PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Kevin Sutherland birdied four his last six holes at Pebble Beach for a 4-under 68 and the second-round lead Saturday in the PGA Tour Champions’ Nature Valley First Tee Open.

The 52-year-old Sutherland had an 8-under 135 total for a one-stroke lead over Paul Broadhurst, the Englishman who won the Senior British Open at Carnoustie in July.

From Sacramento, Sutherland is winless on the 50-and-over tour after winning once on the PGA Tour. In 2014, he set the senior tour record with a 13-under 59 in the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open.

“This is always a special place to me,” Sutherland said. “Being a northern California guy, Pebble is the mecca of golf for northern California golfers. The whole Carmel/Monterey area is always a special place, so to win any tournament here is quite an accomplishment and will definitely feel great.”

Broadhurst followed his opening 66 with a 70 at Poppy Hills.

“Really enjoy the course,” Broadhurst said. “Played it on Wednesday with Bernhard Langer in practice and really, really enjoy the course. Played a lot harder today. It was pretty calm on Wednesday. Today, it’s quite a bit of wind out there, so makes it tricky.”

Some players were unable to finish before dark. France’s Jean Van de Velde was the top player still on the course at 3 under with two holes left.

Playing in the morning, Sutherland began his run on the par-4 fourth and also birdied the par-5 sixth, par-3 seventh and par-4 ninth. He played his opening nine in even par with two birdies and two bogeys.

“If you can get Pebble early, it’s always great,” Sutherland said. “Even on a good day it’s always nice to get Pebble early because the greens are a little softer and a little bit fresher as far as not as many spike marks and stuff. Anytime, you can get out there early at Pebble it’s great.

The professionals are playing alongside boys and girls from The First Tee programs throughout the country. Sutherland is teaming with Jonathan Tanihana, also from Sacramento.

“I enjoyed playing with Jonathan tremendously,” Sutherland said. “He’s a fine young man and he’s got a tremendous golf game. And today we made a bunch much birdies.”

Woody Austin and Greg Kraft were tied for third at 5 under. Austin had a 69 at Poppy Hills, and Kraft shot 68 at Pebble Beach.

Langer was 4 under after a 69 at Pebble Beach. The 59-year-old German star leads the tour with four victories this season.

Vijay Singh was even par after a 68 at Poppy Hills.

John Daly was 5 over after his second 74, this one at Poppy Hills.

Judith Kyrinis, of Canada, already owns a triple crown of national championships this year. She is going for the grand slam at the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur.

The winner of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur, Mid-Master and Senior championships, as well as the runner-up in the 2014 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur, Kyrinis, 52, shot even-par 74 on Saturday, which gave her a two-shot lead after the first round of stroke-play qualifying at the 6,049-yard Wellesley (Mass.) Country Club.

Marilyn Hardy, 54, of Houston shot 76 and five players, including Laura Coble, 52, of Augusta, Ga.; Lynn Cowan, 53, of Rocklin, Calif.; and Lisa McGill, 57, of Philadelphia, are three strokes behind Kyrinis.

“I left a couple right on the lip today,” said Kyrinis, who made three birdies but had additional opportunities, including on her final hole of the day, the par-5 ninth, where she missed a 7-footer for birdie. “But it’s good to get it close to the hole around some of these pins.”

Featuring sloped greens, several of which sit well above the fairway, Wellesley requires precise approach shots, which were difficult to control in the wind.

“It’s playing tough,” said Coble, who lost to Kyrinis in the Round of 32 of last year’s championship. “It’s fair, but the winds are kind of tricky and the greens are pretty sporty. You just have to place your ball in the right area to not have to play defensively.”

One of 13 national championships conducted annually by the United States Golf Association, 10 of which are strictly for amateurs, the U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship consists of 36 holes stroke play followed by six rounds of match play, with the 18-hole championship match scheduled to take place on Thursday, Sept. 22.

The championship match falls on the first day of autumn, and Kyrinis would like to welcome the new season with a continuation of her extremely successful summer. The nurse from Thornhill, Ontario, won her second consecutive Senior Women’s North & South Amateur at Pinehurst (N.C.) Country Club in mid-August. Less than two weeks later, she won her three of her country’s national championships, which were held concurrently at Wolf Creek Golf Resort in Alberta.

