NORTON, Mass. – Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, BC, finished with a share of 8th after firing a 3-under 68 on Friday at the Dell Technologies Championship.

The first time Justin Rose played a competitive round at TPC Boston, he shot 63. That was 15 years ago and he was not yet a TOUR member. He was playing on a sponsor’s exemption extended by then-tournament director Jay Monahan, now the PGA TOUR Commissioner.

Rose, then 23-years old, eventually finished solo third and earned his TOUR card without having to go through Q-school.

Since then, he’s played more than 300 TOUR events, won nine times – including a major and two WGC events – and also won an Olympic gold medal. It’s been a stellar career.

But he’s never been able to match that 63 – although he came close Friday with a bogey-free 6-under 65 to take the lead.

“This golf course has been changed and manipulated a lot through the years,” said Rose after his 45th career round at TPC Boston. “I think the first couple of years I played really well and enjoyed it. Then obviously significant changes through the years. I guess the last few years things have settled a little bit again.

“So I played better when it was pre-redesign. I probably had more success.”

Indeed. Besides his solo third in 2003, he tied for fourth in 2006. But since the debut of the FedExCup Playoffs the following year and the course’s redesign by Gil Hanse, Rose’s only top-10 finish came last year with a tie for 10th.

Perhaps he’s finally starting to solve it. He certainly solved the tricky wind conditions better than anybody else, and his bogey-free round was one of just two on the day (Abraham Ancer had the other in shooting 66).

Of course, it helps that he’s an established world-class golfer, ranked sixth in FedExCup points and fourth in the world.

Even so, TPC Boston – at least the latest version — may always seem liked a mystery to him.

“I’ve had some mixed results here,” said Rose, who turned his first missed cut of the season at last week’s FedExCup Playoffs opener into a six-day visit back home. “I’ve had some great weeks and I’ve had some poor weeks here. It’s a course I never really know exactly what to expect.

“But it’s a fun golf course.”

It was fun 15 years ago when he first saw it. Maybe it will be even more fun for him the rest of this week.

Calgary, Ont. – Canadian Rod Spittle is off to a solid start in his final PGA Tour Champions event.

Spittle shot 4-under 66 in the opening round of the 54-hole Shaw Charity Classic event on Friday, putting him in a tie for third place two shots behind co-leaders Miguel Angel Jimenez and Kirk Triplett.

After bogeying the 17th hole at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country Club, Spittle rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt on the par-5 18th and received a rousing ovation from the fans.

“We had a good spot, it was pretty level,” said the 63-year-old from Niagara Falls, Ont. “You just try to hit the best putt you can, of course, and yeah, it kind of found the bottom. So a really nice way to finish. It sets us up for a great weekend, there’s no doubt about it.”

Prior to the season, Spittle decided to retire after playing an 11-tournament schedule.

“I never really thought it was that big a deal,” he said. “It was just time for us to begin to kind of ride into the sunset and we picked our 11 tournaments and that’s all cool. Obviously we set it up to do it here at home, so that’s all great.”

Jimenez had an up-and-down round with an eagle, seven birdies and three bogeys. He had a chance for eagle on the final hole, but wound up making par.

“It’s a pity to make three putts on the last hole,” said Jimenez, who finished second behind Scott McCarron at last year’s Shaw Charity Classic. “I played very well apart from making three bogeys.”

Triplett had four birdies on his first four holes and three more on the back nine before bogeying the 17th to fall into a tie for the lead with Jimenez.

“The game seemed to be pretty easy for about 14 holes,” Triplett said. “I really struggled the last four holes.”

Esteban Toledo and Joe Durant also finished in a tie for third with Spittle at 4 under. McCarron is in a group of seven golfers at 3 under with Mike Goodes, Scott Parel, Jerry Kelly, Joey Sindelar, Brian Mogg and Gibby Gilbert III.

Calgary’s Steve Blake, who received a sponsor exemption to compete in his hometown event, carded an even-par round of 70 to finish in a tie for 37th place, while Vancouver’s Stephen Ames bogeyed the 18th hole to card a round of 1-over 71.

