BLAINE, Minn. – Miguel Angel Jimenez made a 17-foot eagle putt on the par-5 18th hole Saturday for a 9-under 63 and the second-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship.

The 52-year-old Spanish player had five straight birdies on Nos. 6-10 and also birdied the par-3 17th in good scoring conditions at generous TPC Twins Cities. He had a 14-under 130 total.

“I played very solid all day long,” Jimenez said. “Finished with four birdies on the front nine and another at 10, then stopped making putts. Nice way to finish.”

Two weeks ago at Carnoustie in the Senior British Open, Jimenez took a four-stroke lead into the final round, only to shoot 75 and tie for third – three strokes behind winner Paul Broadhurst.

“I’m confident with my game right now,” Jimenez said. “Just play my game right now.”

Jimenez won in Mississippi in March for his third career PGA Tour Champions victory. He has 15 regular European Tour victories, the last in the 2014 Spanish Open at a tour-record 50 years, 133 days.

“This year, my goal was to make the Olympics,” Jimenez said. “I put too much pressure on myself early this year.”

Kevin Sutherland was a stroke back after a 64. He tied for second last year.

“I putted unbelievable well,” Sutherland said. “Struggled with my irons today … I think someone will have go low tomorrow. It’s going to take a good score tomorrow, maybe something like I shot today.”

First-round leader Glen Day was 12 under, following his opening 65 with a 67. He played his way into the field Monday, topping the five qualifiers with a 7-under 64 at nearby Victory Links.

Colin Montgomerie and Jeff Maggert each shot 67 to get to 11 under.

Doug Garwood had the round of the day with a 62 to join the group at 10 under. He used a TPC Twin Cities youth caddie Saturday after his regular caddie fell ill Friday.

“It all kind of came together,” said Garwood, one off tying the course record. “I kept making putts. I made so many, I lost track. … It was the putter today. Hit it decent, nothing great.”

Two-time champion Bernhard Langer was tied for 10th at 9 under after a 68. He has broken par in all 23 of his rounds in the event.

Two-time defending champion Kenny Perry had a 68 to move into a tie for 45th at 3 under.

John Daly had his second 72, leaving him tied for 62nd at even par.

Local favourite Tom Lehman shot his second 73.

KANATA — This year will go down as the year of Pickering’s Christopher Kertsos in the Ontario Senior Men’s division. Kertsos began the season by winning the Senior Men’s Champion of Champions and on Aug. 6th he added the 2016 Investors Group Ontario Senior Men’s Championship to his list of accomplishments.

Kertsos, 60-years-old from the York Downs Golf & Country Club, mastered The Marshes Golf Club in Kanata, along with the elements, as he capped off his week at two-under (71-72-71-214). Kertsos headed into the final round with a two-shot lead thanks to consistent play in the opening two rounds. He continued to be steady during the final round carding a bogey-free, four-under front nine. He went to the turn with a six-shot lead and would not be denied the title. He finished the back nine three-over to card a final round of one-under (71). In addition, Kertsos also claimed the 60+ Division title.

Afterwards, Kertsos talked about the win and how special this season has been.

“This one feels great! It has been a special season,” said Kertsos. “I’ve played well these last three days, I hit the ball really well. If I had putted well, then who knows what I could have shot. I didn’t know how I would feel today, if I would be nervous or calm, but I turned out to be pretty calm and just focused on not making any mistakes. I think I only made one during the entire round.”

Claiming the silver medal was local favorite, Ottawa’s Randy Blondin. Blondin, who is not only a member at the host club of The Marshes, but lives just off the 16^th hole, started the day two-shots back in second place.  He played a consistent round and finished the day one-over (73). That brought his tournament total to two-over (71-74-73-218).

Rounding out the podium, with the bronze, was Toronto’s Robert Gibson. Gibson, from the Cedar Brae Golf & Country Club, entered the day with a share of third. He would finish the day two-over (74) bringing him to four-over (72-74-74-220) for the championship.

In the 70+ Division, Collingwood’s Brian Jeffery took home the title. Jeffery, from Batteaux Creek Golf Club, held the lead in the division after the first two rounds and capped off the tournament with a five-over (77) during the final round to complete the event at 13-over (80-72-77-229).

In addition to the championships, the top 34 players earned a quota spot for the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship, Sept. 6-9, at Grand Niagara Golf Club. The top three also earn the right to represent Ontario in the team competition at the Canadian Senior Men’s Championship.

