Together for 25 years and more than 600 golf tournaments, Phil Mickelson and caddie Jim “Bones” Mackay are moving on.

In a surprising email just two days after the U.S. Open that Mickelson didn’t play, they said the decision to part ways was mutual and not based on any one incident.

“We just feel it’s the right time for a change,” Mickelson said.

They were apart the last time they were together. Mickelson was home in California to attend his daughter’s high school graduation, while Mackay was at Erin Hills in Wisconsin taking notes and scouting the course just in case a weather delay would have allowed Mickelson to make his tee time.

Statement from Phil regarding Bones breakup. #damn pic.twitter.com/9pJfJvXQfN

— Jay Coffin (@JayCoffinGC) June 20, 2017

“Player-caddie relationships don’t often last that long,” Mackay said. “I will always be grateful that I was around to witness so much of Phil’s career.”

Mackay previously caddied for Larry Mize and Scott Simpson when he was hired in 1992 to work for Mickelson, who had won a PGA Tour event while at Arizona State. Their first event was a U.S. Open qualifier, and Mickelson shot rounds of 69-63.

They were together for 45 victories worldwide, including five majors, and every Presidents Cup or Ryder Cup team since 1994.

“When Phil hired me in 1992, I had one dream: to caddie in a Ryder Cup,” Mackay said. “Last year, at Hazeltine, Phil played in his 11th straight Ryder Cup. It was so cool to have a front row seat. I wish Phil nothing but the best. His game is still at an elite level, and when he wins in the future (definitely the Masters), I will be among the first to congratulate him.”

Mackay is not retiring as a caddie, though he had no immediate plans. He is coming off double knee replacement surgery during the last off-season.

Mickelson said his brother, Tim Mickelson, would caddie for him the rest of the year. Tim Mickelson is the agent for Jon Rahm, and he filled in for his big brother during the Mexico Championship when Mackay went down with a stomach virus.

Rare was the occasion when Mickelson was playing a tournament with someone other than Mackay on his bag.

Steve Loy’s, Mickelson’s coach at Arizona State and now his manager, was on the bag for the 1993 Tucson Open. Mickelson took his college roommate, Rob Mangini, to Japan in 1995. Those were the only two times Mackay did not caddie for him.

“Bones is one of the most knowledgeable and dedicated caddies in the world,” Mickelson said. “He is always prepared and has the ability to make decisions in pressure-packed situations. Bones is without a doubt one of the most thoughtful people that I have ever known. The next player to work with him will obviously be very lucky.”

Phil and Bones have officially split.

It doesn’t get any better than this exchange from 2012. pic.twitter.com/zll38kLHsh

— Skratch (@Skratch) June 20, 2017

Mackay also was there for some of Mickelson’s unpredictable decisions, such as trying to hit out of the rough, under a tree and over the water at Bay Hill, or trying to play a fairway metal out of the rough at a major.

Mickelson allowed him only one “veto” a year, a chance to talk Lefty out of a shot.

“I do want to say for the record that I did not use my ‘veto’ this year,” Mackay said. “I would like to pass it along to Tim, in all its glory.”

No chance. Mickelson said vetoes are “non-transferrable.”

The player-caddie relationship extended far beyond the golf course. Mackay flew to San Diego in 2009 to spend time with his boss after Mickelson discovered that his wife had been diagnosed with breast cancer.

Mackay met his wife, Jen, through Amy Mickelson and they have two children. They live in Scottsdale, Arizona, where Mackay is a member at Whisper Rock.

“He has been one of the most important and special people in my life since the day we met and I will always be grateful for everything he has done for me,” Mickelson said. “Amy and I, and our children, will always think of Bones, Jen, Oliver and Emma as family. We are looking forward to sharing life and friendship with them forever.”

Whether it’s a group of four or 400, golf has always been a game that’s created memories among those closest to us.

Rewind the clock to Christmas 1977 in little Noëlville, Ont., which is located about an hour south of Sudbury in the municipality of French River. Appropriately named for this time of year, Noëlville — a 735-square-kilometre area with a population of just over 2,600 — is small in size but big in community.

The Mayer family, mid-afternoon on December 31st, challenges the Carriere family to a hockey game.

“It was just a friendly competition,” recalls Mike Mayer, whose father Claude was among the game’s founding players. “It was just for fun. We had so much fun and we wondered if the community would buy into it. And they did. It just took off. It was crazy.”

Fast-forward to today, and the hockey tournament includes 32 teams with about 15 players each, and is one of the most anticipated events annually marked on the calendar.

That said, it’s not as big as the softball competition that the families decided to organize a few years after the beginning of the hockey tournament, which now has approximately 100 teams who participate each summer.