MAYNOOTH, Ireland — After getting off to a rocky start at the World Amateur Team Championships, Team Canada climbed the leaderboard during round two and three. The Canadian trio, consisting of Team Canada Amateur Squad’s Jaclyn Lee, Naomi Ko and Maddie Szyerk, will start the final day tied for 12th in the hunt the Espirito Santo Trophy.

Calgary’s Lee has been instrumental in boosting the team up the leaderboard carding rounds of 69 and 72 and a total of ten birdies against six birdies over the last 36 holes. The 21-year-old Ohio State amateur, who started the tournament tied for 75th, now sits T16 heading into Saturday’s final round.

22-year-old Szyerk, of London, Ont., fired her second 71 of the tournament to share a piece of 51st.

Ko, who registered the third and non-counting score, is in a tie for 60th after posting rounds of 78, 70 and 75.

In windy conditions and playing against the other two teams on the top of the leaderboard on the Montgomerie course, the USA posted a 54-hole score of 19-under 415 to extend its lead to five strokes over defending champion Republic of Korea and six over Japan.

“It was a really tough day, and everyone had to grind,” said USA captain Stasia Collins. “We were on 12 and we had two players at plus 3, and I told them that their scores might count, and they had to grind it out. They worked very hard and made some birdies coming in. It was great.”

One of those players was McCormack medal winner, 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur champion and World No. 1 Jennifer Kupcho, who shrugged over a shaky start and posted four birdies on her last four holes for 1-under 71.

“I was struggling with putting so I decided instead of lining up the ball, I would set the ball down the putt like I do in practice,” said Kupcho, who won the 2018 NCAA Women’s individual title playing for Wake Forest. “I don’t’ focus that much and I just hit it. It worked really well, and I made some putts and got my confidence back and I birdied the last two holes, which was a bonus.”

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play.  In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

The 2018 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship heads to Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club for the 57th playing of the event on Sept. 4-7, with a practice round to take place on the 3rd.

“With a field of accomplished senior golfers ready to take on Gowan Brae, the 2018 Canadian Men’s Senior Championship is sure to be an exciting competition,” said Tournament Director Adam Cinel. “Our hosts at Gowan Brae have brought together a great team of volunteers and the course is sure to provide our golfers with a challenging, rewarding experience.”

Designed by Mr. C.E. (Robbie) Robinson, Gowan Brae was established in 1958 as a nine hole venue before it was turned to eighteen holes in 1962. Constructed along the windy shores of the Bathurst Harbour near the Bay of Chaleur, the course features water views from at least 14 different holes throughout.

“Gowan Brae is proud and excited to host the 2018 Canadian Men’s senior Golf Championship. Our staff and volunteer team have been working hard to prepare for the event,” said Gowan Brae Director of Golf Adam Chamberlain. “We hope the players will enjoy the scenery and a good test of golf at Gowan Brae and get a chance to enjoy some maritime hospitality on their trip to the North Shore of New Brunswick.”

A full field of 156 competitors aged 55-and-over will take to Gowan Brae for the 57th playing of this national championship in hopes of joining its list of notable winners. Returning to defend his Canadian Men’s Senior title is Gene Elliott of West Des Moines, Ill., who shot a final-round 70 to win the event by two strokes.

Following the opening two rounds, the field will be reduced to the low 70 players and ties. The champion will receive an exemption into the 2019 U.S. Senior Amateur championship to be contested at the Old Chatham Golf Club in Durham, N.C., from Aug. 24-29. 

A 65-and-over Super Senior Championship will also run concurrently throughout the championship, crowning a champion after 72 holes of play. In 2017, Paul Simson of Raleigh, N.C., claimed a one-shot victory in the division over Lance Lundy of Pemberton, B.C. 

An inter-provincial team competition for the Phil Farley Trophy will also be contested over the tournament’s first two rounds. Team Alberta will be looking for their third consecutive inter-provincial title after a 3-over 283 in 2017 gave them a commanding twelve-stroke victory over Team British Columbia.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

NOTABLES
Gene Elliott of West Des Moines, Ill.
The 56-year-old comes in as the event’s defending champion. He has won three titles in 2018 — Golfweek Senior National Match Play, Iowa Masters and George C Thomas Invitational – Senior — in addition to four top-three finishes this season.