“Those were significant wins,” said Kyrinis. “So I was coming here with a lot of confidence.”

Those victories took place in stroke-play events. But as her Round-of-64 loss to Susan Wooster – despite besting her in stroke-play qualifying by six strokes – in last week’s U.S. Women’s Mid-Amateur at The Kahkwa Club demonstrated, a match-play championship requires a different path to victory.

While earning medalist honors is notable, it is rarely a prerequisite for victory. The last stroke-play medalist to win this championship was Carol Semple Thompson, in 2002. For the field, the goal on Sunday is to find a way into the top 64 and a spot in the match-play bracket.

“What’s the saying – ‘You don’t have to play great, you just have to play well enough,” said Sue Cohn, 53, of Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., the runner-up in 2013. “You just have to be patient.”

Cohn weathered a start in which she made bogeys on four of her first eight holes, rebounding to make birdies on the 10th and 12th holes to shoot 3-over 77.

Other notable competitors who placed themselves in position to advance to match play include two-time champion Ellen Port, 54, of St. Louis, who shot 4-over 78; defending champion Karen Garcia, 53, of Cool, Calif., who shot 79; and 2010 champion Mina Hardin, 56, of Mexico, who shot 80.

Hometown favorite Pam Kuong, 55, of Wellesley Hills, Mass., attracted the largest crowds during her round of 10-over 84. No doubt, they will return on Sunday to cheer on last year’s finalist as Kuong continues her attempt to qualify for match play in the second round of stroke play, which is scheduled to begin at 7:30 a.m. EDT.

GARDEN CITY, Kan. – LPGA Tour player Christine Song won the Garden City Charity Classic on Saturday for her fifth career Symetra Tour title.

The 25-year-old Song, from Fullerton, California, closed with a 3-under 69 at Buffalo Dunes for a two-stroke victory over Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai.

Song earned $15,000 to jump to 103rd to 37th on the money list with $20,524 in four events. The top 10 after the final three events will earn LPGA Tour cards. Song has made 61 LPGA Tour starts, 16 this season.

Meechai shot a 68. Canada’s Jessica Wallace was third at 10 under after a 70.

Christine Song (Symetra Tour)

RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The Canadian trio held their ground in Saturday’s final round at the World Amateur, posting a 1-under score to finish inside the Top-10 in 9^th place, climbing back from a T23 standing after the first round.

The Canucks were once again led by the red-hot Naomi Ko of Victoria, B.C., who closed with a 2-under 70. The reigning Canadian Junior Girls Champion finished the event with a share of 6^th place at 6-under par (75-66-71-70).

Teammate Maddie Szeryk of Allen, Tex., added the day’s second-counting score with a 73 (+1), leaving her in a tie for 44^th. Josée Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., continued to struggle in the final round, carding a 6-over 78. Collectively, the Canadians finished at 5-over par (149-144-145-143).

“I’m very proud of our girls and the way they continued to battle each round,” said Tristan Mullally, Team Canada’s Head Coach. “We were a bit behind after the first round but it says a lot about this team that we climbed back to a strong finish inside the Top-10.”

Korea’s Hye-jin Choi saved her best golf for the final round, firing a 5-under 67 to earn medalist honours at 14-under. Choi, the defending Canadian Amateur champion, earned a two-stroke victory over runner-up Puk Lyng Thompsen of Denmark. Canada’s Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont., captured the individual title in 2014 by three strokes.

The Republic of Korea won its fourth Espirito Santo Trophy by a record-equalling margin with a 72-hole total of 29-under-par 547 at the 27th Women’s World Amateur Team Championships at Mayakoka El Camaleon Golf Club.

“The key is the team play,” said Korean captain Sang-Won Ko. “We have been interviewed over the last few days and the players have been so focused on team play. That makes everyone tight and makes for good results.”

The other medals were won by Switzerland, in second, at 8-under 568 and Ireland, in third, at 7-under 569.

In 14 WWATCs, the Koreans have taken seven medals in total: four gold (1996, 2010, 2012 and 2016), two silvers and one bronze.

Teenagers Hye Jin Choi, 17, and Min Ji Park, 16, each shot 5-under-par 67 to post a final-round 134, which is second-best to Australia’s 131 in 2014. The Korean duo and Japan’s Nasa Hatoaka shared the day’s low round.

