BROMONT, Que. – Garrett Rank conquered strong winds at Golf Château-Bromont to claim his third consecutive Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title with a 19-under 269 final score to earn entry into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.

The product of Elmira, Ont., surged up the leaderboard, beginning with a 7-under 65 showing on moving day. That momentum carried into the final round of competition with Rank carding three birdies on the front nine to quickly separate himself from third-round co-leader Jordan Irwin.

“I got off to another nice start,” said Rank. “I hit a close shot on 6 and missed a three-footer for eagle which would have been a dream. I got a little sloppy through 8 and 9, but started to play really well again on the back nine – great last two days.”

The 28-year-old NHL referee bogeyed the 8th hole, but rebounded with four birdies across the back nine en route to a 5-under 67. The win is Rank’s third Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur victory in as many years, and it has earned him an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

“It’s always special winning a national championship and to win it three times in a row is a huge honour,” said the Team Canada National Amateur Squad alumnus. “My goal for this week was to come here and win and get back into the [RBC] Canadian Open and I accomplished that. No matter the score, no matter what happened this week, I’m really pleased with how it went. I’m happy to be a national champion again and get the privilege of playing in the Open.”

Rank finished with a T77 result at the 2016 edition of the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey.

Ryan Sevigny of Stittsville, Ont., who began the day in a tie for 15th, shot 8-under 64 to match Golf Château-Bromont’s course record and catapult into a share of second. The 27-year-old carded seven birdies across his first 16 holes before an eagle on the par-5 17th moved Sevigny into the runner-up position alongside 54-hole leader Jordan Irwin.

Irwin of Banff, Alta., made consecutive bogeys on his first two holes, but birdied Nos. 6 and 9 to move within two strokes of Rank heading into the turn. Despite an additional birdie on the final stretch, the 2016 Alberta Men’s Mid-Amateur champion finished at 13-under 275.

Rob Couture made a push for the Mid-Amateur title after matching the course record during the third round of competition. The 41-year-old was 2-over through his first 15 holes, but a trio of birdies to end the day earned the Dallas native the 40-and-over Mid-Master title at 8-under 280.

Three-time Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Dave Bunker of Woodbridge, Ont., looked to reclaim his 2015 Mid-Master title after leading the division through 54-holes, but was disqualified for signing the wrong score card.

Matthew Sim (Oakville), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) combined to finish 15-under 273 in the inter-provincial team competition – contested over the first 36-holes – to claim a second consecutive victory for Ontario.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

After four years as a member of Team Canada’s National Team, and a full collegiate career at the University of Florida, Eric Banks has decided to turn professional.

Banks, who turns 24 in November, will begin his journey as a professional golfer at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA Tour Canada’s Cape Breton Open at Bell Bay Golf Course from Sept. 1-4, not too far home. A native of Truro, N.S., Banks felt that the timing to turn professional was right.

“I’ve been an amateur for a while and I picked up a couple of good results along the way and I just think the timing is right,” Banks told the Truro Daily News.

During his time as a Florida Gator, Banks tallied five Top-10 finishes to go alongside winning the David Toms Award—given to the collegiate golfer who most overcomes adversity. He recovered from successful open-heart surgery in 2012 that repaired a hole in his heart.

“I’m very excited for Eric to embark on his professional career,” said Derek Ingram, Team Canada Men’s Head Coach. “He is a very good young player with excellent habits that knows how to handle adversity. I look forward to watching him progress and assisting in any way I can.”

The two-time Nova Scotia Junior champion will also be attending qualifying school for the Web.Com Tour in search of playing status for the 2017 season. The first stage of qualifying runs from Sept. 27-30 at various locations in the United States.

“No matter where I go I’m just going to try and do the things that I’ve been working on with Team Canada coaches and my other coaches and just try and put some numbers on the board.”

While I remain confused and dismayed that the LPGA has not re-designated the CP Women’s Open as a major, I do agree with LPGA Commissioner Michael Whan’s assessment of this week’s tournament at Priddis Greens Golf and Country Club near Calgary, Alta.

