LPGA Tour

Katherine Kirk takes LPGA Tour lead after career best 63

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(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

Katherine Kirk shot a career-best 9-under 63 on Friday to take a three-stroke lead in the weather-delayed second round of the inaugural Thornberry Creek LPGA Classic.

Kirk, a 35-year-old Australian who has two victories in 14 years on the LPGA Tour, played the back nine in 7-under 29 at Thornberry Creek, the Oneida Nation-owned resort near Green Bay. She eagled the par-5 13th and hit a hybrid to 4 feet on the 196-yard, par-3 17th for her final birdie of the day to finish at 13-under through two rounds.

“My husband was up here Monday and Tuesday with me, and he said to me last night, ‘Someone could easily shoot 8 under around here,”’ Kirk said. “I’m just happy it was me, or 9 (under), I guess.”

Kirk finished her round before a 3 1/2-hour delay for lightning in the area.

“Perfect conditions, really,” she said. “We only had a little bit of breeze, but the greens for us are softer than usual, so we’re able to basically throw darts at it, and I think that’s why you’re seeing so many low numbers out there.”

Jaye Marie Green birdied eight of her final 12 holes to shoot 66 and was three shots back. Sandra Gal of Germany was also 10 under through 13 holes when play was suspended because of darkness.

Green, 23, who played college golf at Florida and has never won on the LPGA Tour, had her brother, Matt, on the bag.

“Everything was clicking, and then my brother is cool to caddie for me,” Green said. “He helps keep me calm when I don’t want to kill him.”

Moriya Jutanugarn of Thailand was four shots back after a second-round 68. Her younger sister, second-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, withdrew with a shoulder injury on Friday, one day after struggling to a 78.

South African Ashleigh Buhai (66), South Korean Ilhee Lee (68) and Pavarisa Yoktuan of Thailand (68) were also four shots back. Christina Kim, Karine Icher, Amelia Lewis and Madeleine Sheils were another shot behind, along with Cristie Kerr, who had five holes left to play.

“I’m trying to tighten up my putting a little bit because this is a putting match out here,” Lewis said. “Whoever can make the putts is going to win this thing.”

Top-ranked So Yeon Ryu, No. 3 Lexi Thompson and No. 4 Lydia Ko are among those taking the week off before the U.S. Women’s Open next week at Trump International in New Jersey.

In Gee Chun, the highest-ranked player remaining in the field at No. 5, was 5 under through 12 holes. Eighth-ranked Brooke Henderson was also 5 under after a 68. Henderson finished runner-up to Danielle Kang in last week’s KPMG Women’s PGA Championship.

First-round co-leader Laura Gonzalez Escallon made a quadruple-bogey 8 on the par-4 18th and was in danger of missing the cut.

For the full leaderboard click here.

PGA TOUR Americas

Matt Picanso extends lead at Players Cup

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(Mackenzie Tour - PGA TOUR Canada)

Bakersfield, California’s Matt Picanso shot a 3- under 68 on Friday at Pine Ridge Golf Club to extend his lead at the Players Cup, the fourth event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

One day after shooting a 6-under 65, the 34-year old Mackenzie Tour rookie made five birdies against two bogeys to lead by two over Dallas, Texas’ Kramer Hickok and Lake Mary, Florida’s Jhared Hack heading into the weekend.

“I hit it really well,” said Picanso, who birdied the 18th to build a two-stroke cushion. “I just really focused on picking good targets from the tee, where if I missed a little I could still attack from there. Through 36 holes it’s worked really well.”

Though he’s new to the Mackenzie Tour, the former collegiate baseball player is familiar with being in contention at other levels of game, with more than a dozen mini tour titles to his name. That experience, he hopes, will help him stay aggressive on the weekend in Winnipeg.

“Foot on the pedal. You can get lapped out here pretty quick. It’s a long four days and there’s still a lot work to be done,” said Picanso.

Hack and Hickok posted a pair of 4-under 67s to reach 7-under through two rounds, while Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz and Gainsville, Florida’s J.D. Tomlinson were a shot further behind at 6-under.

25-year old Hickok is making his fourth career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. He was a college teammate of Jordan Spieth’s at the University of Texas and is currently a roommate of the two-time major champion.