The hockey and softball tournaments — which are so popular they even have their own Wikipedia entries — have been going on since the 1970s. The elder Mayer realized his kids enjoyed golf as they got older, and the younger Mayer, Mike, would usually tee it up with approximately 20 people the day after the softball tournament. It only made sense to then add a golf tournament to the rotation of yearly family events.

It started a few summers ago at The Maples Golf and Sports Club in Noëlville.

Adding intrigue to the Noëlville Family Golf Tournament is the fact that The Maples is a Tri-Par designed course, the first, the club claims, in the world.

With multiple tee decks on every hole, each can be played as either a par 3, 4, or 5. According to its website, there are 387,420,489 possible combinations of golf rounds and it can be played up to a par 90.

Mike Bouffard, owner of The Maples, says there were 40 people who played golf in the tournament a year ago, with more, he hopes, to come.

There’s a constitution that participants must follow in order to participate in the hockey tournament — an example: one must be within seven generations of an original participant in order to play, and the same holds true with golf.

“There are a lot of rivalries,” Bouffard says with a laugh. “You have the pride of your family on the line. Especially in hockey, when two families meet who don’t exactly like each other there’s always competition. But in golf everyone is having a good time. It’s all about bonding in the family.”

“It’s pretty well the way it is around here. Families want to meet. It gives them an occasion to get together,” he continues. “The golf tournament is on Father’s Day weekend, so it just fits well to have a tournament then. It’s all about the family ties.”

Family comes first at the Noëlville Family Golf Tournament. 

A family getting together is an important aspect to any longstanding golf tournament — whether it is in small-town Ontario or the smallest province in the country, as is the case with the Kenmac Energy Family Golf Classic in Prince Edward Island.

Dan MacIsaac, who started Kenmac Energy Inc. in 1986, picked up the sponsorship of the Family Golf Classic 30 years ago. As one of 10 kids, he grew up across the street from Belvedere Golf Club — the host club — and admits the course was a big part of the lives of he and his siblings.

A key highlight of the social calendar in Charlottetown every summer, the mid-July event is a hub for families year after year.

“There’s been a lot of great memories, but I think playing with third-generation kids in the tournament is a testament to what this day means to many families,” says MacIsaac. “It’s also a lot of fun to see the youngest kids each year prepare for their first time in the tournament.”

MacIsaac notes the tournament annually awards prizes for families in different divisions, and specifically a full set of clubs (with bag) for kids 13-and-under, and a driver for kids 14 to 18. Parents aren’t left out, however, as each year there is a draw for two nights and two rounds at Cabot Links.

The tournament isn’t just an opportunity for families to gather and play the game they love; there is an aspect of growing the game as well. And, like the Mayers and Carrieres 1,800 kilometres away in Noëlville, the families who participate in the Kenmac Energy Family Golf Classic are eager to return every summer to help the next generation enjoy the game as much as they do.

“I enjoy seeing kids playing the game I love while meeting new friends and learning life skills at the golf course,” MacIsaac explains. “There’s nothing better as a grandparent myself to see your grandkids dropped off at the golf club in the morning and see them make friends and enjoy spending the day at the club as I once did. I’ve got a commitment to sponsor this family golf day until I get to play with my youngest grandchild, who is seven now (so) three more years for sure. We have had a lot of fun over the years on this day in July.”

Whether an annual golf tournament is the result of a longstanding family rivalry that started one New Years Eve on the hockey rink or because there was an obligation to continue to give back to a golf course that gave you so much growing up in Charlottetown, the crux of it all is that family togetherness will keep tournaments — and golf itself — thriving well into the future.

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

Former amateur standout Maude-Aimée LeBlanc has seen her fair share of ups and downs during her six years as a pro, but through it all, she has grown and matured.

During the recent Manulife LPGA Classic in Cambridge, the former Canadian national team member took a moment to speak about her journey to success on the golf course.

Looking back, the 28-year-old Sherbrooke, Que. native credits her dad, Gaston, for getting her started in the sport at the tender age of five.

“It was my dad who introduced me to the game.  He never played pro, but he was a really good amateur. I remember really enjoying the sport and playing all the time as a kid,” recalled the 6 foot 1 inch LeBlanc.

“I started tournaments around nine years old. I was one of only two girls competing in the junior tournaments and we were always beating the boys; and it was around that time that I knew I was pretty good,” she recalled with a smile.

LeBlanc says it was American Michelle Wie’s success that inspired her to pursue the sport professionally.

“When I was 12 or 13, I remember seeing Michelle Wie on TV all the time; and she was playing professional tournaments already.  I was thinking that was pretty cool and I thought that’s what I wanted to do also,” she said.

