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.

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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.

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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.

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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.

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Jason Dufner wanted to put together more than just a few good rounds this week at the Memorial.

The first two put him in the record book.

Dufner holed out from 176 yards on the 18th hole for an eagle, and then added three more birdies on the front nine at Muirfield Village for another 7-under 65, giving him the 36-hole scoring record at the Memorial and a five-shot lead going into the weekend.

He was at 14-under 130, one shot better than the record previously held by Rickie Fowler (2010) and Scott Hoch (1987). Neither wound up winning the tournament.

Daniel Summerhays made bogey on his last hole and shot 69 to finish five shots behind Dufner. Fowler (66) was another shot behind.

Jordan Spieth was one shot out of the lead after the opening round. He already was eight shots back when he teed off, and all he managed was a 72. Spieth and Justin Thomas (71) were tied for fourth and eight shots behind.

“Duf is obviously in full control of the ball tee to green, and you’ve got to be making some putts, too,” Spieth said. “He had two fantastic days. He’s a major champion and a multiple PGA Tour winner, he’s going to be a tough guy to chase down. But again, playing with the lead on this golf course I imagine is going to be difficult.”

Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, won’t have to chase him. Coming off a 78 _ and his first round without a birdie in nearly four years _ Johnson couldn’t get anything going and shot 74 to miss the cut by five shots.

“I hate missing cuts,” Johnson said.

At least he had time on his side. Johnson was headed up to Wisconsin for the weekend to see Erin Hills for the first time. His fiancee, Paulina Gretzky, is expecting their second child next week before he returns for his title defence in the U.S. Open.

Zach Johnson dug deep to make the cut on the number with four birdies on his last five holes. So did Tony Finau, who birdied his last three. They all have a long way to go to get to Dufner.

Grahaem DeLaet is the top Canadian, in 13th. The Weyburn, Sask., native shot a 67 and is 4 under. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is 1 over while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is 2 over. Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., both missed the cut.

The shot that got the most attention was Dufner’s 6-iron that he holed on No. 18 for his eagle. With a back left pin, the shot fit what he was trying to do, and he said the bonus was that it found the bottom of the cup.

The key to his great play was his putting, something Dufner rarely says. When asked about it at Kapalua to start the year, Dufner said: “I’ve been putting bad for 17 years. It’s tough to change.”

He managed with the help of a friend who sent him some research from a doctor who works with snipers in the Marines, and how they focus primarily on their breathing and their heartbeats. Dufner found his worst trait in putting was not having a consistent routine and getting too fast, almost as if he wanted to get it over with quickly.

“I think the one thing that also helps is it gives me something to think about other than my stroke or holing this putt or the situation I’m in,” Dufner said. “Subconsciously, I’m just putting. But I’m more focused on my breathing and I’m at with that.”

He said the goal presumably is to keep his heartbeat low, a real challenge for a guy who barely has a pulse in the first place.

“I’ve never had anybody measure it,” he said. “But I know that there’s been times with my putting that the thought process and my actions have felt like they’ve been sped up and too quick. And I’m trying to slow down and focus on that breathing. It’s been working. I’ve been using it all year. This is the first time I’ve said anything about it. Some days I’m better with it than others. You think it would be pretty easy to be consistent with that, but some days it’s not.”

Fowler started the tournament with a triple bogey on his second hole and he was 3 over through four holes when he turned it around Thursday for a 70. He was back out Friday morning and shot 66 and walked off the course the closest player to Dufner, even if it wasn’t very close.

Fowler and Dufner lived under the same roof during the winter months when Dufner came down to south Florida play some golf. They are good friends with personalities as different as hard rock and easy listening.

“We got to spend a decent amount of time together and that was fun,” Fowler said. “He’s one of a kind. He’s one of the best guys I know out here. … Because he’s fairly quiet on the course, you don’t get to really see who he is as a person. He’s one of the funniest guys out here, too. But fan-wise you wouldn’t really see that. The way he carries himself is pretty chill and mellow.”

He very quietly took only 130 shots over two days.

Dufner, who grew up in northern Ohio, missed the cut the first two times he played Muirfield Village. He skipped the next three chances at the Memorial, but didn’t have a choice in 2013 when he won the PGA Championship and earned a spot in the Presidents Cup that was held on the course Jack Nicklaus built.

Dufner spent that week asking his teammates how they played the course. Dufner posted a 3-1 record that week, and when he returned to the Memorial in 2014, he was at par or better over his next six rounds. He still doesn’t have a top 10, but he has figured something out.

