LATROBE, Pa. – Arnold Palmer didn’t make a live television appearance at Bay Hill. For the first time, he didn’t hit the ceremonial first tee shot at the Masters. He struggles with mobility, which kept him from attending the U.S. Open.

Just don’t get the idea Palmer is slowing down entirely.

The day after the U.S. Open, he drove his golf cart up to the back entrance of his office across from Latrobe Country Club. The 86-year-old Palmer had just returned from hitting balls. And he was as frustrated as ever.

“I’m just not making very good contact,” Palmer said. “I’ll get there.”

Palmer, who lost in a playoff at Oakmont in 1962 and played in his final U.S. Open there in 1994, watched the final round and like everyone else, questioned the USGA’s handling of a penalty stroke on Dustin Johnson for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Palmer could relate. The conversation shifted to the 1958 Masters, as Palmer recalled a dispute with rules official Arthur Lacey over whether he was entitled to relief from an embedded ball on the fringe behind the 12th green. Told that he wasn’t, Palmer declared he was playing two balls until he could reach the rules chairman. He made double bogey with the embedded ball, par with the second ball that he dropped. On the 15th hole, he was told he was right and would have a par on the 12th.

“I played two holes” without knowing what he would he make on the hole, he said.

He was sharp. He was funny. And he is busy.

One of his projects is book being published by St. Martin’s Press called, “A Life Well Played: My Stories.” The book allows him to share new stories and provide more insight into old stories. In a release announcing the book, Palmer writes, “Though I have written a number of books in the past, this one was particularly important to me because I delved into the process, I realized just how much I still wanted to say to my friends in golf and to fans of the game in general.”

The book is to be published at the end of October.

More evidence of how Palmer occupies his time was behind his desk. On a table was a stack of items nearly a foot high – photos, pin flags, books – from people around the world wanting to get them signed. His press secretary, Doc Giffin, said Palmer takes time every day to sign them. How long does he spend? Thirty minutes? An hour?

“Oh no,” Giffin said. “Sometimes, depending on how he’s feeling, he’ll do it for two or three hours.”

The British Open returns next month to Royal Troon, where Palmer won his second claret jug with a six-shot victory in 1962. When told he would be thought of during that week, Palmer came to life.

“I might be there,” he said. “I’m thinking about playing.”

There was a pause. There was a wink. There was a smile.

“Or maybe I’m just being ornery,” he said.

When we talk about the game of golf, it’s truly a sport for everyone — a game for life. Whether we’re talking about age, gender, or physical conditions, any interested enthusiast should have the opportunity to enjoy the benefits and challenges our game presents.

As the National Sport Federation of golf, Golf Canada is continually looking for ways to encourage more people to play this great game. We work to eliminate barriers and engage people from all walks of life.

That holds especially true this year as we are piloting a training camp and nine-hole competition for Special Olympics Canada athletes, in conjunction with our CN Future Links Pacific and Quebec Championships. Special Olympics Canada approached us last year to see how Golf Canada could provide more opportunities for their athletes and we are excited about the opportunity to partner on this initiative. In 2015, Special Olympics Canada had more than 1,600 athletes registered and five of their athletes competed in the World Games in Los Angeles.

This relationship has given us a chance to look at golf through a new lens and open our eyes to the full scope of what our sport is like for golfers with disabilities.

In addition to this newly formed partnership with Special Olympics Canada, Golf Canada has recently adopted the R&A and USGA’s publication, A Modification of the Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities. This modification to the Rules of Golf contains advice and permissible rules that a committee can adopt to provide equitable playing conditions. It allows golfers with disabilities to overcome certain unique or problematic circumstances that they would encounter on the course.

Five groups have been identified — blind golfers, amputee golfers, golfers requiring canes or crutches, golfers requiring wheelchairs and golfers with intellectual disabilities — in order to best apply specific rules modifications.

BLIND GOLFERS are allowed to have a coach (also referred to as a guide) who can assist in addressing the ball and with alignment prior to the stroke. Under the Rules of Golf, a coach would have the same status as a caddie. That said, if the coach cannot perform the duties of a caddie, it is permissible for a blind golfer to have both a coach and a caddie.