LeBlanc still remembers the thrill of playing alongside Wie during the 2008 Canadian Women’s Open in Ottawa.

“I played with her for the first time when I was 19 at the Canadian Women’s Open,” she recalled.

“I got an exemption; and they paired us together and it was an incredible experience.  It was actually at the same course that the Canadian Open is taking place at this year (Ottawa Hunt & Golf Club).”

In reflecting on her success as an amateur, the 2006 Royal Canadian Junior Girls Champion also credits Golf Canada for playing an important role.

“I was on the team with Golf Canada since I was 13.  I learned a lot and got a lot of opportunities to play all around the world, so it was great for my development,” said LeBlanc, who also won the 2007 Quebec Amateur Championship.

LeBlanc’s success as a junior would score her a full scholarship to Purdue University where she would lead the women’s golf team to the NCAA title in 2010.

“It was a great team and Maude was one of the better players – if not the best.  I learned so much from her. She was such a long hitter and had a good putter,” recalled former teammate and current LPGA pro Paula Reto during the recent Manulife LPGA Classic.

“We were all on the 18th waiting for Maude to come in; and she had to make par to help us win the title – and she did just that.”

According to another former Boilermaker teammate, Laura Gonzalez Escallon, LeBlanc’s par on the 18th hole required a determined effort.

“Maude had to make up-and-down from a really deep bunker where you couldn’t even see her; and she made it to give us the win by one shot. It was clutch,” said Gonzalez Escallon, a first year LPGA pro.

“I was a rookie at the time and it was an amazing feeling.  It was such a big accomplishment for all of us to win the NCAA title and to have that on our records.”

Leading her team to the NCAA title in her junior year earned LeBlanc recognition as first team All-American by Golfweek Magazine.

LeBlanc says her time at Purdue will always hold a special place in her heart.

“Our team was amazing and we had great team chemistry so it was a lot of fun. The four years spent there will always be something that will be special to me.”

After graduating in 2011, she secured her full LPGA tour card on her first attempt through Qualifying School.  However, a back injury ended her 2012 rookie season half way through.

LeBlanc had a difficult time recovering her “A” game following the injury.  After struggling in 2013, she would lose her full LPGA status and competed primarily on the Symetra Tour during the 2014 season.

By 2015, LeBlanc’s health was back at 100 per cent and her game was rounding back into form. She would go on to record six top five finishes on the Symetra Tour in 22 starts that year.

In December of 2015, the former amateur standout once again earned her full LGPA tour card through Qualifying School where she finished in the top five.

LeBlanc would go on to record her most successful season as a pro in 2016, as she made the cut in 15 of 23 tournaments, and earned over US$173,000 in prize money.

Given her successful 2016 campaign, she entered the 2017 season with the personal goal of breaking through and capturing her maiden LPGA title.

However, after a strong start, where she finished in a tie for seventh spot at the ISPS Handa Women’s Australian Open in February, LeBlanc has struggled since – making the cut in only two out of her next 11 tournaments.

Despite LeBlanc’s struggles, her former Purdue teammate believes the talented Canadian is capable of putting up much better results.

“Maude’s got a great game and she’s one of the longest hitters on tour – so it’s just a matter of having that confidence in her short game,” noted Gonzalez Escallon about LeBlanc who is ranked in the top five in the LPGA in driving distance at just over 275 yards per drive.

LeBlanc agrees that a big part of her inconsistency has to do with her confidence on the greens.

“I had a really good start to the year. I felt my putting was really good at the beginning of the year and it kind of went downhill a little bit.  So, it’s been a bit frustrating,” she said candidly.

However, the sixth-year pro says she’s been working hard to address that area of her game.

“I’ve been putting in extra time working on my putting in practice and recently I feel like I’m playing a lot better than my scores have been,” she said.

“As well, I’ve learned a lot from the ups and downs over the years; and I feel that I’ve matured a lot and I know what I need to do to turn things around. I feel that I’m really close to doing that.”

While there are a number of big tournaments still to come on the LPGA schedule this summer, says she has one specific one circled on her calendar.

“One of the tournaments I’m really looking forward to is the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open.  I have two weeks off before because I’m not playing in the Solheim Cup. So, I’m going be home during that time to play the course a few times before the tournament and I’ll be prepared,” noted the former Canadian national team member.

With her back injury now a thing of the past combined with a world class long game, LeBlanc is clear on what she needs to address in order to reach her goals on the golf course for the remainder of this year – and beyond.

“I believe that I can still win out there but I just have to get the putter to cooperate,” she said.

“I feel my game has been moving in the right direction recently so I’m just going to stay patient and continue to work on my putting – and I believe the results will come.”

