Nike appears set to add another No. 1 golfer to its stable, this time strictly for the apparel.

ESPN is reporting that Jason Day will sign a deal with Nike to wear its clothes, hat and shoes starting next year. Nike announced last month it is getting out of the equipment business. ESPN cited sources as saying that Day would continue using TaylorMade equipment, but not the Adidas apparel or shoes.

Golfweek magazine said another Day sponsor, Concur, is expanding its deal in which the Australian would have the logo on his bag instead of the crest of his shirt. As noted by reporter Bob Weeks, Nike generally does not allow any other logos on its apparel.

What logos will remain on J-Day’s clothing? Nike usually sole one. RBC negotiating a new deal and hopes to stay on collar.

— Bob Weeks (@BobWeeksTSN) September 13, 2016

Nike previously had Rory McIlroy and Tiger Woods when they were No. 1, both full-line deals involving apparel and golf clubs.

CALGARY – Many golfers will be heading back to school with a scholarship this year, after Alberta Golf announced the 2016 scholarship recipients.

The successful applicants include past Team Alberta members, past Interprovincial Team members, Alberta Junior Champions, Alberta Amateur Champions, as well as students who simply enjoy the sport.

Alberta Golf’s scholarship program is open to all applicants pursuing their academic interests such that golfing ability is not a requirement. More than 20 of the recipients are past junior players who have competed in Alberta Golf’s provincial championships and several continue to play at a post-secondary level.

Scholarship applications are evaluated by a committee of volunteers based on the criteria of financial need, grade point average and volunteer experience. The funds for the scholarships are generated through a yearly casino, the generosity of patrons and from various donors and foundations.

The 2016 scholarship recipients are:
Lindsay Almberg, Barrett Belland, Katie Benoit, Quinn Ceplis, Andrew Chelack, Celine Copeland, Courtney Dickson, Claire Emery, Jolene Freerksen, Kevin Gfrerer, Heather Gisi, Patrick Gobran, Andrew Harrison, Bria Jansen, Conaire Kehoe, Peter Keith, Kat Kennedy, Alissa Kuhn, Julie Kuhn, Brendan Kuny, Carolyn Lee, Daria Leidenius, Shaye Leidenius, Erin Martens, Kate Martens, Scott McNichol, Melanie Murchison, Brandon Murphy, Hamzah Naeem, Nathan Nobert, Jack Pengelly, Allan Pruss, Michael Pruss, Dalton Ronan, Elliot Saive, Tyler Saunders, Luke Scanlon, Amanda Sha, Tyler Vandermeer, Mackenzie Walker, Sydney Weber, Rachel Wiebe and Jack Wood.

The application process for the 2017 academic year starts January 1, with a deadline of July 15, 2017. For more information on the application process, click here.

Individual and corporate donations are greatly appreciated. Each donation is eligible to receive a tax receipt. To donate online at any time, click here.

The Freedom 55 Financial Championship is the final of 12 events on the 2016 schedule, with three events in as many weeks to close out the race to finish in The Five and earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2016. The top 60 players on the Order of Merit through the Niagara Championship make the field and retain exempt status on the Mackenzie Tour for the 2017 season.

The event returns to the Stanley Thompson-designed Highland Country Club for the second year, where in 2015 Murfreesboro, Tennessee’s Jason Millard defeated defending champion Ryan Williams of Vancouver in a playoff to move from 30^th on the Order of Merit into fifth, earning status on the Web.com Tour for this season.

Final stop in the race for The Five

This week’s by Freedom 55 Financial Championship is the final chance for players to earn status on the Web.com Tour for next season. Below is a breakdown of the Web.com Tour status available by position on the 2015 Order of Merit.

McCarthy secures exempt Web.com Tour status

Thanks to an unprecedented season of four wins and $156,783 in earnings, Syracuse, New York’s Dan McCarthy has removed all suspense from the chase for the top spot on the Order of Merit. With a $77,508 lead over No. 2 Brock Mackenzie heading into this week, the 31-year old is mathematically guaranteed to finish No. 1 on the season-long money list, earning fully exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2017.

