Due to extenuating circumstances, the U.S. Open Local Qualifier previously scheduled at Beacon Hall Golf Club will be changing courses. The US Open Local Qualifier will now take place at Weston Golf & Country Club in Toronto, Ontario, on Monday, May 7.

Beacon Hall has experienced winter damage to several of their greens. The cold and windy conditions over the winter, coupled with the extended snow and ice that accumulated in recent weeks, has jeopardized the world-class playing conditions we are accustomed to at Beacon Hall.

This decision was not taken lightly as Beacon Hall has been a great partner to Golf Canada and we look forward to the club hosting another competition in the future.  We feel that this is the right decision to alleviate any pressure on Beacon Hall and maintain the integrity of the Local Qualifier for the U.S. Open.

We are fortunate to have the storied Weston Golf & Country Club accommodate this year’s U.S. Open Local Qualifier on short notice. Weston is consistently recognized as one of the premier courses in Canada and has hosted many prominent events including the RBC Canadian Open in 1955 which was Arnold Palmer’s first career PGA Tour victory. Recently they hosted the 111th Canadian Men’s Amateur and later this summer they will be hosting a U.S. Women’s Amateur Qualifier.

We hope that competitors can appreciate this decision and we apologize for any related inconvenience. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Adam Helmer at ahelmer@golfcanada.ca or by phone at (416) 450-6374.

Please contact the Weston Golf & Country Club Pro Shop at (416) 241-8538 to book a practice round between Wednesday, May 2 and Sunday, May 6.

If you’re looking for a poster child for Golf Canada’s “Future Links, driven by Acura” program, Stephanie Sherlock is just about the ideal candidate.

OK, so “child” isn’t appropriate any more as she will attain the ripe old age of 31 next month, but she remains my top nominee for a number of reasons.

Her first recollections of competitive golf include Future Links tournaments in her home province of Ontario and neighbouring Quebec. Those were stepping stones to a stellar junior and amateur career (she was a Team Canada member from 2006 to 2010 and twice was the country’s top-ranked female amateur) that included winning the 2007 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship and a spot on Canada’s 2008 World Amateur Team. After her all-American performance at the University of Denver, she spent three years on the LPGA Tour before deciding the pro life wasn’t for her.

So Sherlock returned to her home town of Barrie, Ont., to work at the course she grew up on. Simoro Golf Links is owned by her parents, Dave and Angela.

“I wasn’t here very long before I looked around and thought, ‘Man, there aren’t very many kids here,’” she recalls. So she picked the brains of some more established club owners and pros who had thriving junior programs to discover their secret.

While a common theme was their dedication to growing the game, there was another factor: the multi-tiered Future Links programming.

The scope and depth of the Future Links concept are impressive, starting with the very young novice golfer and extending right through high-level amateur competitions. Since launching in 1996, more than one million youngsters have participated in the various Future Links programs including Learn to Play, mobile clinics, Future Links Championships, Junior Skills Challenge, Girls Club, and an awesome grassroots initiative called Golf in Schools.

Golf in Schools is offered in more than 3000 elementary and almost 350 high schools across Canada. It provides a basic introduction to golf through the school physical education curriculum and is endorsed by Physical Health and Education Canada. Almost half of the participating schools are the result of a “school adoption,” whereby an individual, golf club or corporation donates to bring the program to the school.

(For more on the comprehensive programming offered by Future Links, click here.)

Integral to the ongoing success of Future Links is a concept called Get Linked which connects schools and green-grass facilities such as golf courses and ranges. In 2017, there were more than 190 Get Linked initiatives conducted by PGA of Canada professionals across the country,

Sherlock shares her knowledge with kids in Grades 1 through 5 at five area schools via the Golf in Schools program. As a result, she says, Simoro has seen an uptick in junior and family participation.

“We’ve got to be dedicated to getting more kids into golf, not just because we care about the future of the game itself, but we have to ensure the future of our business, too. We consider it a long-term investment and it’s awesome just how much support and materials we get from Future Links.”

Her message is echoed from coast to coast.