Graham Cooke of Hudson, Que.
The 71-year-old is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and has won the event four times (2001, 2002, 2008 and 2009). Cooke, who helped to renovate the host course, recently won the Championnat Senior Montreal and is one of Canada’s greatest amateur golfers of all time, holding the record number of wins at the Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship with seven. 

Jack Hall of Savannah, Ga.
The 61-year-old won the event in 2015 and finished T3 last year. In 2018, he won both the National Senior Amateur Hall of Fame and the Georgia Senior Match Play Championships.

Doug Roxburgh of Vancouver B.C.
The 2014 winner of the event is a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and was the low-Canadian in last year’s tournament after finishing T6. The 66-year-old won the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship four times (1972, 1974, 1982 and 1988). He also has the record for most wins at the B.C. Men’s Amateur Championship with 13.

David Schultz of Calgary, Alta.
The 61-year-old won the event in 2013 after making a birdie on the final hole of the tournament. Schultz also won the 2016 Guardian Capital Alberta Senior Men’s Championship and the Calgary City Amateur Championship – the latter he won five times – earning himself a spot in Calgary’s Golf Hall of Fame.

FAST FACTS 
Conducted since 1962.

Golfers must be 55 and over to be eligible. 

In 1995, the 70 and over Canadian Super Senior division was added and is contested through the first two rounds. For the first time, this competition will be contested over 72 holes.

The inter-provincial competition, which began in 1977, occurs concurrently over the first two rounds.

The champion is awarded the John Rankin Memorial Trophy.

The winner of the Super Senior division is awarded the Governors Cup.

Calgary’s Bob Wylie has won the event seven times since 1985. 

Nick Weslock won the event six times between 1973 and 1983. 

Paul Simson became the first person to win the British, U.S. and Canadian senior titles in the same year in 2010. 

The winner receives an exemption into the 2019 U.S. Men’s Senior Amateur Championship. 

ABOUT THE COURSE
Officially opened in 1958 as a nine hole venue; by 1962 the course was open for 18 holes of play.

Designed by Mr. C.E. (Robbie) Robinson. Renovated by seven-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Graham Cooke.

The property was essentially donated to the Bathurst Golf Association by Leach Investments, of Winnipeg.

Hosted four National Championships including the 1998 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur and the 2006 Canadian Junior Girls along with many other provincial and Atlantic competitions.

The 6,700 yard layout features 4 sets off tees to offer a great experience to all skill levels.

PORTLAND, Ore. — Marina Alex matched the course record with a 10-under 62 on Thursday to take a two-stroke lead over Canadian Brooke Henderson and Minjee Lee in the Cambia Portland Classic.

With Stacy Lewis unable to defend her title as she prepares for the birth of her first child, Alex is using her friend’s caddie, Travis Wilson, at Columbia Edgewater.

“It’s been a blast,” Alex said. “The timing was great. He wanted to work a couple more events before the season ended and I was looking. Trav is awesome. So much fun, really lighthearted.”

They had a lot of fun Thursday morning on the tree-lined layout.

“The course is in perfect shape,” Alex said. “So, if you’re hitting your lines, you’re going to make a ton of putts. … I’m going to have to come out and make as many birdies as I can the next three days.”

Winless on the tour, the 28-year-old former Vanderbilt player birdied the last four holes and five of the last six in a back-nine 30.

“Got my ball-striking together and it was awesome,” Alex said.

Henderson, the 2015 and 2016 winner from Smiths Falls, Ontario, birdied five of the last six holes for a 64. The 20-year-old star is coming off a victory Sunday in the CP Women’s Open on home soil in Regina.

“I could see the scores were really low today, so I wanted to go low on the back nine,” Henderson said. “And I was able to get five birdies. I’m really happy with this round.”

