In a recent video posted to Instagram, Adam Hadwin was preparing for this week’s British Open by hitting balls in his backyard in Phoenix.

It may seem counterproductive, climate-wise, except it was during an Arizona monsoon – and the Canadian golfer was there in full rain-gear, smiling away.

The state’s monsoon season runs from mid-June to September, which lined up perfectly for Hadwin as he prepared for the third major of the year.

“I do have more understanding about links golf and what to do where and when. I feel more confident that I’ll be able to adjust my game over there going over this time (better than he did) last year,” the 30-year-old Hadwin, of Abbotsford, B.C., said.

.@ahadwingolf grew up in Canada, so naturally he is calm, cool, and collected in any weather condition ??☀️❄️⛈? – ? @ahadwingolf

A post shared by Golf Canada (@thegolfcanada) on Jul 12, 2018 at 5:23pm PDT

“Certainly there’s lots still to learn, but I definitely learned a lot playing last year.”

Not only did 2017 mark Hadwin’s debut at the British Open, it also was his first trip to Europe.

He missed the cut, and despite enjoying being tourist-for-the-day in Liverpool with his wife Jessica, he’s eager for more this year at Carnoustie Golf Links.

Scotland has experienced a heat wave the last few months, meaning the course is ripe for long, running shots along baked-out turf.

Hadwin, the lone Canadian in the field, said he has worked on some specific links golf strategies.

“I dialed in the basics but also added some of those unique shots I might face, and tried to fly the ball a little bit lower, especially off the tee,” said Hadwin.

“If you hit good golf shots, it doesn’t matter what kind of golf course you’re playing. It’s really just golf in the end.”

Hadwin plans to add a few different clubs to his bag that he hasn’t used since last year’s British Open.

Hadwin admitted he doesn’t know much about Carnoustie, but has been told repeatedly it will be a stern test of golf.

“Everyone seems to be calling it ‘Car-nasty’ so my understanding is it’s going to be a very difficult golf course, especially if the conditions make it more so,” he said.

He planned to play 18 holes on Monday after walking the course over the weekend. He’ll play another full round on Wednesday as, from experience, he knows a major-championship venue changes drastically from the beginning of the week to Thursday’s opening round.

“I’ll ease my way into it,” he said. “I know I’m arriving an extra couple days (early) versus a normal week, but the biggest thing is to get adjusted .”

As Canada’s highest-ranked male golfer, Hadwin has earned more than US$1.4 million this season, with three top-10 finishes.

He missed the cut at last month’s U.S. Open, ending a streak of cuts-made that was one of the longest on Tour, but feels confident he’ll begin to score well again sooner rather than later.

Although Hadwin sits 60th on the FedEx Cup season-long points race (more than twice as high as the next-closest Canadian), he admitted his putting – long considered his strength – has let him down slightly this year.

He told The Canadian Press in December his objective for 2018 was to improve his iron play, which he said he’s done. But because of how much Hadwin practised that aspect of his game, his putting work tapered off.

He said he has spent more time on the putting green recently to work on speed, alignment and feel.

Hadwin hasn’t notched a top-20 finish since May. He said he is in a “birdie-bogey cycle,” but feels he’s playing well overall.

“I’m driving it well enough and keeping it in play. I’ve hit my fair share of bad shots but overall I’m hitting it pretty well, I’m just not scoring,” he said. “And in golf, it’s not about how, it’s about how many.”

After the British Open, Hadwin will fly back to Oakville, Ont. for next week’s RBC Canadian Open, where his best finish is a tie for fourth in 2011.

PORT BLANDFORD, N.L. —  Golf Canada concludes its 2018 Future Links championship season as the Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship is ready to take place at Terra Nova Resort on the award-winning Twin Rivers Golf Course from July 17-19.

With support from Golf Newfoundland and Labrador, the Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship is the final regional junior championship presented in partnership with Acura this season. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on July 16 before the tournament gets underway with round one on July 17.

Twin Rivers Golf Course officially opened in August 1984 as a nine-hole public course in Terra Nova National Park designed by Robbie Robinson. A second nine-hole, designed by Doug Carrick, opened in July 1991.

“Golf Newfoundland and Labrador is excited to present the 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship alongside Golf Canada,” said this week’s Tournament Director, Greg Hillier. “We look forward to seeing how Twin Rivers Golf Course tests Canada’s premier junior golfers while giving them an opportunity to showcase their skills.”