In Corner Brook, NL, PGA of Canada professional Wayne Allen looks after three junior programs, all within an hour’s drive of his home base at Blomidon Golf and Country Club. Like Sherlock, he introduces Golf in Schools programming to five local schools every winter and has seen a tremendous impact.

“Six years ago, the nine-hole Deer Lake course didn’t have a junior program,” says Allen, who has been involved with Golf in Schools for 10 years and whose club was named the 2014 Future Links Facility of the Year. “So we started one with six kids. The next year, there were 20. That winter, we visited the schools for the first time and the following summer, we had 60 juniors in the program.”

Ten-fold growth in a couple of years. Impressive, to say the least.

The impact extends beyond increasing the participation rate among youngsters. As a result of the exploding junior programs, Blomidon introduced two new membership categories: An intermediate category for older kids and a family category.

The latter became necessary, says Allen, “because the parents would drop off their kids for golf, then go to the patio for lunch, waiting for the kids to finish. Eventually, they’d say to themselves, ‘Why am I just sitting here when I could be playing golf?’

“The growth in membership has been huge thanks to our junior programs.”

For more on Future Links, driven by Acura, contact Adam Hunter (Manager, Grow the Game) by email (ahunter@golfcanada.ca) or through Twitter.

This fourth of five official 2018 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournaments takes place this week at The Club at Eaglebrooke in Lakeland, Florida, as 132 players compete for various levels of status on the PGA TOUR’s development circuit.

Eight Canadians are among the field competing for membership on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, where this week’s medalist receives an exemption for the entire 2018 season. Those finishing 2nd through 5th (no ties) are exempt for first eight events and subject to second re-shuffle, while those finishing 6th through 16th (no ties) are exempt for first four events and subject to the first re-shuffle. Golfers finishing 17th through 40th (plus ties) receive conditional status.

Leading the Canadian contingent is Sebastian Szirmak of Toronto. The Mackenzie Tour veteran played in 10 of the 12 tournaments last year – a tie for 19th at the National Capital Open to Support Our Troops in Ottawa was his top finish. He opened the tournament in Ottawa with a 68-68-66 start and was only four strokes off the lead entering the final round before a Sunday 72 derailed his chances. He enjoyed two top-10s in 2016—both ties for 10th (at the Staal Foundation Open and the Cape Breton Open).

Here’s a full list of Canadians among the field:

• Pierre-Alexander Bédard (Chibougamau, Quebec)
• Bradford Curren (Hammond Plains, Nova Scotia)
• Sonny Michaud (Neuville, Quebec)
• Cory Racioppo (Vaughan, Ontario)
• Gajan Sivabalasingham (Stouffville, Ontario)
• Turner Southey-Gordon (Toronto, Ontario)
• Sebastian Szirmak (Toronto, Ontario)
• Christopher Wilson (Timmons, Ontario)

The Mackenzie Tour provides players with the opportunity to make the first step on the path to the PGA TOUR by rewarding high finishers on the Order of Merit with steps toward and status on the Web.com Tour. The Order of Merit winner following the 2018 season will be fully exempt on the 2019 Web.com Tour, while finishers 2-5 earn conditional status and an exemption into the Final Stage of Q-School. Finishers 6-10 also earn an exemption directly into Final Stage, while players in the 11th through 20th spots earn exemptions through Second Stage.

The path has already been utilized by 20 players who have gone on to earn PGA TOUR cards since 2013, highlighted by PGA TOUR winners Nick Taylor, Tony Finau and Mackenzie Hughes. Since the Tour’s inception, 166 alumni have earned Web.com Tour status, including 72 competing there for the 2018 season.

East Gwillimbury, ON – The breakthrough performance of Titleist AVX – a new high performance golf ball providing remarkable distance and exceptionally soft feel through proprietary core, cover and aerodynamic technologies – will now be available to golfers everywhere.

A comprehensive test market conducted in Arizona, California and Florida from October 2017 to January 2018 resulted in the resounding validation of AVX, particularly among golfers who prioritize distance and extremely soft feel.

