SAN ANTONIO – Kevin Chappell found his swing late and moved a step closer to his first PGA Tour win.

Chappell birdied three of his final five holes and finished with a 1-under 71 on Saturday, giving him a one-stroke lead after three rounds of the Valero Texas Open. He is 8-under through 54 holes. He was runnerup six years ago in the event and is ahead of first-round leader Branden Grace, who rallied with 2-under 70, and John Huh. After an eagle-birdie finish, Huh shot 71.

“It was about finding a rhythm,” Chappell said. “I knew when I found it, I could extend it. You can get it going on the finishing stretch.”

Ryan Palmer, a West Texas native who cut through winds as strong as 25 mph, had the round of the day with 4-under 68. He’s joined at 6-under by second round co-leaders Bud Cauley (74) and Tony Finau (74), Sweden’s Carl Pettersson (71), 2013 Texas Open champ Martin Laird (71), Kevin Tway (72) and Australian Cameron Smith (73).

Chappell tied for seventh with Rory McIlroy at the Masters this month, and he got his late charge going Saturday after leaving an eagle putt short at the par-5 14th. He tapped in to gain a stroke, and he made good two holes later with a 12-foot birdie. He chipped to two feet on the downwind, 318-yard 17th and had another tap-in birdie.

Chappell, 30, flirted with trouble on the 18th when his second shot rolled next to a brook, but he had enough room for a full swing and reached the green to set up a 2-putt par.

“I knew my game was in a good place,” said Chappell, who took the week off after Augusta to celebrate the second birthday of his oldest son, Wyatt. “I had played some really good rounds of golf.”

Grace lost his early tournament lead with a 2-over 73 in the second round. But the South African rallied Saturday and had a lead until a bogey at No. 15.

“It was pretty irritating out there,” Grace said. “Pars out there are good. Just have to be patient.”

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., shot 71 for a 4-under total. Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch (76) is 3 over and Adam Hadwin (82), also of Abbotsford, is 8 over.

Gusts that blew past 20 mph kept scores high – there were 14 scores below par Saturday. On Friday 49 rounds were under par, and 69 sub-par scores were recorded Thursday.

As notable as Palmer’s round was in the windy conditions, it fits with the Texans’ profile at this course. Since the tournament moved to TPC San Antonio’s Greg Norman-designed Oaks Course seven years ago, Palmer’s got three top-10 finishes including his best of a fourth-place tie last year.

“As hard as it was blowing today, and as exposed as this course can be, it made for a challenging day,” he said. “Fortunately, I’ve had success out here when it’s blowing this way. I knew what to expect. I stayed patient and made a lot of putts.”

With the wind at his back, he drove the 318-yard 17th hole but was faced with a 93-foot eagle putt. He sank a 56-foot putt to birdie earlier at No. 6, so he 2-putted for the birdie at 17 and ran in another birdie at 18.

Palmer, originally from Amarillo, hasn’t won since Hawaii in 2010.

“The bomb at No. 6 went in like it was a 2-footer,” Palmer said. I felt like I could take it and run with it. You make a putt like that and it can get your momentum going.“

With these conditions, it didn’t take long for the second-round leaders to back up. Cauley bogeyed the first hole, and his co-leader Finau parred until bogey at No. 7 and a double bogey on the next hole after he was chipping for birdie from right in front of the green.

Cauley later was penalized a stroke when he double-chipped at No. 12 – he hit the ball a second time on the follow through of his greenside chip. He putted from 13 feet to save bogey.

British Columbia’s Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver) and Lawren Rowe (Victoria) teamed up to secure a five-stroke victory on Saturday at the Lima Golf Club en route to capturing the Peruvian International Amateur Championship.

The pair were led by Macdonald—a member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad—who paced the field at 7-under par (70-72-68-71), good for a three-stroke cushion and medallist honours.

Macdonald’s strongest performance came during Friday’s third round, where the Purdue University alum carded a bogey-free 68 (-4). It also marks another strong international performance for the second-year Team Canada product, who recently made the round of 16 in both the Australian and New South Wales Amateur Championships.

