Four honourary Calgarians – Carlos Franco, Jeff Maggert, Fred Couples and Rocco Mediate – have tipped their Smithbilt cowboy hats to Calgary in search of another Shaw Charity Classic title.

The former champions of the award-winning PGA TOUR Champions event – Franco (2016), Maggert (2015), Couples (2014) and Mediate (2013) – have all confirmed they will return for the fifth anniversary celebrations of the Shaw Charity Classic at Canyon Meadows Golf and Country, August 30 – September 3, 2017.

Paraguay’s Carlos Franco fired a pair of 63s on the weekend last year to secure his first PGA TOUR Champions title. The four-time winner on the PGA TOUR is one of only two players who have won Rookie-of-the-Year honours and claimed a title against golf’s 50 and over crowd. Franco was the PGA TOUR Rookie-of-the-Year in 1999.

@CarlosFrancoPGA ? @jeff_maggert ? Fred Couples ? @RoccoMediate ?All 4 #ShawClassic champs will return to #yyc for the '17 #ShawClassic! pic.twitter.com/IpXP9yWQ9y

— Shaw Charity Classic (@ShawClassic) July 5, 2017

“I was so happy to finally win my first tournament on this Tour and to do it in Canada was extra special,” said Franco, who teamed up with Vijay Singh to win the Bass Pro Shops Legends of Golf earlier this year. “I love the people in Canada and the memories of last year in Calgary will always have a special place in my heart. I can’t wait to get back Canada to relive some of those memories and hopefully successfully defend my title.”

Three other big names also have good vibes around the Canyon Meadows track.

Jeff Maggert, who donned his white Stetson two years ago after blitzing the field and the greatest names in the game with a four-shot win, will be back in cowboy country in hopes of becoming the first second-time winner.

“I have lived in Texas for 40 years so I’ve seen a few cowboy hats in my time. It felt good to put one on in Calgary, and I definitely cherish it,” said the 53-year-old Maggert, “Everyone thinks just because you’re the defending champion you’re going to come in and it will be an easy week. If you look at the history of golf tournaments, that rarely happens. I wasn’t able to do it last year, but I sure hope to add my name onto that trophy for a second time.”

Maggert’s five wins on the senior circuit, including two majors, topped his total of three wins during his 25 years on the PGA TOUR. The 53-year-old is one of eight players to win on all PGA TOUR sponsored tours – PGA TOUR, Web.com, and PGA TOUR Champions.

Calgary golf fans will also welcome back one of their most famous adopted sons, Fred Couples. A crowd favourite since the tournament’s inception in 2013, Couples won the 2014 event in thrilling fashion after a career-best final round 61 that included a chip-in eagle on the 54th hole. He got sized up for a white cowboy hat of his own after winning the first playoff hole over Billy Andrade.

“Calgary has been a very enjoyable place for me. Last year I wasn’t physically able to compete, but I have always said, as long as I’m healthy I plan on coming here every year,” said Couples. “The people at Shaw are incredible. The crowds are huge. The course is always in great shape and I feel like I can play it well. There is nothing more a player could ask for. I look forward to getting back there.”

Couples’ 13th victory on the PGA TOUR Champions came two weeks ago at the Chubb Classic, American Family Insurance Championship. A winner of 15 PGA TOUR events, the smooth swinging Couples is remembered most for his 1992 triumph at the Masters Tournament. Once graduating to the senior Tour, he made an immediate statement. Finishing second in his first start, he went on to win his next three events, becoming the first player ever to win three of his first four tournaments. Couples has two major championship victories on the PGA TOUR Champions: 2011 Senior Players Championship, and The Senior Open Championship in 2012.

