In-Kyung Kim held off two-time defending champion Anna Nordqvist on Sunday in the ShopRite LPGA Classic for her fifth tour title.

Tied with Paula Creamer for the second-round lead, Kim closed with a 2-under 69 in windy conditions for a two-stroke victory over Nordqvist at Stockton Seaview.

“Just so windy. … It was tough,” Kim said. “I feel really pleased with how I played today. Was really tricky and challenge out there, but I gave my best.”

Kim was making her sixth start since bruising her tailbone falling down stairs. The 28-year-old South Korean player won the Reignwood LPGA Classic late last season in China.

“That took a long time. Now I feel much better,” Kim said. “But actually helped me to work on my upper body – more stronger – while I couldn’t work on my low body. But I’m really happy to come back stronger than was I before.”

Nordqvist shot a 69.

“Just having the honour to back-to-back defend is quite amazing,” Nordqvist said. “There is a little bit of pressure coming into it, but it’s just been fun. I’m trying to embrace it. I love this golf course, I love hitting the shots. … It’s been really windy the last two days. The way I’m controlling the ball I’m really happy with. Just seem to be doing the right stuff, so I’m excited for the next couple weeks.”

Kim finished at 11-under 202.

.@SWEET_IKKIM wins the 2017 @ShopRiteLPGA!! pic.twitter.com/pTY32fNxp0

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 4, 2017

Michelle Wie had a 65 to tie for third at 7 under with Jenny Shin (69), Jacqui Concolino (70) and Jeong Eun Lee (71).

“I just stuck it in there close today,” Wie said. “I was kind of frustrated after my first round. Couldn’t get my wedges in close at all, so I spent a lot of time on the range afterward just working on my wedge game. I’m glad it paid off today. I hit it a lot closer today, which felt good.”

"It felt good today to crush all of it and keep building momentum." @themichellewie with another top-10 finish for the season! #ShopRiteLPGA pic.twitter.com/JcjYbEJ4YM

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 4, 2017

Creamer had a 74 to drop into a tie for seventh at 6 under.

“You can’t shoot over par on Sunday, that’s for sure,” Creamer said.

Creamer’s group with Kim and Moriya Jutanugarn were put on the clock for slow play on the back nine.

“We were on the clock for four holes,” Creamer said. “That’s just not going to cut it. That’s unfortunate, because I said early on to the girls we got to try to keep up. I know we’re getting behind. But for four holes, that’s a long time. We just couldn’t get a rhythm. And especially with some of these pins and with the wind and everything, it’s all happening so fast and you kind of can’t regroup. I didn’t do a very good job of that.”

After making a birdie on the par-4 13th, Kim bogeyed the par-4 14th.

“Last group, wind like this, but we were I think little slow and we were on the clock on those tricky holes,” Kim said. “I had to rush one time. The bogey I made was 150 (yards) front and I hit 170 club. My caddie was like, ‘What are you doing?’ I’m like, ‘I had no idea. I was rushing.”’

Jutanugarn closed with a 72 to also tie for seventh at 6 under.

On Saturday, sister Ariya Jutanugarn took the No. 1 spot in the world ranking to be released Monday. Taking the week off, Ariya Jutanugarn replaced Lydia Ko atop the ranking when So Yeon Ryu missed the cut. Ko, also skipping the event, was guaranteed to lose the top spot to Ariya Jutanugarn or Ryu, and Ariya Jutanugarn got the position when Ryu failed to finish solo third or better.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jason Dufner never lost sight of the big picture even after losing a big lead. It paid off for him Sunday when he rallied from a four-shot deficit and holed a 30-foot par putt on the 18th to close out a victory in the Memorial.

Dufner lost a five-shot lead in the third round. He started the final round facing a four-shot deficit. And then he played his best golf on the back nine, and kept his composure during two rain delays, to close with a 4-under 68 and win by three shots.

“Yesterday was not my best day,” Dufner said of his 77. “But I had to get over it quick. It’s a 72-hole tournament, there’s a lot of things that can happen out there. I knew I was still in the mix.”