AMPUTEE GOLFERS (which, for this purpose, includes golfers with limb deficiencies) have restrictions of varying degrees. With this in mind, the committee can operate under Exception 1 to Rule 14-3 for certain devices (i.e. artificial limbs) that are used to alleviate a medical condition. If the committee is satisfied that the artificial devices do not give the player an undue advantage over other players, such devices would be permitted.

GOLFERS REQUIRING CANES, CRUTCHES OR WHEELCHAIRS use these devices as a necessity to play and it does not constitute “building a stance” within the meaning of the term in Rule 13-3. In addition to this point, the term “fairly taking your stance” is still relevant with respect to Rule 13-2. Players would still be limited to the intent of this rule, which prohibits a player from deliberately improving the lie of the ball, area of intended stance or swing, or line of play.

ANCHORING has recently been added to these modified Rules of Golf with the recent addition of Rule 14-1b. Regarding the application of this rule, where a committee has determined that a golfer who uses an assistive device is unable to hold and swing his clubs without anchoring because of his use of the assistive device, the golfer is permitted to make a stroke while anchoring the club.

It’s important to note these rules modifications only apply to a competition if they have been introduced by the committee in charge of the competition. These modifications do not apply automatically to a competition involving golfers with disabilities.

Secondly, outside of these exceptions for specific physical limitations outlined in A Modification of the Rules of Golf for Golfers with Disabilities, Golf Canada can review and approve the use of equipment or devices that don’t necessarily conform to the Rules of Golf on a case-by-case basis.

The ultimate goal of this modification is inclusion, and to provide fair and equitable playing conditions for every golfer.

For complete information pertaining to the Rules of Golf for golfers with disabilities, please visit golfcanada.ca/rules-of-golf.

Modified rules for golfers with disabilities This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

Golfer Rory McIlroy became one of the most high-profile sports stars to opt out of the Rio de Janeiro Olympics because of concerns about the Zika virus, saying Wednesday it is “a risk I am unwilling to take.”

“After speaking with those closest to me, I’ve come to realize that my health and my family’s health comes before anything else,” the four-time major winner said in a statement released by his management company.

The fourth-ranked McIlroy was scheduled to play for Ireland as golf makes its return to the Olympics for the first time since 1904.

The Olympic Council of Ireland (OCI) said it was “extremely disappointed” not to have McIlroy on its team.

“However, as we have always said, it is down to the individual and of course we respect his decision, which he has taken for personal reasons,” the OCI said in a statement.

The 27-year-old McIlroy said this month that he and his fiancee, Erica Stoll, may consider starting a family “in the next couple of years.”

“Even though the risk of infection from the Zika virus is considered low,” McIlroy said, “it is a risk nonetheless and a risk I am unwilling to take.”

Australian golfer Marc Leishman has already pulled out of the Olympic tournament, citing concerns over the health of his family because of the mosquito-borne virus which is linked to severe birth defects and possible neurological problems in adults. Leishman’s wife, Audrey, nearly died last year from toxic shock syndrome.

Adam Scott, Louis Oosthuizen, Charl Schwartzel and Vijay Singh have also said they won’t compete at Rio, mostly due to scheduling commitments.

Last month, 150 health experts issued an open letter to the U.N. health agency calling for the games to be delayed or relocated “in the name of public health.” The agency, the World Health Organization, responded that such steps would “not significantly alter the international spread of Zika virus.”

The OCI said it has been taking its lead on the Zika situation from the International Olympic Committee.

“They have provided us with every assurance and we have total confidence that the games will be safe for all athletes,” the Dublin-based organization said.

McIlroy, who has won three of the four majors in golf, had been eligible to compete for either Britain or Ireland at the Olympics. He eventually chose Ireland, which he had represented throughout his amateur career and twice in the World Cup.

“I trust the Irish people will understand my decision,” McIlroy said. “The unwavering support I receive every time I compete in a golf tournament at home or abroad means the world to me.

“I will continue to endeavour to make my fans and fans of golf proud with my play on the course and my actions off it.”

The International Golf Federation said it was “disappointed with Rory’s decision but recognizes that some players will have to weigh personally a unique set of circumstances as they contemplate their participation in golf’s historic return to the Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, with the Zika virus foremost among them.”

It added that “the Olympics is the world’s greatest celebration of sport and we remain excited about golf’s return after a 112-year absence.”

The IGF, founded in 1958, is recognized by the IOC as the official world body for golf.