About Dan McCarthy:

Full name: Daniel Thomas McCarthy
Height/Weight: 6’0”/200 lbs.
Hometown: Syracuse, New York
Residence: Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
Birthdate: July 30, 1985
Education: Le Moyne College (2007, Marketing)
Mackenzie Tour wins: 2016 Freedom 55 Financial Open, 2016 GolfBC Championship, 2016 Players Cup, 2016 Cape Breton Open
Records set in 2016: Most wins in a season (4), Highest single-season earnings ($156,783), Largest margin of victory (7 strokes, GolfBC Championship/Players Cup), Low 72-hole score (259, GolfBC Championship/Players Cup)
Mackenzie Tour leader in the following statistical categories: Eagles (11), Scoring Average (68.06), Top 10 finishes (7), Birdie Average (4.81), Par-4 Scoring Average (3.89).

McCarthy leads the way in the current top five heading into this week:

Wise looking to hold on to ‘bubble’ position

2016 NCAA Champion Aaron Wise comes into the Freedom 55 Financial Championship on the verge of finishing in The Five and earning Web.com Tour status, currently holding the coveted fifth spot. The Lake Elsinore, California native became the youngest winner of the PGA TOUR era on the Mackenzie Tour earlier this year when he captured the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON at 20 years, 1 month and 10 days old, and in six starts has yet to finish outside the top-15.

Any player currently 32^nd or better on the Order of Merit has the mathematical possibility of moving inside The Five with a win this week. Below are the top 32 and their minimum required finish to surpass Wise in fifth place.

Cornelson comes back strong in 2016
Following a season where he finished 94^th on the Order of Merit, Langley, B.C.’s Adam Cornelson has produced a career season in 2016, with a win at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist and five top-25 finishes. The 28-year old holds the fourth spot on the Order of Merit, in position to earn the Dan Halldorson Trophy as Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year along with a $25,000 prize.

Currently, five Canadian players are in contention for the award. Below are the 11 players and their minimum required finish to surpass current top Canadian Adam Cornelson.

Canadians in the Field: 12

Adam Cornelson – Langley, B.C.
Austin Connelly – Church Point, N.S.
Michael Gligic – Burlington, Ont.
Ryan Williams – Vancouver, B.C.
Max Gilbert – St. Georges, Qc.
Seann Harlingten – West Vancouver, B.C.
Brad Clapp – Chilliwack, B.C.
Wil Bateman – Edmonton, Alta.
James Love – Calgary, Alta.
Cory Renfrew – Victoria, B.C.
Sebastian Szirmak – Toronto, Ont.
Aaron Cockerill – Stonewall, Man.

(Listowel, Ont.’s Corey Conners qualified at No. 19 on the Order of Merit, but is opting to play the remainder of the PGA TOUR Latinoamérica season)
Notes on the field

• Countries represented: United States (39), Canada (12), England (2), France (1), French Polynesia (1), Zimbabwe (1), Germany (1).
• 30 players who earned status at Qualifying Schools this Spring (8 USA East No. 1/Reunion, 9 USA East No. 2/PGA Village, 5 California, 8 British Columbia).
• 23 players who had never held status on the Mackenzie Tour prior to 2016.
• Nine players who turned professional after completing their NCAA seasons this past spring: Taylor Moore/Arkansas, Aaron Wise/Oregon, Max Rottluff/Arizona State, Carter Jenkins/North Carolina, Will Starke/South Carolina, Paul Barjon/Texas Christian, Jonathan Garrick/UCLA, Hank Lebioda/Florida State, Sean Kelly/South Carolina.

Thornbury, ONT. – Ontario’s Blue Mountain region will host this week’s PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf.

The 54-hole national championship takes place Sept. 13-15 at The Golf Club at Lora Bay and features a field loaded with talent.

“The PGA of Canada is very excited about visiting the Blue Mountains region of Ontario and the magnificent Golf Club at Lora Bay this week,” said PGA of Canada president Steve Wood. “The PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf annually features some of the best players in our association and this year might be our best field ever.”