“I missed a few puts early on, and that’s typically when I would try and make a birdie or hammer a putt home, said Hickock, “But I just kept on trying to hit the right shots and just stay as patient as possible.”

27-year old Jhared Hack is making his fourth career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. He finished T3 earlier this year at the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and sits 10th on the Order of Merit.

“You have to stay below the hole and not short side yourself, and the birdies will come, said Hack. “The greens are firm, the rough’s up pretty good and the pins are on crowns. You can play ping pong if you’re not careful.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

Amateur

Canada’s Blair Bursey T4 at the Sahalee Players Championship

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Canadian Blair Bursey carded a 1-over-par 73 in the final round of the Sahalee Players Championship to finish T4 at Sahalee Country Club in Sammamish, Wash.

The Gander, NL, product had four birdies and five bogeys to finish at even par for the championship three shots back of winner Chino Hills, Calif., native Sahith Theegala who defeated Australian Min Woo Lee in a playoff.

Bursey, 20, is a junior at the University of Utah Valley. He had two top-10s with the Wolverines this season.

In 2016 Bursey finished T5 at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. He is the two-time defending Newfoundland Amateur Champion.

Calgary native Matt Williams was T19 at 10 over par, one stroke ahead of Kevin Kwon (Pitt Meadows, B.C.) who was T22.

Lawren Rowe (Victoria, B.C.)  finished T45 at 19 over par alongside Emmett Oh from Calgary.

Henry Lee (Coquitlam B.C.) was T49 at 21 over par. One shot ahead of the final Canadian in the field fellow Coquitlam native Team Canada Development Squad golfer A.J. Ewart who finished T52 after a final round 7-over-par 79.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Team Canada

Team Canada’s Max Sekulic wins Alberta Boys Junior Championship

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(Alberta Golf)

Team Canada’s Max Sekulic carded a final round 1-under-par 71 to move to 5-under-par for the tournament and win the Alberta Junior Boys Championship at Coal Creek Golf Resort in Ryley, Alta. His Development Squad teammate Chandler McDowell was third.

Sekulic from Rycroft, Alta., had five birdies and four bogeys to finish one stroke ahead of Matt Bean (Canmore, Alta.) who carded a final round even par 72.

Sekulic, 18, was 12th at the Future Links driven by Acura Pacific Championship in May and finished sixth at the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

McDowell, a native of Springbrook, Alta., had the lowest score of the final round with a 3-under-par 69 to finish at 3-under-par for the championship.

In solo fourth was Kai Iguchi from Banff, Alta., who’s 1-under par 287 four day score was good enough to secure him the 16-and-under Juvenile Championship.

Rounding out the top-five was Pincher Creek, Alta., product Ethan Choi who was even par for the tournament.

For the full Alberta Junior Boys Championship leaderboard click here.

Epson Tour

Canada’s Marchand T2 after 18 holes of Donald Ross Centennial Classic at French Lick Resort

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Brittany Marchand (Symetra Tour)

Canadian Brittany Marchand carded a 3-under-par 68 in round one of the Donald Ross Centennial Classic at French Lick Resort, in French Lick, Ind.

The Orangeville, Ont., native had four birdies and just one bogey in her opening round at the Donald Ross Course at French Lick to sit one shot back of Australian Hannah Lee who carded a 4-under-par 67 to take sole possession of first.

A graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad Marchand recently made her first cut at an LPGA Tour event playing into the weekend at the Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge. She started the fourth round just five shots off the lead but finished T46 after a final round 81.

Marchand’s best result this season on the Symetra Tour was a T11 at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.

Megan Osland (Kelowna, B.C.) is T16 at 1 under par after an opening round 70. Team Canada Young Pro Squad Golfer Anne-Catherine Tanguay from Quebec City is T26 at even par.

For the full leaderboard click here.

PGA TOUR

Munoz extends lead to 3 at Greenbrier Classic; Nick Taylor T7

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(Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)

PGA Tour rookie Sebastian Munoz has found a comfortable routine at The Greenbrier Classic _ go play golf, then watch a movie at night.

After catching “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off” following an opening-round 61, Munoz kept it going Friday, shooting a 3-under 67 for a three-stroke lead over Ben Martin and Hudson Swafford heading into the weekend on the Old White TPC.

On Friday night, his plans were the same.