In total, 137 players began the competition. For complete tournament information visit the tournament site.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Daniel Berger says he’s healthy again and hoping to regain the form that helped him to his first PGA Tour title two months ago.

Last year’s rookie of the year followed his first-round 66 with a 67 on Friday for a share of the lead in the Travelers Championship.

He matched 2012 Travelers champion Marc Leishman, Russell Henley and Tyrone Van Aswegen at 7-under 133. Leishman shot 68, Henley shot 65, and Van Aswegen 66.

Berger strained his shoulder at the U.S. Open after winning in Memphis at the St. Jude Classic, his fourth top-10 finish in seven starts. The injury forced him to withdraw after hitting his opening tee shot at the WGC-Bridgestone Invitational and he didn’t return until last week at the PGA Championship.

“I definitely played better than I thought I would,” he said. “This is my seventh round in six weeks and for a professional golfer that’s not a lot.”

Four players, including 49-year-old University of Hartford graduate Jerry Kelly, were a shot behind. Kelly had a 70 after sharing the first-round lead with a 64.

Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., was the lone Canadian to make the cut, shooting a 71 to sit well back in a tie for 56th at 1 under. Fellow Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin and Derek Gillespie, of Oshawa, Ont., missed the cut.

Blayne Barber had the best round of the day with a 64 of his own to top the seven players two strokes back.

“The wind got up a little bit today, so you had to be playing good golf to shoot a really good number,” Leishman said.

U.S. Olympians Bubba Watson, Patrick Reed and Matt Kuchar remained in contention. Kuchar shot a 67 to move to reach 4 under. Reed, who turned 26 on Friday, also shot a 67 and was tied with Watson at 3 under. Watson, the defending champion, had a 70.

Seventy-three players made the cut by shooting even par or better.

“If you’re close to the lead, you’re close to missing the cut,” said Paul Casey, who lost last year in a playoff and was among those tied for ninth place at 5 under.

Henley, who is playing this tournament for the first time, joined the leaders by sinking a 20-foot birdie on his final hole, the par-4 ninth.

“It was just a little bit tricky,” he said. “I think with no wind on this course we would have seen double digits (under par) by now.”

Van Aswegen put up an early 66 and led most of the day as the wind picked up and the greens dried out.

The 34-year-old, who is looking for his first PGA Tour win, followed up on his 67 Thursday with a second straight bogey-free round. His four birdies included a 45-foot putt on the par-4 10th.

“You make a birdie on 10, you’re gaining a stroke on the field there,” he said. “I’m hitting the ball quite well and putting really well.”

Kelly had five birdies and five bogeys. He won the last of his titles in 2009.

“I’m tired,” he said. “I’m going to watch a movie and see if I can rest a little bit and see if the old bones will work for two more days.”

Reed, one of six Olympians playing in the tournament, turned 26 on Friday. He was presented with a cupcake on the first tee, and blew out the birthday candle on top with a practice swing. Watson then led the crowd at several holes in rousing renditions of “Happy Birthday.”

“Half the people were chanting ‘Happy Birthday’ and the other half chanting for all of us, ‘USA,’ so it was cool,” he said.

Andrew Loupe, among the leaders after the first round, held a brief one-stroke lead Friday before on his fourth hole of the day, the par-4 14th. He hit his drive out of bounds left, overcompensated right on his next drive and finished with a seven on the hole and missed the cut after shooting a 76.

The most unusual play of the day came from Vaughn Taylor, who put his tee shot on the par-4 17th hole in the course’s signature lake. After conferring with a rules official, he was allowed to take a drop from the opposite shore near the 16th tee, because it was no closer to the hole. That gave him a better angle at the green. After a long cart ride around the lake, he was able to make bogey, despite clipping a corporate tent with his approach shot.

Matt Jones shot a second consecutive 69, despite suffering from what officials described as nausea and dehydration during his round. He took a 15 minute break at the turn and received three Intravenous bags of fluid.

After two days of sun and temperatures in the mid-80s, the forecast for Saturday afternoon include the possibility of severe thunderstorms. Because of that, tournament officials will have the players going out early in threesomes off both the first and 10th tees.

GATINEAU, Que. – Joshua Goheen battled windy conditions to card a 1-over 71 at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club to claim medallist honours at the qualifying event for the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. A total of seven players, including six Canadians, finished 3-over or better to earn their places at next week’s national championship to be contested at The Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que., and Eagle Creek Golf Club in Dunrobin, Ont., from August 8-11.

Goheen led the field with a 3-birdie performance. The Campbell University Camel feels ready for the challenge of competing against a strong field.