For first and second round tee times, click here.

Nestled in the Blue Mountains, the Golf Club at Lora Bay offers a playable round of golf that pays tribute to historic rural Ontario.  The dramatic course design was dictated by the dynamic forested shoreline of the brilliant Georgian Bay.

“We are thrilled to host the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada presented by Callaway Golf,” said Lora Bay’s head golf professional Nate Clingersmith. “There’s nothing quite like the Blue Mountains and Lora Bay in the fall.”

Co-designed by the former No. 1-ranked golfer in the world Tom Lehman and famed architect Thomas McBroom, the golf course has received numerous accolades over the years.

Celebrating its’ 10th anniversary, Lora Bay has hosted a number of impressive events over the years, including the 2007 World Skins Game and the Web.Com’s Wayne Gretzky Classic from 2008-2010.

There will also be a 36-hole Inter-Zone competition compiled of four players on each team representing their respective PGA Zone and is contested over the first two rounds.

Admittance to the PGA Assistants’ Championship of Canada is free and spectators are encouraged to attend during championship play.

CARMEL, Ind. – Dustin Johnson knows as well as anyone that no matter how good he is and how well he plays, something can always go wrong in golf.

Just not this week at the BMW Championship.

Not this year, really.

An awesome talent, Johnson is starting to pile up the victories to prove it. He ran off four birdies in a five-hole stretch to regain control Sunday, left Paul Casey feeling helpless by matching his eagle putt late in the round and sailed home to a 5-under 67 for a three-shot victory at Crooked Stick.

“Ran into a buzz saw,” Casey said after a 67 to finish runner-up in a FedEx Cup playoff event for the second straight week. “That was something special the last two days, and I did everything I could. So I’m holding my head up very high.”

Johnson, though, it at another level right now.

Known for so many years as the guy who couldn’t catch a break in the biggest events, he won for the third time in eight starts dating to his first major at the U.S. Open. And this might have been his most complete performance. Powerful off the tee, relentless with the putter, dialed with his wedges, there was no stopping him.

“I’ve got a lot of confidence in every part of my game,” Johnson said.

He just doesn’t have much to say about it, mainly because he doesn’t need to.

Casey’s last hope came on the par-5 15th when he rolled in a 25-foot eagle putt to get within one shot. That lasted as long as it took Johnson to line up his 18-foot eagle putt and pour it in to restore his three-shot margin.

He finished at 23-under 265 and went over $9 million in earnings for the year, along with taking the No. 1 seed in the FedEx Cup to the finale in two weeks at East Lake for the Tour Championship.

The consolation for Casey, along with $1,836,000 for his two runner-up finishes, was the No. 5 seed at the Tour Championship in two weeks. That means he only has to win at East Lake to capture the $10 million bonus.

Rickie Fowler won’t have any chance at all.

Fowler, who started the week at No. 22 in the FedEx Cup , closed with a 71 and finished 59th at Crooked Stick. He was bumped out of the top 10 by the smallest margin in the 10-year history of the FedEx Cup – 0.57 points behind Charl Schwartzel, who closed with a 64.

The timing is particularly bad for Fowler because Davis Love III makes three of his captain’s picks for the Ryder Cup on Monday, with another one right after the Tour Championship. Fowler won’t have another chance to audition, though he might get picked on Monday, anyway.

Asked if he had done enough to be picked, Fowler said, “I would like to think so.”

“I’ve done basically everything I can do as far as schedule and playing,” said Fowler, who left the Olympics to play the following week on the PGA Tour. “It would have been nice to play better to make the pick a lot easier on him. But whether he has his mind made up or is still thinking, that’s up to him.”

Fowler’s hopes came down to J.B. Holmes in a finish that had nothing to do with the trophy. Fowler would have made it to the Tour Championship if Holmes made either a birdie or a bogey. Holmes would have been eliminated with a bogey.

He drilled it down the middle of the fairway, hit the green, lagged a 40-foot putt to 4 feet and made it for par for a 74.