The field will consist of  57 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 30-Aug. 2 at Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club in Medicine Hat, Alta. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division will consist of 8 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on July 31- Aug. 3 at Beach Grove Golf Club in Tsawwassen, B.C.

Results from the previous 2018 Future Links, driven by Acura championships can be found here:Pacific, Ontario, Western, Quebec and Prairie.

More information regarding the Future Links, driven by Acura Championships can be found here.

NOTABLES
Haley Baker of Halifax, Nova Scotia
The 16-year-old has placed in the top-ten in five out of the six events she played in this season. Her best finish in 2018 so far was second place at the 2018 East Cost Junior Championship.

Owen Mullen of Truro, Nova Scotia
The 14-year-old finished T10 at the event last year. Mullen won the 2018 CJGA Atlantic Spring Classic and has three other top-five finishes this year. He ranks 50th on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

Daniel Kirby of Woodstock, New Brunswick
The 15-year-old finished T7 at the same event last year, the highest of anyone in the Boys Division this year. Kirby finished first at the CJGA DeLaet Cup Team East Qualifier at Northumberland Links Golf Club and currently ranks 36th in the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

Taylor Cormier of Corner Brook, Newfoundland and Labrador
The 16-year-old had a stellar 2017 season, winning four out of the five events that she competed in addition to being named Golf Newfoundland and Labrador’s Junior Female Golfer of the Year. She tied for thirteenth at the event last year.

FAST FACTS
In 2018, Golf Canada is conducting its six regional Future Links, driven by Acura championships in conjunction with the Provincial Associations.

Top six finishers in the Boys Division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2018 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Calvin Ross successfully defended his 2015, 2016 and 2017 Future Links Atlantic titles, and continuing on to win the Canadian Junior Boys Championship last year by two strokes.
Meghan McLean went wire-to-wire to win the Girls Division in the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic Championship.

ABOUT THE COURSE
Twin Rivers Golf Course officially opened in August 1984 as a nine-hole public course in Terra Nova National Park.

The second nine hole opened in July 1991.

Acknowledged as one of the top 100 courses in the country

SILVIS, Ill. — David Hearn and Mackenzie Hughes were the top Canadians, finishing T16 at the John Deere Classic on Sunday.

Brampton’s Hearn was one to watch this weekend. The 39-year-old recorded third place and second place performances during the first two rounds but finished tied for sixteenth alongside Hughes after a fourth round 1 under.

Hughes moved up 18 spots to end tied with Hearn and five other players after firing 6 under to finish at 14-under-par 270.

Michael Kim didn’t just win his first PGA Tour event on Sunday. He dominated in a fashion never seen at TPC Deere Run.

Kim’s prizes? A little over a million bucks, a two-year exemption on tour and a trip to the British Open.

Kim shot a final-round 66 on Sunday to win the John Deere Classic by a record-setting eight strokes. Kim, who turned 25 on Saturday, finished at 27-under 257 to break Steve Stricker’s tournament record from 2010 by one shot.

Kim also qualified for next week’s Open at Carnoustie _ an unexpected bonus for a player who had missed five of his last six cuts before his breakthrough in the Quad Cities.

Kim also made 30 birdies for the week, a season high on tour in 2018.

“To be able to finish out in style like this, it means a lot,” said Kim, who nearly quadrupled his season earnings with a winner’s share of $1.044 million. “To be sitting here with a trophy, I’m at a loss for words.”

Bronson Burgoon, Francesco Molinari, Joel Dahmen and Sam Ryder all finished at 19 under.

Kim took all the drama out of the final round with birdies on his first three holes and secured the largest margin of victory during the tournament’s stay at the course, which began in 2000. J.P. Hayes (2002) and Vijay Singh (2003) won the event by four strokes.

Kim, who had previously had just one top-10 finish in 84 career starts _ a third at the Safeway Open two years ago _ entered play with a five-shot lead. It was the biggest edge for a third-round leader at the John Deere Classic since Stricker’s six-stroke advantage eight years ago.

Kim, a former star at Cal who had struggled to find his footing as a pro, made it obvious from his first swing that he wasn’t about to let anyone catch him.

Kim knocked in a 13-foot birdie putt on the opening hole, and then holed two more from 15 and 24 feet to give him seven straight birdies dating back to the end of Saturday’s round _ and a seven-shot lead.