“I’m here with one of my best buddies, so we’re just going to hang out and watch a movie and be ready for tomorrow,” Munoz said.

Munoz has been in this situation before. At the St. Jude Classic last month, Munoz was tied for the lead through 36 holed, but he played the final two rounds in 11 over and finished tied for 60th.

“I feel like Memphis taught me that maybe I was caring too much, trying to hit too many perfect shots all the time,” Munoz said. “(I’ll) just take those past experiences and use them this week.”

The 24-year-old Colombian played his college golf at North Texas and said he got a wake-up call when his coach threatened to take away his scholarship for his senior year. Then, former college teammate Carlos Ortiz won three times in his first season on the Web.com Tour in 2014.

“I talked to him and was like, ‘Hey, man, I know you’re good, but come on. Like, I can get you sometimes,”’ Munoz said. “So that really helped me kind of push through and realize I was good as well.”

Munoz won the Conference USA individual title in 2015 and earned his PGA Tour card through the Web.com Tour last year. He’s still looking for his first top-10 finish.

Starting his second round on the back nine, Munoz birdied four of his first seven holes, making three putts of over 20 feet. After two bogeys on the front nine, he made a 13-footer for birdie from the fringe on the par-4 seventh. He was at 12-under 128.

No first-round leader has won at Old White TPC since the tournament debuted in 2010. Munoz’s closest challengers all have victories on tour.

Swafford, who hit 17 of 18 greens in regulation Friday, won the CareerBuilder Challenge in January and has two other top 10 finishes this season.

Martin, who won in Las Vegas in 2014, is coming off his first top 10 finish of the year last week at the Quicken Loans National.

Martin shot 67 and Swafford had a 66. Both were at 9 under.

Davis Love III, seeking to become the oldest-ever winner on the PGA Tour, followed up his first-round 63 with a 69. He was at 8 under, along with defending champion Danny Lee (68) and Russell Henley (64).

Nick Taylor (69) of Abbotsford, B.C., was five shots back while David Hearn (69) of Brantford, Ont., Graham DeLaet (70) of Weyburn, Sask.,were six back at 6 under. Mackenzie Hughes (67) of Dundas, Ont., was eight back.

Phil Mickelson accomplished one thing he never managed with longtime caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay on the bag – he made the cut at The Greenbrier Classic. He did not play the weekend in three previous starts.

Mickelson had five bogeys and three birdies to shoot 72 and make the cut on the number at 1 under.

“This has been probably the two worst putting days I’ve had this year,” Mickelson said. “The greens are perfect. I just haven’t putted well.”

Mickelson and Mackay announced after the U.S. Open they were parting ways. Tim Mickelson is carrying his brother’s bag for the rest of the year. Mackay has signed to do on-course commentary for NBC and Golf Channel.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Korn Ferry Tour

Canada’s Ryan Yip T5 after round two of LECOM Health Challenge

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(Steve Dykes/Getty Images)

Canadian Ryan Yip carded a 6-under-par 66 in round two of at the Web.com Tour’s LECOM Health Challenge to sit T5 through 36 holes at the Peek N’ Peak Resort Upper Course in Findley Lake, NY.

The Calgary native was T29 at -3 after round one (69). Starting on hole No. 10 Yip was 5 under par through four holes with three birdies and an eagle.

He recorded two more birdies and one bogey to move to 9 under par two shots back of co-leaders China’s Xinjun Zhang and Adam Long (New Orleans, La.)

A member of the inaugural Team Canada National Team in 2005, Yip came to Findley Lake ranked 100th on the Web.com Tour’s Order of Merit.

The 32-year-old’s best result of the season was a T9 at Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER in March. He has two additional top-25 finishes this season.

Young Pro Squad’s Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) is T23 at 6-under-par after a second consecutive 69.

Conners’ Young Pro Squad teammate Albin Choi (Toronto, Ont.) started the day in a tie for fourth after an opening round 66 (-6), but a 1-over-par 73 in round two dropped him to T25.

Merrit, B.C., native Roger Sloan is T47 at 3 under par (70-71).

There are 11 Canadians in the field this week.

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Team Canada

Alisha Lau wins B.C. Junior Girls Championship Team Canada’s Hannah Lee 3rd

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Richmond B.C.’s Alisha Lau ran away with the B.C. Junior Girls Championship finishing at 9-under-par 10 strokes clear of Maple Ridge, B.C.’s Esther Lee (+1). Development Squad’s Hannah Lee was third at 5 over par (293).

