SHANGHAI – Justin Rose posed with the trophy from the balcony high above the 18th green at Sheshan International, a moment that didn’t seem possible.

He started the final round eight shots behind Dustin Johnson, the No. 1 player in the world.

“The beginning of the day, I was playing for second,” Rose said.

The HSBC Champions turned into a shocker in Shanghai when Johnson went into the PGA Tour record books for all the wrong reasons.

Instead of becoming the first player to win three World Golf Championships in one year, he tied a record for losing the largest lead in the final round. Six shots clear of the field, Johnson didn’t make a single birdie on a wild, wind-blown Sunday for a collapse that even Rose didn’t see coming.

Only when he saw a leaderboard behind the 14th green and realized he was three shots behind did Rose think he might have a chance. He got up-and-down with a tough bunker shot for birdie. He made a 10-foot par save at the 15th to stay in the game. He birdied the next two holes.

As Rose was signing for a 5-under 67, he looked up and saw Johnson’s last hope for eagle on the 18th tumble off the side of the green and into the water.

“It’s the kind of day you certainly don’t expect,” Rose said after his two-shot victory. “It’s the kind of a day you hope for – dream for – but a lot of things need to go your way in order for a day like today to happen, coming from eight shots behind, especially going against a player like DJ.”

He overcame an EIGHT-shot deficit for his 8th win on the PGA TOUR! ?@JustinRose99 claims the WGC-HSBC Champions! #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/eo32mFc7OB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) October 29, 2017

Johnson certainly did his part. He shot 77, his highest final round with the lead since an 82 at Pebble Beach in the 2010 U.S. Open.

“I just could never get anything going and didn’t hole any putts,” Johnson said. “It was pretty simple.”

It was simply stunning.

Johnson matched the record for losing a six-shot lead, most recently by Sergio Garcia at Quail Hollow in 2005, most famously by Greg Norman in the 1996 Masters.

The one-man show turned into a four-man race in the final hour, and Rose seized on it with a 31 on the back nine. He finished at 14-under 274. Johnson tied for second with Henrik Stenson (70) and Brooks Koepka (71), who also had their chances.

Only two other players in PGA Tour history have come from more than eight shots behind on the final day to win – Paul Lawrie (10 shots) in the 1999 British Open and Stewart Cink (nine shots) at Hilton Head in 2004.

“It was the perfect type of weather conditions to make a comeback,” Rose said. “This is the type of day when you are playing with a lead, every hole seems difficult. Obviously, someone is still capable of playing a special round of golf. And my back nine was just amazing today.”

The signature shot was a 5-iron he purposely threw up into the wind on the par-3 17th and watched it land some 3 feet behind the hole. That gave him the lead over Stenson, and no one caught him.

Stenson, who tied for the lead with a two-putt birdie from just short of the 16th green, ballooned his tee shot on the 17th and was well short and to the right, leading to a bogey. Koepka was within one shot of the lead until the wind switched on him at the 15th and deposited his shot into a plugged lie in the bunker. He blasted out to the fringe and took three putts from 30 feet for double bogey.

Rose won for the first time since capturing the gold medal at the Olympics last summer in Rio de Janeiro. He now has won every year since 2010.

The HSBC Champions sure didn’t look like a tournament where he would keep that streak going, not when he was eight shots behind going into the final round against Johnson, who has been No. 1 in the world since running off three straight victories against strong fields in the spring.

Nothing went right for Johnson.

He made bogey on No. 1. He drove into the water on the par-5 second and had to scramble for bogey. Still, he made the turn at 15 under and had a three-shot lead, and he was driving it down the middle and long on every shot. He fell apart on the par-5 14th, when he chunked a short iron for his second shot and had to get up-and-down for par, bogeyed the 15th from the bunker, and then hooked an iron into deep rough on the 16th.

His flop shot was a yard short of being perfect. Instead, it went into a bunker and he made another bogey.

“That wind was blowing hard,” Stenson said. “On this golf course, if you hit the wrong shot at the wrong time, it’s going to penalize you. Certainly it penalized DJ a number of times today. That’s why he came back to the rest of us. I played pretty strong, and then I hit one bad shot with possible the wrong club on 17. That kind of ended my chances to win the golf tournament.”