The USGA wishes to congratulate Dustin Johnson on his victory and thank him, and the other players in the field, for their professionalism and grace throughout the championship. Dustin is a wonderful champion, a talented golfer and a gentleman.

Our team at the USGA has seen and heard a great deal of discussion and debate about the ruling on Dustin’s ball moving during the final round of the 2016 U.S. Open Championship at Oakmont Country Club. In addition to the explanations we offered upon the conclusion of the final round, we add these comments.

Upon reflection, we regret the distraction caused by our decision to wait until the end of the round to decide on the ruling. It is normal for rulings based on video evidence to await the end of a round, when the matter can be discussed with the player before the score card is returned. While our focus on getting the ruling correct was appropriate, we created uncertainty about where players stood on the leader board after we informed Dustin on the 12th tee that his actions on the fifth green might lead to a penalty. This created unnecessary ambiguity for Dustin and the other players, as well as spectators on-site, and those watching and listening on television and digital channels.

During any competition, the priority for Rules officials is to make the correct ruling for the protection of the player(s) involved and the entire field. In applying Rule 18-2, which deals with a ball at rest that moves, officials consider all the relevant evidence – including the player’s actions, the time between those actions and the movement of the ball, the lie of the ball, and course and weather conditions. If that evidence, considered together, shows that it is more likely than not that the player’s actions caused the ball to move, the player incurs a one-stroke penalty. Officials use this “more likely than not” standard because it is not always apparent what caused the ball to move. Such situations require a review of the evidence, with Decision 18-2/0.5 providing guidance on how the evidence should be weighed.

Our officials reviewed the video of Dustin on the fifth green and determined that based on the weight of the evidence, it was more likely than not that Dustin caused his ball to move. Dustin’s putter contacted the ground at the side of the ball, and almost immediately after, the ball moved.

We accept that not everyone will agree that Dustin caused his ball to move. Issues under Rule 18-2 often require a judgment where there is some uncertainty, and this was one of those instances. We also understand that some people may disagree with Rule 18-2 itself. While we respect the viewpoints of those who disagree, our Committee made a careful and collective judgment in its pursuit of a fair competition played under the Rules of Golf.

In keeping with our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our work on behalf of the game of golf, we pledge to closely examine our procedures in this matter. We will assess our procedures for handling video review, the timing of such, and our communication with players to make sure that when confronted with such a situation again, we will have a better process.

We at the USGA deeply appreciate the support of players, fans, and the entire golf community of our championships and our other work for golf – and we appreciate your feedback as well. We have established an email address (comments@usga.org) and phone mailbox (908-326-1857) to receive comments. We thank you for taking the time to share your thoughts.

We all share an abiding love of this great game. Let us continue to work together for its good.

If there’s one word that describes this year’s Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship, it’s history.

Hosted by The Royal Ottawa GC in Gatineau, Que., and co-hosted by Eagle Creek GC in Dunrobin, Ont., it marks the first time the renowned championship — any of Golf Canada’s national championships, actually — has taken place in two separate provinces.

“It’s also interesting in that it’s the first time the drinking age has been different at both clubs too,” says Adam Helmer, Golf Canada’s director of rules and competitions, with a hearty chuckle.

Joking aside, Helmer says he is thrilled to have this year’s Canadian Amateur at such a historically important club like The Royal Ottawa. He’s eager for this year’s championship to begin.

“It’s such a storied club. This is where the Canadian Amateur began, and where Golf Canada began. We’re really excited to return,” he explains.

The history of The Royal Ottawa is robust, and it’s no wonder the club will be hosting a number of events to celebrate its 125th anniversary throughout the summer. It will have a kick-off event on April 15 (it’s around that date the club was founded in 1891), and over Canada Day weekend, the club will host its reciprocal clubs and ‘Royal’ affiliate clubs from around the world (there are five in Canada).

First established as the nine-hole Ottawa GC near the city’s current downtown core, the club moved to the Quebec side of the border not long after that, quite close to where a casino now stands. It moved to its current spot in 1903 and opened in 1904. It received its Royal designation from King George V in 1912.

Head professional Paul Carrothers says he approached Golf Canada (then the Royal Canadian Golf Association) in 2006 to say that the club’s 125th anniversary was approaching and they wanted to host the Canadian Amateur. The club also hosted the inaugural Canadian Amateur in 1895.