Fred Couples strolling across @canyonmeadows @ the '14 #ShawClassic. Congrats to #BoomBoom on his win yesterday!
?:Steve Dykes/Getty Images pic.twitter.com/JBYZD9LzXi

— Shaw Charity Classic (@ShawClassic) June 27, 2017

While more than 40,000 fans lined the fairways at Canyon Meadows to catch a glimpse of Couples’ debut at the inaugural event in 2013, they left talking about Rocco Mediate who was the first player to get white-hatted on the 18th green.

Mediate captured the hearts of Calgarians when he was crowned the inaugural champion with a seven-shot victory while tying the lowest 54-hole total at 22-under-par 191 on the PGA TOUR Champions. Since dusting the field in 2013, Mediate won his first major on the senior swing last year, when he finished on top at the 2016 Senior PGA Championship.

“What can I say – Calgary is one of my favourite places on earth so I can’t wait to get back up there again,” said Mediate. “It really is the people who make this event what it is. Everyone in the community comes out to support the event with the primary goal to raise money for youth-based charities. The money they have raised for children’s charities is just crazy. I don’t know how they do it. It just doesn’t happen anywhere else so I’m very proud to have my name attached to this tournament.”

One of the most colourful characters in golf, Mediate won six PGA TOUR events. His only other victory on the PGA TOUR Champions also came in 2013 when he won the Allianz Championship.

The four former champions add additional firepower to a star-studded class in 2017 that already includes World Golf Hall of Fame members, Nick Faldo, Colin Montgomerie and Jose Maria Olazabal. Canada’s Stephen Ames and Rod Spittle will be scrapping to become the first Canadians to etch their name on the Shaw Charity Classic trophy.

It will be no easy task with nearly all of the top-30 players on the Charles Schwab Cup Money List, including Miguel Angel Jimenez, booking their team times on Labour Day weekend.

For more information on the Shaw Charity Classic click here.

In a bid to drive women’s participation in the game of golf, the ladies of Thornhill Golf Club have helped Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru get off to a hot start in 2017 by raising over $11,000 for breast cancer research.

Despite the poor weather conditions, the generous participants, predominantly women, were out in full force for the worthy cause.

“It was amazing to see the participation at the event in such poor conditions,” said Penny Spence, organizer of the event. “About 50 women donned pink sashes and proceeded to play 18 holes in 14-degree weather before the rain came in. Sadly, the pink sashes were covered by rain gear!”

In total, there were 75 people that attended the cocktail party and raffle draw that followed the golf on June 6.

“I was especially proud of the turnout from our female population,” said Spence. “It was also nice to see the two male fitness instructors and golf professional dressed in pink to serve cocktails and appetizers to the ladies.

“It was the event of the season!”

By the end of the night, the group raised a staggering amount.

In total, the donations added up to $12,136; including $4,486 from cheques and $475 in auction items, with the remaining $7,075 came in through WayPoint – the program’s official registration program.

During the past 13 years, Golf Fore the Cure, presented by Subaru has exposed more than 100,000 women to the game of golf and raised $5.9 million towards the fight against breast cancer. Each year, the organization holds a national event to mark the annual success in growing women’s participation in the game while raising funds to fight breast cancer.

This year, the event will be held at Brantford Golf & Country Club on Sept. 26. The 18-hole charity event expects more than 120 women to participate, including those from the top-three fundraising teams from across the country.

Spence has made her bid to be invited to the event.

You can register for free by visiting the website here.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce that Brantford Golf and Country Club will host the 14th annual Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event on Sept. 26.

The event marks the celebration of another successful year of growing women’s participation in the sport while simultaneously raising funds to fight breast cancer. Fuelled by the support of over 10,000 annual participants, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru has raised over $5.9 million for breast cancer research towards program partners Canadian Cancer Society and Quebec Breast Cancer Foundation. With the goal of increasing women’s participation in the sport, the program has engaged over 100,000 ladies in the sport—a statistic that hits home with Brantford Golf & Country Club’s Head PGA of Canada Professional, Dan Poort.