Lee closed with a bogey on the par-4 ninth. The Australian birdied her first five holes and six of the first seven.

“I think it was a combination of everything,” Lee said. “Most of the day I struck it pretty well with my iron shots. I had pretty good control of the yardages and I hit some solid putts.”

Robynn Ree was at 65 after a closing bogey. After a last-minute putter change, the 21-year-old former Southern California player played the first 10 holes in 7 under. She had 10 birdies _ five in a row on Nos. 2-6 _ and two bogeys.

“I was like maybe I’ll get the new putter vibes,” Ree said. “Luckily, that worked out today and my shots were so much better. I was really fortunate that I was hitting well and putting well.”

Women’s British Open champion Georgia Hall matched Su Oh at 66.

“It’s an amazing golf course,” Hall said. “It’s in great condition.”

Anna Nordqvist, Brittany Lincicome, Angela Stanford and Mariah Stackhouse topped the group at 67.

Lexi Thompson eagled the par-5 seventh in a 68. She missed the cut last week in Canada after tying for 12th in Indianapolis following a three-week break for emotional and mental fatigue.

Inbee Park, playing for the first time since the Women’s British Open, opened with a 69 playing alongside Thompson and Shanshan Feng (72).

There are five other Canadians in the field.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., opened with a 3-under 69. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay (72) are even while Charlottetown’s Lori Kane (76) and Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., (78) are well back.

Karen Stupples had a 69 in her first tour start in more than two years. The 45-year-old English player is a commentator for Golf Channel.

“I was pretty nervous,” Stupples said. “I started to get nervous last night. But managed just to play and have fun with it today. It was really fun, actually. I enjoyed it and the challenge. One-under par, that was pretty good. It was way above my expectations.”

FONTHILL, Ont. — Australian Sue Wooster successfully defended her Senior and Mid-Master titles on Thursday, becoming only the 8th player to win back-to-back champions in the final round of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur & Senior Championship at Lookout Point Country Club.

“I played pretty good today,” said the 56-year-old. “I got off to a rough start, so I was three over, so it felt hard to finish at that score so I’m really happy with my performance under pressure.”

Wooster had quite the up-and-down round, starting the day with a bogey on the first hole and a double bogey on the par-3 second hole. After closing out the front-nine with a birdie, Wooster remained steadier after the turn, matching two more bogeys with two birdies to finish with a one-stroke victory over second-round leader Mary Ann Hayward.

Hayward – a member of the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame –started the day leading three divisions but could not capitalize on her momentum. A rough start, highlighted by four consecutive bogeys, seemed to be turned around when she registered two birdies before tackling the back-nine.

In the end, the 58-year-old could not recover, adding five more bogeys and a birdie across her final holes to fall to second place, while Terrill Samuel finished third in both the Mid-Master and Senior divisions.

The day would not be over for Wooster, who finished her 18 holes tied for the lead in the Mid-Amateur division to force a playoff against three-time Mid-Amateur Champion Christina Proteau. Wooster and Proteau matched each other shot for shot, keeping the crowd on their toes throughout the playoff.

“I haven’t had a playoff ever that long,” said Wooster with a laugh. “It was just a matter of playing it straight hoping that I got the distance right. We were having fun. Who can ask for more? Playing golf and people cheering you, we’re very privileged.”

After spending most of the playoff neck-in-neck, the competition would come down to the wire on the fourth playoff hole. Proteau and Wooster both missed the fairway after their tee shots. With Wooster’s second stroke landing on the green and Proteau’s second shot taking her just short of the green, it looked as though the playoff would shortly come to an end. When Porteau’s third shot went right over the green, Wooster made a two-putt to emerge victorious.

Despite falling just short of the win, Proteau’s performance was nothing short of magnetic, helping to draw in the large crowd that had gathered to watch her battle it out with Wooster.