“At the time they were booked up to 2012, but we got slotted in for 2016. At the same time, we took the 2010 Canadian Mid-Amateur as part of the deal,” Carrothers explains.

Meanwhile, Eagle Creek — a Ken Venturi design (the Hall of Famer’s only Canadian layout) — is celebrating its 25th anniversary.

“It’s the biggest event in Canada for amateur golf, and we’re proud to co-host,” explains Ryan Little, Eagle Creek’s director of operations. “It’s the signature event for our 25th anniversary.”

Built through 230 acres of forest, the course features large greens and challenging, yet receptive holes. Water is a big part of the challenge at Eagle Creek, while the course sits just over 7,000 yards in length.

“Eagle Creek is one of the top courses in the region and this is an awesome opportunity to get the name out there and put on a good show for the players,” says Little. “I think the players are going to see a completely different course then what they’re seeing at The Royal Ottawa. It’s very remote, parkland-style. It’ll be really exciting.”

The Royal Ottawa, which also hosted the 1906 and 1911 Canadian Opens, sits at just over 6,600 yards, and although it’s not long by modern standards, it boasts some of the toughest greens in the area.

This year’s Canadian Amateur champion, according to Carrothers, will likely be a wizard around the greens.

“They have to be a putter, and they need to have a good short game. You’re dealing with very fast, small greens that are subtle in their breaks, but can play havoc if you don’t put the ball in the right spot,” he explains. “You could easily have four or five putts.”

Both clubs are also excited to offer opportunities to their members to play in the championship.

Golf Canada has given The Royal Ottawa three automatic entries, one of which is going to its current club champion. It will host an open event for members in June, along with another event in the summer that will reward both winners with a spot in the championship.

The Royal Ottawa is also hosting a pre-qualifier for the event, and “hopefully there will be some local representation there as well,” according to Carrothers.

There is one exemption from Eagle Creek already locked in, and the club is hosting a qualifier for all ClubLink members this summer for another spot.

“We want to really get our membership behind all of this. It’s a great opportunity for them,” says Little.

The field expanded to 240 players in 2010 as part of an effort to get an ‘A’ ranking for the event, according to Helmer. The ranking was established at the same time the World Amateur Golf Rankings were formalized, and Helmer says the Canadian Amateur is “pretty close.”

“The exemptions are the big carrot. Having the RBC Canadian Open exemption helps, and our U.S. Amateur exemption helps too,” he explains.

The Canadian Amateur is sandwiched between the Western Amateur and the U.S. Amateur, and right before that is the Porter Cup. That makes four huge amateur events in North America all happening around the same time.

“We’re hoping our combination of The Royal Ottawa/Eagle Creek, and Toronto Golf Club in 2017 will help translate our championship into an ‘A’ ranking,” Helmer states.

Whatever the ranking, the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship continues to play an important role in Canadian golf history. And this year’s championship will no doubt provide another chapter.

Capital city clash This article was originally published in the May 2016 edition of Golf Canada Magazine. To view the full magazine, click the image to the left.

HAMILTON – The third and final RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifying event saw a field of 144 players combat heat and humidity at King’s Forest Golf Course in hopes of gaining entry into Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship. Branson Ferrier finished 4-under 68 to claim medallist honours and earn an exemption into the 107^th playing of the RBC Canadian Open to be contested at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 18-24.

Ferrier, who began the day on the 10^th hole, opened with a 1-under 35 across the back nine. The Barrie, Ont., product finished his round with four birdies across his final six holes to secure the victory amidst rising temperatures and gathering winds.

“It was quite difficult out there,” said the 22-year-old. “I was off at 8:30 a.m., so I definitely give a lot of credit to being on the right end of the draw with the weather we had this afternoon. Even this morning towards the end of my round, the winds were picking up and it was very hot and sticky. There were a lot of crosswinds, so it was very difficult to judge.

“I had it going right out of the gate. I was making birdies and I knew that they were out there, so I just had to clean up a few things around the greens. I knew that there were two par-5s coming in my last six; my goal was just to get those two and play steady coming in.”