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SHERBROOKE, Que. – Jeffrey Lebeau and William Duquette sit deadlocked in the boy’s division after round one at the Future Links, driven by Acura Quebec Championship on Friday, while Céleste Dao holds the lead in the girl’s division.

Lebeau and Duquette both sit tied at the top of the leaderboard after matching 2-under-par 71 rounds. Lebeau, who is from Sherbrooke Que., and is playing on his home course, was off to a fantastic start after heading to the final three holes bogey-free and 4 under, but he stumbled down the stretch with bogeys on 16 and 18.

“It’s my home course and I’ve played it a lot this week,” said Lebeau, after his round. “Even though the course was wet, the ball rolled really well. I thought I was going to get some tougher lies in some places, but I was surprised that the course played really nicely.”

Duquette, from Laval, Que., played a consistent game all day and carded two birdies and a bogey on each the front and back nine.

Antoine Roy was the only other player in the boy’s division to record a score under par after his 72 found him one back from the leaders. The product from Rimouski, Que., headed to the 16th hole 2 under but dropped a shot on the par 3.

Outside the top three there are currently seven players tied with even-par rounds.

Sitting back of the pack at T15 (+2) is 15-year-old Christopher Vandette from Beaconsfield, Que., who is fresh off a victory at the Future Links, driven by Acura Ontario Championship last weekend.

In the girl’s division, Dao shot the low-round of the day after her 3-under-par 70. The 16-year-old recorded only one bogey on Thursday and is the round one leader for the second consecutive Future Links, driven by Acura Championship.

“I was hitting the ball very good and putting well,” said Dao. “The only thing that didn’t go so good in the start was my driving. The course played very nicely and it was very scorable. I could get to a lot of the par 5’s in two and the course was rolling really good.”

Ellie Szeryk, from London, Ont., and Haley Yerxa, from Ottawa Ont., are both tied in second, four strokes behind Dao. Szeryk made the turn 3 over par but rattled off four birdies in five holes to bring her into contention, and Yerxa’s eagle on hole 15 helped her finish the day 1 over par.

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

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Zimbabwe’s Scott Vincent and Jacksonville Beach, Florida’s T.J. Vogel opened with a pair of 9-under 63s on Thursday at Point Grey Golf and Country Club to share the first round lead at the Freedom 55 Financial Open, the first event of the 2017 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The pair finished the day three strokes clear of three players in a tie for third, including Burlington, Ontario’s Blair Hamilton, Tampa, Florida’s Lee McCoy and Bakersfield, California’s Manav Shah after day one.

Vincent, a 25-year old Virginia Tech alum, pulled off the rare feat of making eagle on both his first and 18th holes of the day to shoot his best career round on the Mackenzie Tour.

“I started great, finished great,” said Vincent. “I just hit the ball really well in general. I made a few nice putts that kept the round going and kept the birdies coming.”

The second-year Mackenzie Tour member capped off the day by striking a 6-iron just below the hole at Point Grey’s par-5 18th to give himself a good look at what would become his second eagle of the day to go with six birdies and one bogey.

“The wind was a little behind, and it just set up nicely. I really struck it great to about four feet away, and just had to keep the speed up on the putt,” said Vincent of the closing
eagle.

Hamilton, a graduate of the Team Canada National Amateur Squad, is making his first start as a member of the Mackenzie Tour and fourth career start overall.

In round one Hamilton carded a bogey free, 66. He recorded three birdies on the front nine, and another three on the back nine.

The former University of Houston Cougar earned conditional status at the 2017 British Columbia QSchool and is playing on a sponsor exemption this week.

“I’m very blessed to get that exemption, but you’ve just got to treat it like it’s another golf
tournament,” said Hamilton. “I’ve been playing well and you just have to trust that you’ve put in the hard work and not worry too much.”

Just like Vincent, Vogel made the most of a hot start, recording a birdie at the par-4 11th and then rolling in a long eagle putt at the par-5 12th to get under par early. TheUniversity of Florida grad finished the day with an eagle and seven birdies to match the lead with a 63, also a career low.

“I got off to a great start. I hit it close on 11 and drained a bomb for eagle on 12, and I was able to settle down right away. I feel like my process was good today. I had a good routine and did my best not to get ahead of myself,” said Vogel.

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Calgary’s Ryan Yip, is T10 after 18 holes at the Web.com Tour’s Rex Hospital Open, at TPC Wakefield Plantation, in Raleigh, N.C.

Yip teed off on 10 and was even through nine. He then birdied four of his last six holes and carded a 4-under par, 67. He is three shots behind the leader Chesson Headley (Raleigh, N.C.).