“It doesn’t get any better than that, that’s what you practice for. There’s always going to be someone that loses, and I just pushed it a hair on the last playoff hole and not a great lie but that’s just the way she goes,” said the 35-year-old. “Sue played awesome, it was a super enjoyable day and to play with Mary Ann Hayward in there, it was an awesome day. “

By winning the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior titles, Wooster etches her name on a rare accomplishment as only the third player to win those divisions simultaneously next toTerrill Samuel (2015) and Judith Kyrinis (2016).

“I’m overwhelmed. I just can’t believe it,” said Wooster when asked how it felt to win three of the four individual competitions. “I think if I can do it, anyone can. You just need a bit of luck. I played pretty good today.”

In the Super Senior Division, Jackie Little rebounded to win at 23 over par. The Proctor, B.C., native will add this title to three others at the tournament, having won the Senior competition back-to-back in 2008 and 2009, as well as the Mid-Amateur title back in 2007.

“I really didn’t think that I had won and in my first year being 60, I was really happy about it, I have to admit, it wasn’t one of my best weeks for playing,” said Little, who reached the age of eligibly for the division in January. “The course is beautiful and a treat to play but it is definitely a tough course, you had to have your A-game.”

Penny Baziuk from North Saanich, B.C., finished one stroke shy of Little to finish in second place while Debbie Court of Mississauga, Ontario shares third with former Mid-Master champion Hélène Chartrand and Canadian Golf Hall of Famer Alison Murdoch, who holds the record for most Senior titles (2002, 2004, 2005 and 2007).

On Wednesday, Team Ontario captured their fifth consecutive inter-provincial team championship with a score of 11 over par, a commanding 20-shot victory over second-place British Columbia. Alberta finished in third at 39 over par.

Canada’s Rod Spittle, 63, is playing in his last professional tournament this week at the Shaw Charity Classic in Calgary.

Spittle, who joined the PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR back in 2005, is playing in his 195th Champions Tour event.

A star on his Ohio State college team alongside PGA TOUR stars John Cook and Joey Sindelar, Spittle doubted his future in professional golf. He instead chose to sell insurance for 25 years.

After winning a couple of Canadian Amateur titles in 1977 and 1078 and keeping his game solid, he took the professional plunge when he turned 50. Since then, he won the 2010 AT&T Championship and had 23 top 10s on tour.

Players paid tribute to Spittle on Twitter in this farewell video put together by the PGA CHAMPIONS TOUR.

You’ll be missed, Rod!

Rod Spittle is retiring after the @ShawClassic. pic.twitter.com/HrEpDgqrsB

— PGA TOUR Champions (@ChampionsTour) August 29, 2018

The world’s top 18-and-under female junior golfers will head to Ottawa for the fifth edition of the World Junior Girls Championship from Sept. 11-14 at Camelot Golf and Country Club. As host nation, Canada will send two teams of three athletes to compete for the international title of World Junior Girls champion.

Representing Canada One will be Céleste Dao (Notre-Dame Ile Perrot, Que.), Ellie Szeryk (London, Ont.) and Tiffany Kong (Vancouver, B.C.), who are three of Canada’s top-ranked junior golfers at No. 317, 459 and 546, respectively, on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR). All three recently competed in the 2018 CP Women’s Open at the Wascana Country Club in Regina, Sask.

This will be 17-year-old Dao’s third year representing Canada at the World Junior Girls. The Team Canada Development Squad rookie is having an extremely impressive season, adding to an already notable junior golf career. So far in 2018, she has recorded four victories – the Canadian Junior Girls Championship, Girls’ Provincial Junior Championship, U.S Women’s Open Qualifying – Cape Cod National and Mexican Junior Girls Championship – to lead the Junior Girls Order of Merit for the second consecutive year.

Szeryk, sister of Canada’s top-ranked amateur female golfer Maddie, has four top-five finishes in 2018 so far, including a win at the Ontario Women’s Amateur Championship. The 16-year-old Team Canada Development Squad rookie currently sits in third in the Junior Girls Order of Merit and will be competing in her second World Junior Girls.

Kong will also be competing in her second World Junior Girls – she represented Canada at the 2015 tournament hosted at The Marshes. The 17-year-old recently competed in the 2018 CP Women’s Open after qualifying as the Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship’s low Canadian. With a win at the Ryan Moore Junior Championship and four top-ten finishes in 2018 under her belt, she currently sits fourth in the Junior Girls Order of Merit.