“The Brantford Golf & Country Club is very excited and pleased to be the host venue for the Golf for the Cure national event,” said Poort. “Our club has a strong, active female membership who are thrilled to support this event and its great cause. We look forward to this special celebration and are proud to help make a difference and grow women’s golf.”

The 18-hole charity event expects over 120 women, including the top-three fundraising teams from across Canada as well as program ambassador and Rogers Sportsnet broadcaster Evanka Osmak, who will be delivering opening remarks.

Brantford Golf & Country Club—the fourth oldest golf club in North America—is home to Canadian Olympian and Golf Fore the Cure Ambassador Alena Sharp, who’s excited to see the event come to her home club.

“I’m very proud that my home club is hosting the Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru National Event this year. It’s a beautiful yet challenging course that I’m sure all of the participants will enjoy.”

Pink Partner adidas Golf will be providing an apparel piece to all participants in addition to providing the top-three fundraising teams with a winter gift package including golf pants, sweater and shoes. Presenting partner Subaru continues to extend their commitment to the program with the “Subaru Safest Drive” mini-game, adding to their generous gifting at the event. The evening will commence with a three-course dinner, coupled with speeches from keynote speakers and followed by a special prize draw.

“The National Event is always a special day of significance to celebrate the success of the program,” said Jeff Thompson, interim chief executive officer at Golf Canada. “It’s also an important celebration of everything that has been accomplished thus far as a result of our great corporate partners and most importantly our volunteers across the country.”

Registration is open to public and corporate teams.

Click here to register.

Estevan, Sask. – Jacob Kydd shot the low round of the day for the boys and Chaewon Baek recorded the only score under par for the girls as the two lead their respective divisions after round one at the Future Links, driven by Acura Prairie Championship at TS&M Woodlawn Golf Club on Tuesday.

Kydd carded a 4-under-par 68 while scoring six birdies in his stellar opening round.

“It feels awesome, it’s my lowest round ever,” said the 17-year-old, from Regina, Sask. “I felt really good right from my very first tee shot. After that, the putts just starting going in for me. I didn’t three putt all day and knew that I had the potential to record a really low score.”

They only blemish on Kydd’s personal best was a double bogey right after he made the turn onto hole 10, but he managed to stay out of danger by scoring three birdies in the following five holes.

Three players are within striking distance of the leader after round one.

Tayden Wallin, from Humboldt, Sask., holds on to second place after he finished his opening round two under, and Kade Johnson (Yorkton, Sask.) and Ryan McMillian (Winnipeg, Man.) sit deadlocked in third after they shot the only other two rounds under par in the boys division.

Callum Davison, the 2016 Future Links Quebec Champion, recorded an even-par 72 and is four shots back of Kydd in fifth place.

In the girls division, Baek shot a 1-under-par 71 to secure her spot at the top of the standings. The 13-year-old from Langley, B.C., got off to a rough start with back-to-back bogeys on holes one and two, but she followed it up with an eagle and a birdie to bring her under par.

“The first two holes I three-putted both times but then I made an eagle on three to bring me back into it,” she said, after posting the only round below par in the girls division. “I just tried to not give it up from that point forward.”

Samantha Copeland, from Calgary, Alta., is the closest to Baek after she shot a 4-over-par 76, while Vaijayanti Bharkhada shot a 77 to round out the top three girls.

The top six finishers in the Boys Division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. The top six in the Girls Division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

Full results can be found here.

Canadian Austin Connelly won a four-man playoff at the British Open Qualifier at Royal Cinque Ports Golf Club in Deal, England to secure his place at Royal Birkdale from July 20-23.

Connelly carded a 2-over-par 73 in round two of the qualifier to move to 1 under par (68-73) and finish in a tie for third with South Africa’s Christiaan Bezuidenhout, England’s Guy Woodman, and Welshman David Boote.