Dufner finished at 13-under 275 for his fifth PGA Tour victory, and he joined tournament host Jack Nicklaus as the only Ohio-born winners of the Memorial.

The only two Ohio-born players to win @MemorialGolf?@JasonDufner and @jacknicklaus. pic.twitter.com/clpNDpZnCj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 5, 2017

Not since Nick Faldo in the 1989 has anyone shot 77 in the third round and still won on the PGA Tour.

Rickie Fowler, in prime position to force a playoff on the 18th hole by making birdie, instead made bogey after Dufner ended it with his big par putt. Fowler shot 70 and tied for second with Anirban Lahiri, who closed with a 65.

Justin Thomas missed consecutive short birdie putts that stopped any momentum he had. Matt Kuchar fell back with three bogeys on the back nine. They finished another shot behind. Daniel Summerhays, who began the final round with a three-shot lead, began the back nine with two straight bogeys, and he finished with a double bogey for a 78 to tie for 10th.

Dufner set the 36-hole scoring record at Muirfield Village. No one would have been surprised Friday afternoon that he would be shaking hands with Nicklaus at the end of the tournament.

But what a ride in between.

Dufner got back into the mix quickly when Summerhays lost his three-shot lead after four holes. Over the next five hours – with 2 1/2 hours’ worth of rain delays – four players had at least a share of the lead and seven players were in the hunt.

Dufner had one stretch on the front nine of bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey. He played the front nine in even par, and then he came to life. Not only did he hit every green until the 18th on the back nine, all but one of his birdie chances came from 12 feet or closer.

He stuffed his approach on No. 10 to 4 feet and holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. After missing a pair of birdie chances in the 12-foot range on the next holes, he hit the par-5 15th in two and two-putted for birdie from 40 feet to take the lead.

Fowler fell back when he missed the 14th green long and took bogey, and then hit his fairway metal into the gallery on the 15th and failed to make birdie. Dufner gave himself a cushion on the 17th with his best drive of the day and a wedge to 3 feet.

A birdie on No. 17 gives @JasonDufner a two shot lead heading to the 18th. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/YIuNpmKBOk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 4, 2017

He made it more exciting than he preferred on the 18th by driving into thick rough just short of the bunker, and hacking out into more rough.

He put his third shot to just over 30 feet on the 18th. Fowler, who pulled his wedge left of the green, had Dufner go first to make sure Fowler would have needed to hole the birdie chip to have a chance. Dufner ended the suspense with a putt and a rare show of emotion, slamming down his fist.

Suddenly, he can start thinking about reaching the Tour Championship and possibly playing in the Presidents Cup.

“I’m pumped to be in the mix again,” Dufner said. “It’s been a good year so far, but this has made it nice.”

Fowler lost a chance to win, and so did Thomas, who already has three victories this year. Thomas saved par on the 12th to stay within one shot of the lead, but then he missed from 4 feet on the 13th and 8 feet on the 14th, two birdie chances that could have tied him with Dufner.

And after a big drive on the par-5 15th, Thomas sent his iron well right and was lucky to still be in play. He made par, then dropped a shot on the next hole and his chances were over.

The two rain delays softened the course slightly and ended what would have been a rare week of perfect weather at Muirfield Village. It still finished with a champion everyone would have expected two days ago – just not the way Dufner got there.

Weyburn, SK. native Graham DeLaet was the top Canadian finishing T10. DeLaet fired a final round 68 (-4) to jump 17 spots up the leaderboard.

For the full results click here.

Tampa, Florida’s Lee McCoy surged up the leaderboard at the Freedom 55 Financial Open on Saturday, shooting a 5-under 67 at Point Grey Golf and Country Club to take the 54-hole lead at the first event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 23-year old former University of Georgia standout reached 14-under through three rounds, turning   two-stroke deficit into a three-stroke lead heading into Sunday over Harare, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent.

“It’s always nice when the leaders come back to you a little bit, but that’s totally out of my control and it was a nice little surprise when I was starting to see the leaderboards late in the round,” said McCoy, who steadily made his move with six birdies against a single bogey on the day.