Rowe, a University of Victoria junior, fired a final-round 71 to solidify his place inside the top-5, finishing tied for third at 3-under par.

B.C. duo of Kevin Carrigan and David Rose won the event back in 2013. Hall-of-Famer Warren Sye took home the hardware in 1997 alongside fellow Ontarian Brian McCann.

Click here for full scoring

SAN ANTONIO – Tony Finau arrived at the 18th tee with a chance at a course record, but his approach splashed in the water and his bogey dropped him into a second-round tie for the lead with Bud Cauley at the Valero Texas Open on Friday.

A birdie at the par-5 final hole would have given Finau a share of the course record, but he settled for a 7-under 65 and is tied with Cauley at 8 under through 36 holes at TPC San Antonio.

Ian Poulter, Europe’s Ryder Cup star, missed the cut and lost his fully exempt status on the PGA Tour. He fell about $30,000 short of the required earnings to keep his status through a medical exemption because of a foot injury last year.

Cauley, a former NCAA standout at Alabama who’s yet to win through six seasons as a pro, had a lead at the halfway point after his 66 in the morning.

Cauley and Finau, winner last year at the Puerto Rico Open, both lead by one over 23-year-old Australian Cameron Smith, Kevin Chappell, Robby Shelton and veteran 1994 Texas Open winner Bob Estes.

Smith shared low round with Finau at 65, Chappell shot 68, Shelton had a 69, and 51-year-old Estes had a 69.

John Huh is 6 under after a 71, and he’s joined by Kevin Tway (68) and Jonathan Randolph (70).

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is the top Canadian at 3 under. Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin is 2 under while Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch is 1 under. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., missed the cut at 9 over.

There are seven players at 5 under, including first-round leader Branden Grace (73) and former Texas Open champs Jimmy Walker (69) and Martin Laird (67).

Walker, winner of the PGA Championship last summer, said he’ll start treatment for Lyme disease after this event. It may keep him from playing at New Orleans next week.

Finau holed a wedge shot from 105 yards for eagle on No. 11. A 22-foot birdie putt at 16 and a tap-in birdie on the next hole had him looking at tying the course record.

After his approach landed in shallow water in the creek fronting the 18th green, Finau played it out and chipped it past the green, rather than take the penalty drop.

“I did the same thing yesterday after going for the green (in two),” Finau said. “About half of the ball was out of the water. I got up-and-down yesterday. I know lightning doesn’t always strike twice.”

After a par at the first, Cauley’s early birdie streak included a 38-foot putt at 2. He avoided bogey all day, including a near 3-putt by sinking a 12-footer at No. 17.

“Putting saved me a lot today,” Cauley said, “and the putt (to save par) at 17 was huge. It was windy, and I knew I was going to miss some greens. When I did, I was able to leave it in a relatively easy spot and get up and down.”

Cauley is coming off his second top 10 of the year, a ninth place at RBC Heritage after a first-round 63 at Hilton Head.

After opening the tournament with even-par 72 Thursday, Smith jumped 68 spots on the leaderboard and finished with eagle-birdie. The eagle was a 90-yard blast from a bunker. He also chipped in from off the green for three birdies.

“Everything I hit, whether it was a rubbish shot or a good shot, kind of went close to the hole,” Smith said.

Cauley played through a medical exemption to keep his Tour card last year after shoulder surgery. It didn’t work for Poulter, the Englishman who’s played in five memorable Ryder Cup events for Europe.

“I’m healthy,” Poulter said. “I’m still going to be able to play golf. It doesn’t mean to say that the clubs are going to go away and you’re never going to see me again.”

Besides Poulter, notables missing the cut included U.S. Amateur champ Curtis Luck (73-72 in his pro debut), Billy Horschel (73-74), Luke Donald (76-72), Zach Johnson (74-74) and Keegan Bradley (77-74).

Defending champion Charley Hoffman, who shared the lead at the halfway point of the Masters this month, birdied his 17th hole to get to 1 under for the tournament and one shot inside the cut number.