Beginning today, Titleist AVX is available in golf shops across the U.S.  AVX will be available in Canada starting May 2. The precision manufacturing of AVX at Titleist Ball Plant 3 in New Bedford, Mass. – also home to the industry-leading Pro V1 and Pro V1x models – has been accelerated in order to meet golfer demand and the worldwide launch of AVX in the coming months.

“Golfers have spoken loud and clear about the performance of AVX,” said Michael Mahoney, Vice President, Titleist Golf Ball Marketing. “While our R&D team is constantly exploring new golf ball technologies, only a limited number of prototypes ever make it past the initial machine and player testing phases. AVX stood out from the beginning. Ultimately, it was important to let golfers decide whether this golf ball had a place in our line and the results of our test market were emphatic. Many golfers were waiting for a product like AVX – our lowest flying, lowest spinning and softest feeling high performance golf ball – to help them play their best.”

Featuring a proprietary multi-component construction, AVX delivers remarkable distance and penetrating flight, very low long game and iron spin, exceptionally soft feel and premium scoring control through the following new technologies:

• An innovative high speed, low compression core technology results in a powerful engine to drive remarkable distance with exceptionally soft feel.
• The invention of a new high flex casing layer enhances speed and controls spin to promote even greater distance.
•  The proprietary GRN41 thermoset cast urethane elastomer cover has been specifically formulated by Titleist Golf Ball R&D to deliver premium scoring control with exceptionally soft feel and long lasting durability.
• A unique catenary aerodynamic design delivers a piercing, low trajectory while providing a consistent ball flight on all shots.
• AVX is made by Titleist associates in the company’s state-of-the-art Ball Plant 3 manufacturing facility to the highest performance and quality specifications in the industry, ensuring the most consistent performance ball to ball, and dozen to dozen.
• AVX is offered in both white and high-optic yellow.

“During the test market, we heard from a lot of golfers playing competitive models who realized they had been giving up performance in order to play a softer feeling golf ball,” Mahoney said. “With AVX, not only were they getting the feel that they love, they were also getting longer distance with great performance in the short game – and they were playing better. That’s the reason so many golfers are talking about this golf ball.”

New Titleist AVX golf balls are available in the Canada beginning May 2, 2018. For more information, www.titleist.ca/golf-balls/avx.

MAINEVILLE, Ohio – Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee etched her name in the history on books on Sunday, tying a 54-hole scoring record at the Big 10 Championship en route to a four-stroke victory.

Lee, a three-time National Amateur Squad member, went wire-to-wire at TPC River’s Bend, kickstarted by an opening-round 66—the lowest score of the tournament. The Ohio State junior followed with a second-round 68 and battled through a tense final round which saw her lead shrink to as little as one.

“This means a lot to me,” Lee said, greenside at the 18th. “It was a goal that I set at the beginning of the year and I’m so happy to achieve it. After coming in to the final round with a five-stroke lead, things got a little nerve-wracking today but I’m glad to walk away with the title. To tie the record and have my name in the history books is pretty cool, too.”

The win marks the third NCAA title of the year for the 20-year-old—she collected victories at both the Westbrook Spring Invite and the East & West Match Play.

Your @bigten champion, @JaclynLee57!! ??? pic.twitter.com/RPzkSgKwHH

— Golf Canada (@TheGolfCanada) April 22, 2018

Collectively, the Buckeyes finished fourth at 1 over par. Lee will lead the Buckeyes into the NCAA Regionals, getting under way on May 7.

Click here for full scoring.

SAN ANTONIO – Andrew Landry won the Valero Texas Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour victory, pulling away with early birdies and holding on with par saves.

The 30-year-old Texan, busy at home in Austin with the recent birth of the family’s first child, parred the final seven holes for a 4-under 68 and a two-stroke victory over Trey Mullinax and Sean O’Hair.

“It was obviously a tough week this week,” Landry said. “Going into the last few weeks with the childbirth and just really getting back out.”

Landry played at Arkansas after starring at Port Neches-Groves High School east of Houston. Many family members were at TPC San Antonio on Sunday.