In the midst of its 14th season, Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru boasts over 100,000 participants since 2003 raising over $5.9 million dollars for the Canadian Cancer Society and Québec Breast Cancer Foundation in support of breast cancer research during that period.

Golf Fore the Cure presented  by Subaru offers a seamless addition to an existing event (such as ladies night) with free prizing and event kits.

In 2017 Golf Fore the Cure presented by Subaru has a fundraising goal of $500,000.

In just one month over $15,000 has already been raised. The below infographic outlines six easy steps to planning your own Golf Fore the Cure event:

Before their names shared space on the silver U.S. Open trophy, Brooks Koepka and Jordan Spieth were together in a less attractive location.

Both failed by three shots to advance out of the second stage of qualifying school in Texas, leaving them with no status on any tour.

That was five years ago, and each went his own way.

Spieth, a U.S. Junior Amateur champion who won an NCAA title with Texas, received sponsor exemptions to PGA Tour and Web.com Tour events and rode a runner-up finish in the Puerto Rico Open to a meteoric year that ended with him on the Presidents Cup team at age 20.

Koepka began filling his passport.

One three-week stretch on the Challenge Tour took him from India to South Africa to Kenya. He played in Kazakhstan and Madeira Island, Finland and Belgium. He won in Italy and Spain, and he was on the verge of a third victory, this one in Scotland, that would earn him graduation to the European Tour.

And he was ready to come home.

He called Blake Smith, his manager at Hambric Sports, and told him, “I don’t even want to play.”

“I don’t want to say homesick. I was just tired of golf. Tired of travelling,” Koepka said. “I just wanted to be home, even though I was about to win the third one. For some reason, I just wanted to get out and go home.”

He stayed. He won. And then he flew to London early the next morning and qualified for the British Open.

All of which made his U.S. Open victory Sunday at Erin Hills all the more special.

Koepka can’t count the miles he travelled after leaving Florida State, but he wouldn’t trade the path that led him to a major championship at age 27.

“I think it helped me grow up a little bit and really figure out that, ‘Hey, play golf, get it done and then you can really take this somewhere.’ And I built a lot of confidence off that,” Koepka said.

Those who saw him couldn’t ignore the sheer athleticism, raw power and quiet confidence.

“I kept telling people last year after the Ryder Cup,” Brandt Snedeker said, “when Brooks figures out how good he is, he’s going to be a world beater.”

He beat everyone at Erin Hills, and in the end, it wasn’t even close.

One shot behind going into the final round, Koepka didn’t miss a green until the par-3 13th – the only one he missed in the final round – and he saved par with an 8-foot putt that might have been more meaningful than the three straight birdie putts that followed.

“I needed to make that if I was going to win this tournament,” he said.

Brian Harman in the final group behind him made back-to-back bogeys and couldn’t catch up. Hideki Matsuyama shot 66 but started too far back. Koepka closed with a 67 for a four-shot victory, the lowest final round by a U.S. Open champion since Tiger Woods at Pebble Beach in 2000 when he won by 15.

Only after he signed his card did Koepka realize a birdie on the par-5 18th would have broken another U.S. Open record at Erin Hills. He made par and finished at 16-under 272, matching the record to par by Rory McIlroy, who shot 16-under 268 at Congressional in 2011.

No big deal.

It takes a lot to get Koepka excited, and while a U.S. Open certainly does the trick, it was hard to tell. When he started out Sunday, one shot out of the lead and among 12 players within five shots, he did little more than walk to the cup after three birdies on the front nine.

When he was tied for the lead with six holes to play, he gave a light fist pump, clenched his hand a little tighter after each of those four big putts.

“Did you see that fist pump there on 18,” Koepka said with a proud smile.

Yes, both of them, neither to be mistaken with anything Tiger Woods has done over the years.

Despite such a chill personality, there was some irritation about not winning as much as he felt he should. Koepka won the Turkish Airlines Open in 2014 over Ian Poulter and Henrik Stenson. Three months later, he powered his way to victory in the Phoenix Open.

And that’s been it in the big leagues, though he has done well enough to make the Ryder Cup team last year (going 3-1-0 in his matches).

Signing. Late into the night. @BKoepka @usopengolf #choresofachampion pic.twitter.com/JyVKrrf4K4

— PGA TOUR Media (@PGATOURmedia) June 19, 2017

“I’d won once on the PGA Tour, once on the European Tour,” Koepka said. “I just felt like I should be winning more. I don’t know why. It’s one of those things. Not a big fan of losing. I don’t think anyone out here is. And I just couldn’t stand the fact that I’d only won once.”

This makes two on the PGA Tour, and it was a big one.