“I’m so excited to get to play in The Open. This was only my second time on a links course and I didn’t get to play all the holes in practice,” said Connelly. “It was such a grind but generally I keep it straight and love hitting low, boring draws and love playing in the wind from growing up in Texas,”

The 20-year-old sunk a 15-foot putt on the first playoff hole to secure the third and final spot at the British Open up for grabs at the Royal Cinque Ports Qualifier.

Congratulations to all ?️'s who made it through qualifying.Those we've met before and those who've made their 1st @RoyalBirkdale_ @TheOpen

— Royal Birkdale Golf (@RoyalBirkdale_) July 4, 2017

A graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad, Connelly turned professional at 18. He’s currently playing on the European Tour after earning status at the 2017 European Tour Qualifying School.

“I used to play with Todd Hamilton when I was growing up and I remember him beating Ernie Els in the 2004 Open. I may talk to him about what to expect at Royal Birkdale,” said Connelly. “This year I committed to the European Tour and Challenge Tour and I’m really enjoying it so this means a lot.”

His best result this year was a T8 at the Nordea Masters in June, the second top-10 of his rookie season.

Connelly joins Adam Hadwin (Abbotsford, B.C.) as the second Canadian in the British Open field.

For the full qualifier results click here.

Create your desired trajectory around the greens with these simple steps from Team Canada Women’s Coach Tristan Mullally.

Having a great short game is less about perfect technique and more about mastering trajectory. Understanding how to address the ball to create the desired ball-flight height will allow you to pick appropriate landing points and finish closer to the hole. Jennifer Ha, an LPGA Tour member and Golf Canada Young Pro, demonstrates below.

THE SETUP
Jennifer has placed five balls alongside her feet parallel to the target line with the middle ball in the centre of her stance. Your centre of gravity (sternum) remains constant and should be slightly towards the target, your hand position (another constant) should fall naturally below this point. The second ball (highlighted) is a good reference point.

From here we make several adjustments in setup to create both ends of the trajectory scale, low to high.

Lowest ball flight
Ball position moves back (highlighted), shaft becomes more vertical, stand closer and taller to accommodate the taller handle and your stance narrows.

Highest ball flight
Ball position moves forward (highlighted), shaft becomes more horizontal, stand farther away to accommodate the lower handle, face is slightly open and stance widens.

Although we have focused on ball No. 5 (low) and ball No. 1 (high), you should practise from all five positions. Vary the ball position (back or forward), shaft angle (up or down) and distance from the ball (closer to farther) as you move between each ball. If your standard flight is lower or higher than you wish, use these adjustments to create the flight that you want.

Follow @tmullallygolf

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

Once a dragon, always a dragon – at least that’s how former Team Canada National Squad golfer Garrett Rank feels.

Rank – a full-time NHL referee – gifted Team Canada Men’s Head Coach Derek Ingram a signed NHL referee jersey to say thank you for Ingram’s tutelage during his time with the national team.

Rank was a member of the national team, who call themselves the dragons, from 2012-2014. Now he’s the highest ranking Canadian in the World Amateur Golf Rankings.

Ingram shared photos of his present on twitter acknowledging it as one of the best gifts he’s received from former players.

I have gotten several very cool things from players I coached & this is near the top! @TheGolfCanada #dragonalum #GRank ??#alwaysadragon pic.twitter.com/mnwVxJuMEJ

— Derek Ingram (@dingramgolf) July 3, 2017

Refereeing is special to Rank. It’s something his late father did and the two bonded over. He’s made it known how lucky he feels to be able to work in the NHL.

His gift to Ingram reinforces how much Team Canada athletes value all the hard work and hours that Team Canada coaches put in to helping the next generation of Canadian golfers reach their potential.

Go dragons.

Today, Brooke Henderson, Adam Hadwin, and Mackenzie Hughes are household names for Canadian golf fans because of their impressive accomplishments on the professional stage.

And making an important contribution in their journey to success has been Golf Canada’s national team program.

It began in 2005 with a men’s amateur team and a women’s amateur team – and has evolved and grown over the years.