McCoy, who made headlines when he finished fourth as an amateur at the 2016 Valspar Championship on the PGA TOUR, was boosted by a comfortable pairing with friend and fellow Mackenzie Tour rookie Jordan Niebrugge.

“We were Walker Cup teammates and Palmer Cup teammates, and we played a lot in college together. We’re going down to U.S. Open Sectionals together and then driving up to the next event, and we’ll be spending plenty of time,” said McCoy of Niebrugge, who was tied for third at 10-under after a 71.

“I was hoping he was going to make that birdie putt on the last hole and we’d get paired together again.”

Niebrugge, from Mequon, Wisconsin, shared third place with Costa Mesa, California’s Jake Knapp, who had a 68.

After concluding a brilliant amateur career last year, McCoy looked primed to head straight to the Web.com Tour and was preparing to compete at the Second Stage of Q-School when disaster struck.

He had just finished T41 while playing on a Sponsor Exemption at the PGA TOUR’s Shriners Hospitals for Children Open, but got into a car accident on the way to the course, fracturing his wrist in two places and ending his season.

“To sit at home and know that my game just disappeared in the matter of two or three seconds was really tough,” said McCoy, who was fortunate to avoid surgery, instead wearing a cast for two months.

“It was tough because my game was really starting to come back around at that point. I had just made a cut at the Shriners the week before I had my car accident. I was heading to Second Stage, and I had already figured in my mind that I was headed to the Web.com Tour,” said McCoy.

Now, with a clean bill of health and his game firing on all cylinders, the Georgia alum looks to make the first step back towards the Web.com Tour with a win this week in Vancouver.

“Once I got the cast off after two months, it was pretty easy. I did therapy for like two weeks, and right now it feels like I never broke it, so it’s a total, 100 per cent non-issue. I’m really lucky to not have had surgery or anything like that,” said McCoy.

McCoy was an NCAA All-America selection three times at Georgia, including 1st team selections in his junior and senior seasons. He represented the United States at the Walker Cup in 2015.

For the full leadearboard click here

Ariya Jutanugarn took the No. 1 spot in the world ranking without hitting a shot, and Paula Creamer and In-Kyung Kim topped the ShopRite LPGA Classic leaderboard Saturday.

Taking the week off, Jutanugarn replaced Lydia Ko atop the ranking when So Yeon Ryu missed the cut. Ko, also skipping the event, was guaranteed to lose the top spot to Jutanugarn or Ryu, and Jutanugarn got the position when Ryu failed to finish solo third or better.

Creamer and Kim each shot a 4-under 67 in windy conditions to reach 9 under at Stockton Seaview, while two-time defending champion Anna Nordqvist followed her opening 64 with a 71 to drop two strokes behind along with Moriya Jutanugarn – Ariya’s older sister – and Jeong Eun Lee.

“Today was definitely different wind than yesterday,” Creamer said. “There were some good pins out there that we had to kind of think about a bit. I played solid. I hit some good putts that didn’t go in and made some good putts that went in.”

Ryu had her second straight 74 to miss the cut by three strokes.

The 30-year-old Creamer won the last of her 10 LPGA Tour victories in 2014 in Singapore when she made a 75-foot eagle putt on the second hole of a playoff with Azahara Munoz.

“I feel good. I feel prepared,” Creamer said. “I knew there was a time I was going to kind of breakthrough. It just shows these last two days have been good golf. We’ll continue. Whatever happens tomorrow happens, but I feel like my golf game is in a good place.”

Kim won the Reignwood LPGA Classic late last year in China for her fourth tour title. She’s making only her sixth start of the season after an injury when she fell down stairs.

“This winter I didn’t have any break, I needed some time to get ready for the summer,” Kim said. “I’m really happy to get back.”

Nordqvist had two birdies and consecutive birdies on Nos. 11 and 12. She’s trying to match fellow Swede Annika Sorenstam’s record of three victories in the event.

“Overall, I feel like I played a little bit better than I scored,” Nordqvist said. “I’m still in it. It was just a hard afternoon with the wind.”