“I’m feeling pretty good,” said the Greely, Ont., native. “The last week or so, I haven’t played too much, but I’m pretty confident that I’ll be able to do pretty well this week.”

The 21-year-old will be playing in his second Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship in as many years, but is especially looking forward to the 2016 edition of the world’s third oldest amateur championship.

“I’m excited and honoured. I’ve also got a couple of teammates coming up to play this week, so I’m happy to be in the field with them. I’m excited to play in front of a home crowd, too.”

Martin Carré of Gatineau, Que., finished runner-up in the competition with a 72 which included a trio of birdies on the back nine. James Colin Davis of Montréal, Ontarians Robert Ellis of St. Catharines and Evan Littlefield from Thunder Bay, as well as Sam Stilwell of Sterling, Va., finished with shares of third at 3-over to earn their places in the championship. Additional information from the qualifying competition can be found here.

Two days of practice rounds are slated for August 6 and 7 before competitors take to both courses on August 8 and 9 for the tournament’s opening 36 holes. The field will be reduced to the low 70 and ties for the two final rounds to be contested at The Royal Ottawa.

An inter-provincial team championship will be played in conjunction with the first 36 holes of the competition with three-member teams vying for the prized Willingdon Cup.

In addition to claiming the title of 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur champion, the winner will earn exemptions into the 2016 U.S. Amateur at Oakland Hills Country Club in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., and the 2017 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The champion will also be eligible to receive an exemption into the U.S. Junior Amateur, the U.S. Mid-Amateur or the U.S. Senior Amateur, if applicable.

Admission to the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is free during tournament week. Additional details regarding the championship are available here.

Calgary – Austin Connelly and Carlos Sainz Jr., are tied atop the leader board at 11-under 133 through 36 holes of the ATB Financial Classic, the eighth event of the 2016 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Playing in the first group on the golf course this morning, Connelly continued to play conservative and converted birdies on both par 5s on the front nine before adding two more on Nos. 13 and 14. Sudden windy conditions led to his only bogey at the par-3 16^th, but Connelly quickly rebounded with a timely birdie at the par-4 18^th to ascend to 11-under for the tournament.

“I came in with the same mindset that I had going into yesterday which was to give myself as many good looks as possible – try to keep it on the proper sides of the hole,” Connelly said. “Out here it’s really important to keep it below the hole because you can find yourself in some extremely difficult situations on these greens if you don’t do that.”

At 19 years, 10 months and 18 days, Connelly is the youngest player in the field. With this being his first full season on Tour, the young Canadian is quickly learning what it takes to manage being in contention.

“It takes a lot of playing out here and being in the situation — it’s definitely an adjustment,” Connelly said. “This is the fourth event out here where I’ve been at or near the lead at least through the middle of the second round so I’m starting to get a lot more comfortable around the lead, whereas three or four events ago I was a little less comfortable.”

On the opposite side of the draw, Sainz was greeted with blustery conditions for his afternoon tee time, but was not fazed by the challenge en route to a bogey-free 5-under 67.

“My game plan was to hit it lower in this wind,” Sainz said. “I wanted to take advantage with how well I’m playing, and this course is still doable in the wind because the fairways aren’t too tight, and I was fortunate to make some putts along the way.”

After only one birdie on the front nine, the former Mississippi State Bulldog poured in four birdies on the back, including three on the last four holes, to vault up the leader board and join Connelly in Saturday’s final pairing.

“Realistically if you shoot a couple under in the wind or even par you are not losing a lot of ground, so to shoot 5-under is obviously a bonus,” said Sainz, a former winner on the Mackenzie Tour. “Now that I’m at the top of the leader board it’s a little different scenario so I’m looking forward to the weekend.”

Tyler McCumber and Paul Barjon are tied for third at 10-under, one stroke back. Barjon birdied his final three holes to shoot a 7-under 65 and tie the low round of the tournament. McCumber eagled the par-5 13^th to turn in a 4-under 68.

BLAINE, Minn. – Monday qualifier Glen Day shot a 7-under 65 in perfect conditions Friday to take the first-round lead in the PGA Tour Champions’ 3M Championship.

“Yes, I have a little more motivation as a Monday qualifier,” Day said. “I didn’t play as well today as I did Monday. I had no expectations this week. I just wanted to get into the tournament.”

On Monday, he topped the five qualifiers with a 7-under 64 at nearby Victory Links.

On Friday playing in the first group off the first tee at TPC Twin Cities, the 50-year-old Day had four straight late birdies in his bogey-free round.