“I envisioned it being a little bit better than that going into the day, but that’s how it is,” Holmes said. “You don’t always have your best game, and I was able to finish it off and get in the Tour Championship.”

Holmes tied for fourth, key for him because the big hitter from Kentucky also needs a captain’s pick to play in the Ryder Cup. Holmes finished at No. 10 in the Ryder Cup standings, one spot ahead of Fowler. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 71 to finish the event tied for 32nd at 5-under 283.

“I feel like I played well enough to get that shot,” Holmes said. “We’ll see.”

Roberto Castro holed out for eagle from the seventh fairway on his way to a 67 to finish alone in third, sending the Georgia Tech grad and Atlanta resident home to play in the Tour Championship for the second time.

All this activity was far more compelling than the actual tournament, for Johnson never looked as though he was going to lose – no matter how well Casey played. Casey is playing some of his best golf in seven years, and he now has a clear shot at the $10 million bonus at East Lake.

Maybe.

“If I don’t run into Dustin in two weeks,” he said, “I got a great chance to maybe win the FedEx Cup.”

BEACHWOOD, Ohio – Bryson DeChambeau won the Web.com Tour Finals-opening DAP Championship on Sunday to wrap up a PGA Tour card for next season.

The 22-year-old former SMU player beat Andres Gonzales with a 5-foot par putt on the second hole of a playoff at Canterbury Golf Club. DeChambeau and Gonzales each birdied the 18th on the first extra trip down the par-4 hole, eliminating Nicholas Lindheim and Argentina’s Julian Etulain.

“It’s a big patience test for me, and I think I passed,” DeChambeau said.

DeChambeau shot a 1-over 71 in windy conditions to match Gonzales (68), Lindheim (66) and Etulain (67) at 7-under 273.

“Not easy with the wind up, and the rough up. It was a brutal test,” DeChambeau said. “The U.S. Open definitely helped me a little bit, especially with how long the rough was, and being comfortable with hitting wedge shots around the greens. But the good thing is the greens were receptive when hitting irons in so you were really able to throw darts at pins.”

DeChambeau earned $180,000. The 2015 NCAA and U.S. Amateur champion got into the field as a non-member with enough PGA Tour money to have placed in the top 200 in the FedEx Cup had he been eligible.

The four-event series features the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings and some non-members such as DeChambeau. The top 25 players on the Web.com Tour regular-season money list earned PGA Tour cards. They are competing against each other for tour priority, with regular-season earnings counting in their totals. The other players are fighting for 25 cards based on series earnings .

Playing with an unusual iron configuration with 4-iron to lob wedge cut to standard 7-iron length, DeChambeau birdied the par-5 16th, three-putted for bogey on the long par-3 17th and closed with a par to get into the playoff.

“For some reason I’m able to just let that go and focus,” DeChambeau said “Really what that does is allow me to just say ok, it’s gone, it’s in the past, and move forward. I don’t hold it up or build it in me. I just ease out of it. I think that’s the most important thing that I stuck with it. Eventually I got a couple to fall, one on 16, and unfortunately on 17 I three putted. But on 18 I clutched up. ”

Gonzalez earned $74,667 to also wrap up a tour card after finishing 154th in the FedEx Cup standings.

“Main objective accomplished,” Gonzalez said. “It’s only disappointing when you come this close. I had some good looks coming down. I played really solid the whole week. I kept the ball in front of me a lot, which is what you need to do here. … I’m pleased. I’m excited. I’m sure I’ll be more excited after I get losing out of my mind.”

Lindheim and Etulain already earned cards from the regular-season Web.com Tour money list.

Zack Sucher was fifth at 6 under after a 71. PGA Tour winners Scott Stallings (65), Rory Sabbatini (70), Will MacKenzie (70) and D.A. Points (71) were 5 under. England’s Andrew “Beef” Johnston tied for 28th at even par after a 70.

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – Dana Finkelstein won the Symetra Tour’s Garden City Charity Classic at Buffalo Dunes on Sunday to move into position for an LPGA Tour card.