“Everybody was out,” Landry said. “It was pretty special to be able to snag a victory with everybody being here to share it.”

Landry finished at 17-under 271. He earned $1,116,000 and a spot in the Masters next year. Canadian David Hearn finished in a tie for 16th, shooting a 7-under 281. His countrymen Corey Conners and Ben Silverman ended in ties for 26th and 45th, respectively.

“I didn’t even really think about it, to be honest with you,” Landry said. “There’s a lot of perks for a tour win and you’ve just got to continue to stay focused and not think about those kind of things.”

Landry took a two-stroke lead to the par-5 18th after Mullinax chunked a flop shot and bogeyed the short par-4 17th. Landry hit a 55-foot putt over a ridge to 3 feet for par on 17 and made an 8-footer on 18 after running a 50-foot downhill birdie try past.

Mullinax closed with a 69 a day after breaking the AT&T Oaks Course record with a 62.

“Just a lot of confidence. I know my game’s there, I’m playing really well,” Mullinax said. “Give all credit to Andrew. He played really well today, rock steady. He was putting great, hitting great shots.”

O’Hair shot 66.

“When I’m good, I’m really good, and when I’m not good, I’m not so good,” O’Hair said. “I’ve got to kind of get that a little bit better, but it’s always nice to compete and be in the hunt.”

Tied for the third-round lead with Zach Johnson, Landry birdied the first three holes and added two more on Nos. 6 and 10. He bogeyed the par-4 11th before the closing par run.

“Made a couple putts and, unfortunately, Zach and Trey kind of had some hiccups there on the front nine and they didn’t play it as well as I did,” Landry said. “I think that that was really, really key to getting to where I am right now.”

Landry won in his 32nd PGA Tour start. He earned his tour card last year on the Web.com Tour, and lost a playoff to Jon Rahm in January in the CareerBuilder Challenge.

“It helps because you get yourself in that situation and you continue to learn,” Landry said. “Losing in that playoff when I was continuing to hit good shot after good shot, just not making any putts. Normally that’s a strength of my game. Now here we are, a winner.”

Jimmy Walker was fourth at 14 under after his second 67.

“From where I’ve been, it’s nice to see a lot of red numbers, nice to see putts going in, nice to be in contention,” said Walker, the 2015 winner. “It felt good and I felt like I could get it done today and that’s been a while.”

Johnson had a 72 to finish fourth at 13 under. He won the event in 2008 and 2009, the last two times it was played at LaCantera. The 42-year-old Iowan is winless since the 2015 British Open.

“It’s fun to compete against the so-called younger generation,” Johnson said. “I still really do feel my best golf is in front of me. I know what I’ve got to clean up.”

Joaquin Niemann shot 67-67 on the weekend to finish sixth at 12 under in his pro debut. The 19-year-old from Chile was the top-ranked amateur in the world.

“I never thought I was going to finish how I played this week, but I can’t be more happy than this,” Niemann said. “Just try to keep it up and hope to play well for the next weeks.”

SAN ANTONIO – Zach Johnson birdied the par-5 18th Saturday at the Valero Texas Open for a share of the third-round lead with Andrew Landry, a stroke ahead of record-setting Trey Mullinax.

Johnson shot a 4-under 68, holing a 10-footer on 18 to match Landry at 13-under 203 at TPC San Antonio’s AT&T Oaks. Landry birdied the 16th and 17th in a 67.

Johnson won the event in 2008 and 2009, the last two times it was played at LaCantera. The 42-year-old Iowan is trying to win for the first time since the 2015 British Open.

“I’ve got 18 holes to get to that point,” Johnson said. “I’ve got to do exactly what I did on the back side and that was give myself opportunities on every hole. I’m putting great, I’m seeing the lines well, my caddie’s reading the greens well, so it’s just a matter of committing and executing down the stretch.”

The 30-year-old Landry is winless on the tour.

“I’m a good putter and I just need to give myself a lot of opportunities tomorrow like I did today,” Landry said. “I’ll be looking forward to tomorrow.”