“I made some putts and avoided mistakes,” Day said. “The greens are great. I was first out and they were perfect. Think first group out is an advantage.”

Jeff Maggert and Rod Spittle shot 66, and two-time champion Bernhard Langer was at 67 along with Colin Montgomerie, Miguel Angel Jimenez, Woody Austin, Kevin Sutherland, Carlos Franco, Scott Dunlap, Bart Bryant and Monday qualifier Jean-Francois Remesy.

Langer closed with a 20-foot eagle putt. He has broken par in all 22 of his rounds in the event.

Montgomerie had nine birdies and three bogeys.

“Nine birdies and three mistakes,” the Scot said. “We know this course isn’t one of the most difficult. The fairways are quite generous and the greens are super. You’ve got to holing putts. I was doing that today. We’ll see how it does the next two days.”

Day made a 30-foot birdie putt on the par-4 second and ran in a 10-footer on the par-5 third. He holed a 6-footer on par-4 11th, and made four straight on Nos. 14-17 – holing putts of 4, 25, 8 and 10 feet.

“There are a lot of birdie holes on the back nine. It’s a horse race out here, especially on this course.”

Day won the 1999 MCI Classic for his lone PGA Tour title. On the senior tour, he tied for sixth in Mississippi in April and last month in Endicott, New York.

Larry Nelson shot his age with a 68, the third time he was accomplished the feat. The World Golf Hall of Famer also bettered his age last year in the event with a second-round 66 at age 67.

John Daly opened with a 72, and two-time defending champion Kenny Perry and local favourite Tom Lehman shot 73. Lehman teamed with Arnold Palmer to design TPC Twin Cities.

Fred Funk withdrew after 12 holes because of a back injury.

SHUBENACADIE, N.S. – Gusting winds tempered blistering heat at the Links at Penn Hills as Victoria native Naomi Ko shot a final-round 72 to capture the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship title.

The 18-year-old entered the final round of play in a tie for first at 5-under with Mary Parsons of Delta, B.C. – only one stroke ahead of Mississauga, Ont., native Chloe Currie. Back-to-back birdies on holes 2 and 3 followed by a third on No.5 pushed the Team Canada National Squad member into an early 8-under lead.

“I got off to a really good start on the front nine,” said Ko. “The wind wasn’t really in effect but as I got to the back nine it really started picking up. I really had to adjust and learn from yesterday’s mistakes. I was striking the ball well and I think that was one of the key things today. Putting on the back nine not so good but it got the job done.”

The North Carolina State University sophomore collected three bogeys through the final stretch en route to a 5-under 283 tournament total. Ko has come close to taking the national title in previous years, but fell short in 2014 with a fourth-place finish at Thornhill Golf & Country Club in Thornhill, Ont. She was awarded second-runner-up honours in 2015 when the event was hosted by Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. This victory comes as a relief to Ko who was competing in her last Junior event before she becomes ineligible on the 18-and-under junior circuit.

“Knowing that it was my last Canadian junior I really wanted to win it. I tried to keep myself grounded and play it one shot at a time. I was walking up the last couple of holes and I kind of felt sick. I felt a little bit nauseous and took a deep breath and took advantage on the 18th. I had a good approach shot and knew I just had to get it in or two put, so it was a little less pressure.”

In addition to her 2016 Canadian Junior Girls title, Ko has received an exemption into the 2017 Canadian Women’s Amateur Championship hosted at Cutten Fields in Guelph, Ont., from July 25 to 28.

An impressive 73-71-68 week helped Currie slide into second place ahead of Parsons following a final round 75. The 16-year-old Development Squad member fell into a 5-over hole after carding three bogeys and double bogey through Nos. 5 to 12. Back-to-back birdies on holes 15 and 16 kept Currie in line for runner-up honours. Her 1-under 287 performance also solidified her victory in the 16-and-under Juvenile division.

Alisha Lau of Richmond, B.C., stayed even through the day to earn her place in second on the Juvenile leaderboard with a 2-over 290 final showing.

Parsons recorded six bogeys through her final round to capture third in the overall Junior standings at even-par.

The 17-year-old found victory earlier in the week after capturing the inter-provincial team competition title for British Columbia alongside Development Squad members Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) and Hannah Lee (Surrey). The trio finished the 36-hole competition with a 2-over 290 showing.

Additional information regarding the 2016 Canadian Junior Girls Championship can be found here.

There’s nothing so beautiful as sisterly love.