The 23-year-old former UNLV player closed with a 1-under 71 for a four-stroke victory, her first on the tour. She finished at 11-under 277 and earned $22,500 to jump from 13th to fourth on the money list with $73,282 with four events left. The final top 10 will earn LPGA Tour cards. Augusta James of Bath, Ont., is currently 14th and sits as the top ranked Canadian.

Finkelstein, from Chandler, Arizona, won five times at UNLV – three as a senior in 2014-15 when she finished second in voting for the Annika Award. She opened with rounds of 65, 71 and 70 to take a five-stroke lead into the final day.

Brittany Benvenuto was second after a 69. Canadian Brittany Marchand (72) from Orangeville, Ont., was 5 under, and Marissa Steen (70) was 4 under.

The tour will remain at Buffalo Dunes next week for the Garden City Charity Classic. That event was moved to Buffalo Dunes this week because of fungus problems at The Golf Club at Southwind.

Ridgeway, Ont. – Greenwich, Connecticut’s David Pastore birdied the 72nd hole on Sunday to win the Niagara Championship, shooting a final round 5-under 66 at Cherry Hill Club to secure his first career Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada win.

The 24-year old University of Virginia grad got up-and-down from just short of the par-5 18th green for birdie, sinking a 5-foot putt to defeat Dan McCarthy of Syracuse, New York – who secured the 2016 Order of Merit title – by a stroke.

“I didn’t see this coming. I’ve been working really hard for a long time, and I felt like it was around the corner at some point, but there were really no signs to point to this week. I’m still in shock,” said Pastore, who was making just his third start of the season after missing most of the 2016 season with a wrist injury.

Starting the day tied for the lead with Tahiti’s Vaita Guillaume, the University of Virginia grad found himself trailing McCarthy quickly out of the gate after the Order of Merit leader birdied his first three holes to take the lead by two. But while McCarthy looked to take control, Pastore quietly kept pace with birdies on the fourth and fifth before adding a long birdie putt at the ninth to regain the lead on his own.

But even as he pulled away, Pastore couldn’t shake McCarthy, who looked to add an unprecedented fifth win to his record-smashing 2016 season on Sunday. At the 18th, McCarthy drained a slick 18-footer for birdie to post the clubhouse lead and tie Pastore at 13-under.

“That was a really greasy little putt,” said McCarthy. “If it didn’t go in it was about 12 feet by, and I didn’t hit it that hard. It just barely got over the slope, but it was all or nothing at that point and I had nothing to lose. I was trying to put some pressure on him.”

With the scene unfolding right in front of him, Pastore knew where things stood and what was at stake.

“I heard he had birdied, and he wasn’t going to make it easy on me,” said Pastore. “I wanted to give myself a putt. I figured if I hit two solid 3-woods up around the green, I could give myself a chance.”

After executing the first two parts of his plan to perfection, Pastore did his best to keep the thoughts of what an up-and-down would mean out of his head. A birdie would change his season from a wasted year to a crowning achievement, and he knew it.

“You’re thinking of so many scenarios. ‘What if I do this? What if I do that? How can I mess that up?’ You have to take it one shot at a time and put all those thoughts out of your mind, and it was not easy. It was very uncomfortable,” admitted Pastore.

The chip was executed well, and the putt was even better. After leaving himself a delicate 5-footer, Pastore poured the putt right in the middle of the hole, pumping his fist as he secured his first professional win.

“I gave myself that putt that I wanted, and I’m happy it went in,” Pastore said.

With the win, Pastore moves from 143rd on the Order of Merit to 13th, turning the tables on a lost year. The helplessness of sitting out and watching from afar had been getting to him, unable to keep doubts about his future from creeping into his mind.

“It’s been incredibly frustrating. To have status up here and not be able to play, I couldn’t even look at the leaderboards at the beginning of the year because I wanted to be out here so badly,” said Pastore. “When you’re not playing, there’s always doubt about ‘am I ever going to play again?’ Health is a fickle thing, and as a professional golfer it’s my livelihood.”