Jacksonville, Florida’s Sean Dale shot a 3-under 69 on Friday at PGA Golf Club’s Wannamaker Course in Port St. Lucie, Florida, then prevailed in a playoff over Naples, Florida’s Edward Figueroa to earn medallist honours at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s USA East #2 Q-School.

The 27-year old University of North Florida graduate birdied two of his final three holes and both holes of sudden death to secure the win and exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for 2017, completing a long journey back after undergoing surgery for a torn labrum last year and missing most of the season.

“Coming into this, I didn’t really have many expectations, but the game just kind of fell right back into where I was last year, and it feels great,” said Dale, who held Mackenzie Tour status last year but had to be shut down after the first two events of the season.

After opting for surgery on his shoulder, Dale went through more than seven months of rehab, gradually working his way back to where he could practice and eventually play.

“This is the first tournament back,” said Dale. “It was a lot of rehab and a lot of work to get here, so it just feels good to be back competing. I enjoyed the first two events season in Vancouver and Victoria, so I’m excited to see a little bit more of Canada this time.”

Figueroa, who led after each of the first three rounds, carded a 1-over 73 for a second straight day but earned Mackenzie Tour status for the third consecutive year.

Click here for scores.

South African Branden Grace had a 6-under 66 and leads by a stroke after the opening round of the Valero Texas Open on Thursday.

Grace had a season-best 11th-place finish last week in defense of his RBC Heritage title. He leads the 5-under 67s of Steven Alker, Stewart Cink, John Huh and Will MacKenzie at TPC San Antonio. Alker, a journeyman New Zealander who played in the final group of the day, birdied the final three holes.

There are 13 players packed two shots back at 4 under. That includes 2010 U.S. Open champion Graham McDowell and 2016 U.S. Ryder Cup member Brooks Koepka.

Two weeks ago, Grace was over par but still survived the cut at the Masters. He played the weekend in 3 under, and his best scorecard last week at Hilton Head was 68. The 66 on Thursday was his best round since Hawaii in January.

“That’s the one round I was waiting for,” Grace said. “I’ve been shooting the 69s and 70s, but not getting that one low round. This is nice.”

His day took off with three consecutive birdies mid-round, including a 22-foot putt at the ninth after missing his only fairway of the day.

It almost wasn’t as nice for McDowell, who’s won twice on the PGA Tour since his U.S. Open title at Pebble Beach seven years ago.

“I made bogey at 11 from the middle of the fairway, (and) I ripped it down the middle of the 12th fairway right in the middle of a divot and duffed it out short of the green and made bogey there,” he said.

“To recover after that with a great birdie at 13 and a nice up-and-down at 14 for birdie, it was nice to bounce back.”

Ian Poulter needs to at least make the cut to keep his PGA Tour card for the remainder of the season. That’s in doubt now – no birdies until his 17th hole and a 75 has him well outside the top 100. He’s playing on a major medical exemption granted after a foot injury caused him to miss most of last season, and he needs to earn $30,624 before the exemption ends this week.

Patrick Reed, who was born in San Antonio and was runner-up here a year ago, is three shots out of the lead after a 69. Ryan Moore, Reed’s Ryder Cup teammate and who tied for ninth at Augusta this month, is another shot back with a 70.

Defending champ Charley Hoffman, co-leader at the halfway point at the Masters, shot 71 and sits just outside the top 50.

U.S. Amateur champion Curtis Luck of Australia opened his first round as a pro with three bogeys, but he holed a bunker shot from 75 yards for eagle later in his round to help him to a 1-over 73.

Two days after saying his back was progressing, Tiger Woods has had a fourth back surgery to alleviate pain and is likely to go through another year without playing a major.

Woods said on his website Thursday the operation was done at the Texas Back Institute outside Dallas.

He was in Missouri on Tuesday to announce plans to design a public golf course at Big Cedar Lodge, and Woods even tried hitting a few shots to a par 3. The first one rattled around in the rocks, and the second shot was about 10 feet from the flag.

The announcement on his website said typical recovery from single-level fusion surgery is six months.