As the host country, Canada reserves the right to field two teams in the 63-player, 20-country competition. Canada Two will consist of Emily Zhu (Richmond Hill, Ont.), Sarah Beqaj (Toronto, Ont.) and Lauren Kim (Surrey, B.C.), who are ranked 1127, 1013 and 1066 respectively.

14-year-old Zhu is currently second in the Junior Girls Order of Merit. She has six top-ten finishes this year and competed in the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, where she came in second and took home the juvenile title. Her last win came at the 2018 Golf Ontario Investors Group Junior Spring Classic in May.

Beqaj, 16, has top-ten finishes in three of the four events she competed in so far this year. Her best finish in 2018 was third at Golf Ontario’s Investors Group Junior Girls Championship, followed by her fifth place finish at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship. She currently sits twelfth on the Junior Girls Order of Merit.

Kim is the youngest of all the Canadian team members – she only recently turning 13 in August. The rookie junior golfer held the lead during the first round of the Canadian Junior Girls Championship before finishing the tournament in eleventh. She won her first event in 2017 at the MJT – Boston Pizza National Championship and has five other-top ten finishes, including second place at MJT – Odlum Brown Classic and a tie for fifth at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship.

“These six athletes have been selected to represent Canada as a result of their tremendous season, hard work and commitment to the sport. Their accomplishments and selection is a result of the support and joint efforts of Provincial Golf Associations, home clubs, parents and athletes,” said Jeff Thompson, Golf Canada’s chief sport officer. “It is a true honour to be selected to represent your country and we look forward to seeing this group proudly represent all of Canada as they learn and grow on the international stage.”

Matt Wilson (Golf Canada’s Women’s Development Squad Coach and Director of Next Generation Performance) will lead the two Team Canada squads for this competition with the support Reggie Millage (Golf Ontario Head Coach).

“Golf Ontario is excited to once again partner with Golf Canada to conduct this global championship at the historic Camelot Golf & Country Club,” said Mike Kelly, Golf Ontario executive director. “We are thankful for their membership and volunteer committees for all their hard work. We are thrilled for our athletes from Ontario who have been selected to represent Canada and wish them the best of luck.”

The World Junior Girls Championship is conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with Golf Ontario, and supported by the R&A and International Golf Federation. Recognized as an ‘A’ ranked event by the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR), the World Junior Girls Championship will run for its fifth time.

Nestled in Ottawa’s east end, Camelot is no stranger to running Golf Canada championships. The venerable club has hosted the 2012 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, a Canadian Women’s Tour event, the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, as well as final qualifying for the 2017 CP Women’s Open.

Opening ceremonies for the championship take place on Sept. 10 followed by the first round on Tuesday, Sept. 11. The tournament’s closing ceremonies will immediately follow the conclusion of play on Friday, Sept. 14.

“It is an honour to host this prestigious event and we look forward to welcoming these players from across the globe to our nation’s capital,” said tournament director Dan Hyatt. “The course is in tremendous shape and our partners at Camelot Golf and Country Club as well as  communities in the surrounding area have come together to make this a truly memorable event for our competitors.”

Admission to the competition is free. Additional information regarding the fifth annual World Junior Girls Championship can be found on the competition’s website.

PORTLAND, Ore. – It took a while for Brooke Henderson’s win at the CP Women’s Open to sink in.

The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., made history on Sunday when she became the first Canadian to win the national women’s golf championship in 45 years. Speaking a day before teeing off at the Cambia Portland Classic – a tournament she has won twice in her young career – Henderson said last week’s win at Regina’s Wascana Country Club felt like it was “meant to be.”

Or maybe it seemed too good to be true.

“Sunday night when I was trying to fall asleep I had like a nightmare that it wasn’t over and I didn’t actually win, so I kind of woke up like panicked,” Henderson said.