Mullinax had a course-record 62. He played the back nine in 7-under 29, going 6 under on the last five with eagles on the par-5 14th and 18th and birdies on 16 and 17. He also birdied Nos. 10 and 12 and bogeyed 11.

“It’s probably one of the best rounds I’ve ever had,” Mullinax said. “To go out there and shoot 62 on a hard golf course is really good.”

Johnson played the front nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys. He birdied Nos. 11, 14, 15 and 18 on the back nine.

“Different wind today early on, misjudged some numbers, misjudged some wind, made some bad swings, all of the above,” Johnson said. “But truthfully, my short game was actually pretty good, my putting was great. I missed some putts, but I hit some really good ones, hit some lines and I gave myself opportunities especially on the back side.”

Landry had a bogey-free round.

“I just did everything really good,” Landry said. “I was staying patient and just trying to make a bunch of pars. This golf course can come up and bite you in a heartbeat.”

Ryan Moore was two strokes back at 11 under after a 70. Sean O’Hair had a 65 to join 2015 champion Jimmy Walker (67), Chris Kirk (68) and 2013 winner Martin Laird (69) at 9 under.

“I just feel like I’m getting closer and closer to playing better and better golf, more solid golf, putting rounds together,” Walker said. “I’m excited for the opportunity tomorrow.”

Mullinax has made 42 of 44 putts from inside 10 feet this week.

“They just kind of remind me of greens from home,” Mullinax said. “My caddie, David (Flynn), has been reading them really well. We trusted each other on our reads and I’ve been hitting good putts. Been working hard on putting on the weeks off that I’ve had so it’s good to see some results.”

The 25-year-old former Alabama player chipped in for the eagle on 14 and the birdie on the par-3 16th.

“It was just a little bit down the hill,” he said about the 16th. “All you had to do was just land it just past that little light grass spot. My caddie told me just read it like a putt, so I tried to just read it like a putt and it went in.”

On 18, he hit a 3-iron from 255 yards to 15 feet to set up his eagle putt. He broke the course record of 63 set by Matt Every in 201 and matched by Laird in 2013. The tournament record is 60 at LaCantera, by Bart Bryant in 2004 and Johnson in 2009.

Canadian Olympian David Hearn struggled with a 1-over 73 on Saturday to fall from a tie for 5th into a share of 20th heading into Sunday’s final round.

SAN ANTONIO – Zach Johnson was going nowhere in the Valero Texas Open when it all changed with one putt.

He made an 8-foot par putt on the 13th hole of the opening round to stay at 2 under. He followed with a big drive, a hybrid into 12 feet and an eagle. Johnson was on his way, and he kept right on going Friday to a 7-under 65 and a share of the 36-hole lead with Ryan Moore.

“You just never know. That’s the beauty of this game,” Johnson said. “I felt like I was hitting some solid shots and wasn’t getting rewarded, and you’ve just got to stay in it. You’ve got to persevere, grind it out, fight for pars. You just never know.”

Moore had three birdies over his last five holes for a 67 and joined Johnson at 9-under 135.

They had a one-shot lead over Grayson Murray (69) and Andrew Landry (67).

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., (68), Ben Crane (66) and Martin Laird (65) were three shots behind. Billy Horschel and Keegan Bradley shot 71 and were four shots behind at 5-under 139.

Canadians Corey Conners (74) and Ben Silverman (73) sit even while Nick Taylor (70) and Mackenzie Hughes (75) missed the cut.

Sergio Garcia, who consulted Greg Norman on the design of the AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio, had a short stay in his first time at the Texas Open since 2010. Garcia shot an even-par 72, and at one point became so frustrated he threw his driver into the shrubs.

Garcia finished at 2-over 146 and missed the cut.

It was the first time since 2010 that Garcia missed the cut in successive starts. That was the PGA Championship and, 10 weeks later, the Castello Masters in Spain. This time, he missed the cut in the Masters and Texas Open three weeks apart.