“It’s crazy to think that this is only his second win,” Justin Thomas said. “But he’s a great player and he has no fear. … When he’s on, there are not many people in the world better.”

For the full U.S. Open leaderboard click here.

Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton shot a 2-under 69 on Sunday at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club to win the GolfBC Championship and claim his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory.

The former University of Alabama standout closed out the victory in style with a 7-footer for birdie at the 72nd hole to win by one over Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz, Danville, California’s Cody Blick and Ridgeway, Virginia’s Adam Webb.

The win puts Shelton atop the Order of Merit through three events, in position to earn Web.com Tour status for the 2018 season.

“It means a lot. Just to win anywhere is so exciting. Just to know that my game’s there and to finally get one done feels great,” said Shelton.

Shelton began the day with a three-stroke lead over Webb, but quickly found himself in a four-way battle for the title as Webb, Blick and Ruiz made their charges. It was Ruiz who charged hardest, making birdie at 14 and 15 to take the solo lead at 19-under.

Unbeknownst to Shelton, Ruiz caught bad break at 18 when his tee shot nestled up against a pine tree that guards the approach to the green and was forced to play his second shot left-handed, eventually making bogey to fall into a tie for the clubhouse lead with Blick.

“I had no idea. Looking up on the scoreboard, it said 19-under (through 17), and I thought for sure he parred this hole,” said Shelton, who took driver off the tee in an attempt to make birdie and found the thick rough left of the fairway, 65 yards from the pin.

“I pulled it a little,” said Shelton of his drive. “My lie wasn’t great, but I just knew I had to land it on the green and roll out to the pin.”

He executed the shot to perfection, however, rolling the ball to within seven feet of the tucked back-right pin and giving him a birdie putt that he unwittingly had for his first Mackenzie Tour win.

“Over the putt, I thought I had to make it to go into a playoff,” said Shelton, who poured the putt in the middle of the hole to the roar of the crowd that knew what he didn’t – that he had just won the GolfBC Championship.

“Somebody told me when I was walking off the green that I won, and then it hit me,” said Shelton. “I still have to play well the rest of this season, but to get a win early on is huge and does a lot for my confidence.

With the win, Shelton moves atop the Order of Merit, just $323 ahead of Freedom 55 Financial Open winner Lee McCoy. Webb, Blick and Ruiz, meanwhile, each notched career-best finishes in a tie for second.

29-year old Webb was making his 14th career start on the Mackenzie Tour. Last year, he recorded three top-25s and one top-10 to earn a spot in the Freedom 55 Financial Championship and retain exempt status for 2017.

Webb played collegiate golf at Longwood University, where he recorded two individual wins. He owns two mini tour wins as a professional on the eGolf Tour and GPro Tour.

Blick was making his 13th career start on the Mackenzie Tour this week. Earlier this year, he earned exempt status for the first eight events of the season with a T4 finish at the USA West #1 Q-School.

Last week in Victoria, Blick shot a 10-under 60 in the third round of the Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist and finished T3.

Ruiz was making his seventh career start on the Mackenzie Tour. Earlier this year, he earned exempt status for the first eight events of the season with a T2 finish at the British Columbia Q-School.

Ruiz had conditional status on the Mackenzie Tour in 2015 and missed the cut in all four starts. He did begin playing golf until age 14 and notched his first pro win at the 2016 Monterey Open.

With the win, Shelton becomes the first player to hold the solo lead after every round of an event since Joel Dahmen at the 2014 Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON and the first player to hold at least a share of the lead after each round of a tournament since Adam Cornelson at the 2016 Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist.

With a total score of 13-under par in a tie for seventh, West Vancouver, British Columbia’s Seann Harlingten finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize.

The top Canadian on the leaderboard each week takes home the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Dan Halldorson Trophy, Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year honours and a $25,000 prize.

Team Canada Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit finished T9 in his second event as a pro and earned an spot in the field at the Players Cup, July 3-9 at Pine Ridge Golf Club in Winnipeg.

Watch the final round highlights below.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Brooks Koepka received a short piece of advice from a valuable source on the eve of the final round at the U.S. Open.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson was doing most of the talking.

“It was a long phone call for us – it was like two minutes,” Koepka said. “But he just said a few things, and just stay patient. And I’ll win if I stay patient and just keep doing what I’m doing.”

What he did looked awfully familiar Sunday at Erin Hills, minus any mess involving the rules.

With athleticism and power, and four straight putts over the back nine that allowed him to pull away, Koepka capped off his hardscrabble journey around the world and found stardom at home as the U.S. Open champion.