In less than two weeks, Canadian siblings Brooke and Brittany Henderson are set to team up, on the fairways of Rio, as golf returns to the Olympics for the first time since 1904. The Henderson’s hope their passion for the sport — and their love for each other — gives them an edge as they go for gold in Brazil.

When he’s not on tour or crafting another chart-topping song, one of Chip Taylor’s favourite things to do is watch golf. “I especially love the women’s tour and rooting for the Henderson sisters,” says the recent Songwriter’s Hall of Fame inductee.

Taylor, best known for the hits “Wild Thing” and “Angel of the Morning,” has had his compositions covered by the likes of Janis Joplin, Aretha Franklin, Dusty Springfield and Frank Sinatra; he gets chills whenever he pens a song with staying power. The story of the Henderson sisters recently inspired the songwriter’s muse. About three years ago, he started to watch YouTube videos of the Canadian golfers. “I thought they were terrific together,” he recalls. “Brooke had this amazing powerful swing. I was rooting for her to make it. I’ve followed her career since and then I started to write some songs about them.”

Chip’s EP I’ll Carry for You released just two weeks ago on Train Wreck Records features a batch of songs that give him the chills. Brooke and Brittany’s deep-rooted love for one another inspired the title cut. In this song, Taylor sings:

“Sisters of the same blood/Same moon up above/Same air that I breathe/Same dreams that you see/Sisters hurt when they fall/ All you’ve got to do is call me/And I’ll carry for you/ I’ll carry for you.”

Born James Wesley Voight in Yonkers, New York, the songwriter says Brooke and Brittany’s journey to the LPGA captivated him from the start. “The story is just so amazing,” he says. “How kind they are together … you can just see their love for each other when they are going around the golf course.”

The 76-year-old songwriter feels a similar bond with his two siblings; his brothers are Academy Award winning actor Jon Voight and Barry — one of the foremost geologists in the world in the area of interpreting volcanic activity. While his brother Jon did not caddy for him, he always walked with him when Chip competed in junior tournaments and offered moral support and encouragement.

Taylor’s love for golf came naturally. Taylor’s dad was a golf professional. Chip played in many amateur tournaments during his formative years and he turned pro a while before he found success in the music business. His adopted name originated because he was so good around the greens.

“My dream was music, but I loved golf,” he concludes. “These days, whether I’m on the road, or making a new album, I’m always trying to catch up on golf … that is my relaxation.”

CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO ON CHIP TAYLOR.

Brooke and Brittany Henderson (Bernard Brault/ Golf Canada)

The Rio Olympic Golf Course has been recognised for its commitment and contribution to the enhancement of the environment.

Following three years of extensive reporting, monitoring, evaluation and site visits from an independent auditor, spanning the design, construction and grow in phases of the project, The Rio Olympic Golf Course has achieved GEO Certified^® Development status.

“The IGF is delighted that more than three years of planning, design and construction of the Reserva de Marapendi Golf Course have culminated in the course being awarded GEO Certified^® Development status”, said Antony Scanlon, Executive Director of the International Golf Federation (IGF). “From the start, it was imperative that this once degraded site should emphasise the biodiversity of the location while maintaining its environmentally protected status and ensuring that the risks to the indigenous species and habitat would be minimised. We believe this has been achieved successfully, and we are very proud of the fact that once the athletes leave, Rio will have a sustainable, environmentally protected setting to play an important social, educational and sporting role in the years ahead.”

Notable actions and achievements highlighted in the independent GEO Certified^® Development report include:

Nature

• 80% of the existing site had zero vegetation cover
• Successful transplantation of more than 15,000 native plants with 95% success rate for establishment
• Establishment of on-site plant nursery to propagate more than 475,000 plants from native seeds and stock onto the golf course site
• Removal and control of existing exotic species
• Overall compensation for 1.4ha of loss of reduced quality restinga habitat, with net increase in conservation managed restinga of more than 33 ha
• Design of ‘naturalised’ golf course, creating opportunities for gradual re-colonisation by native species, and strong habitat connectivity across the site
• Long term ecological and environmental monitoring and management plan in place and approved by local authorities
• 167% increase in vegetation cover
• Net increase in biodiversity reported of 118 to 263 species found on the site
• Speedy recolonisation by rare and protected species including burrowing owl, caiman, capybara, lapwings, sandpipers and egrets
• Comprehensive pollution prevention measures carried out across the course throughout construction and management, and integrated into the design and construction of the modern maintenance facility