Rose won his second World Golf Championships title – the other was at Doral in 2012 – and moved to No. 6 in the world. Johnson gets a month off to consider one that got away from him in an ugly manner.

JACKSON, Miss. – Ryan Armour shot a 5-under 67 during a windy, chilly third round Saturday to take a five-stroke lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Armour, who led by one after 36 holes, had eight birdies and three bogeys to move to 15 under 201. Chesson Hadley (68) was next at 10 under. Vaughn Taylor (70), Scott Strohmeyer (68), Beau Hossler (69), Canada’s Ben Silverman (69), and Seamus Power (71) were tied for third another shot back at 207.

Silverman, of Thornhill, Ont., had four birdies and just one bogey in his round. David Hearn (74) of Brantford, Ont., is 4 under while Corey Conners (74) of Listowel, Ont., is 1 over.

Armour, 41, is seeking his first PGA Tour title in his 105th Tour event.

After the first two rounds were played in sunshine and near-80 degree temperatures, it was in the low 50s on Saturday. Biting wings added to the chill factor – and the uncertainty on judging shots.

An Ohio native who now lives in Jupiter, Florida, Armour fought through the conditions to post the day’s low round. He overcame bogeys on holes Nos. 5-7 with four straight birdies on the back nine, capped by a 57-foot putt on the most difficult hole on the course, the par-4 16th, to regain control.

While Armour was grinding out pars and birdies, his youngest son, Patrick, was celebrating his ninth birthday at home in Jupiter. Armour credited his family for improving his game.

“The kids have helped me become more disciplined,” he said. “Back coming out of college, you thought you could do everything. But now with kids who get up early, wanting to be part of their life, I want to have energy. I get to bed early and up early, and that’s discipline that’s helping me on the golf course.

“I’m happy where I’m at with my family, my caddy, my instructor. My parents are healthy finally, everything is falling into place.”

He’s been at the top of his game all week, tied for the lead after the first round, and then alone at the top following the second round, which was delayed by rain that came late Friday and completed on Saturday morning.

Armour took just 26 putts and made eight birdies Saturday. He followed his bogey string by stuffing an 8-iron to 4 feet for birdie on No. 8, made a 21-footer from the fringe for birdie on No. 10, and then got on a roll – again on Nos. 13-16. That birdie binge marked the second straight round he had par on each of those holes.

Asked how he’ll handle being in the final group on Sunday, the even-natured Armour said he’ll do what he’s done each day.

“Kind of stick with what you’re doing,” he said. “You’re not always going to be able to, but my strength is – obviously, I have figured this out, finally – driving it in the fairway, hitting it on the green, and trying to make putts. I don’t overpower a golf course.”

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. – Bernhard Langer shot his second straight 3-under 69 Saturday to pull into a tie with David Toms and Miguel Angel Jimenez for the second-round lead at the PowerShares QQQ Championship.

Langer, the Schwab Cup points leader who has all but wrapped up his ninth PGA Tour Champions money title in 10 seasons, birdied Nos. 12, 13 and 17 to pull even with Jimenez (70), one behind Toms (72). Toms, who had a hole-in-one in the opening round, then bogeyed No. 18 to fall into the three-way tie at 6-under 138.

Scott McCarron (69), Billy Andrade (70) and Jeff Maggert (73) _ who was tied with Toms for the lead after the first round _ were one shot back. Kenny Perry (68), Doug Garwood (69), Wes Short Jr. (70) and Scott Dunlap) were tied for seventh at 140.

Jesper Parnevik, who was one shot off the lead after the opening round, had a 74.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Cristie Kerr fired a 6-under 65 Saturday to take a one-stroke lead over defending champion Feng Shanshan at the Sime Darby.

The American veteran, who posted the tournament’s lowest score of 63 on Friday, had five birdies in the opening nine holes of the third round and got two more for an overall 15-under 198.

“I’m just going to enjoy it,” Kerr said of Sunday as she aims to clinch her first title in six months. “I’m just going to try to not put too much pressure on myself. I try to do the best on every shot, so that’s my mantra tomorrow.”