“I travel a lot and the first question is always ‘Why is your women’s game so strong?’ And my first answer is we have a greater number of players and they are trying really hard,” said Ko. “Their target is to turn professional. We may be a small country in terms of the land and the population but we have more than 3,000 junior players and they are willing to turn professional, which is really a huge number compared to the U.S. and Europe so that’s why I believe our women’s golf is strong.”

Korea’s 21-stroke margin of victory over second-place Switzerland tied the championship record set by the USA in Chile in 1998. The 72-hole total (547) is also tied for second-lowest score by a champion. The lowest winning score was 546 by the Republic of Korea in 2010, when they won by 17 strokes.

The nation has finished in the top 10 in 12 of its 14 appearances. The Koreans are tied for fourth in most overall WWATC medals with Sweden and Great Britain and Ireland. Only the USA, with 13, has won more gold medals than the Koreans.

After three rounds, the Koreans held a 14-stroke cushion over Switzerland but, in the fourth round, they kept their low-scoring pace as Choi, the 2016 U.S. Women’s Open low amateur, and Park, the 2016 Australian Women’s Amateur champion, shot 6-under 30 and 4-under 32, respectively, at the par 72, 6,295-yard/5,752-meter Mayakoba El Camaleon Golf Club.

The other course used for the championship was the par 72, 6,167-yard/5,637-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club

“We did really well last time (third in 2014), but we couldn’t do as well as we hoped,” said Choi. “But this time we really did our best and we performed really well, so I am very happy now.”

Although there is no official recognition, Choi led the individual scoring with a 14-under-par total of 274.

Sisters Kim and Morgane Metraux, shot 69 and 72, respectively, for the Swiss, who won their first medal in 23 appearances, with a best finish of tied for fourth in 1988. This marks their fifth top 10 finish.

“It feels great,” said Kim, who plays at Florida State University with her sibling and teammate. “We never thought we would win a medal before coming here. We came with no expectations, just to play as well as we could. It’s incredible that we have won a medal.”

“It’s a great historic moment for Switzerland,” said Swiss captain Annette Weber. “The players performed great in very hot conditions and I am very proud of this team for winning the silver medal.”

In a dual that lasted most of the afternoon, Ireland, on the stellar play of Olivia Mehaffey (4-under 68) and World Amateur Golf Ranking No. 1 Leona Maguire (3-under 67), claimed third at 569, edging past Denmark in fourth at 570 and Thailand in fifth at 571.

Ireland also won its first medal in its seventh appearance but it did compete as a part of Great Britain and Ireland from 1966 through 2004. Its best finish previous finish was T-11th in 2010.

“I’m just so proud of them,” said Irish captain David Kearney. “We have got three amazing girls there, just incredible girls. They are all very serious about their golf and they work incredibly hard all year round when they are not at tournaments. I’m just delighted for them. It’s just brilliant.”

With Switzerland’s and Ireland’s respective second- and third-place finishes, 20 different countries are in the official medal count.

The USA, with a pair of 69s from Andrea Lee and Katelyn Dambaugh, finished in sixth at 574, followed by Spain in seventh at 575, Japan in eighth at 576, Canada in ninth at 581 and host Mexico in tenth at 582.

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).

In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.

The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

Click here for full scoring.

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The men’s World Amateur Team Championship will follow the women’s event, running from Sept. 21-24. Canada will send Jared du Toit, 21, of Kimberley, B.C., Garrett Rank, 28, of Elmira, Ont., and Hugo Bernard, 21, of Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., to compete for the Eisenhower trophy.

London, Ont. – In round three of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship at Highland Country Club, France’s Paul Barjon played his outgoing nine in 5-under 29, with additional birdies at Nos. 10, 15, 17 and en route to a bogey-free, 9-under 61.

At 20-under 190, Barjon will take a three-stroke lead over 18- and 36-hole leader Aaron Wise into Sunday’s final round of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada. Barjon began round three trailing Wise by four strokes.
Barjon’s 190 total marks the lowest 54-hole score in Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada history, a record previously held by Dan McCarthy, who posted 193 twice this season.