The former Alabama State University Hornet had trouble finding the right words when looking ahead to playing at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open. “I’ve only been playing professional golf for a few weeks. This is my fourth event as a professional, so this comes as a bit of a shock to me. I had been playing well at school and my game just kind of carried over. I’ve been to the Open at Glen Abbey a few times, and I’m beyond excited to be on the other side of the ropes this time.”

Matthew Scobie of Ajax, Ont., was the only other player to card a round under-par. The 21-year-old collected four birdies en route to a 1-under 71 showing. Peter Campbell of Windermere, Fla., Donnie Trosper from Canton, Mich., as well as, Ontarians Brian Hadley (Sarnia) and Will Mitchell (Bowmanville) finished with shares of third-place at even-par.

A total of 25 competitors, excluding the low medallist, shot 4-over 76 or better to advance to the Final Qualifier in which a minimum of four players will gain entry into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open.

The two-stage qualifying procedure for Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship is comprised of a trio of regional qualifying events held in British Columbia, Quebec and Ontario, followed by the final qualifying competition on July 18.

The previous two qualifying events at Victoria’s Bear Mountain Resort and Club de golf La Vallée du Richelieu in Sainte-Julie, Que., awarded 14 players with spots into the Final Qualifier.

Additional information and full results from the RBC Canadian Open Regional Qualifier in Ontario can be found here.

OAKMONT, Pa. – All the chaos and confusion couldn’t stop Dustin Johnson from proving he had the head to be a U.S. Open champion.

One year after the most devastating of all his close calls in the major, Johnson endured two hours of not knowing the size of his lead while the USGA questioned whether he should be penalized one stroke for his ball moving on the fifth green.

Johnson said it didn’t. The USGA said it would wait until after the final round to decide.

America’s most powerful golfer took matters into his own hands Sunday at Oakmont with a 10-foot par save on the 16th hole, a tee shot he smashed down the middle of the 18th fairway and an approach to 5 feet for birdie that left no doubt who won the toughest test in golf.

Only after he was guaranteed that silver trophy did the USGA assess him a one-shot penalty, turning his final score into a 1-under 69 for a three-shot victory.

The lingering question was whether this U.S. Open was tougher than it needed to be.

Johnson had a short par putt on the fifth hole, took a few practice strokes and as he placed the putter behind the ball, it moved slightly – backward. Johnson stepped back and called over the rules official, told him it didn’t move and he tapped in for par.

The USGA later decided to review it, and the timing was peculiar.

Johnson was in deep rough left of the 10th fairway when he was given relief from a television tower in his line-of-sight to the flag. He was able to move left toward the 11th fairway and drop it in the first cut of rough, and he powered it over the tower and onto the green, setting up a par. It was a huge break – within the rules – the kind that major champions often get.

One hole later, the USGA informed they had questions about the ball moving on No. 5.

“After looking at video, the actions he took could have caused the ball to move,” said Jeff Hall, director of rules and open championships for the USGA. “We asked if there was some other reason the ball could have moved. He didn’t state a reason.”

The USGA wanted him to know that a one-shot penalty was likely so he could play accordingly, but it led to confusion over the back nine – for Johnson and for the players trying to catch him.

Shane Lowry, who began the final round with a four-shot lead that he lost on the front nine, caught him when Johnson made his only bogey on the back nine. Were they tied? Was Johnson one shot behind? No one knew.

Johnson played through it all, thinking only of that silver trophy that got away from him at Chambers Bay last year when he had a 12-foot eagle putt to win and then three-putted for par to lose by one to Jordan Spieth.

Lowry, the first player since Payne Stewart at The Olympic Club in 1998 to lose a four-shot lead in the final round of the U.S. Open, lost his putting touch that had carried him to the lowest 54-hole total at Oakmont. He three-putted from long range on three straight holes, and Johnson was flawless at the end.

Johnson finished at 4-under 276.

He gave three quick fist-pumps when the birdie putt fell on the 18th, hugged his brother, Austin, who caddies for him and scooped up his son Tatum on Father’s Day.

Among the first to greet him was Jack Nicklaus, who won his first major at Oakmont in 1962. The gold medal for the winner is named after Nicklaus.

BELMONT, Mich. – Sei Young Kim won the Meijer LPGA Classic on Sunday for her second victory of the year, beating Carlota Ciganda with a birdie on the first hole of a playoff.

After bogeying the 18th in regulation to drop into the playoff, the 23-year-old Kim rebounded on the par-4 hole in the playoff.