ICYMI: Watch highlights from round 2 of the @ShopRiteLPGA!

>> https://t.co/ObtNzWqQMg pic.twitter.com/szViIAe5Gf

— LPGA (@LPGA) June 3, 2017

Nordqvist won the Founders Cup in Phoenix in March for her seventh LPGA Tour title, a homecoming victory for the former Arizona State star.

Brooke Henderson is the only Canadian to make the cut and is tied for eighth. The Smiths Falls, Ont., native shot a 69 and is 5 under, four shots back of Creamer.

Moriya Jutanugarn and Lee each shot 70.

Stacy Lewis followed an opening 67 with a 72 to drop into a tie for 19th at 3 under. She won in 2012 and 2014 at Stockton Seaview.

India’s Sharmila Nicollet shot a 76-78 to miss the cut after winning a fan Twitter poll to get the final sponsor exemption.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Daniel Summerhays managed to walk a relatively straight and narrow path at the Memorial, and it took him to an unlikely position going into the final round.

He started with a five-shot deficit.

He ended with a three-shot lead.

All because the guy next to him Saturday, Jason Dufner, lost his way.

Summerhays dropped only one shot and rarely was out of position on his way to a 4-under 68. More than his solid round was the collapse by Dufner. One day after he set the 36-hole scoring record, Dufner shot a 77 and was four shots behind.

He made four straight bogeys on the front nine and lost his five-shot lead in five holes. He hit two balls in the water on the back nine. He missed the putts he had been making for two days.

“Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts, so have to play better tomorrow,” he said.

At least he was still in the game, along with plenty of company.

Summerhays was at 13-under 203. Matt Kuchar, who won the Memorial four years ago, ran off three straight birdies on the back nine and shot a 67. That put him in the final group with Summerhays as Kuchar tries to end three years and 82 starts without a victory on the PGA Tour.

“I’m excited to have another chance here,” Kuchar said. “It looked like after 36 holes that none of us were going to have a chance at it.”

Graham DeLaet (73) of Weyburn, Sask., was the low Canadian at 3 under. Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., is even.

Bubba Watson overcame a heckler on the 18th hole with one last birdie for a 68. He was four shots behind along with Justin Thomas (69) and Dufner. Rickie Fowler (72) salvaged an up-and-down day and was five behind.

.@BubbaWatson‘s back nine:

?
?
?
?
Par
?
Bogey
Par
?

What a finish!#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/OMFXp0fEYB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 3, 2017

Watson turned and acknowledged the heckled after his birdie putt.

“Obviously, not a Bubba Watson fan,” he said. “It started about 50 yards short of the green. He kept going. I’m taking a guess, he wasn’t drinking water like I was all day. But it’s one of those things.”

This is a rare chance for Watson, the two-time Masters champion who hasn’t been a factor all year. He has gone 14 months without finishing in the top 10 at a PGA Tour event with a full field.

But even for Watson, it all started with Dufner’s bad day.

Dufner missed the second green to the left from the rough and made bogey. He missed a 6-foot par putt on the third, then hit into the right bunker on the par-3 4th and made another bogey. And then he three-putted the par-5 fifth for a fourth straight bogey.

Dufner was still tied for the lead when his wedge on the par-5 11th spun back down the green and into the water, leading to double bogey. It was a three-shot swing when Summerhays made birdie, and Dufner never caught up.

He had said his breathing exercises over putting didn’t mean he would always have good days, and this was a bad one. Dufner had a pair of three-putts, and he twice missed birdie putts from 6 feet. He capped off his day by pulling his tee shot into the water and making another bogey.

“The tournament is not over,” Dufner said. “It will be over tomorrow.”

Summerhays wasn’t thinking about cutting into the lead when he started. He wasn’t thinking much about anything except the shot at hand, and he kept hitting good ones in the midst of Dufner’s streak of bogeys.

“A train wreck can happen at any moment,” Summerhays said. “And that’s why it’s such a great golf course because it does test everything. Legitimately from the first hole to the 18th hole, there’s a double bogey somewhere in there.”