“I didn’t know what to expect with this weather, if we were going to play or not,” Barjon said. “I was thinking ‘let’s do the same thing as the first two days.’ My goal was to put myself into contention for the last day. My coach always told me, you can’t win a tournament on the first two days but you can lose it. So far, I haven’t lost it and I gave myself a good opportunity.”

Wise, who led after 18 and 36 holes, followed opening rounds of 62-63 with a 2-under 68 Saturday. Not only was the former University of Oregon Duck battling wind and rain with the rest of the field, but he was also having to contend with a hard-charging Paul Barjon in the same group.

“With the conditions we had, I thought 4- or 5-under was a really good round. For him to go out and shoot 9-under 61 is just incredible,” Wise said. “He deserves the lead and I’ll be chasing him tomorrow. I thought 2-under was a great score, and what Paul did today, that was awesome.”

Despite finishes of T8 and T11 in his last two starts before this week at the Cape Breton Open and Niagara Championship, respectively, the reigning NCAA champion and Order of Merit No. 5 played his four weekend rounds before this week in a combined 1-under-par. In 29 rounds this year now, his only over-par score, a 1-over 72, came in the final round last week at the Cherry Hill Club.

Wise, who captured his first professional win earlier this season at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, is in solid position to move up from No. 5 among The Five. He can move as high as No. 2 on the Order of Merit with a win, provided Brock Mackenzie finishes outside of a three-way tie for fourth. Through 54 holes, Mackenzie is T4 at 12-under 198.

Seven shots behind Barjon at 13-under 197 is American Tain Lee. Lee played the five-hole stretch of Nos. 8-12 in five-under-par (birdie-par-birdie-birdie-eagle) en route to a 6-under 64, his career-best. Lee is currently 29th on the Order of Merit.

“I’m very pleased with how I played today,” said Lee. “It started pouring on 13, and those last few holes, I was even par through that stretch with a birdie on 18. I was very pleased with that and how I held up bringing it into the house at 6-under.”

EVIAN-LES-BAINS, France – South Korean golfer In Gee Chun knows she’s in sight of her second major – and a record – after extending her lead to four shots after the third round of the Evian Championship on Saturday.

Chun carded a 6-under 65 in the rain to go to 19-under overall at Evian Resort.

“My game plan for tomorrow is not to think about winning,” Chun said. “Because it puts too much pressure on me.”

Her countrywoman Sung Hyun Park (67) was at 15 under, and Feng Shanshan (69), China’s only major winner, two shots further back. Brooke Henderson (67) of Smiths Falls, Ont., was tied for 10th at 6-under par, 13 shots back of the lead.

Maude-Aimee Leblanc (76) of Sherbrooke, Que., was tied for 68th, at 7 over.

Chun, the 2015 U.S. Women’s Open champion, had six birdies and an eagle in a round blemished only by a double bogey on the ninth hole.

After slicing from the fairway into the woods, the ball buried under foliage on an incline. Discussing what to do with her caddie for several minutes, Chun decided against a drop shot and declared it unplayable, going back to where she took the shot from and incurring a two-stroke penalty.

But it takes more than that to ruffle Chun.

“I just want to enjoy everything,” she said.

Her eagle on the 15th was a 35-yard chip from the back of the green that rolled up and across the green with perfect weighting, prompting her to raise her arm triumphantly. Fans wrapped in warm clothing and raincoats cheered.

Chun was smiling again after the next hole, another birdie, moved her to 19 under. The last two holes were mere pars.

Sunday could be a record-breaking day for Chun, who remains on course for the lowest ever 72-hole score in a major.

Henrik Stenson and Jason Day own the major record for men and women at 20 under, while the women’s record of 19 under is shared by four players.

With Chun struggling on nine and then missing a birdie chance on 10, Park birdied those two to move one shot behind her.

It was only brief hope, because Chun was all smiles again when she restored her overnight two-shot advantage with a birdie on 11.

Feng, who started slowly with four pars and a bogey on five, got her game together too late, drifting six shots behind after making 69.

South Korean So Yeon Ryu, who has been remarkably consistent with only one bogey in three rounds – on her 10th hole on Saturday – was seven shots behind Chun in fourth place.