Former top-ranked Lydia Ko, the first-round leader, saw her title challenge all but end after posting a 70 to end the day tied for 12th on 7-under 206.

Feng stays in firm contention after the Chinese shot 3-under 68, despite only managing three birdies in tropical conditions at TPC Kuala Lumpur.

“It was really hot with no breeze,” Feng said. “I almost felt like I was going down, but I tried my best … I mean, my ball-striking wasn’t as accurate but I think overall 3-under, bogey-free round is still a very good score for Saturday.”

South Korea’s Kim Sei-young is four shots behind Kerr in third, while American duo Stacy Lewis and Jacqui Concolino are tied for fourth.

Canadian Brooke Henderson shares a four-way tie for 19th place at 6 under par.

SHANGHAI – As part of a promotional stunt for the HSBC Champions earlier in the week, Dustin Johnson was among three players wearing superhero capes on a hotel roof, suspended by ropes a few feet in the air against a backdrop of downtown Shanghai at night.

“I should have pushed him off the platform,” Henrik Stenson said with a laugh.

That might have been the only way to stop the world’s No. 1 player from more domination in the World Golf Championships.

All it took was one hole Saturday for Johnson to seize control on a blustery day at Sheshan International, along with some help from Brooks Koepka. A four-shot swing on the par-5 eighth hole – a birdie for Johnson, a triple bogey for Koepka – sent Johnson on his way to a 4-under 68 and a six-shot lead going into the final round.

His only big number was not all his doing.

Johnson’s drive down the right side of the 10th hole hit a cart path and took a hard bounce over a wall and into the bushes, leading to double bogey. Otherwise, it was the same recipe that took him to No. 1 in the world – big tee shots, control of his short irons and just enough putts to make him look tough to catch.

“I’m not going to change anything – play the golf course just how I’ve been playing it,” said Johnson, who has 22 birdies in 54 holes and was at 17-under 199. “I’m in a good position going into tomorrow, but I’m still going to have to go out and play a really solid round if I want to get it done.”

At stake is a chance to become the first player to win three World Golf Championships in the same year, a feat not even Tiger Woods with his 18 World Golf Championships managed to accomplish.

Johnson won the WGC-Mexico Championship and the WGC-Dell Technologies Match Play in Texas.

He has made this look like a formality.

“He’s going to wake up in good shape and go ahead and play a solid round of golf. If he does that, the tournament is over,” said Justin Rose, who played in the final group with Johnson and stumbled to a 72 to fall eight shots behind. “Other than that, playing for second barring something crazy from him.”

The crazy part belonged to Koepka.

Koepka, the U.S. Open champion and Johnson’s close friend and neighbour, ran off three straight birdies to start the third round and built a two-shot lead. Johnson answered with a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-3 fourth. His drive on the par-4 seventh came up just short into the rough, and he hit a nifty flop-and-run to about 3 feet for another birdie to tie for the lead.

And then after a lengthy wait on the tee at No. 8, it all changed.

With the wind at the players’ backs, and with sheer power of Johnson and Koepka, the line of the tee shot was over trees that have grown so tall in recent years they block the view of the landing area. Johnson hammered his tee shot and knew from experience he was fine.

Koepka caught his drive on the toe and it turned over from right-to-left and knew he was in trouble.

His caddie ran down toward the area to see if he had a shot, and quickly realized it was gone. Koepka hit his third shot from the tee, and then his fourth turned left into the hazard again. Koepka thought about a high-risk attempt out of the mess, but figured his best option was to take another penalty and go back to the fairway. It worked well until Koepka missed a 6-foot putt and took his 8.

Koepka had company in making a big number. Patrick Reed opened with a triple bogey and had four double bogeys on his way to an 82. Si Woo Kim made an 11 on No. 8.

More bothersome to Koepka was missing birdie chances on Nos. 9 and 11 and par chances on Nos. 10 and 12, which he felt could have helped him stay close.