The field might have felt a glimmer of hope when Kim dumped his tee shot into the greenside bunker on the par-3 seventh hole.

But Kim got his bunker shot to within 7 feet and made the downhill par putt, and he walked to the next tee with an eight-shot edge.

“Even the last couple of weeks, I felt like my game was getting there,” Kim said. “I just felt like I needed just a couple of good starts to the rounds.”

Kim surpassed Stricker’s mark with a 21-foot putt on No. 16. The understated Kim finally let loose, holding his hand to his ear in a nod to a cheering gallery.

Kim’s day ended on No. 18 in emotional fashion when he saw his brother, father and mother _ all of whom had made a surprise trip in hopes of seeing him get his first win _ on a video screen.

“I teared up a little bit on the green,” Kim said. “To see my parents here … it made me even more nervous.”

SYLVANIA, Ohio — Canadian Brooke Henderson narrowly missed her seventh LPGA Tour victory Sunday, finishing third at the Marathon Classic.

The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., had a one-shot lead heading into the final round and cruised through the first 14 holes of the day before running into trouble with bogeyes on Nos. 15 and 16.

Thidapa Suwannapura of Thailand beat American Brittany Lincicome in a playoff to win the tournament after both finished 72 holes tied at 14-under 270.

Henderson had four birdies, including three on the first six holes, finishing the round 2-under 69 for a 13 under total.

Henderson has six LPGA Tour wins, two shy of Sandra Post’s record for most by a Canadian woman.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., finished in a tie for 32nd place at 6 under. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was 3 under for a share of 49th.

Wasn’t the finish she expected but @BrookeHenderson did amazing this weekend, finishing in third @MarathonLPGA and climbing to fourth in the Race to CME Globe!
Leave your supportive comments for her ⬇️❤️pic.twitter.com/octO3CRvxs

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 16, 2018

SILVIS, Ill. – David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., entered the day tied for second but a rougher round saw him settling for a round of 1-under 70 at the 2018 John Deere Classic after three rounds.

Hearn will be looking for the rebound on Sunday as he heads into the final round in a tie for seventh at 14 under.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is 10 under, while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., stands at 8 under. Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is 6 under, while Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., rounds out the Canadian contingent at 4 under.

Michael Kim took a five-shot lead Saturday at the John Deere Classic in a third round delayed twice for a total of roughly four hours because of bad weather and concerns over lightning.

Kim, who has just one top-10 finish in 84 career PGA Tour starts, shot a 7-under 64 _ closing with four straight birdies _ for a three-day total of 22-under 191.

Bronson Burgoon (66) is 17 under and Australian Matt Jones (66) is 16 under.

Harold Varner III (66) is alone in fourth place at 15 under. Andres Romero of Argentina is 14 under after shooting 64, as is Sam Ryder (67).

Tyler Duncan had the day’s best round with a 63.

THUNDER BAY, Ont. — Riley Wheeldon is the top Canadian at the Staal Foundation Open after three rounds, vying for his second Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week award after finishing his round with five consecutive birdies, and six in his final seven holes, to shoot 30 on the back side. The Richmond, B.C., native heads into the final round T6 after his Sunday 67.

Fellow Canadian Jake Duvall continued his solid golf into the weekend. With just a single blemish on his card, the Victoria, B.C. native shot 69 and heads into Sunday T8, the first time he’s held a top-10 position heading into a Sunday in his Mackenzie Tour career.

Jared Du Toit of Calgary, Alta., and Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., also head into the final round in the top-20 at 11 under.

For the second consecutive day, Blake Olson is at the top of the leaderboard at the Staal Foundation Open due to a Saturday 69 at Whitewater Golf Club. Olson’s 17-under total gives him a one-shot lead heading into the final round.

Despite giving a shot back on three out of four par-3s, Olson made six birdies on the day to shoot his third round in the 60s in a row.

“I wasn’t in any panic mode because it was playing tough this afternoon,” said Olson. “If you look at anybody in the last five groups, it was a grind, it wasn’t anywhere as easy as the morning. I know some guys shot some good early-day scores, but they’ll be playing more in the heat tomorrow, so we’ll see.”

The Pensacola, FL product has played each event on the Mackenzie Tour schedule this season and is currently the 32^nd ranked player on The Five leaderboard, with his best finish coming as a T10 at the Freedom 55 Financial Open in June.

