Si Woo Kim of South Korea became the youngest winner of The Players Championship with a game and nerves well beyond his 21 years.

On a TPC Sawgrass course where anything can go wrong without notice, Kim was the only player to go bogey-free Sunday and closed with a 3-under 69 for a three-shot victory in golf’s biggest tournament this side of the majors.

He also managed to take all the suspense from the TPC Sawgrass.

All that could stop him was the final two holes, when Kim had a two-shot lead and faced a tee shot to an island green, and then a closing hole with water all the way down the left side. Kim hit the 17th green and two-putted from 45 feet, and he smashed another drive right down the middle.

From one champion to another.

???? pic.twitter.com/MJX0H8pUmS

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 14, 2017

The only drama at the end came from Ian Poulter, who was happy just to be here.

Poulter, who only two weeks ago was spared his full PGA Tour status because of a clerical oversight, was the only player to seriously challenge Kim until he ran out of holes. He pushed his approach to the 18th so far to the right that it caromed off hospitality tents and bounced off a cart path into a palmetto bush. He took a penalty drop, then hit wedge over the trees and nearly holed it, tapping in for par.

Poulter, who had gone 39 holes without a bogey until a crucial one at No. 12, closed with a 71. He tied for second with Louis Oosthuizen (73).

There was plenty of excitement Sunday.

Rafa Cabrera Bello of Spain hit 8-iron that bounded off the side of a bunker and into the cup for an albatross 2 on the par-5 16th. He followed that with a birdie on the 17th, and then holed a long par putt from just off the 18th green. That gave him a 70 and a tie for fourth with Kyle Stanley, a co-leader after 54 holes who shot 75.

The other co-leader was J.B. Holmes, and it was a horror show for the Kentuckian.

Holmes shot 40 on the front nine and still had hope until bogeys on the 14th and 15th holes. And then it turned ugly. He hit too shots into the water on the 17th and make a quintuple-bogey 8, then finished with a double bogey to close with an 84.

He was tied for the lead at the start of the day and finished in a tie for 41st.

It was the worst finish by a 54-hole leader in tournament history, a record that previously belonged to Graeme McDowell (2011) and Alex Cejka (2009), who both shot 79.

Holmes wasn’t alone. Defending champion Jason Day closed with an 80, keeping very much in tact the streak of no winner ever repeating in the Players. Rickie Fowler, who won the year before, closed with a 79.

As for the winner? That was rarely in doubt over the back nine. Even though Kim only hit eight greens in regulation, he went six straight holes on the back without facing a par putt over 2 feet. Kim bumped a fairway metal to just over 3 feet on the final hole and rapped in the par putt to being the celebration.

A career win for Si Woo Kim!

The 21-year-old has claimed @THEPLAYERSChamp! ?

He’s the youngest member on the PGA TOUR. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/f5fZEgXMte

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 14, 2017

“I still can’t believe I’m the champion, and I’m the youngest champion,” Kim said. “I’m looking forward to working hard from now on.”

Kim said he wasn’t nervous because of his victory last year in the Wyndham Championship, which gave him a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. This victory comes with perks beyond the $1.89 million first prize. He now gets a five-year exemption on the PGA Tour, and a three-year exemption to the Masters.

The previous youngest champion of The Players was Adam Scott, who was 23 when he won in 2005.

Kim becomes the second player from South Korea to win The Players Championship, joining K.J. Choi in 2011.

“From that moment, I was dreaming that I really want to be in this tournament,” Kim said through a translator. “And I’m very glad I could practice with him. He gave me a lot of advice. That’s why I could do well.”

Just over four years ago, Kim came over to America to play the final version of PGA Tour’s qualifying school. He earned a card at age 17, but he could not become a PGA Tour member until he turned 18 the following June. That card effectively went to waste, and Kim spent the next two years on the developmental tour until earning his card back to the big leagues.

Now he’s here to stay for at least the next five years, and based on his game, probably much longer.