“Someone asked me in Rio, “How do you go from the Olympics to a regular Tour event?,” Whan said earlier this week.  His response: “We’re going to have 30 countries in the field at the CP Open … so we’re going to put on another version of the Olympics this week.”

Unlike him, I might have taken umbrage at his questioner’s offhand reference to “a regular Tour event,” because the CP Women’s Open is anything but. A major from 1979 to 2000, the championship now has a reputation that—not just in my mind but those of other observers and participants—rivals or exceeds the majors.

Aside from the impressive international component, consider that its US$2.25-million purse is the highest of any non-major on the LPGA Tour and that 95 of the top 100 golfers in the world committed to the event. It routinely features one of the best, if not the best, field of any LPGA event, including the majors. Ponder the enthusiastic comments of the players, the caddies and the spectators about the amenities, the organizational and logistic excellence, the quality of the courses, and the hospitality.

Much of that can attributed to the vision of one man, Hunter Harrison. As CEO of Canadian National Railway in 2006, he partnered his company with Golf Canada to sponsor the championship after BMO ended its support. In 2013, Harrison had moved to head up Canadian Pacific and, in turn, when CN ended its title sponsorship, Harrison persuaded CP to step in.

(Having said that, CN has continued its generous support of an entire suite of national junior and related development programs including CN Future Links, CN Future Links Championships, CN Future Links Junior Skills Challenge and more.)

“Hunter has always emphasized that every touch point has to be perfect,” says Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. “His attitude is that this is the most important women’s golf event in the world and he expects everyone involved to buy into that philosophy. Obviously, it’s worked.”

Another “major” aspect of the CP Women’s Open is the commitment to charity.

This year, the Alberta Children’s Hospital Foundation is the official charity beneficiary and all funds raised through the tournament will support pediatric cardiac care and research at the hospital. The goal is to raise at least $1.2 million, which seems reachable based on the fact that $2.3 million was raised in total in 2014 and 2015.

In total over the past 10 years of CN and CP sponsorship, more than $15 million has been donated to health-related charities across Canada through our women’s Open.

Although Harrison has announced his retirement, to be succeeded next year by COO Keith Creel, CP’s sponsorship is in place through 2018. Next year’s tournament will take place at the Ottawa Hunt and Golf Club and it is widely speculated that Regina’s Wascana Country Club will play host in 2018.

CALGARY – Stephanie Meadow didn’t mind the inclement weather conditions during the first round of the CP Women’s Open Thursday.

After a lightning delay that lasted nearly three hours, Meadow didn’t miss a beat as she birdied her final two holes to take the clubhouse lead at 6-under 66 before play was eventually suspended because of darkness.

South Korea’s Chella Choi, who teed off with the afternoon group, is 7 under through 14 holes and will have to finish her first round Friday morning. Karine Icher joined Meadow at 6 under through 14 holes and will also finish Round 1 Friday morning.

Golfers also had to battle windy, rainy and chilly conditions, which Meadow often endured while growing up in Jordanstown, Northern Ireland.

“My caddie always jokes that when it’s windy I always play great, so I guess that’s kind of my deal,” said Meadow, who had seven birdies and one bogey on Thursday. “Being from Ireland, that’s just part of it.

“It’s nice to know that I can play in those conditions. I’ve done it a lot, even though it’s when I was little, but I’ve still done it and scored, so I know I can do it.”

Choi and Icher return to the course at 7:15 a.m. MST on Friday along with 52 other golfers to finish their rounds.

The group tied for fourth at 67 includes Lydia Ko, the Olympic silver medallist from New Zealand, who is No. 1 in the Rolex women’s world golf rankings.

“I played solid – birdied the first hole straight off the bat, so when you make a birdie in the first round on the first hole, it gives you good momentum,” said Ko, who has won the CP Women’s Open in three of the past four years including last year at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, B.C., when she beat American Stacy Lewis in a playoff.

South Korea’s Mirim Lee held the early lead of 5 under through 13 holes when players were shuttled off the course due to lightning in the area at 11:44 a.m.