“The surgery went well, and I’m optimistic this will relieve my back spasms and pain,” Woods said. “When healed, I look forward to getting back to a normal life, playing with my kids, competing in professional golf and living without the pain I have been battling so long.”

Woods first had back surgery – a microdiscectomy – a week before the 2014 Masters, and he tried to return in three months. He sat out three months at the end of 2014 to let his body fully heal. But after a 2015 season in which he missed the cut in three majors, he had back surgery in September and another one in October.

He went 15 months without competition before returning in December at his Hero World Challenge. Woods missed the cut at Torrey Pines in January, then withdrew from the Dubai Desert Classic on Feb. 3 after opening with a 77, citing back spasms.

And now he’s gone through a fourth surgery.

Questions about the 14-time major champion have shifted from if he will win another major to if he will play another major.

The statement on his website said Woods’ bottom disc in his lower back has severely narrowed, causing sciatica and severe pain in his back and legs. Woods opted for a fourth surgery when more conservative therapy, such as rest and injections, failed to solve anything.

The surgery was described as “anterior lumbar interbody fusion” at the L-5 and S-1 of his spine. It was performed by Richard Guyer of the institute’s Center for Disc Replacement, and involved removing the damaged disc and lifting the collapsed disc space to normal levels.

“After he recovers from surgery, he will gradually begin his rehabilitation until he is completely healed,” Guyer said on the website. “Once that’s accomplished, his workouts will be geared to allowing him to return to competitive golf.”

Guyer said the bottom of the spine is the best place for single-level fusion to occur.

“Some individuals are born with one less vertebrae, which would be similar to someone who had a single-level fusion,” he said.

Woods’ first surgery in 2014 was in Park City, Utah, by neurosurgeon Charles Rich, who also did the second operation. This is the first time Woods has gone to the Texas Back Institute.

Woods was to begin therapy and treatment after several weeks of rest.

He won his 79th PGA Tour event in August 2013 at the Bridgestone Invitational. Three weeks later, he was in contention late in the final round at the Barclays when he dropped to his knees after experiencing what he described as back spasms.

Woods is exempt for life at the Masters and PGA Championship, and until he is 60 at the British Open. He has a 10-year exemption for the U.S. Open from his 2008 victory at Torrey Pines, which was his 14th and last major. He had reconstructive knee surgery a week later.

He has started just 19 events worldwide since that first back surgery, and he has completed 72 holes in just nine of them. His best finish was a tie for 10th in the Wyndham Championship in August 2015, a month before his second back surgery.

With so many injuries and inactivity, Woods now is No. 788 in the world ranking.

The country’s most talked-about golfing destination will play host to this year’s RBC PGA Scramble National Final.

Taking place Oct 12-14, Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs will see teams from across the country—comprised of four amateurs and a PGA of Canada professional—playing in the 54-hole national final.

“We couldn’t be more excited to be heading to Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs for the RBC PGA Scramble National Final,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “It’s widely known the golf at both Cabot Links and Cabot Cliffs are world-class, however, the entire Cabot Links resort experience—lodging, dining, east coast charm—is also truly exceptional.”

Located in Inverness, N.S., Cabot Links is Canada’s first and only authentic links golf resort.  Nestled between the Atlantic Ocean and the picturesque town of Inverness, the Cabot Links course represents a dramatic departure from the typical golf excursion.  With six holes playing directly alongside the water and every hole offering an ocean view, Cabot Links is where traditional linksland golf comes to life against the spectacular Nova Scotia landscape. The Cabot Cliffs course, designed by the decorated team of Bill Coore and Ben Crenshaw, is the newest addition to Cabot. Exquisitely carved out of the breathtaking Cape Breton landscape, with postcard-worthy panoramas vying for your attention and every hole calling out to the sea, this is linksland golf at its best.

Cabot Cliffs ranked No. 1, while Cabot Links ranked No. 4 on SCOREGolf’s 2016 Best Golf Courses in Canada list. Cabot Cliffs also debuted 19th on the World’s Top 100 Courses list by Golf Digest.