Mackenzie Hughes, of Dundas, Ont., was the top Canadian finishing T16, after being the 18-hole leader.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Chandler McDowell shot a 67 to vault him into first place in the Boys Division at the Future Links, driven by Acura Pacific Championship, while Euna Han shot a 2-under 70 to maintain her lead in the Girls Division heading into the final round at Chilliwack Golf Club in Chilliwack, B.C.

McDowell was dialed in on Saturday as he recorded back-to-back birdies to start his round and then dropped three straight birdies on holes 13, 14 and 15. The only flaw in his second round was a bogey on hole 16, which was a much needed improvement from his opening round in which he recorded four.

“Today I kind of felt a little bit more comfortable out there,” he said, after his round. “I felt like I had a good rhythm out there the whole time. Yesterday I was a little choppy, but today I had one bogey and felt a little different.”

Tristan Mandur shot the low-score of the tournament with a 64, 10 shots better than his opening round. He recorded four birdies on both the front and back nine and jumped up the leaderboard to second, two shots behind McDowell.

“Getting to the fifth hole, I was 2-under through four,” Mandur said. “I knew I had some easy holes coming up so I thought to just play solid and hope I could pull it together.”

Round one leader 13-year-old Jeevan Sihota shot an even-par 72 and dropped to T3 with Chilliwack native Mitchell Thiessen.

A.J. Ewart and Max Sekulic, two memebers of Team Canada’s Development Squad, struggled with their second round and each posted a 2-over 74. They sit at T14 and T11, respectively.

For the second consecutive day, Han is sitting atop the leaderboard in the Girls Division. Her 2-under second round helped maintain her two-stroke lead heading into the final day.

After a rough start where she only scored one birdie on the front nine and recorded bogeys on holes one, six and 11, Han turned her game around and got three straight birdies after the turn and added a fourth on her final hole.

“It was a big comeback,” she said. “I was 2-over through 11 and then birdied four of my last six holes. It was a big fight back.”

Defending champion and Team Canada Development Squad member Mary Parsons had a bit of a setback in her second round and dropped to solo fourth after her 1-over 73. She was 2-under through 10 holes, but a string of three bogeys in six holes saw her dip down the leaderboard.

Her fellow team Canada members, Hannah Lee and Monet Chun sit one spot back tied in fifth. Chun shot 1-under on Saturday while Lee was 1-over. They both sit at +2 for the tournament.

Susan Xiao, from Surrey, B.C., sits in second place after her second-round 70 put her at -4 for the tournament.

The top six finishers in the boy’s division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play on Sunday. The top six in the girl’s division (including ties) will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member, Anne-Catherine Tanguay, of Quebec City, QC.,  is tied for second with France’s Celine Boutier after round three of the Symetra Tour’s Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Classic.

Tanguay and Boutier are 10-under par for the tournament, two shots behind leader, Paola Moreno of Columbia.

The 26-year-old, Tanguay, who led by two shots entering the third round, hit her tee shot on hole one right and had to scramble for a double bogey. However, she responded well with a birdie on two and finished even for the day.

This was TREMENDOUS approach by @ACTanguay (-9) on 2 that led to birdie at @selfregclassic!

Scores –> https://t.co/fZXpoViOCq pic.twitter.com/Ki6ZO5Pzf9

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) May 13, 2017

“I felt really comfortable on the first hole, it was just a bad swing that put me in a bad position,” explained Tanguay. “The important thing from there is I was able to bounce back.”

Tanguay closed with a birdie on 18 to post a 72.

“I think the conditions were a little different than the other days, but I still gave myself chances, but the putts didn’t go in so I am going to work on making more confident strokes,” said Tanguay. “I was getting the speed right, just not the lines.”

Tanguay will go for her first win and fifth top 10 of the season on Sunday.

I’m happy to be here and I’m excited for tomorrow.”

Fellow Canadian, and Tanguay’s Young Pro Squad teammate, Augusta James, of Bath, Ont., is T7, after firing a 1-over par, 73 on Saturday.

James, also a member of the Team Canad Young Pro Squad, is looking to improve on her 12th place finish in the Volvik Race for the Cup in 2016.

After a 1-under par, 35, on the front nine, James faltered on the second nine, recording three bogeys.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

The only bogey J.B. Holmes made Saturday could have been a lot worse, and he pieced together a 2-under 70 in strong wind on a punishing course to share the lead with Kyle Stanley going into the final round of The Players Championship.