“It was definitely windier today,” he said. “I didn’t think it was playing that difficult. Definitely should be able to shoot 4 under out here, minus a triple and whatever else I had, a lot of bogeys.”

There were too many bogeys to keep up with Johnson, who never let anyone closer to him the rest of the day.

Koepka went from the bunker into the water on the 18th and had to scramble to save bogey, giving him a 73. He’s still in the final group with Johnson, just like he had hoped. They have never competed against each other down the stretch, and barring a great start by Koepka or a stumble by Johnson, that probably won’t be the case Sunday.

Stenson, who is finally starting to round into form, birdied three of his last five holes for a 69.

“If Dustin keeps on playing the way that he’s done this week, I think it’s going to be a one-man show tomorrow,” Stenson said. “But you never know. Tough wind, and this golf course has a couple of holes where you can certainly have a number. It’s never over until it’s over.”

JACKSON, Miss. – Ryan Armour shot a 4-under 68 to take a one-shot lead at the Sanderson Farms Championship on Friday.

The 41-year-old Armour has never won on the PGA Tour and has only four top 10s in 104 career events. He made four straight birdies on the back nine and finished just before a wave of thunderstorms swept over the Country Club of Jackson and suspended play for the day.

There were 30 players still on the course when play ended. They’ll finish their second rounds on Saturday in what’s expected to be much colder weather.

Armour is at 10-under 134. Tyrone Van Aswegen is one back after shooting a 65 on Friday. Vaughn Taylor shot 66 and is two shots back, along with Seamus Power, who has two holes left to play.

Canadian duo of David Hearn (Brantford, Ont.) and Ben Silverman (Thornhill, Ont.) sit tied for 9th at 6 under par.

A year ago, Bob Thompson and his wife, Lynn, began discussing a 2017 trip to celebrate their 50th wedding anniversary. Living in Sundre, Alta., travelling to Atlantic Canada was something the couple had been eager to cross off their bucket list. It was a long way from home but for pure pleasure and personal reasons they always dreamed of getting to St. John’s, N.L., Halifax and Pictou, N.S., among other places.

Then last fall, Thompson was alerted that he was the lucky winner of Golf Canada’s inaugural East/West Contest, for which he received a grand prize package that included four nights of accommodation, air travel and car rental. And, of course, golf.

His choice of a round at either Banff Springs Golf Course in Banff, Alta., or Cabot Links or Cabot Cliffs in Inverness, N.S., was an easy one. With Fairmont Banff Springs just a couple hours southwest from Sundre, and having already played the Stanley Thompson gem a handful of times, the retired IT worker mapped out a dream vacation to Canada’s east coast.

“Cabot is so far away from here that, other than looking at the Canadian golf course rankings, you don’t think too much of places like that,” Thompson explained.

From late August to early September, the Thompsons’ eastern escape finally came to fruition. They bookended their trip as desired with stops in Newfoundland and around Nova Scotia but, for a golfer who typically plays his home track of Sundre Golf Club three to four times a week, Bob was anxious to get on the tee at the two Cape Breton beauties.

“It was breathtaking,” he said. “As far as the views from some of the fairways, I had a hard time keeping my mind on the task of golfing. The scenery was just outstanding, and that’s probably because if you’re landlocked like we are (in Sundre), you don’t get to see the ocean.”

Though the contest prizing included just one round at either the Links or Cliffs course, Thompson wasn’t going to venture across the country without experiencing both acclaimed tracks, which are ranked Nos. 1 (Cabot Cliffs) and 3 (Cabot Links) on SCOREGolf’s list of Canada’s Top 59 Public Golf Courses. Despite the slightly lower ranking Thompson found the Links layout, with its firm and fast greens and rugged fescue, to be a little more challenging and enjoyable. Meanwhile, the incomparable views and stunning scenery of the Cliffs course were not enough to offset the 72-year-old’s fatigue from walking up and down the imposing fairways.

Not even Mother Nature could spoil the memorable outing for the Thompsons, who got rained out halfway through their first day at the Links before getting back out a couple hours later. Instead, they were treated to the vacation of a lifetime simply by inputting scores into Golf Canada’s Score Centre. Each round logged this season, up until October 31, counts as a contest entry for this year’s draw, which takes place November 10, 2017.