“I just angry on myself,” Kim said. “I just, ‘Oh, I have to bounce back because today before I play, I setting my goal no bogey play.’ But last one I missed with bogey. If I bounce back, yeah, it is a good work, so I did it well today.”

On the extra hole, the South Korean player hit a 124-yard shot from the deep left rough – so deep that she momentarily lost her ball after looking away – that ran onto the green and settled at 3 1/2 feet.

“I realize really a lot of release, so I try to (hit) before the 10 meter to the front,” said Kim, projected to remain fifth in the world ranking. “It was good and I hit great hit. And my ball position was a little settled down, so I tried a cut shot. It was a, yeah, good work.”

She finished with a 3-under 68 at Blythefield to match Ciganda at 17-under 267.

Ciganda, from Spain, parred the final five holes in a bogey-free 67. She’s winless on the tour, with four runner-up finishes – two in playoffs.

“One can win, and if you can’t win, second is the best,” Ciganda said. “I’ll keep trying and just keep playing golf.”

She also drove into the left rough in the playoff, then hit a 156-yard shot through the green and couldn’t get up-and-down for par.

“It’s been a really good week,” Ciganda said. “I played very solid, especially my putting was really good, so I’m very happy with the week. I made only two bogeys in 72 holes, so I think that’s really good with this rough. And a playoff, only one can win and, obviously, I hit it to the rough. It wasn’t an easy shot and she hit a really good one. Congratulations to her. She was better.”

Kim has five career victories, going 3-0 in playoffs. She also won the Founders Cup this year in Phoenix, shooting 63-66-70-62 to match Annika Sorenstam’s LPGA Tour scoring record of 27 under. Last year, she won three times and was the rookie of the year.

On 18 in regulation, Kim drove left into the rough under trees, hit her second into thick rough left of the green and missed a 15-foot par putt. She didn’t immediately know she was in a playoff.

“I didn’t know that until I finished 18 hole,” Kim said.

Her father, Jung Il, was with her on Father’s Day.

“I’m very happy to on the Father’s Day give it to my dad this trophy,” Kim said. “My dad really want to win this week.”

South Korea’s In Gee Chun, tied for the third-round lead with defending champion Lexi Thompson, had a 71 to finish third at 15 under. The U.S. Women’s Open champion bogeyed two of the first four holes.

Thompson, fighting back pain, shot a 72 to tie for fourth with top-ranked Lydia Ko at 14 under.

“The back is better the last two days,” Thompson said. “I had it taped up, so that wasn’t the issue. … I just didn’t putt well today. I had like 36 putts, I think, so that never helps out a scorecard. I still hit it pretty well, I thought. Just didn’t give myself too close birdie chances, but still didn’t hit that many good putts.”

Ko, coming off a playoff loss to Canada’s Brooke Henderson last week in the KPMG Women’s PGA Championship outside Seattle, closed with a 68.

“I needed to have a really low one to try and catch up,” Ko said. “I just tried to focus on my game and just try and stay patient. All you can do is try the best you can and if the girls, like last week, if somebody plays good, you can’t do much about it.”

Ariya Jutanugarn, third last week after winning her previous three starts, tied for 18th at 7 under after a 68.

Alena Sharp led the Canadian contingent with a 71 to claim a share of 13th at 9 under. Henderson matched the Hamilton native’s score to tie for 21st at 6 under, and Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., finished T50.

Michelle Wie shot a 75 to tie for 56th at 1 under. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 38 events.

CALGARY – Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit, 21, added another accolade to his resume on Saturday, winning the Glencoe Invitational by two strokes to take home the Crystal Keeper trophy.

du Toit, a Kimberley, B.C. product, opened the 54-hole event with a 2-under 70 to jump out to the early lead at the Glencoe Golf & Country Club. The Arizona State Sun Devil followed with matching rounds of 74 to close at 2-over for the tournament, securing the wire-to-wire victory over hometown native Emmett Oh. The 2015 B.C. Men’s Amateur Champion certainly made it interesting down the stretch, posting four bogeys and three birdies in his final nine.

With the win, du Toit adds to an impressive junior season at Arizona State, which saw him post five Top-10 NCAA Div I finishes. The victory also earns him exemptions into the final qualifier of the upcoming RBC Canadian Open on July 18 and a spot in the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship. As Team Canada’s lowest ranked male on the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) at No. 67, du Toit is likely to have a few options into Canada’s open next month.