Holmes hit his tee shot so far to the right on the 14th hole that it went into the water on the 12th hole. He hit a blind shot from 230 yards into the wind to a bunker and managed to get up-and-down to limit the damage, which is what Saturday at the TPC Sawgrass was all about.

“I usually can make a bunch of birdies, so if I can just narrow it down to one bogey, then I’m usually in good shape,” Holmes said.

Stanley got his trouble out of the way early with three bogeys in four holes, and then was bogey-free the rest of the way. He saved par from the back bunker on the 18th hole on the Players Stadium Course for a 72.

“You just kind of have to remind yourself that even though you’re a little bit over par, on the leaderboard I was still in a pretty good spot,” Stanley said.

Co-leader @KyleStanleyGolf talks about his mentality heading into Sunday @THEPLAYERSChamp. https://t.co/teSRrdvC7e

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 13, 2017

They were at 9-under (207), one shot clear of Louis Oosthuizen, who fired a one over, 73, Saturday.

The TPC Sawgrass has trouble at every turn even in calm conditions. Throw in a relentless wind that the final half of the field faced all afternoon, and it was as much about staying in neutral without losing ground – or crashing.

And there was plenty of that.

Jon Rahm of Spain, the best newcomer on the PGA Tour, was five shots behind when he started and missed the 54-hole cut with an 82. Matt Kuchar took a 9 on the 14th hole and shot 81, his highest score ever on this course. Phil Mickelson shot a 78.

Of the 82 players in the field, 49 made a double bogey or worse.

That what’s made Ian Poulter’s round remarkable in so many ways. Two weeks ago, Poulter wasn’t even in the field and no longer had full status until the PGA Tour realized it made a clerical error related to his return from a foot injury. The Ryder Cup stalwart made the most of the opportunity with the only bogey-free round of the day, and even though he had just one birdie, that 71 was enough to give him a serious chance.

“I’ve definitely been freer this week playing golf than I have in the last month, and I think it shows on the course,” Poulter said. “I think it shows probably in my attitude on the course. It’s a big deal. It was a nice phone call to receive, and I definitely feel better on the golf course for it.”

Poulter wasn’t alone in having a shot at a big payoff from the $10.5 million purse.

Si Woo Kim was bogey-free until he hit a shot off the bulkhead and into the water on the par-5 16th and missed a short par putt. He bounced back with a birdie on the island-green 17th and shot 68 to finish two shots out of the lead.

The longest putt of the day at the 17th hole belongs to Seung-Yul Noh.

Watch it in #PGATOUR360
◀️SWIPE▶️ pic.twitter.com/CyqdczuUVI

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 13, 2017

Emiliano Grillo of Argentina had seven birdies in his round of 67 and was tied with Poulter at 6-under 210.

And right behind them was Masters champion Sergio Garcia, who was 4 over through six holes in the opening round and began his recovery project with a hole-in-one on the infamous 17th. Garcia kept pecking away, and his 67 in the third round left him only four shots behind.

The low round belonged to Pat Perez, who shot a 66, with a bogey on the final hole, before the wind began to blow consistently and the TPC Sawgrass became more of a challenge than it already is.

“This is a really tough golf course. It doesn’t matter how good you’re feeling, you have to play really well,” Grillo said. ‘It doesn’t matter who you are.”

That goes for Dustin Johnson, the world No. 1, who looked as though he might have a chance to at least get in the mix until tiny mistakes led to bogeys, and a big mistake led to double bogey on the 16th hole. Johnson shot 40 on the back nine for a 74 and was 11 shots out.

Defending champion Jason Day had two double bogeys in his round of 73 and was eight shots behind, trying to keep alive hopes of becoming the first player to win back-to-back since this tournament began in 1974.

Rory McIlroy could only manage a 71. He will play with Day on Sunday, also eight behind.

Mackenzie Hughes, Dundas, Ont., is T25 at even par.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Anne-Catherine Tanguay, of Quebec City, QC., birdied three of her first five holes en route to a bogey-free 7-under, 65 to vault into the lead at the Symetra Tour’s Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic.