Since he missed the cut at the Bayview Place DCBank Open presented by Times Colonist, Olson has played 15 consecutive rounds at even-par or better on Tour.

The 27-year-old noted four important points he will think about as he draws into a final pairing for the first time in a PGA TOUR sanctioned event.

“Playing solid, staying present, realizing it’s just golf and having fun,” said Olson. “My name was on the top yesterday, it’s on top today, I’m just going to look to have some fun tomorrow and see if we can keep it there.”

Meanwhile, drawing into the final pairing with Olson is Australian Brett Coletta after rounds of 66-64-69. Coletta has two top-25 finishes this year.

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Canada’s Brooke Henderson is heading into the final round of the LPGA Tour’s Marathon Classic with sole possession of the lead.

The 20-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont., shot a 2-under 69 Saturday for an 11 under total through 54 holes and a one-stroke advantage over Americans Angela Stanford and Brittany Lincicome.

Henderson, who entered the third round tied for the lead with Sweden’s Caroline Hedwall at 9 under, fired five birdies to help even out an up-and-down round that also featured three bogeys.

Henderson, who birdied the 17th to take sole possession of the lead, admitted she was disappointed with her play on Saturday.

“I made some birdies but I made some bogeys. I didn’t hit it how I normally hit it, so I kind of grinded it out as best I could, and that’s good,” she said. “That’s a good sign when you can still shoot under par and not hit it very well. Just going into tomorrow trying to get back to the way I normally strike it, and hopefully make a lot of birdies.”

Making time for the fans ?✍? pic.twitter.com/QCFortqzOT

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 15, 2018

Stanford tied the best score of the day at 65 while Lincicome shot 67. Hedwall dipped into a tie for 21st place with a 74.

Seeking her first win since 2012, Stanford has shot back-to-back 65s after an opening-round 73. She credited a hot putter for her surge.

“I think that’s kind of what’s kept me in it,” Stanford said. “I’m seeing the lines pretty well. I didn’t have the speed the first day. I didn’t have it at all. I kind of figured it out the last two days.”

Lincicome had a 4-under 67, including birdies on two of the final three holes. In 10 previous Marathon Classics, her best finish was a tie for seventh in 2008.

“This golf course is sneaky tight,” said the big-hitting Lincicome, who is also seeking her second victory of the season. “I don’t get to hit very many drivers, but even the 3-woods and the hybrids off the tee, you have to keep it in play, and there are a few holes out there that I just pray I get through with a par, and we try to birdie the others.”

Brittany Marchand (70) of Orangeville, Ont., was six shots back of Henderson in a tie for 30th place. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (71) was 11 shots off the pace.

Henderson has six LPGA Tour victories, including the Lotte Championship earlier this season. She is two victories away from tying Sandra Post’s record eight by a Canadian woman.

This is the fifth time in Henderson’s career she has held the 54-hole lead. She went on to win on three of the four prior occasions.

“It’s going to take a really good score,” Henderson said of Sunday’s challenge. “Lot of people shot minus-6, minus-5 today. So I would imagine something close to that tomorrow would do the job.”

A win, worth US$240,000, would vault Henderson into second on the LPGA money list this year.

Henderson is looking to become just the third player to win multiple events on the LPGA Tour this year.

Highlights from @BrookeHenderson’s third round that gave her a 1-stroke lead heading into Sunday @MarathonLPGA ?? pic.twitter.com/flrcDu2aX5

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) July 15, 2018

SILVIS, Ill. – David Hearn shot a 7-under 64 in the morning and held a brief lead until Kim took over in the afternoon, but finished the day sitting T2 at the John Deere Classic in the Quad Cities on Friday.

If Hearn can win this tournament, he’ll gain entry into the British Open next week.

Michael Kim took a four-shot , which was suspended twice because of weather concerns.

Kim, who is winless in 84 career PGA Tour starts, was 16 under through 35 holes, with the second round to be completed Saturday morning.

Kim birdied eight of his first 14 holes without a bogey to race past first-round leader Steve Wheatcroft, who shot 68. Wheatcroft was 12 under along with Canadian David Hearn (64) and Johnson Wagner (66).

The 39-year-old from Brantford, Ont., had four birdies on the back nine to vault up the leaderboard.