When play resumed nearly three hours later at 2:40 p.m., Lee bogeyed the 14th hole before bouncing back with a birdie on 15 and three straight pars to card a score of 67.

Mi Jung Hur, also of South Korea, then birdied the 18th hole just after Lee signed her scorecard to pull into a tie for the lead.

“I was here about seven years ago and I have good memories,” said Hur, who finished in a tie for 16th the last time the Canadian Open was held in Priddis in 2009. “But this year the conditions are super nice. The greens are super fast. I think this is the fastest greens I’ve ever had on the Tour.”

Ko finished her round of 67 a short time later, while Thailand’s Ariya Jutanugarn also moved into a tie for fourth after getting to 5 under through 14 holes before play was suspended.

Brooke Henderson, the 18-year-old from Smiths Falls, Ont. who is No. 3 in the Rolex rankings, was scheduled to tee off at 1:31 p.m., but didn’t hit her first shot until nearly three hours later.

Through 15 holes, Henderson sat in a tie for 46th spot with a host of other golfers at 1 under.

Hamilton’s Alena Sharp was one of the golfers who started in the afternoon and was also able to finish her round. She carded a score of 4-under 68 and is tied as the top Canadian with Calgary’s Jaclyn Lee, an amateur who ended the night at 4 under through 13 holes.

Maude-Aimee LeBlanc, of Sherbrooke, Que., also had a solid round in the afternoon of 3-under 69.

Toronto’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham and Jessica Wallace, of Langley, B.C., were the top Canadians after the morning round as both shot scores of 2-under 70.

“It was up and down,” said Lee-Bentham, who bogeyed her final hole. “I had two three-putts today. It’s a little frustrating because the greens are tough here but overall it was a solid round.”

Playing in her last LPGA event, Bentham will retire at the age of 24 after the tournament. She’s been playing the Symetra Tour, the official developmental golf tour of the LPGA Tour, where uncertainty and expenses have caused her to rethink her future, including a possible return to school.

The $2.25-million CP Women’s Open was last held in Priddis, southwest of Calgary, in 2009 and runs through Sunday. The purse includes $337,500 for the winner.

PONOKA, Alta. – Gusty morning conditions at Wolf Creek Golf Resort set the stage for Team Ontario’s victory at the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. Led by a 2-over 74 performance from Judith Kyrinis, Team Ontario claimed its third straight victory in the inter-provincial competition.

“We’re very proud of representing Ontario and Golf Ontario,” said the 52-year-old. “It’s always such a fun competition. It’s always great to have some bragging rights amongst the provinces.”

The team of Kyrinis (Thornhill), Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mary Ann Hayward (St. Thomas) and Ivy Steinberg (Stouffville) finished with a combined total of 12-over 300. They are the same trio which began Ontario’s string of consecutive victories in 2014, while only Hayward represented her home province on all three occasions.

“It’s great,” said Kyrinis, when asked to reflect on the team. “We’re very supportive of each other. Mary Ann and I, we battle it out back home in Ontario all the time, but we’re good friends. Competition is just a part of what we do. Ivy – we’ve done a lot together this year. We share the same swing coach, so we practice a lot together. It’s been great having them both as teammates.”

Team Ontario claimed a three-stroke victory over the squad representing the province of Quebec. The contingent from British Columbia claimed third at 18-over 306.

At 2-over 146, Kyrinis leads the 40-and-over Mid-Master and 50-and-over Senior divisions and is tied atop the 25-and-over Mid-Amateur leaderboard alongside Margo Dickinson of Hartland, N.B. Kyrinis has seen success at this competition, having finished third in the Senior Championship in 2014 and runner-up across the three divisions in 2015.

“You certainly hope to draw on it,” she said of her past experience in this competition and in her career. “Just the feeling like you can get the job done and just believe in yourself.”

Kyrinis stressed the need for focus and composure when looking ahead to the final day of the national championship.