Tanguay set her personal career-low round to move to 10-under, 134. She takes a two shot lead into the weekend over France’s Celine Boutier. Through 36 holes at The Links at Stoney Point, Tanguay has 11 birdies and one bogey.

Her Young Pro Squad teammate, and first round leader, August James, from Bath, Ont., is tied for third with Rachel Rohanna, of Waynesburg, Pa., at 6-under par after a second round 70.

The 26-year-old, Tanguay, was aggressive from the start. She birdied one, three and five and turned in 31. After six pars to open her closing nine, she tallied birdies on seven and eight.

You guessed it, another @ACTanguay (-10) birdie! Stuck it close from 110 yards.@selfregclassic scores➡️ https://t.co/YH6Iu1k1mw @OU_WGolf pic.twitter.com/JgmzNmcb1E

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) May 12, 2017

The round was made special because Tanguay’s mom, Lucie, and dad, Yvan, flew in last night to watch her play over mother’s day weekend.

“That made the round really special because I feel like they haven’t watched me play in awhile,” said Tanguay. “I told them that the putts were just waiting on you guys to drop so I’m really happy.”

Pretty special to post a career low round (65) w/ mom & dad watching!@ACTanguay leads @selfregclassic by 4https://t.co/fZXpoViOCq pic.twitter.com/BITyQWUQtx

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) May 12, 2017

The putts certainly dropped. She needed just 27 putts on the day after attempting 32 on Thursday when she posted a 69.

“It is always good to play well early in the week,” said Tanguay, who totaled 15 top 10’s at Oklahoma. “I want to stay aggressive the rest of the week and keep making birdies.”

Both Tanguay and James had a helping hand earlier in the week when working with Team Canada’s Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally.

“We worked a lot on shaping shots with my wedges and it really helped with my iron play too,” explained Tanguay, who has hit 33-of-36 greens in regulation so far. “I crafted shots and it felt like every yardage was a good yardage today. As long as I keep my driver in the fairway, we’ll be good to go.”

The 24-year-old James, who is looking for her first career Symetra Tour win this weekend, was leading after 18 holes of play.

She was solid Friday, getting as low as 3-under for the day, before making her lone bogey of the day on 15.

James, is currently 22nd in the Volvik Race for the Card standings, and is looking to improve on her 12th place finish in 2016.

Tanguay, started working with a new sports psychologist, Christie Gialloreto, through Golf Canada in February.

“She has been so helpful for me, it just clicks,” said Tanguay. “I’m definitely making
better shots because of her and she is awesome. We talk every week about whatever is on my mind.”

Tanguay currently ranks fourth on the Volvik Race for the Card money list with four top 10 finishes this season. She has nine top 10’s in her career.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

The opening round of the first of six regional Future Links, driven by Acura Championships is in the books after Chilliwack Golf Club hosted the Pacific edition on Friday.

Jeevan Sihota shot an opening round of 67 while Euna Han shot a 68 to lead the Junior Boys and Junior Girls Divisions, respectively.

Sihota, who is just 13-years-old, only bogeyed two holes in round one and his five birdies and one eagle vaulted him to the top of the leaderboard, with a two-shot cushion. The youngster was able to maintain his composure despite navigating the challenging tree-lined Chilliwack course.

“The course was a bit tricky, but it’s nice,” he said. “I like the way the greens are right now. I was just kind of in the moment. Same thing tomorrow, just going to play smart and hope I go low again.”

Three boys — Chandler McDowell, Samuel Su and Max Sekulic – all shot 69 to put them two back of Sihota. Su played his round bogey free while McDowell and Sekulic, who are both part of Team Canada’s Development Squad, dropped four and two shots respectively during their opening rounds.

McDowell was able to overcome his four-bogey round with two clutch eagles on holes five and nine.

“I felt good out there, and the two eagles helped for sure,” said McDowell. “Other than that I just tried to keep it in play and just cruise along.”

Fellow Team Canada Developmental Squad member A.J. Ewart sits four strokes back after his opening-round 71.