A two-minute recap of @BKoepka's final round of the 117th #USOpen. pic.twitter.com/zvMpeOnqQ9

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 20, 2017

He closed with a 5-under 67, only realizing after his par on the final hole that a birdie would have set yet another U.S. Open record in a week filled with them.

Koepka finished at 16-under 272, matching the lowest score to par first set by Rory McIlroy six years ago at Congressional.

Tied for the lead with six holes to play, Koepka holed an 8-foot par putt on the 13th hole that gave him confidence with his stroke and momentum to pour in birdies on the next three holes to turn the final hour into a celebration of another young star in golf.

The 27-year-old Koepka wound up winning by four shots over Brian Harman, who was done in by back-to-back bogeys right when Koepka was making his run, and Hideki Matsuyama, who closed with a 66.

“That’s probably the most emotion I’ve ever shown coming down the stretch,” Koepka said. “It feels amazing to get my name on this trophy with so many other great names. It’s truly an honour.”

Thoughts from the champion. pic.twitter.com/LkY0Fh85uC

— U.S. Open (USGA) (@usopengolf) June 19, 2017

Emotion? The most he displayed was a light fist pump, his hand clenched a little tighter with each birdie, and a double fist pump on the 18th when he tapped in for par.

It’s not much different from Johnson.

They are close friends on the golf course and in the gym, and they play a similar game of power off the tee, a clean strike with the iron and a knack for looking calm even as the pressure is ramping up.

And now their names are on the U.S. Open trophy, one after the other.

It capped quite a journey for the Floridian. Without a card on any tour when Koepka got out of Florida State, he filled his passport on the Challenge Tour with stamps from Kazakhstan to Kenya, Scotland and Spain, India and the Madeira Island.

One night in Scotland, he called his agent and wanted to come home, even though he was leading the tournament. He had been on the road for so long, in so many different countries, and was feeling lonely.

He won the next day to graduate to the European Tour. The next year, he earned a spot in the U.S. Open through a qualifier in England, and his tie for fourth at Pinehurst No. 2 helped him earn a card on the PGA Tour.

Koepka took it from there – a victory in Turkey against a strong field, his first PGA Tour victory in the Phoenix Open, his first Ryder Cup and now a major championship.

“To go over there, I think it helped me grow up a little bit and really figure out that, hey, play golf, get it done, and then you can really take this somewhere,” he said.

Koepka became the seventh straight first-time winner of a major championship, and it was the first time since 1998-2000 that Americans won their national championship three straight years.

Tommy Fleetwood, who played alongside Koepka and closed with a 72 to finish fourth, played the Challenge Tour a year before Koepka arrived.

“It gives you a good grounding,” Fleetwood said. “Obviously, Brooks dealt with it amazingly. He came and kicked everyone’s (behind) over there, didn’t he? But he’s proven for a long time how good he is. Now he’s done it in a major.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., stuggled to an 8-over 80 to finish the tournament 9-over 297.

It was only fitting that Koepka left Erin Hills with yet another record matched or broken.

.@BKoepka ties the U.S. Open scoring record in relation to par. pic.twitter.com/xOyjwC2FsQ

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 19, 2017

McIlroy finished at 16-under 268 when he won on rain-softened Congressional in the 2011 U.S. Open. But the low scoring went much deeper than that.

Only six players had ever reached double digits under par in the previous 116 times at the U.S. Open. McIlroy and Tiger Woods (12 under at Pebble Beach in 2000) had been the only players to finish there.

This week alone, nine players reached at least 10 under and seven finished there.

Xander Schauffele, a rookie on the PGA Tour playing in his first U.S. Open, birdied his last hole for a 69 to tie for fifth at 10-under 268 along with Bill Haas (69) and Rickie Fowler (72), who was poised at yet another major to win only to fall back.

Fowler started one shot out of the lead at the Masters this year and shot 76. He was only two behind when he made the turn, but bogeys on the 12th and 15th holes – and no birdies until No. 18 – ended his hopes.

Justin Thomas, coming off a 9-under 63 that matched the major championship scoring record and was the first 9-under round at a U.S. Open, went out in 39 and closed with a 75 to tie for ninth.

The week ended with 31 players under par, breaking the U.S. Open record of 28 players at Medinah in 1990. There were 133 sub-par rounds, nine more than the previous record in that 1990 U.S. Open.

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GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. – Brooke Henderson made it a special Father’s Day.

With father and coach Dave Henderson and other family members watching, the 19-year-old Canadian won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her fourth LPGA Tour title, holding off Michelle Wie and Lexi Thompson by two strokes in cool, windy conditions.