“It’s one shot at a time,” she noted. “I really do say that a lot in my head as I go out there. And I just try to stay patient. I think I did that well yesterday and today. I had a little rough patch today in the middle of the round. I just stayed patient and a couple of birdies came my way.”

First-round leader Hélène Chartrand from Pincourt, Que., is 3-over and sits third in the Mid-Amateur competition and second in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions. The 2014 Senior winner is four-strokes clear of defending champion Terrill Samuel of Etobicoke, Ont., who claimed the three division titles last year.

Holly Horwood of Vancouver completed a wire-to-wire victory to win the 36-hole, 60-and-over Super Senior division with a 9-over 153 showing. Heath, Texas product Anna Schultz trailed the champion by two strokes to claim runner-up honours, while Dartmouth, N.S., native Ruth Maxwell finished third.

A total of 83 players finished 178-or-better to advance to the third and final round of the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship. The number of players advancing to the final round includes 12 players who are not eligible for the Senior division, but registered scores equal to the final qualifier in the 50-and-over category. The finale of the national championship will commence at 8 a.m.

Additional information from the competition can be found here.

RANCHO MIRAGE, Calif. – August Kim of Saint Augustine, Fla., took lessons at LPGA International, home of Final Stage of LPGA Qualifying Tournament, when she was a teenager and now she is hoping to advance that far and one day play on the LPGA Tour. She took a step in the right direction on Thursday at Stage I of LPGA Qualifying Tournament with a 6-under, 66 on the Arnold Palmer Course at Mission Hills to share the first-round lead with Kristina Merkle, who also posted a 66 on the Arnold Palmer Course.

Kim, who won the Big Ten Championship this year at Purdue, made six birdies on the day, but didn’t really heat up until the back nine.

“I hit the ball really well, it was a steady day,” said 21-year-old Kim, who is one of 93 amateurs in the field. “It was the kind of first day that you want at a tournament like this.”

The rising senior at Purdue holed out for eagle on the 13th hole from 140 years with a 9-iron.

“That really gave me a jolt of energy,” said Kim. “After that, I made two birdies and then also closed with a birdie.”

Kim says that she plans to play all three stages of LPGA Qualifying Tournament with the hope of earning some status to pursue her professional career once she graduates in May of 2017.

“My intention is to finish my eligibility and I’m adament about that,” said Kim. “Purdue has given so much to me and I want to give everything I have back to the school. That is the plan right now and the biggest goal at Q-School is to get some status.”

Kim is a biochemistry major at Purdue and although she doesn’t plan on going to medical school, her career choice if golf wasn’t in the equation would be to practice medicine.

Kim learned the game of golf from her father, Christopher, who is on the bag this week in Rancho Mirage.

“He was a big golfer and he taught me the game so it is great to have him caddy for me this week,” said Kim. “I have a comfort level with him on the bag and I hope to keep things rolling during the weekend.”

Kim took lessons at LPGA International with Craig Shankland from the time she was 13 through 16.

In mid-July Kim took medalist honors at Pinehurst No. 2 in the stroke play portion of the North & South Women’s Amateur.

Kristina Merkle (Honolulu, Hawaii) has struggled in her first full season on the Symetra Tour. She has made eight starts and has missed the cut in each. Merkle erased some of the demons a tough year brings by firing a 66 in round one of LPGA Qualifying Tournament.

“It went really well today,” said Merkle, who played the Palmer Course. “I haven’t had a round like this in a long time so it is nice to get this under my belt.”

Merkle’s swing has undergone some changes over the last month under the watch of her dad, Lou, who is her longtime coach and a new instructor Mike Doctor out of New York.

“The changes are still new, but everything is kind of clicking right now,” said Merkle. “I’m definitely starting to get my confidence back.”

Merkle graduated from Tulsa in May of 2014 and played in a pair of Symetra Tour events in 2015. It is her dad’s message that really has her believing,

“He always tells me that there are girls that go three or four years without winning tournaments and then all of a sudden, something clicks,” said Merkle. “Golf is a funny sport. It throws you lots of curve balls and sometimes you swing and miss. My dad has really helped me continue to believe.”