Johnson, a two-time winner of the Texas Open, appeared to be headed to a short week until the key par save on the 13th hole, followed by his eagle, par and three straight birdies. He began the second round Friday with five birdies in a six-hole stretch on the back nine, a sixth birdie on the par-4 first hole, and then an eagle on the short par-4 fifth when he holed out from a greenside bunker.

The only sour taste to his second round was a three-putt bogey from about 30 feet on his final hole. Even so, the view was much better than it was Thursday afternoon.

Moore thought he had wasted a good birdie opportunity on the par-5 14th hole when he left his 50-foot eagle putt about 6 feet short. But he made that, and then holed a similar putt from 8 feet for birdie on the next hole and capped his good finish with a 15-foot putt on the 17th.

“That was a huge momentum putt there,” Moore said of the 14th. “It was a tough putt from down there with a lot of wind. That green is pretty exposed and … yeah, really short and committed to that second putt really well and knocked it right in the middle.”

The birdies on the 14th and 15th were important to Moore because he missed a pair of 10-foot birdie tries to start the back nine.

“So it was nice to get those and get going in the right direction on the back,” he said.

The cut was at 1-over 145, and because 80 players made the cut, there will be a 54-hole cut on Saturday.

INDEX: SPORTS

LOS ANGELES – Inbee Park’s flirtation with retirement is in the rear-view mirror.

Backed by a large contingent of South Korean fans, Park shot a 5-under 66 for a one-shot lead Thursday in the opening round of the HUGEL-JTBC LA Open in the LPGA Tour’s return to Los Angeles after a 13-year absence.

Showers ended shortly before Park’s threesome, including second-ranked Lexi Thompson, teed off at windy Wilshire Country Club just south of Hollywood.

Using a new putter, Park birdied four consecutive holes on the back nine before a bogey on the par-4 17th. She quickly recovered and rolled in birdie putts on the second and fifth holes to finish off her round.

“I never played a tournament outside Korea having this much Korean supporters out,” Park said. “I almost feel like I’m playing back home. It’s almost like a little Korea.”

That applies to the food, too, with nearby Koreatown’s restaurants beckoning.

“Too many,” Park said.

The third-ranked Park banished the blade-style putter she used in her Founders Cup victory last month in Phoenix, a playoff loss in the ANA Inspiration and a tie for third last week in Hawaii. She went back to one that feels more comfortable and has brought her success in the past.

“Last week was just an awkward week where I missed a lot of short ones and I just wasn’t really comfortable with the putter,” Park said, “so I just wanted to have a different look.”

The 29-year-old Hall of Famer recently said she was 50-50 about retiring before returning to the tour in early March after a six-month break. Momentum has been going her way ever since.

Marina Alex was second. Thompson was one of seven players at 68 in partly sunny and unseasonable temperatures in the low 60s.

Alex tied Park with a birdie on No. 11. The American dropped a stroke with a bogey on the par-5 13th before rallying with a birdie on No. 14 to share the lead.

Alex found trouble on the par-4 17th. Her ball crossed over a winding creek, bounced and then rolled into the water, leaving Alex looking for it. Eventually, she salvaged a bogey to drop a shot behind Park. After a bad tee shot on 18, Alex managed a par to close at 67.

“I made a lot of the putts that I shouldn’t, I wouldn’t have expected to make,” she said. “I made two great saves on 17 and 18. Kind of got away with some not-so-solid golf shots in the beginning, and I capitalized on some great putts.”

Thompson returned from a two-week break after finishing tied for 20th at the ANA Inspiration, the year’s first major.

She bogeyed her second hole, the par-4, 401-yard 11th, before settling down and birdieing four of the next eight holes, including the 14th, 15th and 16th.

“I changed a little thing that slipped my mind that I was working on earlier in the year,” said Thompson, declining to share the change in her putting technique. “I don’t want to jinx it.”

ANA winner Pernilla Lundberg was among those in the logjam after a 68.

Natalie Gulbis was among five players tied for 10th at 69. Playing sparingly the last two years, Gulbis put together a round that included four birdies and two bogeys.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., was the low Canadian at 1-under 70 to tie for 15th. Hamilton’s Alena Sharp (74) was tied at 75th, Maude-Aimee Leblanc (75) of Sherbrooke, Que., was in a group tied for 96th and Quebec City’s Anne-Catherine Tanguay was 5-over 76 to tie for 115th.