The Team Canada Amateur Squad graduate is looking for his second top-10 finish of the the season. His first came at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER, at Le Triomphe Golf and Country Club, in Broussard, LA, back in May.

Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.) is T16 after an opening round 68 (-3).

Sloan is looking to climb back into the top-25 on the Web.com Tour’s Order of Merit, after dropping to 28th following a missed cut in his last start at the BMW Charity Pro-Am Presented by Synnex Corporation at the Furman University Golf Club in Greenville, S.C.

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Jason Dufner putted for birdie on every hole until the last one at the Memorial, a game so under control it looked as simple as breathing.

Even with a bogey on the final hole, Dufner had a 7-under 65 for his best score Thursday at Muirfield Village, giving him a tie for the lead with David Lingmerth. They were one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth, whose short game is starting to return with the U.S. Open around the corner.

Lingmerth, whose first PGA Tour victory came at the Memorial two years ago, also bogeyed his last hole on an ideal day for scoring.

Starting quickly at the Memorial is nothing new for Dufner lately. He opened with a 66-67 two years ago before fading on the weekend. Last year, he opened with a 68.

“I can put a couple of rounds together here,” Dufner said. “But I’m looking for more than that this week. Hopefully, we can keep it going for four.”

Dustin Johnson and Jason Day want to make sure they get to play for rounds.

Johnson three-putted after putting his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th and made triple bogey. He three-putted from 4 feet on the sixth hole and made double bogey. And he didn’t make a single birdie in his round of 78.

It was the first time in nearly four years – since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013 – that Johnson failed to make a birdie.

Day, who has yet to crack the top 25 at the club where he holds a membership, made bogeys on both par 5s on the back nine and was headed for a big score until he birdied his last two holes for a 75.

Nick Taylor (69) of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian, tied for ninth at 3-under par. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was 1-over 73 in a tie for 48th, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 2-over 74 to tie for 63rd, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 4-over 76 to enter a group at 82nd and Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, was 6-over 78 to join a group at 109th.

Dufner nearly hitting every green in regulation is not surprising with his efficient swing. He recalls hitting 17 in a row in a round at Muirfield Village a few years ago until the 18th hole, and it got him again Thursday. He even went for a slightly longer club, a 7-iron instead of an 8-iron, but the contact wasn’t pure and he came up short in a bunker. He blasted out 12 feet by the hole and missed his par putt.

“I’m OK,” Dufner said. “I’ll get over it.”

Calm as ever, Dufner was mostly pleased with taking the stress out of his putting by not having any tough par putts. He attributes that to hard work, which is mainly working on his breathing.

A bad day of breathing is short and quick. He prefers a slow, rhythmic breath and a process of counting to two on the exhale and pulling the trigger. He said it was similar to snipers who focus mainly on the heartbeat and breathing.

“It’s been working,” he said. “It’s been working all year. Some days I do it better than others. Today, I was really focused on it.”

Lingmerth, a playoff winner over Justin Rose in 2015, got his name on the board quickly with four straight birdies on the front nine to turn in 31, and then he hit a 3-wood to 6 feet on the par-5 15th for an eagle. He had only two pars on the back nine.

“Obviously, having won here it brings back good memories,” Lingmerth said. “And the other years I’ve played here, I’ve always loved it. I haven’t really contended all the way until Sunday those other years, but I’ve always felt good about this place. I feel confident out here. I roll the ball really well on the greens.”

Daniel Summerhays joined Spieth at 66, while Justin Thomas and Lucas Glover were at 67.

Phil Mickelson, playing the second of four straight weeks through the U.S. Open, had a relatively calm day in his round of 70. Rickie Fowler had anything but a calm day. He was 3 over through four holes, answered with four birdies over his next five holes, then traded birdies and bogeys on the back nine until finishing with one last birdie for a round of 70 that featured just six pars.

Spieth missed the cut at The Players Championship and at his hometown event in the AT&T Byron Nelson, and he was on the verge of going home early at Colonial until turning it around. He wound up finishing one back of Kevin Kisner, and Spieth brought his form to Ohio.

He needed a little help along the way, mostly the pin getting in the way of a tough bunker shot on the par-3 12th. It dropped for a birdie. He ended his back nine with a pair of bogeys, then finished in style with four birdies over his last five holes.

“I felt like I scored the way I played today,” Spieth said. “I got an awesome break on my third hole today, No. 12. I didn’t have much of a chance to stop the bunker shot unless it hit the pin and it dunked. That saved me a couple of shots. I figured it could be a good day when your off shots you’re making birdie on.”

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