Merkle was the Conference USA Golfer of the Year in 2012.

She hopes to one day play on the LPGA and then open a school in Hawaii to help young kids with academics and athletics.

“Ever since 8th grade, my parents and I have talked about a foundation,” said Merkle. “I never looked at academics as a priority until college and I want to have a school where kids can go for help in both academics and athletics. The game of golf has allowed me to travel the world and I really want to give back one day.”

Former Team Canada member Taylor Kim of Surrey, B.C., put together a six-birdie day to move into a share of third at 5-under. Toronto’s Anna Kim shot 70 on the day to sit T20, while Maya Parsons of Whitby, Ont., and Surrey resident Aram Choi follow one stroke behind in a tie for 36th. Team Canada National Team member Josée Doyon of St-Georges-de-Beauce, Que., carded a first-round 75.

FARMINGDALE, N.Y. – Patrick Reed didn’t break anything Thursday except par.

Two days after Reed broke the gavel during the ceremonial closing bell at the New York Stock Exchange, the American kept a clean card and shot 5-under 66 to share the lead with Martin Laird at The Barclays.

Reed was dressed in a blue blazer with an American tie when he was asked to bang the gavel three times at the stock exchange closing on Tuesday. On the third hit, the top of the gavel flew off into the crowd, and Reed later made a joke at his own expense on Twitter.

“They told me to give it 3 good hits, so I did!” he tweeted.

He was much better with a golf club in hand at Bethpage Black, running off three birdies and an eagle on the front nine to close out his 66.

The start of the FedEx Cup playoffs, with a $10 million bonus waiting at the end, was more about a cup that doesn’t pay a dime. A dozen or so Americans are still in the mix to make the Ryder Cup team. Qualifying ends after this week for the top eight, and then Davis Love III has four captain’s picks over the next month.

Reed is winless this year and holding down the No. 8 position in the Ryder Cup standings.

“Of course it’s on my mind,” Reed said. “But really at the end of the day, it’s just trying to get better and play this tournament. Because if I play well, that means those other guys are going to have to play even better to try to catch me.”

Reed and Laird, who also played bogey-free, were one shot ahead of three other Ryder Cup hopefuls – Rickie Fowler, Kevin Chappell and J.B. Holmes, whose 67 was the best score among those who played in stronger wind in the afternoon. Defending champion Jason Day, the No. 1 seed in the playoffs, was among those at 68.

Of the 18 players who broke 70, five played late.

Chappell likely would have to win The Barclays to make the team, while Fowler needs at least a two-way tie for fourth to have a mathematical chance. Fowler went from Rio de Janeiro for the Olympics to North Carolina for the Wyndham Championship to help his cause, but only tied for 22nd.

“That’s the No. 1 priority coming into the year,” Fowler said. “I’d say that’s always one of the main goals coming into a Ryder Cup year. Even in the off year, you’re thinking about it. That was the whole reason playing last week, trying to get more points. It would be nice to have a chance to make that team without having to get picked.”

Holmes dropped to No. 9 last week. He has made his points mainly through the majors – a tie for fourth at the Masters, third at the British Open – but as he got closer to making the team, the pressure has increased. He has missed the cut in his last three events, and he couldn’t afford another one.

He spent two hours on the putting green looking for a solution, and might have found it.

“It was really good,” he said. “Had to stay calm today and tried to let go of the results,” Holmes said.

Laird is only interested in the FedEx Cup.

The Barclays is the start of a four-tournament series in which the field size shrinks until 30 qualify for the finale at the Tour Championship. Laird started at No. 89, and with only the top 100 in the standings advancing, starting well was crucial.

He also played bogey-free at Bethpage Black on a warm day with the wind picking up late in the morning as he was making the turn.

U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson, the No. 2 seed in the FedEx Cup, recovered from a bogey-bogey start to post a 70, while Adam Scott (No. 3) shot 69.