Resources

• Use of entirely on site construction materials – no extra sand or soil imported
• Use of Zeon Zoysia and SeaDwarf Seashore Paspalum grown locally – the most drought and pest tolerant species for the site, propagated in Brazil, which also allows for lower quality irrigation water, reducing need for water treatment
• Use of fuel efficient and hybrid maintenance machinery. All Jacobsen equipment uses GreensCare™, a 96% biodegradable hydraulic fluid made of renewable seed-oil based product
• Clubhouse designed using passive design principles
• Clubhouse utilisation of local, recycled and certified materials
• 100% recycled slate quarry waste for the pathways
• More than 90% of all construction materials were sourced from within 400Km of the site
• Cleared exotic plants were recycled as mulch to aid transplantation operations
• The Toro irrigation system is pressurised with the most up-to-date energy efficient pump system in order to optimise pressure and minimise energy use

Community

• Agreement between municipality and BGC to run the facility as the Brazilian golf centre of excellence for coaching and training – of local golfers, as well as national teams
• The agreement establishes that the golf facility will be free-access to the public and the development and implementation of four centres:
  • An environmental education centre to increase awareness about the environment and sustainable golf development at the local schools and communities
  • A knowledge and technical centre for youth ages 14-18, to promote social inclusion through sport, in partnership with technical schools and universities, offering caddie, coach and referee development programmes and specialised vocational training in greenkeeping and sports turf, Machine Operator and environmental management
  • A high performance Golf Academy – to improve the quantity and the quality of the Brazilian players at the world ranking

A development golf centre to grow the quantity of new golf practitioners through programmes like “Golfe para a Vida” (golf for life), in partnership with public and private schools and/or other communities.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Jerry Kelly played off the emotion of what he considers a home crowd Thursday in the Travelers Championship, shooting a 6-under 64 for a share of the first-round lead with Vaughn Taylor and Andrew Loupe.

The 49-year-old Kelly played at the nearby University of Hartford. Headed to the PGA Tour Champions after this season, Kelly won the last of his three PGA Tour titles in 2009.

“I’m not that man who has people constantly yelling wherever I go,” Kelly said. “I kind of take those good vibes and run with it. It’s fun.”

Kelly started his afternoon on the back nine, sinking a 45-foot putt for eagle on his sixth hole of the day, the course’s signature par-4 15th. The green was redesigned as part of a $3.5 million course renovation project this year and the front left pin placement was new.

“It was a question mark, how fast it was going to be and I judged it correctly, apparently,” he said.

Loupe and Taylor went out early, when relatively soft greens and little wind helped the scoring.

Taylor, the 40-year-old who won for the first time since 2005 at Pebble Beach this year, strung together five consecutive birdies starting on the 12th hole and shot a 30 on the back nine.

“That was a nice little run and I needed that,” Taylor said. “I was playing well and just needed something to kind of get me going.”

Loupe, who at 27 is looking for his first PGA Tour win, had seven birdies and a bogey on the day. He pulled into a tie for the lead after a 128-yard approach shot on 18 gave him a 2-foot birdie putt.

Nick Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 24th after an opening round 68 while fellow Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin finished with a 70. Derek Gillespie (72), of Oshawa, Ont., is at 2 over.

Jon Rahm, the 21-year-old Spaniard who turned pro in June, eagled the par-5 13th hole and was a stroke back along with Ben Martin and Marc Leishman.

Ninety-three players shot par or better, including U.S. Olympians Bubba Watson (67), Matt Kuchar (69), and Patrick Reed (70).

They are playing the first two rounds as a trio, and fans stood four and five deep at times to watch them, chanting “USA! USA!” as they arrived at the 18th tee.

Reed was using the red, white and blue golf bag he received this week as part of his Olympic team gear

“All three of us are very excited and eager to get over there,” said Watson, the tournament’s defending champion. “We hear all the USA chants. But at the same time, you want to play well here.”

Besides the Americans, three other Olympians are playing in Cromwell.

Denmark’s Soren Kjeldsen and Germany’s Alex Cejka each shot 68, and Ireland’s Padraig Harrington came in at an even-par 70.

The tournament was moved from its traditional spot in June, a week after the U.S. Open, as the PGA Tour shuffled its schedule to accommodate the Olympics.

But the schedule didn’t affect the quality of the field, which includes 10 players ranked in the top 30 in the world, led by Watson, who came into the week ranked sixth.

South Korea’s Si Woo Kim had the shot of the day. The 21-year-old aced the 215-yard fifth hole on his way to a 69.