Lau started strong with opening rounds of 67 and 68 building a lead she wouldn’t relinquish over four days at the Okanagan Golf Club’s Bear Course in Okanagan, B.C.

Rounding out the top five was fourth place finisher Karen Zhang also from Richmond at 6 over par and Surrey, B.C.,’s Angel Lin who was 9 over par for the championship.

In her second year on the Development Squad Lee, from Surrey, B.C., was consistent from start to finish recording three straight rounds of 1-over par 73 and closing with a 2-over-par 74.

The 16-year-old had an impressive 9th place finish at the Women’s Porter Cup in June and was tenth at the Future Links driven by Acura Pacific Championship in May.

Lee was second at this event in 2016 and won the 2016 B.C. Juvenile Girls Championship.

For the full leaderboard click here.

NextGen Championships

Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship heads to Fernie Golf and Country Club

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(Josh Schaefer/ Golf Canada)

FERNIE, B.C. – Golf Canada nears the end of its 2017 junior golf championship season as the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship is set to take place at Fernie Golf and Country Club.

With support from British Columbia Golf, the Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship is the fifth of six regional junior championships presented in partnership with Acura. The 54-hole stroke play tournament will begin with a practice round on July 10 before the tournament gets underway with round one on July 11.

Founded in 1918, Fernie Golf and Country Club will be hosting its first ever Future Links Championship. With a varied terrain and stunning view of the Rocky Mountains, the course features an aesthetic charm accentuated by luscious greens and silica sand bunkers.

“Golf Canada and British Columbia Golf are thrilled to present the 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura Western Championship in Fernie,” said Greg Moody, the Tournament Director from British Columbia Golf. “We are optimistic that the tricky course at Fernie Golf and Country Club will challenge Canada’s premier junior golfers and allow them to demonstrate their skills.”

The field will consist of 85 junior golfers in the Junior Boys Division with the top six earning exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf & Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play.

The Junior Girls Division will consist of 16 golfers with the top six (including ties) earning an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

The final Future Links, driven by Acura Championship of 2017 will conclude the regional championship series this summer.

July 17-20 – Future Links, driven by Acura Atlantic – Church Point, N.S. – Clare Golf & County Club.

Results from the previous 2017 Future Links, driven by Acura championships can be found here: Pacific, Ontario, Quebec, Prairie.

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

NOTABLES

Kai Iguchi of Banff, Alta.
Finished T5 at the same event last year, the highest of all returning players. Highest finish of the season is a T7 at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters. He is currently ranked at No. 47 in the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

Taylor Stone of Calgary, Alta.
The 17-year-old won her first event of the season at the MJT Alberta Season Opener and finished in third at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters. She is currently ranked at No. 37 in the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

Carter Graf of Red Deer, Alta.
Currently ranked seventh on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit. The 16-year-old is coming off a win at the PGA of Alberta Junior Masters back in May. In six events this season, Graf has finished in the top five three times and in the top 10 four times.

Ethan Choi of Pincher Creek, Alta.
The 15-year-old has four top-25 finishes in the five events he has played this year, including a third-place finish at the MJT Alberta Season Opener and T5 at the US Junior Qualifying Coeur D’Alene. He is currently 21st on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit. Shot a 14-under-par 59 when he was 14-years-old at the Alberta Bantam Championship at River’s Edge in Okotoks, Alta.

Andrew Spalti of Vancouver, B.C.
The 17-year-old has placed inside the top 25 of each of his six events this season. He won the MJT Vancouver Championship back in March and is currently ranked at No. 34 on the Future Links, driven by Acura Order of Merit.

FAST FACTS

In 2017, 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 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship.

Top six finishers (including ties) in the Girls Division earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship.

Brandon MacDougall won junior boys tournament last year after a two-hole playoff against Team Canada Development Squad member Chandler McDowell.

Kehler Koss defeated Phoebe Yue in playoff to win the girls division in 2016.

Starting times for the first and second rounds will be made available on Monday, July 10th 9:30 a.m. More information on the event and starting times can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

Founded in 1918.

Par 70.

More information can be found here.

Tip: Shaping shots off the tee