“We here at Cabot are thrilled to host the RBC PGA Scramble National Final,” said Cabot Links’ general manager Andrew Alkenbrack. “We plan on putting on a fantastic show for the winning amateurs and their PGA professionals from around the country.”
In addition to the 54-hole championship, the RBC PGA Scramble National Final promises to be a golf trip of a lifetime and will include a festival of special events, prizing, meals, activations and much more.

The Angus Glen team of amateurs Patrick O’Leary, Dan Mesley, Mike Asselin, David Fotheringham and PGA of Canada professional Terry Kim won by a mere 0.2 shots over the team from Lookout Point to capture the inaugural edition in 2016.

With less than two months until the Manulife LPGA Classic, the application period has officially opened for the Manulife Ladies Classic Award. One high-achieving female amateur golfer will be selected by Manulife for a unique opportunity to play with some of the world’s best golfers in the Manulife LPGA Classic from June 8 – 11, 2017 at Whistle Bear Golf Club in Cambridge, Ontario.

“The Manulife LPGA Classic is one of only two LPGA tour stops in Canada, so the more Canadian golfers we have participating, the better,” said Marianne Harrison, President & CEO, Manulife Canada. “We are looking for a standout amateur golfer who demonstrates consistently high-performance in the sport, and an individual who sets a positive example of active, healthy living and community engagement.”

To apply, eligible golfers must complete the online application and submit a short video demonstrating their passion, including thoughts on why they should receive an opportunity to compete. The deadline for applications is May 11, 2017.

In 2015, Manulife and tournament owner Sports Properties International approached the LPGA to increase the size of the Manulife LPGA Classic field by six spots to 150 to encourage more Canadian golfers to compete. To deliver on that intention, Manulife created a Canadian-focused sponsor exemption strategy. One element of that strategy was the creation of the Manulife Ladies Classic Award. Last year, Thornhill’s Selena Costabile was the inaugural recipient of the award.

“It’s great to work with partners like Manulife who bring new ideas to the table and care about making a difference in an amateur golfer’s career,” said John Gaskin, Manulife LPGA Classic Tournament Director, Bruno Event Team. “It’s rare to see this kind of opportunity offered on the tour and we’re excited to see who will be joining us and the world’s best in just a few short weeks.”

For full contest details and eligibility, visit www.manulifeclassic.ca/classic-award

Kia Canada Inc. (KCI) and PGA TOUR golfer and Kia ambassador David Hearn announced today the launch of The David Hearn Foundation Kia Grant – a joint initiative to encourage and enable junior golfers across Canada to give back to their communities by recognizing their local Alzheimer Society chapter. 

The David Hearn Foundation Kia Grant will award two junior golfers each with a $4,500 cheque to direct to the local Alzheimer Society chapter of their choice. The two grant recipients will also receive transportation and accommodations to attend The David Hearn Foundation Charity Classic on July 31, 2017 at Brantford Golf & Country Club, where they will be formally acknowledged by both Hearn and KCI, and their selected Alzheimer Society chapters will be presented with the cheques.  

“This Grant will not only benefit two local Alzheimer Society chapters, but I hope will also inspire the next generation of Canadian junior golfers to give back to their communities, and recognize from an early age the impact that Alzheimer’s disease has across our Country,” said Hearn. “I want to thank Kia for supporting the Foundation so that together we can encourage youth to help their communities and drive change.”

Hearn, a spokesperson for the Alzheimer Society of Canada, is an advocate against the disease, stemming from his own personal connections to Alzheimer’s through his grandmother and great-grandmother. After being involved with his local chapter since 2011 – the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand Norfolk, Hamilton, and Halton, Hearn launched his Foundation in 2015. The mission of the Foundation is to support the Alzheimer Society of Canada at a national level, while also still raising funds for his local chapter to implement programs and services for families and individuals suffering from the disease in his hometown. 

“Kia Canada is committed to driving positive change in our communities and are thrilled to have the opportunity to reward two young Canadians for their charitable efforts,” said Ted Lancaster, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Kia Canada Inc. “We’re proud to be associated with The David Hearn Foundation and can’t wait to see the winners in Brantford this July.

