and keep her place at the top of the leaderboard. Her previous low score was a 64 last year, and she matched her career best by finishing at 8 under.

“(Rest) is a key that no one really truly understands until you’re out here,” Lopez said. “… Sometimes resting is actually the part you’ve got to work on.”

CROMWELL, Conn. – Canada’s Mac Hughes carded a 2-under 68 in Friday’s second round to sit at 5 under par heading into the weekend at the Travelers Championship. Hughes, a Dundas, Ont., native, leads all Canadians in a tie for 17th at TPC River Highlands. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C. is two back at 3 under par, while Corey Conners, Ben Silverman and Nick Taylor failed to make the cut.

Brian Harman shot a 4-under 66 on Friday to move to 10-under par and watched that hold up for the second-round lead in the Travelers Championship, thanks in part to a 10-second rule.

Harman finished a stroke ahead of Matt Jones and first round co-leader Zach Johnson, who lost a stroke during his round of 68 when his birdie putt hung on the lip of the cup at the third hole for longer than the maximum allowed 10 seconds before falling in, giving him a par.

“After 10 seconds, the ball was moving and at that point even if the ball is moving, It’s deemed to be at rest, because it’s on the lip,” Johnson said. “Don’t ask me why, but that’s just the way it is.”

Harman had his short game working for the second consecutive day, taking 26 putts after needing only 23 during the first round.

“The putter has been really good so far, but I’ve been in position a lot,” he said. “I’ve had a lot of good looks at it. I’m just able to put a little pressure on the course right now, which is nice.”

Jones hit 16 of 18 greens for the second consecutive day, following up his first round 65 with a 66.

Bryson DeChambeau (66), Paul Casey (67) and Russell Henley (65) were two strokes back going into the weekend.

But Johnson, who started on the 10th tee, had the day’s most interesting round, which included just two birdies, but one amazing par save. He hit the ball into the TPC River Highland’s signature lake on No. 17, dropped across the water near the 16th tee box and then put his third shot within 8 feet of the hole from 234 yards away.

“You can’t hit that shot and then not make that putt,” he said. “It felt good to get away with that four. That’s as good an up and down as I’ve ever witnessed or performed.”

Lanto Griffin and two-time Travelers champion Bubba Watson were at even par coming into Friday. But both shot a 63 to move into contention heading into the weekend, three shots behind the leader. Watson jump started his round with an eagle on his third hole, the par-5 13th.

“I had some mental mistakes yesterday, and then I didn’t make some putts,” said Watson. “Today I started out hotter. I made a good shot on 11, our second hole, made the putt, making a solid par putt on 12, and then that freed me up a little bit. Gave me some confidence going into the next hole where I made the eagle.”

Rory McIlroy also is at 7 under after a 69. McIlroy, Watson and Justin Thomas (5 under) were grouped together Thursday and Friday, drawing large galleries.

“I definitely helps, Thomas said. ”It’s fun playing with good friends. You definitely get more momentum when guys are playing well. I obviously couldn’t get a whole lot of momentum out there. I was kind of hovering around 1- or 2-under. It was pretty much just Bubba today. Rory didn’t play great either and both of us definitely could have had a lot lower rounds“

Defending champion Jordan Spieth, tied with Johnson after an opening 63, had a 73 to drop into a tie for 25th at 4 under. His round, which started on the back nine, included a triple bogey on the par-5 13th hole and an eagle on par-5 sixth, when he put his second shot within 2 feet of the hole from 276 yards away.

“I don’t go to the range after 63s very often, and I was there for an hour yesterday trying to figure out the golf swing,” he said. “So it’s not like things are on. Sometimes it can get disguised by rounds, but it’s not far off. It really is close.”

Masters champion Patrick Reed, coming off a fourth-place finish in the U.S. Open, shot a 67 to miss the cut by a shot at minus-1.