For McCarthy, the disappointment of finishing second quickly washed away. Though it seemed inevitable throughout the year that he would claim the top spot on the Order of Merit, he was not mathematically guaranteed to do so until today. He’ll be fully exempt on the Web.com Tour next year thanks to a season that has seen him win four times and set numerous records, including a new mark set today: the all-time single season earnings record with $156,783.

“The goal at the beginning of the year was top five, and it’s hard to expect yourself to go out and win the money list. It’s really, really nice to be able to go into London and have a relaxed week and have some fun,” said McCarthy.

Four shots behind Pastore in a tie for third were Brock Mackenzie, Jonathan Garrick and Talor Gooch.

MCCARTHY SECURES ORDER OF MERIT TITLE, EARNINGS RECORD

With a second place finish this week, Dan McCarthy officially secured the 2016 Order of Merit title, earning exempt status on the Web.com Tour for 2017. Following McCarthy’s win last week at the Cape Breton Open, the only remaining scenario in which McCarthy could not win the season-long money list would have required Taylor Moore to win the season’s final two events.

With a total of $156,783, McCarthy also secured the all-time earnings record on the Mackenzie Tour. McCarthy had already set the earnings record for the PGA TOUR-era, and surpassed the previous record of $156,119 set by Aaron Goldberg in 2010.

Other records set by McCarthy this year include largest margin of victory (seven shots/GolfBC Championship and Players Cup) and low 72-hole score (259/GolfBC Championship and Players Cup).

CONNELLY EARNS FREEDOM 55 FINANCIAL TOP CANADIAN HONOURS

With a total score of 6-under par in a tie for 11th, Church Point, Nova Scotia’s Austin Connelly finished as the top Canadian on the leaderboard, earning Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours and a $2,500 prize. Connelly also captured the honour earlier this year at the ATB Financial Classic.

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

CARMEL, Ind. – Dustin Johnson plays a different game than anyone else, and he wanted to keep it that way.

Right down to his putter.

The U.S. Open champion made a late change just before starting the BMW Championship, and so far he has no complaints. Johnson finished with four birdies over the last five holes Saturday on soggy Crooked Stick for a 4-under 68, stretching his lead to three shots going into the final round.

He is smashing his driver long and straight, just like always. He is hitting wedges good enough for multiple birdie chances.

And now the putts are going in.

“The strength this week has been putting,” Johnson said. “I’m rolling it really nicely. Even the putts that I’m missing still look like they’re going in.”

He was particular about the change, though.

Johnson decided to switch to the TaylorMade Spider. But right before he teed off in the opening round, he was bothered by one aspect of his new weapon. It was red, just like the model world No. 1 Jason Day uses. He recalled that his brother and caddie, Austin, had a similar model.

“I was putting good with it and right before we were about to tee off on Thursday, I’m like, ‘AJ, don’t you have the same one in black?’ And he says, ‘Yeah.’ And I said, ‘Go get it.’ I just didn’t want to use the same putter Jason was – like, the exact same one. That was really the only reason I changed.”

Eighteen birdies and one eagle putt later, Johnson was at 18-under 198 and closing in on his third victory of the year.

Paul Casey did his best to stay with him. Casey, coming off a runner-up finish on Labour Day at the TPC Boston, matched two of Johnson’s birdies during his late run until he had to scramble for pars on the last two holes. He still managed a bogey-free 68 and will be in the final group Sunday.

“We had a front row seat for something very special, and I’ll get a front row seat for it tomorrow,” Casey said.

Casey missed five fairways, his most this week in any round, yet still managed to keep bogeys off his card with smart shots out of the wet rough and solid putting. And he still matched Johnson’s score, even though he didn’t make up any ground.

“Not much you can do,” Casey said. “He’s got maybe the best attitude in golf. When he gets on his game, maybe the best ball-striker in golf. Maybe the longest. And he showed it today. So, if he keeps doing what he’s been doing – what he averaging, 6 under a day? – if does the same tomorrow, there’s no catching him.”