Presently, the national team program consists of a development squad, an amateur squad, a young pro team, and an Olympic team.

The program is year-round in scope and provides world class support and services to the selected athletes to help them reach their short term and long-term goals.

“I joined the national team when I was 14 years old.  That’s also the first year that I won a professional event in Quebec,” said Brooke Henderson, now a four time LPGA champion.

“I played my first LPGA TOUR event as a 14-year-old; and that had a lot to do with my dad, who is my coach, and also joining forces with the Canadian national team.”

The 19-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ontario is quick to speak about the important components of the program which encompasses fitness, sports, psychology, nutrition, technique, equipment and international competition.

“I got so many opportunities to compete outside of Canada and in the U.S.  We played in the British and world amateur championships and all over the world,” Henderson continued.

“So being on the team really taught me a lot. Not only from the coaches – but golf-wise, we had access to a nutritionist, psychologist, strength and conditioning. I learned about all the aspects of the game of golf and that’s been very important to my development.”

As part of the selection process, Golf Canada offers athletes spots onto the respective teams based on performance results along with other factors; and each participant receives a personalized program tailored towards his or her needs.

As part of the program, competition schedules are reviewed and approved by the coaching staff.

Derek Ingram serves as the head coach for the men’s amateur team, young pro team, and Olympic team; while Robert Ratcliffe is the head coach of men’s development squad.

On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally is the head coach of the amateur team, the young pro team and Olympic team; while Ann Carroll being the head coach of development squad.

In addition, leaders in the field of sport science have been a part of building the program and continue to play an important part – often from behind the scenes.

As the country’s top-ranked female amateur, Maddie Szeryk, says her involvement has helped her game and is quick to credit the national team program staff.

“We have so many different elements to it. We have our head coach, Tristan, and then we have our sports psychologist and physio and they’re all awesome. It’s definitely helped me over the last couple of years and I’m very thankful for the program,” said the amateur team member recently at the Manulife LPGA Classic.

“It’s great to have a sports psychologist working through the mental aspect because the sport is very mental and it’s important to understand how to react to not playing well or different situations,” added Szeryk, who won the Ontario Women’s Amateur in 2015.

As the national team program’s sports psychologist, Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood speaks about the importance of maintaining the right mental state of mind.

“A golfer needs to be able to judge distance and what kind of club they want to use, as an example; and sometimes we forget that they are human beings, and the person executing the skill is vulnerable to anxiety and stress,” said Dr. Leslie-Toogood, a licensed psychologist and adjunct faculty at the University of Manitoba.

“We really want to help athletes be self-aware of where they are mentally, so they have tools to calm themselves and they know what to focus on during a round of golf,” she continued.

“If athletes have thoughts that are not productive, we want to provide them with tools and strategies to bring their thoughts back to things that can help them on the course, so they can perform at their best.”

Szeryk is also quick to offer a personal example of how she has benefitted from working with the program’s physiotherapist, Greg Redman.

“I’ve had some issues with my back and Greg really worked with me to fix that through showing me different exercises,” noted Szeryk, a dual-citizen of the United States and Canada who is currently in her junior year at the University of Texas A&M.

As the head physiotherapist and strength and conditioning coach for the national team program, Redman understands the importance of athletes being at their physical best.

“Besides the technical component, golf like many other sports has many facets to it. There’s also the mental side and the strength and conditioning aspect, etc.,” said Redman, a respected clinical physiotherapy specialist who has also worked with the Canadian Olympic team in Athens, Torino, Beijing, London, Sochi and Rio.

“Athletes need to be at their physical best to perform at their best and maintain optimal health and avoid injuries.  And through the program we work with the athletes on those aspects,” he added.

Having been involved with the program since day one back in 2005, Redman says his personal highlight comes from seeing the success of past alumni.

“Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin were part of the program from way back in the day and they were two of the best that we had. It’s amazing to see how far they have progressed and to see their success,” said Redman.