Han’s 68 puts her at the top of the girls division, also by two strokes. The 14-year-old almost played mistake-free golf other than the double bogey she registered on the fourth hole. After she was able to make the turn at even par, Han birded both 10 and 11 before adding two more on 15 and 18 to finish 4-under.

Susan Xiao sits in solo-second after she posted a 70 that was mainly propelled by a string of four birdies on the final six holes of the front nine. Defending champion Mary Parsons is the only other in the girls division that sits in the red. Her opening round of 71 has her three back in the lead and within striking distance heading to the weekend.

“I feel like I left a couple shots out of there, but I definitely gained some that could have turned out worse, so I scrambled well,” said Parsons, after her round. “I finished birdie-birdie so hopefully I can take that momentum coming into tomorrow.”

Parson’s fellow Team Canada Developmental Squad members Hannah Lee (73) and Monet Chun (75) both sit inside the top ten.

The top six finishers in the boy’s division will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Boys Championship on July 31-Aug. 3 at Cataraqui Golf and Country Club in Kingston, Ont. A tie for the sixth position will be decided by a playoff following the conclusion of play on Sunday. The top six in the girl’s division (including ties) will earn exemptions into the 2017 Canadian Junior Girls Championship on Aug. 1-4 at Camelot Golf & Country Club in Cumberland, Ont.

As conditions toughened, Louis Oosthuizen and Kyle Stanley played even better. Each posted a 6-under 66 to share the lead at The Players Championship, making it even more difficult for the top two players in the world to catch them.

Oosthuizen and his sweet swing were a good fit in any conditions at the TPC Sawgrass, and he managed to play bogey-free and finish with a birdie on the par-5 ninth. Stanley had eight birdies as the wind increased and the firm putting surfaces became crusty.

They were at 9-under 135, two shots ahead of J.B. Holmes, who fell out of a tie with bogeys on his last two holes for a 69.

Dustin Johnson and Rory McIlroy scrapped it around Friday morning, Johnson making only one birdie for a 73 and McIlroy managing through nagging back pain for a 71. They were at even par and not too bothered. They were only five behind when they finished, and they could sense that because of steamy weather and swaying pines that nobody was going to get too far away from him.

“I definitely feel like I got the most that I could have out of that round,” Stanley said. “A couple bogeys, but you can expect that to happen around here with as difficult as the golf course is.”

Johnson and McIlroy at least are still in the game.

Jordan Spieth was headed home after missing the cut for the third straight year, yet he didn’t sound terribly upset. He chalked that up to not being able to handle this strand of grass when it gets firm and crusty. Spieth’s last hope ended with a tee shot that bounced at the back of the island-green 17th and into the water.

Equally surprising was Vijay Singh, the 54-year-old Fijian who was making putts from everywhere until a three-putt bogey on the 18th. He still shot 68 and goes into the weekend only three shots out of the lead.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is the top Canadian through two rounds. He shot a 69 and is 5 under.

Hearn has a bogey free front nine, and got as low as four under for the day after back-to-back birdies on 12 and 13.

Back-to-back birdies for @HearnDavid.

He’s the solo leader at @THEPLAYERSChamp.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/L7HtcX09j1

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2017

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., began the day as the co-leader with William McGirt at 5 under, but shot a 3-over 75 and fell to 2 under. Hughes made back-to-back birdies on holes two and three and was 7-under for the tournament, before struggling the rest of the day.

1. Par
2. ?
3. ?@MacHughesGolf leads alone at @THEPLAYERSChamp.#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/lO3XbkdSXc

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 12, 2017

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 72 and is 1 under while Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., missed the cut with back-to-back 74s.

The cut was at 2-over 146, and there will be another cut Saturday because more than 78 players advanced to the weekend. That’s when the tournament will finally start to take shape, and while Oosthuizen and Stanley stood out with the best scores of the second round, both know it can change quickly.

“We’re in a pretty good spot going into this weekend,” said Oosthuizen, the 2010 British Open champion who still hasn’t won in America. “A lot of golf to be played around this golf course, and as we’ve seen the last two days, you can easily make a mistake around this track.”

Yes, there were plenty of those.