Jordan Spieth knows the feeling. He was right in the mix until catching a downhill like in the bunker left of the par-3 eighth. He tried to play a perfect shot and barely got it out, then chipped down to 5 feet and missed the putt, making double bogey. Spieth started the back nine with two straight birdies only to follow with two straight bogeys. It added to a 71, and he was six shots behind.

The biggest surprise this week at Muirfield Village has been the weather _ sunshine for three straight days, which has made the course fast and opened up more possibilities of little mistakes turning into big numbers.

Storms have been in the forecast for Sunday, though not early enough for the PGA Tour to move up the tee times. Another dry day, and anything can happen.

The last three winners of the Memorial had never won on the PGA Tour, and Summerhays fits that mould. The 33-year-old from Utah is in his seventh year.

“I really don’t have any goals tomorrow besides give all my efforts into each shot,” Summerhays said. “And I feel like I did that today.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

SHERBROOKE, Que. – William Duquette’s 67 put him comfortably at the top of the leaderboard, while Dao held on to her lead in the girl’s division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship on Saturday at Club de golf Milby.

Duquette extended his lead with a 6-under-par 67 to move him to 8 under on the tournament heading into the final round. The 16-year-old made the turn at 1 under before dominating the back nine with two eagles on the par-5 17 and par-4 13.

“On 13 I drove it on the green and then made the putt for eagle,” he said, after his tournament-low round. “My putting was really good all day. I made a lot of par saves and a lot of birdies.”

Eric Byun, from Richmond Hill, Ont., is the closest to Duquette after his 1-under-par round on Saturday, but he remains seven strokes back of first, sitting at 1 under total for the tournament. There are four players currently tied in third at even par through two rounds: Jared Dandy (75, 71), Shaun Margeson (73, 73), Charles-Eric Belanger (76, 70) and Antoine Roy (72, 74).

In the girl’s division, Dao sits at the top of the leaderboard for the second consecutive day. Her 1-over-par 74 on Saturday moves her to 2 under for the tournament and she starts Sunday with a comfortable six-stroke lead.

The 16-year-old was making a bid for her second consecutive score under par, but ran into trouble with bogeys on her final two holes.

Haley Yerxa, from Ottawa, Ont., holds onto second place after she shot 3 over par in round two. She started the day four strokes back and looked like she was going to dip down the standings after having trouble on the par-3 12th hole where she carded a double-bogey, but rebounded by making birdies on 15 and 18 to stay in the hunt.

Also starting the day four back of Dao was Ellie Szeryk from London, Ont. She managed to make the turn at even par but struggled on holes 10 to 12 where she recorded a bogey on each. She ended round 2 with a 77 and sits at 5 over for the tournament, seven strokes off the lead.

The top six finishers in the Boys Division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship held 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 held Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

Click here for more information and here for full results.

The final RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier of 2017 will take place Monday, June, 5th, at Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu – Vershceres Course in Sainte-Julie, Qué. Sixty-seven golfers will be looking to finish in the top 15% of the field and secure a spot in final RBC Canadian Open qualifying, which takes place Monday, July 24^th at Heron Point Golf Links in Ancaster, Ont.

Twenty-seven golfers have already advanced to the final qualifying event through the Regional Qualification process. At the first Regional Qualifier at Bear Mountain Resort, in Victoria B.C., Keith Martin of Kelowna, B.C., and Derek Barron of Lakewood, Wash., shared medallist honours.

At the Ontario Regional Qualifier at Blue Springs Golf Club in Acton, Ont.., Matt Hill of Brights Grove, Ont., beat Jesse Smith, of Oshweken Ont., in a sudden death playoff, to receive a direct exemption into the RBC Canadian Open.

The qualifying competitions are open to members in good standing with the PGA of Canada or other PGA affiliates, amateur golfers with a current Handicap Factor not exceeding 2.0 who are members of Golf Canada or in good standing with their respective associations, as well as other golf professionals.

Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu is hosting the Quebec regional qualifier for a second consecutive year. In 2016, four golfers shared medallists honours. Gianfranco Guida (Maple, Ont.), Jean-Philip Cornellier (St-Césaire, Que.), Tim Alarie (St-jérôme, Que) and Marc-Étienne Bussières (Sherbrooke,  Que.) all topped the leaderboard to advance to the final qualifying event, along with three additional golfers.

Notables

Jean-Philip Cornellier, St-Césaire, Que.
The 26-year-old is one of the defending medallists at this event. He was the captain of the Montreal Carabins golf team during his university career.

Beon Yeong, Lee, Montreal
The 28-year-old has two career top-10s on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada. His best result was a T3 at the 2014 Cape Breton Celtic Classic presented by PC Financial. He also qualified for the 2014 RBC Canadian Open.

Gianfranco Guida, Maple, Ont.
The 28-year-old is one of the defending medallists at this event. The former Western University Mustang will look to defend his title this year and book his ticket to the RBC Canadian Open Final Qualifier.

Mark Hoffman, Torotno
The 28-year-old finished eight on the Great Lakes Tour Order of merit in 2016 on the strength of a victory at the GolfNorth Series #1.

Etienne Papineau, St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Que.
The 20-year old freshman at West Virginia University is a graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad. He was the 2015 Amateur Golfer of the Year in Quebec and was twice named the Junior Golfer of the Year..

QUICK FACTS

The Regional Qualification process gives players from across Canada and the world a chance to qualify for the RBC Canadian Open, the third-oldest national open golf championship in the world, after the British Open and the U.S. Open.

This is first time since the two-stage regional qualification process was reinstated in 2011, that the Quebec qualifier has been held at the same course back-to-back years.

Since the two-stage regional qualification process returned in 2011, three players have advanced to the RBC Canadian Open through the Quebec Regional Qualifier: David Markle (Shelburne Ont.) in 2012, Jesse .

In 2013, Jesse Smith became the first Six Nations golfer to participate in the RBC Canadian Open after advancing through Final Qualifying and the Quebec Regional Qualifier.

ABOUT THE COURSE

There club has hosted two RBC Canadian Opens.  Lee Trevino won in 1971 and Tom Weiskopf topped the field in 1973.

The club has hosted other prestigious Canadian championships, including the 1989 Canadian Men’s Senior Amateur Championship won by Dick Estey.

In 1994, the famous Skins game was played at the club, with Nick Price, Lee Trevino, Tom Watson and Fred Couples participating.

The course underwent modernization renovations from 2011-2012 under the supervision of architect Neil Hawort.

For more information on the tournament, click here.

Jacksonville Beach, Florida’s T.J. Vogel carded a 2-under 70 on Friday at Point Grey Golf and Country Club to take the second round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, the first event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The 26-year old followed up a 9-under 63 on day one with four birdies and two bogeys on Friday to take a one stroke lead over Harare, Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent through 36 holes at the season’s opening event.

“It feels good,” said Vogel, a second-year Mackenzie Tour member. “Any time you have a lead, it’s nice.”

The former University of Southern California and University of Florida standout said he was a little disappointed not to match his outstanding score from the first round, but accepted his position knowing he’s the man to catch heading into the weekend at Point Grey.

“When you shoot 9-under in the first round, your expectations are a little higher. I would never really be upset to shoot 2-under normally, and to be in the position I’m in through two rounds is a nice place to be,” said Vogel.

Vincent, a 25-year old Virginia Tech alum, managed to offset four bogeys on Friday with five birdies and was one shot behind Vogel at 10-under, while Lee McCoy and Jordan Niebrugge were a shot further behind at 9-under.

“I’m right in the mix, and that’s always exciting. Hopefully I can put two rounds together and walk away smiling,” said Vincent.

As an amateur, Vogel was one of the country’s top players, having claimed the 2012 U.S. Amateur Public Links to earn a spot in the field at The Masters the following year. He was an NCAA All-America selection at both USC and Florida before turning pro, and has since made 57 combined starts on the PGA
TOUR, Web.com Tour, Mackenzie Tour and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

Now in his second full season in Canada, the 26-year old says he’s playing some of his best golf and is making strides in the mental performance side of the game that often represents the next hurdle for up-and-coming players.