“It was just like the perfect day,” the Smiths Falls, Ont., native said. “My dad is my coach, he’s a great father to both my sister (caddie Brittany) and I, and he’s one of our best friends. He’s with us all the time, and he gave me a lot of lines early in the week that I didn’t know, that I wouldn’t normally take without him there. But he said, ‘If you want to win and you want to contend, you need to take these lines off the tee.’

“I did that and I had an advantage over the rest of the field all four days. So this win, I say it’s for him, but it really is for him because I probably wouldn’t have done it without him.”

.@BrookeHenderson grabs her 4th LPGA Victory at the 2017 @MeijerLPGA! A great way to celebrate Father’s Day! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/U6smMxg2rR

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 18, 2017

Henderson closed with a 66 on the Blythefield layout that was reduced to a par of 69 – the fifth hole was played as a par 3 instead of a par 5 – the final two rounds because of flooding.

Wie finished with a 65, and Thompson had a 69.

Henderson finished at 17-under 263 and earned $300,000. She led after each of the first two rounds, shooting 63-67 at a par of 71, and had a 67 on Saturday to drop a stroke behind Thompson.

Henderson won twice last year, taking the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship for her first major, and successfully defending her title in the Cambia Portland Classic.

But she hadn’t won an LPGA tournament since, a winless drought that spanned nearly a year before breaking it Sunday.

“It’s kind of been a little bit tougher season for me, I haven’t got the results that I’ve been really looking for,” Henderson said. “But this week I played really well and things kind of started to turn around for me. So to get my fourth win is super exciting and I’m just excited for the rest of the summer now.”

Henderson had three birdies in a bogey-free round. She birdied Nos. 7 and 8, while Thompson faltered.

“I missed a short one on 10, which I would have liked to have, but then I made a great birdie on No. 11,” Henderson said. “I had zero bogeys on a day like today where it was super windy. And any day on Sunday, there’s that little bit of extra pressure and you’re in contention so you want to play really well so you might push a few more shots than you would like.”

Thompson was 1 over on the first five holes with two bogeys.

Thompson hit one of the longest drives of the day on No. 9, put her approach shot within 20 feet and made the birdie putt to tie for the lead. But she bogeyed No. 10 to fall out of the lead.

“I hit my driver great the whole day, so that was definitely a positive,” Thompson said. “I didn’t roll the putter that well today. It is what it is. I hit two great last putts. I almost made the two long ones.”

Wie shared the lead early in the round and wound up with five birdies and no bogeys.

“It was tough out there,” Wie said. “The wind just started blowing and it was just interesting. Some spots are really wet, some spots are dry, but overall I felt like I played good this week and I’m happy about it.”

Su Oh (64), Madelene Sagstrom (65) and Moriya Jutanugarn (66) tied for fourth at 14 under.

Second-ranked Lydia Ko had a 68 to tie for 10th at 12-under. Top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, coming off a playoff victory last week in Canada over Thompson and In Gee Chun, had a 69 to for 22nd at 9 under.

Henderson said she’ll be taking the next week off after playing in a charity event Monday in Rhode Island. Her next tournament will be KPMG PGA Championship, where she’ll look to defend her title from last season.

“It’s really exciting and it gives me a lot of confidence going into that tournament knowing that I’m coming off a win,” she said. “Hopefully I can go there to Olympia Fields and defend the championship that really defined my career last year.”

Henderson is the 15th different winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the first from Canada. She is the youngest winner on the LPGA Tour in 2017 and the youngest since her last victory.

.@BrookeHenderson goes bogey-free on her final round to win the @MeijerLPGA! See how she was Up To The Challenge in these highlights: pic.twitter.com/nON4CmRGrw

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 18, 2017

Wilmer, Alabama’s Robby Shelton cruised to a 6- under 65 on Saturday at Gallagher’s Canyon Golf and Country Club to extend his lead to three shots at the GolfBC Championship, the third event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The former University of Alabama standout made five birdies and an eagle against just one bogey on the day, finishing the day with a six-foot birdie putt at the 18th hole to lead by three over Ridgeway, Virginia’s Adam Webb heading into the final round.

“I’m striking it really well, and a few putts fell for me on the front nine to get the momentum going,” said Shelton, a three-time 1st team All-American at Alabama and a past U.S. Walker Cup team member. “I just cruised and everything’s working out for me.”

Beginning the day with a one-shot lead, Shelton found himself tied with Webb, Camarillo, California’s Johnny Ruiz and Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp in the early going but put together a flawless front nine, capped by a 50-foot birdie putt at the ninth to take the outright lead.

“I’m throwing darts, and luckily a few putts fell,” said Shelton, who said the three-shot cushion puts him in the driver’s seat for Sunday’s final round. “I can put it on cruise control and hopefully someone doesn’t go stupid low.”