Abbotsford, B.C., native Adam Hadwin trails Scott by one stroke in a tie for 20th following a first-round 1-under 70. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., recorded a 73, while David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., closes out the Canadian contingent at 75.

Jordan Spieth played for the first time since the PGA Championship and didn’t feel much rust as he made three birdies in seven holes. Bethpage is relentless, and so was the wind, and when the Texan struggled to find fairways, he started dropping shots. Spieth wound up with a 71.

“It’s up there in the top few toughest courses I’ve ever played,” Spieth said. “If they made the greens firm today, it would have been unplayable on a few holes. It was very tough, challenging, but fair today. We just had it really, really tough in the afternoon with those winds so high.”

Henrik Stenson (right knee) and Brett Stegmaier (wrist) withdrew, dropping the field to 119 out of 125 players. Stenson is No. 14 in the FedEx Cup and was always planning to skip one playoff event. Stegmaier is No. 101, so his season is over. … Russell Knox, battling bad congestion, opened with a 73. The Scot is hopeful of being a captain’s pick for Europe’s team. Darren Clarke makes three selections on Tuesday. Graeme McDowell opened with a 72, while Luke Donald had a 69.

BROMONT, Que. – Winds gave way to a light drizzle at Golf Château-Bromont as defending champion Garrett Rank shot a third-round 7-under 65 to claim a share of the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur lead alongside Jordan Irwin.

Rank of Elmira, Ont., began his climb from fourth place following a consecutive trio of birdies on holes 2 to 4 to make the turn at 3-under.

“I played really well today. My putter was hot really early,” said Rank. “I missed three chances on 6, 7, and 8 which cooled the round down, but I finished with an eagle and a birdie, so that was fun.”

The 28-year-old collected birdies on holes 11 and 13, but lost the lead with a bogey on No 15. An eagle on the par-5 17th followed by a birdie on No. 18 pushed Rank into a share of the lead at 14-under 202. The University of Waterloo alumnus won this event back-to-back in 2014 and 2015, and is determined to earn his third-straight exemption into the RBC Canadian Open.

“I’m going to be really aggressive again tomorrow. For me in this event, I’m either first or I’m last. You get the [RBC] Canadian Open exemption if you win, so finishing second or sixth, it doesn’t matter. Tomorrow, I’ll be playing for first place.”

Coming off a commanding second-round 7-under performance, Irwin faltered early with bogeys on holes 2 and 8. The 36-hole leader from Banff, Alta., carded four birdies through the back nine to finish the day 2-under.

A six-birdie day propelled Mattoon, Ill., native Derek Meinhart into sole possession of third, while Nashville’s Joseph Deraney registered a bogey-free 66 to follow in fourth at 9-under alongside Woodbridge, Ont., native Dave Bunker.

In addition to his three Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur titles, Bunker was also crowned the 2015 Mid-Master champion at Abercrombie Country Club in New Glasgow, N.S. The 51-year-old currently leads the 40-and-over division by one stroke.

Matthew Sim (Oakville), Ryan Kings (Kitchener) and Charles Fitzsimmons (London) combined to finish 15-under 273 in the inter-provincial team competition – contested over the first 36-holes – to claim a second consecutive victory for Ontario.

The 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion will receive an exemption into the 2017 RBC Canadian Open hosted by Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 24 to 30.

The final round of competition will see the first groups tee off from holes 1 and 10 at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the tournament can be found here.

The first stage of LPGA Qualifying School began today at the Mission Hills Country Club in Rancho Mirage, Calif., where 19 Canadians are among the 347 competitors looking to advance to the second stage of the qualifying tournament.

The format is a 72-hole stroke-play event, including a cut after 54 holes. The Top-90 and ties from the week will advancing to stage II, held at the Plantation Golf & Country Club in Venice, Fla., from Oct. 17-23.

Behind the United States, Canada leads the way with 19 competitors in the field:

• Aram Choi
• Maya Parsons
• Jamie Oleksiew
• Muriel McIntyre
• Caroline Ciot (a)
• Jessica MacPhee
• Lisa Meldrum
• Kyla Inaba
• Casey MacNeil
• Robyn Doig
• Laura Welch
• Anna Kim
• Taylor Kim
• Sabrina Sapone
• Krista Fenniak
• Eileen Kelly
• Josee Doyon (a)
• Anna Young
• Melissa Mabanta

Click here for scoring.