Top-ranked Shanshan Feng struggled to a 74 with five bogeys and two birdies.

The venerable course with views of the Hollywood sign and Griffith Observatory wasn’t any kinder to eighth-ranked Cristie Kerr and Michelle Wie.

Both had up-and-down rounds that included three bogeys and a double-bogey on No. 10 for Kerr and five bogeys, including three in a row, for Wie. Wie, ranked 14th, had a few putts that lipped out.

SAN ANTONIO – Grayson Murray fixed a flaw in his swing and hit the ball well enough that blustery conditions weren’t an issue for him Thursday in the Valero Texas Open.

Coming off a missed cut at Hilton Head last week, Murray made seven birdies for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot lead. His only mistake was a double bogey from a greenside bunker on the par-3 seventh hole.

“Just the fact I did give myself enough opportunities today for birdie, it took a lot of pressure off,” Murray said.

Of the five players at 68, only Chesson Hadley played in the morning side of the draw, and he called it among his best rounds of the year because of gusts. The wind died in the afternoon and scoring improved slightly on the AT&T Oaks Course at the TPC San Antonio. Keegan Bradley, Ryan Moore, Billy Horschel and Matt Atkins each posted 68. Horschel and Moore played bogey-free.

“Struck the ball really well, something that we’ve been working hard on,” Horschel said. “Could have been better, yeah. I didn’t really make anything out there today. But I’m happy with it.”

Sergio Garcia, who consulted Greg Norman on the design of the course, played the Texas Open for the first time since 2010 and shot a 74. Adam Scott failed to make a birdie in his round of 75. Scott is at No. 59 in the world and needs to stay in the top 60 by May 21 to be exempt for the U.S. Open.

Harris English was in the group at 69, while two-time Texas Open champion Zach Johnson, Nick Watney and Brandt Snedeker were among those at 70. Johnson saved his round by going 5 under over his final five holes, starting with a 12-foot eagle putt on the par-5 14th hole. He birdied the last three.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., were tied for 12th at 2-under 70. Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., was tied for 21st at 1 under, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was at even par and Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was 4-over 76.

Murray was coming off a pair of top 15s at Bay Hill and the Houston Open when his game got away from his last week in the RBC Heritage, and he shots 74-70 to miss the cut. He got that sorted out in the five days between teeing it up in San Antonio.

He said he was coming down too steep, which meant he would flip his hands and hit a sharp draw or pull out of it and hit it short and right.

“I was hitting each club 10 yards shorter than I normally do, and you can’t play like that because your caddie is trying to give you a number and a club, and you keep hitting these bad shots or keep coming up short,” Murray said. “I got back to the basics with the setup and the takeaway, got my club in a better position at the top, which kind of frees my downswing. Then I can start going at it.”

Even so, Murray thought he wasted his good start – three birdies in his six holes – when his bunker shot at No. 7 came out with no spin and rolled off the green into a deep swale. He hit his third short to about 7 feet, but missed the putt and took double bogey.

“I would have loved to limit that to a bogey because bogeys don’t really kill you – doubles are the ones that now you’ve got to have an eagle or two birdies to come back with, and out here it’s kind of tough to make birdies,” Murray said. “But I kept my head. My caddie keeps me very positive out there, that’s why I think we could finish 4 under the last nine holes.”

Only 34 players in the 156-man field managed to break par.

Horschel missed four birdie chances inside 18 feet on the back nine. What pleased him the most was the way he struck the ball, particularly after his tie for fifth last week at the RBC Heritage. Horschel was one shot behind going into the last round and closed with a 72.

But he’s all about momentum, and he can only hope this is the start of one of his runs. Horschel won the FedEx Cup in 2014 when he finished second and won the final two playoff events.

“I’m a big momentum player. I’ve got to get the train moving forward,” he said. “I’ve always been a guy who gets on a little roll, get that train moving and jump in that winner’s circle.”