A good day for South Koreans was made even better with I.K. Kim making 64, including eight birdies and a bogey, to rise to fifth.

“I hit probably better yesterday to be honest, but today on the par-5s I was able to reach on the back nine,” Kim said. “So I was able to birdie on those.”

Overall, she was nine strokes behind Chun, while American veteran Angela Stanford was 10 adrift in sixth place.

Defending champion Lydia Ko of New Zealand had a terrible day, making six bogeys in a 4-over 75, and was 19 shots behind Chun in a tie for 36th.

More rain was forecast for Sunday’s final round, and tee times were moved forward by a couple of hours.

GARDEN CITY, Kansas – Christine Song (Fullerton, Calif.) couldn’t miss with the flatstick and posted a 6-under, 66 on Saturday at the Garden City Charity Classic presented by Mariah Fund to take the 36-hole lead at 10-under, 134. Song will go for her fifth career Symetra Tour win on Sunday. Jessica Wallace (Langley, British Columbia) is two shots back at 8-under, 136 and money leader Madelene Sagstrom (Enkoping, Sweden) is in third at 7-under, 136.

Song, 25, made back-to-back birdies twice on her outward nine to turn in 32. Her lone bogey of the day came on one and then she finished with a flurry of birdies. Song closed with birdies on three of her final four holes including a 6-footer for birdie on nine.

“Whenever I was in trouble, the putter kind of saved me today,” said Song, who attempted just 24 putts. “I made a 20-footer on 15, which was my longest of the day.”

Song has attempted just 52 putts through two rounds.

“I’ve been making everything that I’ve putted basically,” said Song. “Inside 10 feet, I feel so confident. I’m seeing the lines and the speed has been on point.”

Song has finished inside the top 10 on the Volvik Race for the Card money list three times: 2009 (8th), 2010 (3rd) and 2013 (4th). Song has made 61 career starts on the LPGA including 16 this season. Her best finish this year is a T47 at the ISPS Handa Australian Open.

“I’m very pleased with how I’m playing because I haven’t had a very good year,” said Song. “I really just want to build confidence heading into Q-School (Final Stage).”

Saturday’s final-round begins at 8:00 a.m. and the lead group of Song and Wallace will tee at 12:50 p.m.

Jessica Wallace continued her stellar play on Saturday with a 4-under, 68. Wallace has made 10 birdies and just two bogeys through two rounds.

“I’ve played all the conditions over the years here and I’ve had some good finish,” said Wallace, who finished second in 2014. “I think the Tour did a really good job of setting up the course today based on the wind.”

Wallace made a putt from the back fringe on the first hole from 25-feet to get her day started. Her lone
bogey of the day was on the final hole.

“I’m rolling it well and my short game has been solid,” said Wallace. “It is taking a lot of pressure off my long game with this wind, which helps.”

Wallace, who ranks 21st on the Volvik Race for the Card money list, is excited for another shot to pick up her first career win.

“This is all you can really hope for, to be in the mix heading into the final-round,” said Wallace. “Even with the bogey on the last, I’m still happy to be here.”

Wallace played her college golf in Colorado at the University of Colorado.

National Team alumna Jennifer Ha of Calgary holds a share of 7th at 4-under. Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Augusta James of Bath, Ont., is T20 at 1-under. Ontarians Elizabeth Tong (Thornhill) and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville) sit T24 and T30, respectively. Samantha Richdale from Kelowna, B.C., is T51.

BOISE, Idaho – Andrew “Beef” Johnston shot an 8-under 63 on Friday to take a two-stroke lead in the Albertsons Boise Open , putting the bearded Englishmen in position to wrap up a PGA Tour card.

The 27-year-old Johnston birdied the first four holes in the round that started on No. 10.

“I hadn’t even woken up. I was still half asleep,” Johnston said.

Johnston finished with 10 birdies and two bogeys to reach 13-under 129 at Hillcrest in the second of four Web.com Tour Finals events. He won the Spanish Open in April and was eighth in the British Open in July.

Three-time PGA Tour winner Scott Stallings and Argentina’s Miguel Angel Carballo were tied for second. Stallings had a 65, and Carballo shot 64.