PONOKA, Alta. – Sunny skies and mild temperatures greeted players as the 2016 Canadian Women’s Mid-Amateur and Senior Championship got underway at Wolf Creek Golf Course. Hélène Chartrand capitalized on the fair weather to card a 1-under 71 and lead by a single stroke.

The native of Pincourt, Que., collected four birdies on the day, including two back-to-back on her final two holes to take possession of the lead.

“The course was playing so much better than the first two practice rounds – at least I enjoyed myself around the course,” said the 59-year-old. “It’s tough, the pins were in tough spots at some points. You have to maneuver around some fairways, it’s not easy, it’s very tight. You have to stay patient.”

The welcome conditions arrived following two windy, rain-soaked days. Despite some inclement forecasted in the coming days, Chartrand remains steadfast in her approach to the competition.

“I’ve played so many rounds in my career in the rain, so it doesn’t really bother me. The wind is sometimes tougher than the rain. You have to prepare, you have to stay focused. But it’s the same course for everyone, so I don’t really mind it.”

Chartrand leads the 25-and-over Mid-Amateur, the 40-and-over Mid-Master and the 50-and-over Senior divisions. She claimed the 2013 and 2014 Mid-Master titles, as well as the 2014 Senior championship.

“It gives me confidence that I can do it,” she said, when asked about the experience of being a past champion at this event. “I know the game is there, but you have to make the putts and stay in the present – which is always so classic to say, but it’s so true. But it’s so difficult to do, as well. It’s so easy to project yourself in the future and you don’t want to do that.”

Chartrand singled out her play on the green and stressed the need for similar performances in the coming days if she is to keep finding success.

“I putted extremely well from 3-feet…from 5-feet. Even though I missed two of them, I made several of them, too. I putted really good and that’s what I’m going to try to do; relax, take the tension away from my arms and focus on putting. I think I drove the ball pretty good, too, but putting is key because the greens are so tough.”

Trailing Chartrand by one stroke is Thornhill, Ont., native Judith Kyrinis. The 51-year-old finds herself in a familiar position, having finished runner-up in the trio of divisions last year. Margo Dickinson from Hartland, N.B., sits third in the Mid-Amateur division following a 1-over 73 showing. The trio of Penny Baziuk (North Saanich, B.C.), Terrill Samuel (Etobicoke, Ont.) and Holly Horwood (Vancouver) hold shares of fourth in the Mid-Amateur divisions, as well as shares of third in the Mid-Master and Senior divisions. Samuel claimed victory in the three divisions in 2015 at Sawmill Creek Golf Resort in Camlachie, Ont.

At 2-over, Horwood leads the Super Senior division by three strokes. Anna Schultz of Heath, Texas holds second, while Ruth Maxwell from Dartmouth, N.S., and Albertan Sharon Peart of Red Deer are T3 after matching 79s.

The trio of Baziuk, Horwood and two-time Senior champion Jackie Little of Port Alberni, B.C., lead the inter-provincial team competition at a combined 4-over 148. Teams Ontario and Quebec trail the 36-hole competition played concurrently with the championship’s first two rounds by one and two strokes, respectively.

Following the opening two rounds, the field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties from the senior division. In addition, all players eligible for the Mid-Amateur and Mid-Master divisions posting 36-hole scores equal to the final qualifier in the Senior division will advance to the final round of competition. A minimum of 10 Mid-Amateur and five Mid-Master competitors will make the cut.

The 2016 Canadian Women’s Senior champion will gain an exemption into the 2016 U.S. Senior Women’s Amateur Championship to be played at Wellesley Country Club in Wellesley, Mass., from September 17-22.

The second round of competition will see the first group of competitors tee off at 7:30 a.m.

Additional information from the championship can be found here.