According to Hadwin – who broke through this year to win his first PGA victory at the Valspar Championship in March – golf in Canada is on the rise.

“We’ve got guys playing well on the Web.com Tour and are ready to take that next step; and guys in behind that are moving up in to the Web.com Tour… I think Canadian golf is in great hands and I think it’s just going to continue to get better,” noted Hadwin.

Besides Henderson, Hadwin, and Taylor, other notable participants of the program include Maude-Aimée LeBlanc, Jennifer Ha, Graham DeLaet, and Mackenzie Hughes – just to name a few.

“Derek, Tristan, and the rest of the coaching staff have played a significant part in the success of the program and the players,” said Redman.

“It’s just exciting be part of the team that has played a part to helping the athletes get to the point where they are.”

As an ambassador for the game in the country and a keen observer of the sport, Lorie Kane also gives her endorsement for the contributions made by the national team program.

“Tristan and Derek and the staff there are doing a great job,” said the Canadian Golf Hall of Famer.

“At end of the day the athlete needs to own their own game. And they have to be able to reach out and get help; and we do know that Golf Canada has definitely done their job and have the help there for the players,” she added.

“From a fundamental standpoint, the program is solid.”

PEABODY, Mass. – Kenny Perry claimed his second U.S. Senior Open on Sunday, pulling away from Kirk Triplett at Salem Country Club to finish at 16 under and win by two strokes.

The 56-year-old Perry closed with a 2-under 68 for a record score of 264. Perry also won the event in 2013 in Omaha, Nebraska. It is his fourth major victory on the senior tour.

Perry started the day a stroke behind Triplett but five ahead of the next-closest contender, Brandt Jobe. Triplett, who tied the tournament record with a 62 in the opening round, had five bogeys Sunday and shot 71.

Jobe had a 70 to finish seven strokes back. Tom Lehman and Fred Couples each shot 69 to tie for fourth at 8 under.

Perry’s 264 total was three strokes better than the U.S. Senior Open record set by Hale Irwin at Saucon Valley in 2000 and matched by Perry in 2013. Perry was the only player to shoot under par in each of the four rounds at the 6,815-yard Donald Ross-designed course, which also hosted the tournament in 2001.

That year, Bruce Fleischer won at even par.

But overnight rain before the first three rounds softened the greens, and Triplett and Jobe each took advantage with rounds of 62 – matching the lowest score in a PGA Tour Champions major.

“Today was probably how they wanted the golf course to play all week,” said Jobe, who played his other three rounds at a combined 1 under. “It was hard out there.”

Triplett started the final day with a one-stroke lead but it didn’t last long. Perry birdied the first hole and then took the lead for good when Triplett dropped a stroke on No. 5. By the ninth hole, Perry’s lead was four strokes, and Jobe had closed within two shots of second place.

Triplett, who only had two total bogeys in the first three rounds, had five on Sunday. Perry played bogey-free, with a pair of birdies.

Perry has nine overall victories on the 50-and-over tour after winning 14 times on PGA Tour. He lost a playoff to Mark Brooks in the 1996 PGA Championship at Valhalla in his home state of Kentucky.

Kyle Stanley was in tears on the 18th green after he holed a 5-foot par putt to win the Quicken Loans National in a playoff over Charles Howell III. He wept again in the interview room as he spoke about the long slump between his first and second career victories and the doubts that his game would ever return.

He believed he could win again. But he never really had to think about it until midway through his round on a wild Sunday at TPC Potomac.

“There was some doubt there for a little bit. Yeah, I mean, it’s no fun,” Stanley said, wiping away tears. “You certainly question if you’ll get back … and have a moment like this. It makes this pretty special, for sure.”

On a day when about a dozen players had realistic chances to win, Stanley moved into a share of the lead for the first time with a birdie on the par-5 10th as the leaders faltered behind him. He never had the lead alone until the trophy was his.