The series features the top 75 players from the Web.com Tour money list, Nos. 126-200 in the PGA Tour’s FedEx Cup standings – Stallings was 128th, and Carballo 187th – and some non-members such as Johnston with enough PGA Tour money to have placed in the top 200 in the FedEx Cup had they been eligible.

“If I can come out with a card, then I’ll be able to play the best tournaments on both sides,” said Johnston, exempt in Europe until 2018. “I’m not going to give up playing in Europe, either. I’m going to play both sides. If I can do that, it’s going to make for a great year next year.”

Johnston had five birdies in a six-hole stretch on his second nine and made a bogey on No. 8. He hit six of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens in regulation.

“I just seemed to hit a lot of good wedge shots today and hit a lot of good putts,” said Johnston, coming off a 28th-place tie last week in Ohio in the DAP Championship. “I was just a bit more dialed in and I think just played slightly better. It was three shots different from yesterday and sometimes it can be such a small difference.”

Stallings was sixth in the DAP Championship

“Last week was a huge step in right direction for me,” Stallings said. “To be able to put a few weeks in a row together is nice. It’s motivating and encouraging, because I feel like it’s been there a while and it doesn’t always happen on our time.”

Sam Ryder and Keith Mitchell, tied for the first-round lead with Adam Schenk at 64, each shot 68 to drop into a tie for third at 10 under with Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes (64). The Team Canada Young Pro Squad member won August’s Price Cutter Charity Championship to secure his PGA Tour card next season.

Schenk was another stroke back after a 69.

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.

DAP Championship winner Bryson DeChambeau missed the cut with rounds of 69 and 71. He wrapped up a PGA Tour card with his playoff victory in Ohio.

Defending champion Martin Piller also dropped out, shooting 75-67.

Merritt, B.C., native Roger Sloan sits T32 at 5-under. Young Pro Squad alumnus Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., is tied for 60th. Toronto’s Albin Choi is T112, while Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont., is 126th.

LONDON, Ont. – Lake Elsinore, California’s Aaron Wise took control of the Freedom 55 Financial Championship on Friday, following up an opening 8-under 62 with a 7-under 63 at Highland Country Club to build a four stroke lead through 36 holes at the final event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

The reigning NCAA champion and current Order of Merit No. 5 was without a bogey on Friday, carding seven birdies to shoot 63 and set the new record for best 36-hole start in Mackenzie Tour history at 125. France’s Paul Barjon was four shots behind at 11-under after opening with rounds of 63-66.

“I putted very well again, though I didn’t hit the ball as solid,” said Wise, comparing his 63 to the previous day’s 62. “To come out with that score I thought was better than I played, so that was a testament to me getting it going on the greens this week.”

Though the 20-year old comes into the week with finishes of T8 and T11 in his last two starts, Wise was far from pleased with his performance on the weekends. At the Cape Breton Open two weeks ago, he was one shot off the lead through 36 holes, while he was two strokes off the pace at last week’s Niagara Championship before stumbling to weekend rounds of 71-72.

The former Oregon Duck said going through some struggles, especially with the putter, helped him prepare to come out firing this week in London.

“Golf’s a game of ups and downs, and one thing I’ve learned is you have to get through the low parts and then make the high parts that much better. The last couple of weeks were a struggle for me, and that’s how golf goes. I hung in there and this week’s gone a lot better,” said Wise.

Wise, who captured his first professional win earlier this year at the Syncrude Oil Country Championship presented by AECON, will head to the weekend looking to jockey for position in The Five. The rookie pro can move as high as No. 2 on the Order of Merit with a win and a finish of no better than a three-way tie for fourth from Brock Mackenzie, who shot 64 on Friday to sit tied for eighth at 8-under.

“I saw his name on the leaderboard when I was playing, so that was motivation for me to kind of push forward and get it going as far as I could,” said Wise.

One shot behind Barjon in a tie for third were Edmond, Oklahoma’s Dillon Rust and Long Beach, California’s Brett Lederer at 10-under.

A 6-under 64 showing has Toronto’s Sebastian Szirmak in a tie for fifth to lead the Canadians in the field. National Team alumnus Austin Connelly holds a share of 13th at 7-under.

RIVIERA MAYA, Mexico – The Canadian contingent continued to ascend up the leaderboard on Friday at the World Amateur Team Championship, jumping two spots to sit in a tie for eighth through 54 holes.