“You just have to be patient with yourself, and that’s just my main focus. I’m trying to stay in my process and my routine on every shot and not get ahead of myself,” said Vogel, who admitted to struggling after strong starts at times on Tour last season.

In 2016, Vogel recorded two top-10s and finished the year 26th on the Order of Merit.

After an opening round 71, Surrey B.C.’s Ryan Williams carded a 66 Friday to move into a tie for fifth. The 36-year-old is looking to improve on his 13th place finish on the Order of Merit in 2016.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Taylor Pendrith (Richmond Hill, Ont.) is part of a group at -3 in a tie for 26th.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Canadian Elizabeth Tong is T2 after round one of the Symetra Tour’s Fuccillo KIA Classic of NY, at Capital Hills at Albany. Tong, a product of Thornhill, Ont. is one stroke behind the leader, the Philippines Mia Piccio.

A graduate of the Team Canada Amateur Squad, Tong was bogey free on Friday, on route to an opening round 67 (-4).  Her best result of the season to date was a T11 at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, at Morongo Golf Club at Tukwet Canyon in Beaumont, Calif.

Fellow Canadian, Jennifer Kirby (Paris, Ont.) is three shots back of Piccio at 2 under par. Kirby is a product of the Team Canada Development Squad, Amateur Squad, and the Young Pro Squad.

After starting on 10, she was one over on her front nine before dropping three birdies on the back nine to card a 69.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Anna Nordqvist knows how to get around Stockton Seaview – and likes the view from atop the ShopRite LPGA Classic leaderboard.

The two-time defending champion shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to take a one-stroke lead after the first round of the 54-hole event near Atlantic City.

“It just really fits my eye,” Nordqvist said. “I have so many good memories here, obviously. It almost feels like home now with a lot of supporters and a lot of friends here.”

She’s trying to join fellow Swede Annika Sorenstam as the only three-time winner.

“I feel like I enjoy this place, but at the same time, I don’t feel like I have anything to prove here,” Nordqvist said. “I am just trying to take it day-by-day. I’ve been playing good for a long time now, so just tying get everything to click at once. Happy with my start and looking forward to the rest.”

Moriya Jutanugarn, Jeong Eun Lee, Jenny Shin and Jennifer Song were tied for second, and Paula Creamer, Pornanong Phatlum and In-Kyung Kim followed at 66.

Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., is four strokes back after a 68. Maude-Aimee Leblanc from Sherbrooke, Que., shot an even par 71 while Team Canada Young Pro Squad teammates Augusta James of Bath, Ont., and Calgary’s Jennifer Ha were 1 over.

Moriya Jutanugarn is trying to win for the first time on the LPGA Tour, while younger sister Ariya _ taking the week off – is in position to take the No. 1 spot in the world.

“I just want to go out on the golf course and enjoy it, play my game,” Moriya Jutanugarn said. “Of course, like everybody, want to win the first tournament and it’s still my big goal, but I just want to focus what I have to do out there.”

Lydia Ko is skipping the event and will lose her No. 1 ranking to No. 2 Ariya Jutanugarn or No. 3 So Yeon Ryu. Ryu had four straight bogeys in a 74 that left her tied for 98th – and in danger of missing the cut. She needs to finish solo third or better to take the top spot.

Nordqvist had nine birdies and two bogeys. She started on No. 10 and birdied the first three holes, then birdied four of the last six holes of the day.

“It’s a tough golf course, definitely,” Nordqvist said. “The fescue is a little hard this year, and with the wind, you’re really going to have to hit solid golf shots. The greens are pretty small and it feels like you have to give yourself quite a few opportunities to make a couple.”

Nordqvist won the Founders Cup in Phoenix in March for her seventh LPGA Tour title, a homecoming victory for the former Arizona State star.

Stacy Lewis topped the group at 67. She won in 2012 and 2014 at Stockton Seaview.

India’s Sharmila Nicollet shot a 76 after winning a fan Twitter poll to get the final sponsor exemption. She won by 9 percentage points over Blair O’Neal.

For the full leaderboard click here.