Anirban hit three shots into the water and made a 10 on the par-4 18th hole. Zac Blair hit three shots into the water on the par-3 17th and made a 9.

Phil Mickelson started making putts and moved up the leaderboard, only to begin a slow slide. He made three bogeys on the back nine and then, torn between a 9-iron and a wedge on the 17th, he opted for a wedge to make sure it didn’t go over the back of the island. It still hopped hard at the back of the green and went into the water, leading to a double bogey.

That left him at 72, seven shots behind.

“It’s a hard course, and any errant swings will lead to not a good score,” Mickelson said. “But I played a good front nine and shot even. I don’t know what else to say.”

Defending champion Jason Day didn’t make up any ground, either, trading birdies and bogeys for a 72. He also was seven back at 2-under 142. Rickie Fowler shot 74 and joined Johnson and McIlroy at 144.

Ian Poulter, who only got into The Players on a clerical mistake regarding his time away for injury, shot 67 and was in the large group at 5-under 139.

Oosthuizen picked up birdies on both par 3s on the back nine, and then hit his best shot on the first hole from deep in the woods on pine straw. He managed to play a low punch shot with a draw, and it ran up to about 5 feet for a birdie. He let his putter do the work the rest of the way, holing 20-foot birdie putts on the fifth and ninth holes to share the lead.

Thunderstorms are possible for Saturday afternoon, which might be what it takes to at least soften the Players Stadium Course. That still doesn’t change the nature of the TPC Sawgrass, which can penalize a slight miss with a big number.

Among those at 4 under was Jon Rahm of Spain, who couldn’t get going because of bogeys that followed birdies and led to a 74.

“I’m playing some of my best golf and I’m only 4-under par,” Rahm said. “When you have the best players in the world and the cut is over par, it shows that the golf course is very tough.”

And it showed that Oosthuizen and Stanley were at their best.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

The second of three RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifiers tees off Monday May, 15th, at Blue Springs Golf Club, in Acton, Ont. Players will be competing for a spot in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24-30.

If 100 golfers register for a regional qualifier – as is the case for Monday’s event – the low-qualifier receives a direct exemption into the RBC Canadian Open. The top 15% of finishers, beyond the low-qualifier, will advance to the Final Qualifier at Heron Points Golf Links, in Ancaster, Ont., on July 24.

Derek Barron and Keith Martin were co-medallists at the first regional qualifier on May 9th, at Bear Mountain Resort, in Victoria, B.C.  Along with Barron and Martin, four players from the event secured their spot in the final qualifier at Heron Point.

The third regional qualifier is June 5th at Club de golf de la Vallée du Richelieu on the Rouville Course in Sainte-Julie, Qué.

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.

Last year’s Ontario qualifier was played at King’s Forest Golf Course, in Hamilton, Ont. Branson Ferrier, of Barrie, Ont., shot a 4-under par, 68, to win medallist honours. In addition to Ferrier booking his ticket to the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, 25 golfers advanced to the final qualifier.

NOTABLES

Peter Campbell, Baddeck, Nova Scotia
The 34-year-old, has played five tournaments on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica this season, making two cuts. His best result was a T29 at the Essential Costa Rica Classic. He finished 44th on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica Order of Merit in 2016. Campbell advanced to the final qualifier from this event last year.

Stephane Dubois, Brantford, Ontario
The 25-year-old finished third on the Great Lakes Tour Order of Merit in 2016, on the strength of three victories. He played college golf at Lamar University (NCAA Div 1) where he was twice named to the All-Southland conference second-team.

Branson Ferrier, Barrie, Ontario
The 23-year-old, was the 2016 medallist at this event. Ferrier played college golf at Alabama State University (NCAA Div I), where he was a three-time first-team All-SWAC selection.

Tony Gil, Vaughn, Ontario, (a)
The 19-year-old, graduate of the Team Canada National Development Squad, played four events this season in his freshman year at the University of Houston. His best finish was a 5th place at the Colin Montgomerie Invitational.

Derek Gillespie, Oshawa, Ontario
The 38-year-old Big Break Prince Edward Island winner is currently playing on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. He has four career top-10s on the tour. His best result this season was a T18 at the 86 Abierto OSDE del Centro presentado por FiberCorp. Gillespie advanced to the final qualifier from this event last year.