On the strength of Naomi Ko’s performance, the Canadians have moved 15 spots since Wednesday’s opening round. Ko, a 19-year-old Victoria, B.C., native, carded her second-straight round under-par on moving day with a 71 (-1) and currently holds a share of fourth place individually at 4-under par, just two shots back of the leading Hye jin Choi of Korea.

Teammate Maddie Szeryk of Allen, Tex., contributed the second-counting score on the day for the Canadian trio, posting a 74 (+2) to leave the Canadians sitting at 6-over for the tournament, well back of the leading Koreans.

The Republic of Korea is on the verge of its fourth Women’s World Amateur Team Championship (WWATC) title as it built a 14-stroke lead over Switzerland with a 19-under-par total of 413 after Friday’s third round.

The Koreans posted a third-round team score of 138, with 2016 U.S. Women’s Open low amateur Hye Jin Choi shooting a 4-under-par 68, that included five birdies in her first nine holes, and Min Ji Park, the 2016 Australian Women’s Amateur champion, firing a 2-under 70 on the par 72, 6,167-yard/5,637-meter Iberostar Playa Paraiso Golf Club.

“Some of my players are not really satisfied with their games but I am 100 percent satisfied with their games,” said Korean captain Sang-Won Ko. “Of course, everyone makes mistakes but I’m OK with that and, as I said yesterday, I just want them to enjoy the game and enjoy playing with the other players.”

The Koreans are seeking their fourth victory in the 27th staging of the championship. They won in 1996, 2010 and 2012 and, in capturing the Espirito Santo Trophy in 2010, set the mark for lowest score in the event’s history with a total of 546, which eclipsed the field by 17 strokes.

“At the moment I am happy to be leading the team and the individual leaderboards but this championship is more important for the team event so I am trying not to think about being individual leader and am focused on winning the team event,” said Choi, a 17-year-old high school student. “Although there is a big gap I will try to think this is the first round tomorrow and focus more on my game and then maybe a better result will come.”

Choi was joined by Leslie Cloots of Belgium in carding the day’s best round of 68.

All three Koreans broke par and did not count the 1-under 71 posted by Hyun Kyung Park.

Switzerland kept its position in second with a third-round 145 that included a 3-under-par 69 from Kim Metraux and a 76 from her older sister Morgane.

“I didn’t have real expectations,” said Metraux, whose is a Florida State University teammate with her sibling. “I wanted to enjoy the tournament and play as well as I could. I didn’t focus on the results or a spot that I wanted to finish.”

As for gaining ground on the Republic of Korea, Metraux preferred to focus on her final round.

“I don’t think about it,” Kim said. “I will play my best and then see what happens. I can’t control what they are doing and it’s better if I don’t look at what they are doing and focus on my game.”

Third-place Thailand, however, believes the chase is over and that the only open places are second and third.

“We’ve got to try to finish in the top three. We should just let Korea be the winner,” said Thailand captain Kanes Nitiwanakul. “We will try to be second. Our goals are a little higher now. Korea is so good, they have such talented players.”

Thailand, which has not been in the medal race since finishing second in 2002, posted a third-round score of 143 on a 70 from Kanyalak Preedasuttijit and a 73 from Parajee Anannarukarn.

In the day’s top 10 of the leaderboard: Denmark and Ireland are tied for fourth at 432, followed by Spain in sixth at 435, based on two sub-par scores from Maria Parra (70) and Luna Sobron (71);  the USA is seventh at 436 with host nation Mexico and Canada tied for eighth at 438 and Japan is tenth at 439.

Conducted every two years, the World Women’s Amateur Team Championship has been staged since 1964, with the winner earning the Espirito Santo Trophy. In 2014, Australia claimed the title by two strokes over the Canadian team of Brooke Henderson (Smiths Falls, Ont.), Augusta James (Bath, Ont.), and Brittany Marchand (Orangeville, Ont.).

In 25 appearances at the Women’s World Amateur Team Championship, Canada has earned runner-up honours four times.

The World Amateur Team titles are contested over four days of stroke play. A country may field a team of two or three players. In each round, the total of the two lowest scores constitutes the team score for the round. The four-day total is the team’s score for the championship.

Click here for full scoring.