Johnson will be going for his third victory of the year, which would move him to the top of the FedEx Cup going into the finale at the Tour Championship in two weeks and make him a heavy favourite to win PGA Tour player of the year and the Vardon Trophy.

Still in the mix was J.B. Holmes, who shot a 68 and was four shots behind. Holmes at least is making a compelling case to be a captain’s pick for the Ryder Cup when Davis Love III announces three of his selections on Monday. Holmes finished 10th in the U.S. standings.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 72 and is tied for 26th at 4 under.

Roberto Castro, who began the third round tied for the lead, didn’t make a birdie in his round of 74 and fell six shots behind. Worst yet, the Georgia Tech alum who lives in Atlanta hurt his chances of moving into the top 30 who advance to the Tour Championship.

Barring a collapse by Johnson – it has happened before – his big finish after a rain delay earlier Saturday eliminated several players. Adam Scott finally got some putts to drop and with birdies on the last two holes, he shot a 67 and joined Matt Kuchar (68) at 11-under 205.

But they finished before Johnson was done making birdies, and both were seven shots behind.

“I’m certainly a long shot. I’m a long way back of the leaders and some great names on the leaderboard,” Kuchar said. “But I got a chance, and golf on Sunday in fun when you have a chance.”

Jordan Spieth had such a poor day putting that the distance of his total putts added to 30 feet, 6 inches. Spieth routinely makes one putt from that distance in a round. He was helped by two chip-ins, one for birdie and one for eagle , but closing with two straight bogeys gave him a 68. He was 10 shots behind, and his attention turned to a strong finish with hopes of getting one of the top five seeds at East Lake in the Tour Championship.

Anyone in the top five only has to win the Tour Championship to claim the FedEx Cup and its $10 million bonus.

Other Ryder Cup hopefuls didn’t shine. Bubba Watson had to settle for a 72, while Rickie Fowler shot 71 and was tied for 59th.

Ridgeway, Ont. – Greenwich, Connecticut’s David Pastore and French Polynesia’s Vaita Guillaume reached 9-under through 54 holes at Cherry Hill Club on Saturday to share the 54-hole lead at the Niagara Championship, the 11th event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Pastore, a 24-year old University of Virginia grad, took a share of the lead into Saturday and managed an even-par 71 to share the lead with Guillaume, who set the clubhouse mark earlier with a 5-under 66.

The pair sat one stroke ahead of Edmonton, Alberta’s Wil Bateman, Murphys, California’s Erick Justesen, Brewster, New York’s Mike Miller, Concord, North Carolina’s Trevor Cone and Order of Merit leader Dan McCarthy of Syracuse, New York heading into Sunday.

“Today was a bit of a struggle, and I kind of had to grind through the round, but to be tied for the lead, that’s really all I could ask for,” said Pastore, who had a chance to take the lead with an eagle putt on the par-5 18th hole but ran it by and had to settle for par. “The three-putt on the last hole was disappointing, but it’s not going to win or lose the tournament for me.”

Early on, the day looked to belong to NCAA Champion Aaron Wise, who birdied four of his first six holes to take the lead at 11-under. But the 19-year old stumbled with two bogeys and a double coming in to open the door behind him. 12 players will begin Sunday’s final round within three shots of the lead.

For Guillaume, who owns one top-10 finish this year, this week’s solid play marks a stark turnaround from recent struggles, especially on the greens. With Cherry Hill’s slippery bentgrass greens presenting most players with a challenge this week, the 28-year old said he’s feeling as comfortable as ever, freeing him up with the putter.

“Earlier this year, I struggled putting on Poa grass. I’m sure there’s a little bit of it here, but a lot less, and I find the greens a lot easier to read,” said Guillaume. “You take all the pressure off of missing greens, because you can get it up close enough and know you can make it.”

McCarthy, a four-time winner this season, surged to a share of the lead with three straight birdies on the back nine, but dropped a shot coming in to share third place with Bateman, Justesen, Miller and Cone, who fired the round of the day with a 7-under 64.