Matt Hill, Sarnia, Ontario
The 28-year-old won the NCAA Division 1 Championship in 2009 while at N.C. State, where he won 10 times in his NCAA career. He has one career Web.com Tour victory, and one career Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory. He currently has conditional status on the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica.

Sebastian Szmirak, Toronto, Ontario
The 27-year-old former University of Louisville Cardinal had two top-10s on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada in 2016 and finished 42nd on the Order of Merit.

QUICK FACTS

The regional qualification process allows amateurs and professionals from across Canada and the world a chance to qualify for the RBC Canadian Open.

Every year since the two-stage regional qualification process was reinstated in 2011, there has been a regional qualifier held in Ontario

There are 14 golfers in the field who advanced to the final qualifier from this event last year.

Pairing and more information can be found here.

ABOUT THE COURSE

6,812 yards, par 72, slope 144.

Home of the PGA of Canada headquarters.

Signature features include well protected, heavily contoured greens, and several elevated tee boxes.

This is the first time Blue Springs Golf Club has hosted a regional qualifier since the two-stage qualification process for the RBC Canadian Open returned in 2011.

Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James, of Bath, Ont., fired a 4-under par 68 to share first place with Allie White of Lancaster, Oh., and France’s Celine Boutier after round one of the Symetra Tour’s Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic.

Anne-Catherine Tanguay, James’ Young Pro Squad teammate, and Quebec City native is tied for fourth with Allison Emrey of Charlotte, N.C., and Kim Welch of Sacramento, Calif., after posting a 3-under par 69.

James, who currently sits 22nd in the Volvik Race for the Card standings, is looking to improve on her 12th place finish on the Symetra Tour money list in 2016.

She chipped in for eagle on the 6th hole and made birdie on eight before ending with a par on nine.

“I was around the hole all day from 50 yards and in and chipped in from the landing spot at 38 yards,” explained James. “It was obviously big in the end number.”

From 38 yards, @augusta_james (-4) chipping in for eagle.

Shares lead at @selfregclassic in @GreenwoodCitySC!https://t.co/fZXpoViOCq pic.twitter.com/1icLBXZa5A

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) May 11, 2017

James’ 68 is her lowest round of the season and her first sub-par round since March 30 at the Gateway Classic at Longbow Golf Club.

“I’m very happy, it was great to put together a good round even with the wind picking up in some spots,” said James. “There wasn’t a whole lot that went wrong today.”

Tanguay, is having a very strong year with four top-10s in five starts, including a tie for second at the IOA Championship presented by Morongo Casino Resort & Spa.

She had four birdies on Thursday, including a tap-in on 18 after reaching the par-5 in two.

Finish w/ a birdie ✅@ACTanguay on in two on par-5 18th and closes at -3 (T3) at @selfregclassic!

Scores –> https://t.co/fZXpoViOCq pic.twitter.com/2tC3Ujn6TB

— Symetra Tour (@ROAD2LPGA) May 11, 2017

Both James and Tanguay had help prepping for the Self Regional Healthcare Foundation Women’s Health Classic as Team Canada’s Head Women’s Coach Tristan Mullally was in town early in the week.

“Tristan is really helpful in general and it is very helpful to have him during a tournament week,” said James. “His expertise takes us all to this level so we have him to thank.”

Fellow Canadian, Elizabeth Tong, from Thornhill, Ont. was two under par after 16 holes, but a double bogey on 17 has her in a tie for 19th after an even par 70.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.

Mackenzie Hughes, of Dundas, Ont., arrived at the TPC Sawgrass with no scar tissue and played his first round at The Players Championship with no bogeys.

Pretty simple, eh?

The Canadian rookie shook his head and laughed. Even after going bogey-free in his debut Thursday for a 5-under 67 to share the lead with William McGirt, Hughes saw enough of the Players Stadium Course to realize that surprises lurk around every corner.

“There’s just not really a moment where you can let up,” Hughes said.