The David Hearn Foundation Kia Grant application is now open for entries and will close on Friday, June 30, 2017 at 11:59pm EST. Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

– Community commitment / volunteerism
– Essay listing why their local Alzheimer Society chapter should receive the funds
– Junior golf participation

Click HERE for The David Hearn Foundation Kia Grant – 2017 Application Form 

The USGA and The R&A are working with golf’s handicapping authorities to develop a single World Handicap System for the sport.

More than 15 million golfers in over 80 countries presently have a handicap, a numerical index long used as a reference to gauge a golfer’s potential skill level. Handicaps are currently delivered through six different systems around the world.

The aim of the proposed handicap system is to adopt a universal set of principles and procedures that will apply all over the world.

An extensive review of existing handicap systems administered by Golf Australia, the Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) in Great Britain and Ireland, the European Golf Association (EGA), the South African Golf Association (SAGA), the Argentine Golf Association (AGA) and the United States Golf Association (USGA) has been undertaken. Golf Canada is licensed under the USGA handicap system to administer handicapping in Canada.

Golf organisations from different parts of the world have also been engaged with the current handicap authorities for the past two years to help shape the proposed system, which takes into account the many different golf cultures and most common formats of play. Research conducted to date has also reviewed systems and best practices inherent to handicapping, such as course rating and administration.

A joint committee led by the USGA and The R&A has been formed, including representatives from each handicap authority as well as the Japan Golf Association and Golf Canada. The joint committee plans to announce its proposal later this year.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We have been concerned for some time that many golfers find the handicapping landscape to be complicated and can be frustrated when it is not always applied in the same way in different parts of the world.

“We are working closely with the existing handicapping bodies to benefit from their insights as we try to formulate a system that will be easy to understand and can be applied consistently on a global basis. We very much appreciate their support for this initiative.”

Mike Davis, Executive Director and CEO of the USGA, said, “One wonderful aspect of golf that separates it from other sports is the ability of players of differing abilities to play on an equitable basis through handicapping. With one global system, golf courses will be rated and handicaps calculated in a like manner everywhere in the world. Reducing borders or barriers to provide an easy way for all to play together is great for the game and golfers everywhere.”

Key quotes:

Roland Deveau (President, Golf Canada) said “Golf Canada is pleased to join our National and International Association partners in the formation of a unified handicap system that brings equity and consistency to score posting among golfers worldwide. Canadian golfers who track their game at home or abroad through the Golf Canada Score Centre will enjoy the consistency of a global handicap platform that allows for equitable score posting methodology, including with respect to international net competitions, about which Golf Canada and our provincial associations receive numerous inquiries annually.”

John Hopkins (Chairman, Golf Australia) said “Golf Australia believes that significant benefits will flow to players around the world by having a global handicap platform. We are already very encouraged by how the World Handicap System is coming together”.

Bob Carrick (Acting Chairman of CONGU) said, “The Council of National Golf Unions (CONGU) welcomes the R&A / USGA’s initiative to develop a single Worldwide Handicapping System for the sport. We think that this is an exciting opportunity for standardising the system and for more players to obtain an official handicap. We will be delighted to work closely with other handicap authorities to ensure a smooth implementation.”

Jean-Marc Mommer, President of the EGA declared: “It has been acknowledged that the European Golf Association (EGA), comprising 47 member national golf federations representing over four million registered golfers, has achieved considerable success to date in bridging a culturally diverse membership, and assisting the development of emerging golfing nations, with the EGA Handicap System. We are looking forward to contributing our knowledge, expertise and experience in working with The R&A, USGA and golf’s other handicapping authorities in pursuing this most worthwhile task of uniting the golfing world under a single handicap system.”

Paul Feeney, Board Member of the AAG said: “The AAG is committed to assisting the development of a World Handicap System. We understand that golf has become a global sport and we are very enthusiastic about working together with many other associations in the development of WHS. A lot of work needs to be done; course ratings are one of the most significant challenges for Argentina, which we are trying to address”.

For more information contact Craig Loughry, Golf Canada’s Director of Handicap & Course Rating: cloughry@golfcanada.ca

Click here to read Q&A.