The 22-year old also benefited from some local knowledge on Saturday, with Gallagher’s Canyon Club Champion Dwayne Henry as his caddie for the weekend. “It was great. He definitely helped me with some reads, and it’s pretty cool to have the club champion on the bag,” said Shelton.

Webb shot a 6-under 65 to hold solo second, while Ruiz, Knapp and Danville, California’s Cody Blick were a shot further back in a tie for third at 13-under.

Shelton’s 2015 Walker Cup teammates Lee McCoy, Hunter Stewart and Jordan Niebrugge are also Mackenzie Tour members this season.

Shelton has held the solo lead after each round this week. The last player to lead outright after each round at a Mackenzie Tour event was Joel Dahmen at the 2014 Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON.

The last player to hold at least a share of the lead after each round of a tournament was Adam Cornelson at the 2016 Bayview Place Cardtronics Open presented by Times Colonist.

Team Canada National Team golfer Jared du Toit is T9 after a course record 10-under-par 61 on Saturday. Du Toit is playing in his second event as a professional .

““I was just thrilled to play the weekend and to go try and shoot a great score. I love playing as a single, so that was awesome for me. I tried to birdie every hole and give myself a good look, and I played well,” said du Toit.

➡️ Du Toit sets the course record
➡️ Eagles abound
➡️ Shelton extends his lead

Watch: Third-round highlights from Kelowna pic.twitter.com/rD4cys0qma

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) June 18, 2017

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Lexi Thompson shot a 64 on Saturday on the Blythefield layout reduced to a par of 69 because of flooding, giving her a one-stroke lead in the Meijer LPGA Classic.

The fifth hole was played as a 111-yard par 3 instead of a par 5 because of the flooding from overnight rain.

Coming off a playoff loss to Ariya Jutanugarn last week in Canada, Thompson had six birdies – four on the back nine – and a bogey to reach 15-under 196.

“It was just a matter of staying patient,” Thompson said. “I knew I was hitting it well on the front nine, I just wasn’t making the birdies. But I hit it well all day, so it was all a matter of hitting the shots closer and I guess just taking advantage of like No. 11, reaching that one in two, and making a few putts for birdie.”

Her only bogey was on the par-4 seventh.

“It was just a stupid club coming in,” she said. “I should have just played short of the green, that’s where you have to miss it, and I hit it long. Just a bad miss, stupid mistake.”

Brooke Henderson, the leader after each of the first two rounds, had a 67 to drop into a tie for second with Lee-Anne Pace (61), Sung Hyun Park (62) and Jenny Shin (63).

"It's actually probably a little bit easier going into Sunday being one shot back." @BrookeHenderson interview: #MeijerLPGA pic.twitter.com/GnQlphWRz4

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 18, 2017

Thompson won the Kingsmill Championship last month in Virginia for her eighth LPGA Tour title after losing the ANA Inspiration in a playoff after being penalized four strokes for a rules violation reported by a television viewer.

At Rancho Mirage in early April, Thompson was given the four-shot penalty with six holes to play in the final round. She had a 15-inch putt on 17 in the third round when she stooped to mark the ball, and quickly replaced it about an inch away. The television viewer contacted the LPGA Tour the next day, and officials determined it was a clear violation.

Thompson was assessed a two-shot penalty for where she replaced the ball, and because it happened the day before, she received a two-shot penalty for signing an incorrect scorecard. She went from a three-shot lead to one shot behind, and eventually lost to So Yeon Ryu in the playoff.

Henderson birdied Nos. 12 and 13 and closed with five pars.

Heading into Sunday one shot off the lead ? @BrookeHenderson @MeijerLPGA pic.twitter.com/Yx5uZJLhhw

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 17, 2017

“I made that long one from off the green on 12 that wasn’t really expected and that kind of gave me some energy,” the 19-year-old Canadian said.

Pace had two eagles and five birdies.

“My irons were really good,” the South African player said. “Obviously, all the par 3s, that helps. I was looking at birdie almost every hole, which is quite nice. I was never really in trouble except on 10, I missed the drive left, but that was really the only thing. There were a couple of long putts I made, unexpected putts actually. ”

Shin made a long putt on No. 14 for her fifth straight birdie. But on 17, she pushed her approach shot and wound up on the bottom of the green, and took her only bogey of the round.

Hyo Joo Kim (65) was 12 under, and Lydia Ko (64), Michelle Wie (64), Moriya Jutanugarn (67) and Carlota Ciganda (68) followed at 11 under. Ko dropped to No. 2 in the world Monday after an 85-week run at the top. The top-ranked Ariya Jutanugarn, Moriya Jutanugarn’s younger sister, was 9 under after a 64.

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