Canadians Nick Taylor (71), Mackenzie Hughes (65), Corey Conners (72) and Ben Silverman (67) will also continue to play this weekend.

SYLVANIA, Ohio – Canadian Brooke Henderson has struggled in her past two appearances at the Marathon Classic.

The 20-year old from Smiths Falls, Ont., finds herself tied for the lead after two rounds of the tournament following a bogey-free 5-under par 66 on Friday to move into a tie with Caroline Hedwall. Both are at 9-under 133 through 36 holes.

“It’s just fun to be in contention again and to see your name at the top of the leaderboard, it’s exciting, and hopefully good things will happen,” Henderson said.

Henderson, who won earlier this season in Hawaii and has six career victories, missed the cut last year at Highland Meadows and finished tied for 38th in 2016.

She shot a 3-under 31 on the front nine and then birdied the final two holes, both par 5s, to move into a tie with Hedwall.

“To finish birdie-birdie was really important, and it’s fun to see your name at the top,” Henderson said. “I’m excited to be in the final group.”

Hedwall, who played in the morning on Friday, is looking for her first LPGA Tour victory. This is the first time since the 2015 Handa Australian Open that she has held the lead after 36 holes.

“I’ve been in this situation, and I mean, it was a long time ago, though,” said Hedwall, who shot a 4-under 67 on Friday. “I’m just looking forward to the weekend. This is obviously what you practice and work hard for, to be in contention.”

The 29-year-old Swede has matched a career high for the lowest 36-hole score of her career, which was in Australia. Like Henderson, she also birdied the last two holes to move to the top of the leaderboard.

Thidapa Suwannapura was one shot back and defending champion I.K. Kim was three strokes behind.

Brittany Marchand of Orangeville, Ont., is 4-under after a second-round 68 while Hamilton’s Alena Sharp is even. Maude-Aimee Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., missed the cut at 1-over.

Sei Young Kim, who shot an LPGA Tour-record 31-under to win last week’s event in Wisconsin, was eight shots back after a 1-over 72 on Friday.

Daniela Darquea had a hole-in-one on No. 6 from 169 yards out. She joins Nasa Hataoka as the only players on the tour this season to record multiple aces.

Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada— Victoria, B.C. native Jake Duvall played his best golf of the season during the first two days in Thunder Bay, shooting 68 and 67 to head into the weekend T9, and is the low Canadian to Friday after the second round of the Staal Foundation Open.

“I think with the wind down, the soft condition and playing the ball up in the fairways, if you’re hitting fairways it’s pretty gettable and the greens are pretty receptive. It’s a good golf course; there are some long, long holes and that plays as an advantage for me, because I’m a long hitter.” said Duvall.

The only player in the field at Whitewater Golf Club without a blemish on his card through two days, Blake Olson has played as close to flawless golf as you’ll see and has jumped ahead to a two-stroke lead.

Olson, coming into the event with momentum from three rounds in the 60s last week at the Windsor Championship, backed up a first round 66 with a six birdie, one eagle 64 for a 14-under total.

“It’s been getting close,” says Olson. “I’ve been talking to people and saying, ‘I’ve been playing well, but just haven’t been getting the results.’ I’ve been lucky enough to have two good rounds this week, but there’s still a lot of golf to play.”

After making birdie on his first hole, the Pensacola, FL native jolted himself up the leaderboard quickly on the par-5 third hole, striping a five-iron to six feet, which he would clean up for eagle moments later.

Adding two more birdies on the front to his three on the back, the 27-year-old happily signed for a 31-33 card, tying his low on the Mackenzie Tour this year.

“I’m a big fan of the golf course,” said Olson. “It’s just so different from both the first two weeks and the last two. The first two were tree lines and shorter, while the last two have been wide open with not many trees at all.

“This week is a mixture of both, but it’s a longer course, so you have to hit a lot of mid-irons,” Olson added. “Seeing low numbers like I shot today, I don’t think that will be the norm, I think it will be a grind on the weekend.”

Olson, who played seven events on the Web.com Tour in 2016, saw his best finish at a PGA TOUR sanctioned event earlier this season at the Freedom 55 Financial Open where he came T10.  He is currently ranked 32 on the season long chase for The Five and the Web.com Tour status that comes with it.

Nearest to Olson are Australian Brett Coletta and American Zach Zaback, who shot 65 and 64 respectively on Friday to move into a tie for second.