Up for grabs is a once-in-a-lifetime retreat to either The Links at Crowbush Cove in Morell, P.E.I., or Fairmont Chateau Whistler in Whistler, B.C., with the prize trip to be fulfilled in the 2018 season. Bob Thompson wasted no time making his choice and has no regrets about the decision either.

“Seeing Peggy’s Cove would rank No. 2 to seeing both the Links and Cliffs. Being a golfer, nothing compares to being there and golfing there,” he concluded.

This article was originally published in the Fall Issue of Golf Canada Magazine. Click here to view the full magazine.

UXBRIDGE — Six players are returning to Team Ontario (U19) in 2018 and will be joined by eight new faces as Golf Ontario is pleased to announce the newest installment of the squad. The 2018 team will see an even split of seven boys and seven girls.

Leading the returning players for 2018 is Markham’s Victoria Zheng who captured the 2017 Ontario Juvenile Girls’ title at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie. Zheng will be joined by fellow returnees: Toronto’s Sarah Beqaj, who represented Ontario at the Canada Summer Games, Mississauga’s Matthew Anderson, Mississauga’s Robbie Latter, Markham’s Hailey McLaughlin, and Tillbury’s Hailey Katona.

The new members of the squad bring some impressive credentials from this past season. Sudbury’s Tristan Renaud won the Ontario Junior Boys’ Championship, Fonthill’s Freddy D’Angelo was the Ontario Juvenile Boys’ Champion, Aurora’s Vanessa Chychrun captured the Ontario Junior Girls’ Match Play title, and Caledon’s Raesa Sheikh was the Ontario Bantam Girls’ Champion. Also new to the team are: Waterloo’s Dylan Henderson, Windsor’s Shawn Sehra, Waterloo’s Bennett Ruby, and Windsor’s Jasmine Ly.

Entering his fifth season as the Head Provincial Coach is Milton resident Reggie Millage. Millage is joined by Strength and Conditioning Coach Nick Martichenko and Mental Skills Coach Charles Fitzsimmons. Delaney Howson will act as the Team Coordinator.

“The start of a new season is always exciting but this year even more so,” said Millage. “This group is filled with talented, young athletes that are striving to be better and willing to do the work necessary to achieve their goals. I expect one of the hardest working teams this year and I have no doubt that they will show their off-season work next spring.”

The team will train throughout the winter at Peak Performance Golf in Vaughan. They will have a pair of local camps, followed by three winter warm weather camps including the Can/Am Matches, during March Break with the South Carolina Junior Golf Association at the Wachesaw Plantation Club in Murrells Inlet, South Carolina.

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia – Shanshan Feng had three birdies before a lengthy rain delay and three more after it, shooting a 6-under 65 Friday to take a one stroke lead after the second round of the Sime Darby.

Play was halted for close to four hours because of heavy rain at TPC Kuala Lumpur. But Feng, a two-time champion from China, managed to stay steady on both sides of the interruption to lead at 11-under 131.

“I didn’t have as many birdie chances as yesterday, but I think I actually made more putts,” Feng said. “So that actually made me happy, and I think 6 under is still a very good score here.”

Madelene Sagstorm (66) is in second place, followed by Cristie Kerr (63) at 133. Kerr’s round was the lowest of the day.

“I have an easy time starting to think too much, so it’s about finding the right position,” Sagstrom said. “It’s not the job on the course. I’m just trying to get back into what I know works, and I kind of got back in that rhythm afterwards.”

Overnight leader Lydia Ko (72) couldn’t maintain her first-round form and carded four bogeys in the second.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson posted a 2-under-par 69 to sit tied for 23rd midway through the championship.

Maddie Szeryk’s recent success on the golf course not only provides reason for optimism amongst her supporters, but it also offers an indication of a bright future ahead for the amateur standout as a professional.

Currently in her senior year at Texas A&M University, the 21-year-old is eager to follow up on her record-setting junior year.

In her 2016-2017 season with the Aggies, the Canadian national team member ranked fourth in the NCAA with a school-record 71.24 season stroke average.