“It’s starting to sink in a little bit more now. It’s just incredible, and to have the amount of support that I did, not only from the fans, but also from a lot of my friends out on tour. When I finished on 18, to get showered in champagne and just have them there waiting for me was really special.”

Henderson, who said winning in Canada was “a big check mark” in her career, can now turn her focus toward a strong finish to the LPGA season. Henderson sits second in the Race to the CME Globe, a season-long points contest that awards a US$1 million bonus to the winner.

Henderson trails Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn by 1,098 points with eight events left.

“I feel like it was a big move for my CME and also my world ranking winning last week, which is really exciting to see those numbers go closer to the top,” Henderson said.

“Hopefully I can just finish strong and put myself in a good position going into CME.”

Henderson picked up her first career LPGA Tour win at Portland’s Columbia Edgewater Country Club in 2015 and defended her title in 2016. She hopes to take advantage of a course that suits her style to pick up valuable points this week.

“I just really like the tall trees, kind of narrow fairways. For a while I only seemed to win on courses like this,” Henderson said.

“But just the atmosphere here is a little bit different. The fans are always great. Very supportive. I think just getting the win in 2015 by I think it was eight shots, which was pretty cool for my first win out on tour, just since then I feel like coming back here every hole I have a good memory.

“And some bad ones – but I feel like the good ones overtake those.”

Fresh off her historic win @cpwomensopen, 2-time @PortlandClassic winner @BrookeHenderson addressed the media earlier today ==> pic.twitter.com/4DkVdo3Syb

— LPGA (@LPGA) August 29, 2018

FONTHILL, Ont. – Neither wind nor rain could keep Mary Ann Hayward from taking the lead in three out of four individual divisions during the second round of the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship at Lookout Point Country Club on Wednesday.

The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame honoured member shot the lowest score of the tournament so far with an even-par 72 to take sole possession of the lead in the Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior competitions after 36 holes.

“Yesterday played really tough. I played pretty good yesterday, didn’t putt so well but hit the ball extremely well with the wind conditions,” said the St. Thomas,Ont. product. “We lucked out with the weather today, the prediction was a lot worse than what it was. It played quite differently so I had to play different clubs after different tees and didn’t have a howling wind in our face so little tough to figure out.” 

Hayward is no stranger to being in contention at this championship. Tomorrow, the 58-year-old will look to add a fourth Canadian Women’s Senior Championship to her trophy case and match her four Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship victories. 

“I think everyone struggles with the putting, the greens here are a bit difficult. It’s tricky and plays with your mind a little bit playing with something you can’t see so just trusting that it’s going to do what it should do,” added Hayward. “But if it was easy, they’d call it hockey.”

Gail Pimm of Uxbridge, Ont., started off the day leading the Senior and Mid-Master divisions but carded a second-round 78 to put her in a tie for second.

“It wasn’t as consistent today but I had some bad holes but I kept with it, I toughed it out so I didn’t give up,” said the 58-year-old. “I’m still in the hunt. I’m looking forward to tomorrow and think I could do better than today for sure.”

Defending Champion Sue Wooster struggled during the first round, but three bogeys against one birdie in the second round has her sitting in second alongside Pimm in the Mid-Master, Senior and Mid-Amateur divisions.

“I hit the ball pretty solid and I drove it good all day. I just think I wasn’t in tune with the speed but I’m pretty happy,” said the Australia native. “The course has a lot of tough holes so I think if you can manage those tough holes, you’ve got some good chances on some easier holes.”

Five-time Mid-Amateur Champion Christina Proteau shares a piece of second with Wooster and Pimm in the Mid-Amateur division.

On the strength of Hayward’s lead, Ontario won their fifth consecutive inter-provincial team championship at 11 over par, a commanding 20-shot victory over second-place British Columbia. Alberta finished in third at 39 over par.

In the 60-and-over Super Senior division, Penny Baziuk (North Saanich, B.C.) has a one-stroke lead over yesterday’s Super Senior leader Jackie Little (Procter, B.C.) and Ruth Maxwell (Reno, Nev.). 

Click here for more information on the Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship, including tomorrow’s tee times.