Click here for full scoring.

OAKMONT, Pa. – Shane Lowry kept his cool after a careless penalty and walked off Oakmont after a marathon Saturday with a two-shot lead in the U.S. Open.

Stalled by rain in the first round, the U.S. Open is nearly back on schedule and poised for a big finish.

Lowry, looking to give Irish golf its 10th major in the last 10 years, came within inches of his sixth birdie of the round on No. 14. He tapped in for par and headed back in when play was suspended by darkness.

He was at 5-under par and had to return Sunday morning to play the final four holes.

Two shots behind was 28-year-old Andrew Landry, in his first U.S. Open and playing like he knows how to cope with the toughest test in golf. Landry hasn’t flinched, even after tumbling down the leaderboard in his second round, and playing alongside Dustin Johnson in the third round. He had five holes left.

Right behind was a trio of players who feel overdue to win their first major.

That starts with Johnson, who had the 36-hole lead and started out like he wanted to run away from the field when he stuffed his approach to 5 feet below the hole for a birdie. But a chip that came back to his feet on No. 3 and led to double bogey stalled him, and Johnson started dropping shots.

He was at 2 under through 13 holes, still very much a factor as he tries to atone for his gaffe on the 18th hole at Chambers Bay last year in the U.S. Open. Also three shots back were Lee Westwood and Sergio Garcia, who between them have played 142 majors without winning.

After two of the longest days, Sunday becomes somewhat of a sprint.

Jason Day began his big run early. The world’s No. 1 player opened with a 76 and first had to worry about making the cut. He did, with one shot to spare, and then went on a tear of four birdies in five holes to start his third round. Day posted a 69 in the morning and a 66 in the afternoon and at one point was within in four shots of the lead.

He was at 1-over 211 and left the course six shots behind.

Defending champion Jordan Spieth looked as though he might join him when he ran off three straight birdies. But the 22-year-old Texan fell back with a double bogey on No. 2 (his 11th hole) and had to settle for a 70 and was nine shots behind Lowry.

“Come out tomorrow and try to pull a Johnny Miller,” Spieth said.

Miller famously closed with a 63 at Oakmont to win the 1973 U.S. Open, which remains the greatest final round by a major champion. But the course was drenched that Sunday, and that won’t be the case now.

Even though Oakmont absorbed nearly 3 inches of rain on the opening day and remain soft enough for shots to spin ever so slightly, it was clear the hot sun began to bake it out and it likely will be fierce as usual for the final round.

The leader in the clubhouse when the day ended was Branden Grace, who last year at Chambers Bay was tied for the lead until he hit 3-wood onto the train track and out-of-bounds for a double bogey that cost him. Good news for the South African: A train can be heard from Oakmont, but not hit.

Grace pieced together a 66 to reach 1-under 209, four shots behind Lowry.

Lowry picked up his biggest win last summer a few hours away at Firestone when he won the Bridgestone Invitational. Now he’s primed for more Irish success. The run began with Padraig Harrington claiming three majors in 2007 and 2008, and has been carried by the Northern Ireland trio of Rory McIlroy (four majors), Graeme McDowell and Darren Clarke.

“We all know that this course can jump up and bite you in a split second,” Lowry said. “So year, I’m two ahead with 22 holes left. Let’s not get ahead of ourselves. These are the best golfers in the world behind me. I have to go out there and do what I’ve been doing all week. I’m really looking forward to tomorrow. This is exactly where you want to be. I’ve been beating myself up over the last six months trying to get in this position.

“I’m here now. I might as well enjoy it while I’m here.”

It wasn’t so enjoyable earlier in the day when he was lining up a 30-foot birdie putt and nudged the ball with his putter. It moved ever so slightly, enough for Lowry to see, and he turned in disgust to call over an official, then held the putter behind his neck as if he wanted to snap it.

He took the one-shot penalty and then saved his mood with an 8-foot bogey putt.

“To hole that second putt was massive for me and massive for my whole day,” Lowry said.

Some of the best players weren’t around for the afternoon. McIlroy needed a par on the final hole to make the cut and took double bogey. Phil Mickelson, Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose also missed the cut.