To put it in perspective her 71.24 stroke average ranks fourth all-time in the SEC and 14th all-time in NCAA Division I history.

Overall, Szeryk had nine top-10 finishes and six top-5 finishes in 12 events. Perhaps the biggest highlight of her junior year came in March when Szeryk captured the Dr. Donnis Thompson Invitational in Hawaii with a score of 9 under par.

Her remarkable season at Texas A&M University would score Szeryk First-Team All-American honours.

After completing her junior year in May, the national team member continued her stellar play into June as she won the Western Women’s Golf Association Amateur Championship at the River Forest Country Club – becoming the first Canadian to do so.

Later that month Szeryk would go on to capture the B.C. Women’s Amateur by finishing at 9 under par – winning the tournament by four strokes.

“I’m just really happy about being able to play at a level where I’m always in contention.  I’m just trying to play consistent and steady golf and it’s good to know that I’ve been able to do that recently,” said Szeryk during an interview in August at the CP Women’s Open.

Looking back on her journey thus far, the 21-year-old is quick to credit her dad for getting her started.

“I started when I was about seven. My dad played a little bit and he took me out one time just to hang out with him and I was like ‘oh I want to try it out also’ and I really liked it,” recalled Szeryk who is a dual citizen of Canada and the United States.

Born in Allen, Texas, Szeryk – whose parents Neil and Karen relocated from London, Ont., just after getting married – took some time during the CP Women’s Open to reflect on her humble beginnings.

“I remember my dad initially signed me up for lessons at a summer camp and I went out with everyone; and then after I got an individual coach. I really liked the sport and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she said.

Szeryk is proud of her strong blood ties to the London, Ont. area.

“I grew up in the Dallas area but was back and forth from Dallas and London quite a lot as a kid.  I love going back to London to see all my relatives there,” she said.

As a youngster growing up, Szeryk not only found her passion on the links, but she also found a lot of success as well.

“I remember really enjoying being out on the golf course and I also remember winning a lot of local tournaments growing up and it made me want to stick with it; and I just wanted work as hard as I could to continue getting better,” said Szeryk, who today holds the distinction as Canada’s top amateur golfer.

Now in her fourth year with the national team program, Szeryk says she’s benefitted a great deal from her time on the team.

“We have a great coach in Tristan and have so much support in all aspects of our game. Being on the national team has given me the opportunity to travel and compete in so many prestigious tournaments around the world that I would not otherwise has a chance to,” she said. “It’s definitely played a big part in my development as a golfer.”

Canadian women’s national team head coach, Tristan Mullally, is someone who is familiar with Szeryk’s game and speaks very highly of it.

“Maddie is someone who is very aggressive and gets it close to the greens and is a fantastic putter. Once she gets it going, she can get it super low,” said Mullally about Szeryk who won the 2013 Canadian Junior Girls title and the 2015 Ontario Amateur title.

Mullally notes that since joining the national team program, Szeryk has been able to elevate her game to another level.

“She’s gotten a lot more consistent.  In the past she’s been sort of streaky. She would play extremely well in a tournament and then not so well in the next one. But this year she’s been super consistent.”

Mullally is also glad to see the 21-year-old gain valuable experience playing with the world’s best professionals this year as she competed in the Manulife LPGA Classic in June, the U.S. Women’s Open in July and the CP Women’s Open in August.

“She fired a 5 under in the second round of the Manulife which was very impressive; and she got to play in the U.S. Open and the CP Women’s Open so she’s had a chance to experience the travel and get a taste of what life would be as a pro,” he noted.

“It’s a big learning journey for her to go through and it’s great that she’s been able to get a bit of a head start.”

Mullally believes the amateur standout has the talent and all the intangibles to translate her amateur success onto the professional ranks when the time comes.

“I know she’s got goals to be on the LPGA and she’s played awesome recently and has gotten a lot of valuable experience that’s going to help her on that journey,” said Mullally.

“She’s definitely trending in the right direction and she’s a fierce competitor so if she keeps doing what she’s doing and continues to work hard then she’s going to have a bright future ahead as a professional.”