No need explaining that to Adam Scott, who won The Players in 2004 and was off to a strong start on a steamy afternoon when he was 6 under and heading to the infamous par-3 17th with its island green.

First, he watched Masters champion Sergio Garcia hit a gap wedge that took one big hop, land just behind the cup and disappear for a hole-in-one.

A HOLE-IN-ONE … in 360!

Let’s take a unique look at @TheSergioGarcia‘s ace at @THEPLAYERSChamp …#PGATOUR360 ◀️SWIPE▶️ pic.twitter.com/0VhyRdXWsM

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 11, 2017

Scott followed by spinning a shot off the bank and into the water for a double bogey, and he compounded that with another double bogey.

“I played some good golf out there and unfortunately not on the last two,” Scott said after settling for a 70. “It happens.”

At least he had company.

Dustin Johnson’s first wedge of the day hit the pin, caromed off the green and led to bogey. On a day when nothing seemed to go his way, the world’s No. 1 player opened with a 71. Rory McIlroy went to tap in from 2 feet and missed it, and then had to make one twice that long for his double bogey on the 10th hole. He shot 73.

Through it all, Hughes was rock solid. Only twice did he have par putts longer than 3 feet, and he made them both. The last piece of stress came on the final hole when trees block his way to the green. To chip out sideways would risk chipping into the water. He found a 4-foot wide window in which he had to keep it under on branch and go over two more. It was a large enough gap and the perfect shot for a 6-iron.

“I was close enough to the trees. It paid off,” said Hughes, who already has won (Sea Island) in his rookie season on the PGA Tour.

Mackenzie Hughes shares the lead at THE PLAYERS

See and hear what he had to say after a solid opening round ? pic.twitter.com/p9LJw6Ug6n

— Mackenzie Tour (@PGATOURCanada) May 12, 2017

McGirt played in morning and made a pair of eagles on the back nine to atone in his round of 67.

Among those at 68 was Jon Rahm, another first-timer at this lucrative event who had one of four bogey-free rounds on the steamy day in north Florida. Even with a mild wind in the afternoon, just over a third of the field broke par.

Fast starts and bad finishes were the norm, and not just for Scott.

Defending champion Jason Day ran off two straight birdies after making the turn and was in the lead at 5 under, which for the former world No. 1 was a peculiar position. He hasn’t won since The Players last year. Day, however, made three bogeys over his last four holes and had to settle for a 70.

He was playing in the same group as Rickie Fowler, the 2015 champion who also got off to a fast start until one bad shot – a really bad shot – on his 15th hole at the par-4 seventh. From the middle of the fairway, Fowler blocked it so badly to the right that it hit a cart path and went deep into the pines. It took him two shots to get out and he made double bogey. Fowler also shot 70.

Fowler managed to see the big picture.

“No one’s going crazy low or anything like that,” he said.

Garcia’s round was different. He made three bogeys and a double bogey in his opening six holes and went out in 40, the first nine holes of competition he has played since winning the Masters a month ago. He felt nerves on the first tee when he was introduced as the Masters champion.

“The feeling was great,” he said. “I think I wasn’t quite in the tournament because of everything that’s been going on after the Masters win and media and people congratulating you left, right and centre. I felt like I was a little bit up in the clouds, and when I woke up, I was 4 over after six.”

Johnson still has only two rounds in the 60s out of 27 attempts at the Stadium Course. He could accept this 71 just because of all that went wrong – the wedge that hit the pin on No. 1, birdie putts that spun around the holes at Nos. 2 and 12. Johnson rallied late with a 25-foot eagle putt on the 16th hole.

“It could have been really good today, but ended up just being OK,” Johnson said.

McGirt was among 13 players from the morning draw who shot in the 60s, but he was the only player to get as low as 6 under until he missed a short par putt on the final hole. Told that no one had made eagle on both par 5s on the back nine in the opening round, McGirt didn’t have an answer.

“Good numbers at a good time, made a good swing at a good time,” McGirt said. “You just kind of see the shot and hit the shot and see the putt and hit the putt.”

He made it sound simple, even though the Players Stadium Course can be anything but that

Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn, is T18 after an opening round 70.

The full leaderboard can be seen here.