Stanley and Howell began the day four shots off the lead, playing together in the fourth-to-last group. Stanley got into the mix with birdies on the fifth, sixth and eight holes, none of the putts longer than 10 feet.

A win in a playoff! ?@KyleStanleyGolf claims the @QLNational as his 2nd career PGA TOUR victory!#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/CA8DWw7LPL

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2017

Howell nudged ahead momentarily with a 27-footer for eagle on the short par-4 14th, only for Stanley to match him with a two-putt birdie.

Both parred the final four holes to shoot 4-under 66s and finish at 7 under, and no one could catch them. Howell had a 21-foot putt to win on the final hole of regulation that rolled over the left edge of the cup.

Playing the par-4 18th again in the playoff, both missed their tee shots to the right, with Stanley getting lucky to draw a good lie. Both missed the green. Howell’s chip came up short and he missed the 11-foot par putt. Stanley chipped to 5 feet and pumped his fist as the putt dropped.

Stanley’s previous win came in 2012 at the Phoenix Open. Later that year, he was ranked a career-best 47th in the world. He declined steadily after that, bottoming out at No. 683 in May 2015.

Even before this week, he was having his strongest season since that 2012 campaign, with four top-10 finishes and three missed cuts in 19 starts.

For three days, the event had been a staid affair, with a lackluster field, small galleries and steady, sometimes dull golf from David Lingmerth, who led after each of the first three rounds. Tournament host Tiger Woods did not attend while he seeks treatment for his use of prescription drugs.

On Sunday, the crowds were bigger, the course was softer and chaos broke out. Then it started pouring. A pop-up storm temporarily soaked TPC Potomac and doomed the chances of Sung Kang, who didn’t pack any rain gear in his bag and missed a 4-foot birdie putt in the heart of the downpour just before play was stopped for 5 minutes. When play resumed, he hit his tee shot into the water on the par-3 17th.

“It was so unfortunate,” Kang said. “There was a zero percent chance of rain today and it was raining so hard.”

His consolation prize was qualifying for his first British Open. The top four players who weren’t already exempt earned spots, and Kang, who finished in an eight-way tie for fifth, got the final berth because of his world ranking.

The other British Open qualifiers were Stanley, Howell and Martin Laird of Scotland, who closed with a 67. He tied for third at 5 under with Rickie Fowler, who shot a 65.

Fowler embraced his role as the tournament’s star attraction, making a career-best nine birdies, but he lamented the one hole that got away – the easy 14th, where his drive found the water and he made double bogey.

Howell, who hadn’t played in more than two months because of a rib injury, notched his 16th career runner-up finish. He hasn’t won in 10 years and never imagined he’d come so close this week.

“Going into this week I was extremely rusty,” Howell said. “I really can’t believe how well I played.”

Lingmerth coughed up the lead immediately with a bogey on the first hole. His chances ended when he pulled his drive on the punishing par-4 11th into a hazard and made double bogey. He closed with a 73. Daniel Summerhays, who blew a three-shot lead at the Memorial a month ago, moved in front with a birdie on 2 but gave it back with a double bogey on 4. He shot 74.

This win means so much. ?

This emotional interview speaks volumes. ❤️️ pic.twitter.com/mvZCLy3ioz

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 2, 2017

Playing on a sponsor exemption, 20-year-old Australian Curtis Luck also held the lead briefly but coughed it up with bogeys on Nos. 8 and 9. His top-10 finish means he won’t have to use a sponsor exemption at the Greenbrier Classic next week.

Stanley is heading home for a week off before he gears up for Royal Birkdale. At some point the tears will give way to satisfaction.

“I wish I didn’t cry so much, to be honest,” he said. “It just feels good to put the work in and see the rewards. I think that’s where most of the emotion’s coming from.”

Abbotsford native Nick Taylor was T29 at 1 over par.

Click here for the full leaderboard.