WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – So Yeon Ryu had six birdies in an eight-hole stretch and shot a 7-under 64 on Friday to take the second-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

Ranked 11th in the world but sixth in the race for the four spots on South Korea’s Olympic team, Ryu opened with a bogey on the 10th hole, then used the birdie run to make the turn in 5-under 30.

“I’ve been putting really nice,” Ryu said. “My first hole I made a bogey, but it felt really great the next two holes. I made birdie-birdie right away. Even my shot and birdie putt, and putting – I think today just everything was really working well.”

The 2011 U.S. Women’s Open champion added birdies on the par-4 fourth and par-5 seventh and closed with two pars to reach 7-under 135 on the soggy River Course.

“This one is definitely my favorite golf course that we play,” Ryu said. “I consistently play really well here, so I feel really comfortable to stay here. I think I just really like the atmosphere, so I really enjoy it. So enjoying it makes me play better.”

Fourth-ranked Stacy Lewis, No. 6 Amy Yang and first-round leader Mika Miyazato were a stroke back. Lewis had a bogey-free 66, Yang had a 67, and Miyazato followed her opening 65 with a 71.

Lewis tied for second two weeks ago in Alabama for her 10th runner-up finish in a 49-event drought. The 11-time tour winner has 23 career second-place finishes.

“The putts were going in,” Lewis said. “I hit the ball a lot better today and gave myself some better looks and made the putts. The golf course is just playing hard. It’s playing long. You have a lot of long irons into the par 4s, so you’re not going to make a ton of birdies, and when you do hit it close, you need to make the putt.”

Yang birdied the first three holes. She’s No. 2 in the South Korean Olympic standings.

“I was hitting better than yesterday, more solid at impact, making more solid putts, and made some, too,” Yang said. “I left a couple of good chances out there, but looking forward to playing on the weekend. I’ve been working with my coach on my swing and feeling good about it.”

Rain is expected over the weekend on the already wet course.

“It’s just going to be a long weekend,” Lewis said. “You get ready for that. You get ready for delays and playing in the wet, and this golf course is going to get even harder. You just kind of mentally prepare for it and know it’s going to happen, and if it doesn’t, that’s a great thing.”

Defending champion Minjee Lee was in the group at 5 under after a 71. The 19-year-old Australian won last year at Kingsmill in a Monday finish and added her second tour title last month in Hawaii.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko was 1 under after 68. The 19-year-old New Zealander won the Kia Classic and major ANA Inspiration in consecutive weeks in Southern California.

Second-ranked Inbee Park, playing alongside Ko, withdrew after six holes because of a lingering left thumb injury. The tournament was her first after a month out because of the injury.

Third-ranked Lexi Thompson, also in the group with Ko, matched Ko at 1 under after a 69. Thompson is coming off a victory two weeks ago on the Japan LPGA.

Fifth-ranked Brooke Henderson, playing with Lewis, also was 1 under after a 71.

Michelle Wie missed the cut with rounds of 72 and 78. She’s winless since the 2014 U.S. Women’s Open and hasn’t had a top-10 finish in 35 events.

Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., carded a second consecutive 74, while Kelowna, B.C., native Samantha Richdale shot 73.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – Kenny Perry navigated condition changes and a course he’s still learning to retain the Regions Tradition lead.

Perry shot a 2-under 70 on Friday to maintain a one-stroke advantage over Bernhard Langer and Billy Andrade after two rounds. The course was hit by early light rain and the wind switched directions from the opening day.

Perry had three birdies and a bogey to reach 10-under 134 at Greystone in the first of the year’s five PGA Tour Champions majors. The 2014 Regions Tradition winner has missed only one green in regulation in the first two days.

Conditions changed after his bogey-free opening 64. Tournament officials opted for a two-tee start because of weather concerns, with Perry and Langer starting on the 10th tee. The course received 0.14 inches of rain overnight and in the morning, forcing a 30-minute delay to start but escaping any heavy rain during play.

“Totally different golf course,” Perry said. “We had northeasterly winds (Thursday). I think today was southerly, and so the golf course played totally different. A lot longer, I thought.

“A lot of the par 5s I was hitting 6 and 7 iron into, I was hitting 5 woods and woods in today, so pretty challenging. I mean, plus, I don’t have a lot of experience here so that was kind of hard. You’re kind of out there guessing.”

Langer picked up one stroke with a round that also included a single bogey. But he finished better after closing Thursday with a bogey.

“(I) didn’t make all the putts I wanted to make, but made a few par saving putts there toward the end,” Langer said. “So I’m right there, good chance for the weekend. Just got to get my game together.”

Andrade birdied the final hole for a 68, including six birdies and two bogeys. Other players told him coming in that he’d like the course, and it’s proving true so far.

“It kind of fits my style and I knew that going in,” Andrade said.

Three players are at 8 under, including Gene Sauers, Scott McCarron and last year’s runner up Kevin Sutherland.

Sauers and McCarron both returned from multi-year hiatuses from their playing careers at one point, though for very different reasons.

Sauers shot a 70 for a two-day total of 136. He had a bogey and three birdies, all in the final six holes with nothing but pars the rest of the way. Sauers has four runner-up finishes on the senior tour and hasn’t won since the PGA Tour’s Air Canada Championship in 2002.

He missed seven years because of a rare skin condition, Stevens-Johnson syndrome, that clogged blood vessels in his arms and legs and eventually caused his skin to burn from the inside out.

McCarron eagled the par-5 second hole after opening with his only bogey of the round for a 66. Also a TV analyst, he won three PGA Tour championships despite giving up pro golf for four years to work in his family’s clothing business.

Sutherland had his second straight 68.

Recently turned 50, John Daly finished with his second straight roller-coaster 70. He had a triple bogey to go to 4 over through three holes and also had a string of four birdies in six holes.

Defending champion Jeff Maggert was 3 under after a 73.

Calgary’s Stephen Ames was 1-under and sits T39. St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle shot a second straight 72 and is tied for 50th.

MIDLAND, Ont. – Canada’s junior golfing talents will gather in Midland, Ont., for the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario Championship from May 27-29. Players will test their skills during a practice round on May 26 before the 54-hole stroke play tournament gets underway.

The CN Future Links Ontario Championship is the second in a series of six junior competitions played across the nation in partnership with CN. Midland Golf & Country Club boasts a rich history of tradition and has challenged local golfers in the Georgian Bay area since its founding in 1919.

“Golf Canada is proud to bring this year’s edition of the CN Future Links Ontario Championship to Midland Golf & Country Club. This picturesque course will provide an excellent opportunity for these fine athletes to test their games in the early part of the season,” said Justine Decock, the competition’s Tournament Director.

Thomas ‘Jack’ Simpson will return in an attempt to defend his CN Future Links Ontario title. Last year, the Team Canada Men’s Development Squad member chipped in for eagle on the first extra hole to capture a thrilling playoff victory.

The full complement of the National Team Women’s Development Squad will be in attendance at Midland Golf & Country Club. Grace St-Germain of Orleans, Ont., will look to improve upon last year’s third-place result at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont., where Alyssa Getty finished 6-over 219 to claim victory.

Joining St-Germain are Surrey, B.C., native Hannah Lee and Chloe Currie of Mississauga, Ont., who will attempt to take lessons learned in the past year to build upon their respective fifth and T15 finishes from a year ago. Squad members Tiffany Kong (Vancouver) and Kathrine Chan (Richmond, B.C.) will complete the Team Canada contingent.

Four additional CN Future Links Championships will cross the country this summer:

• June 3-5 – CN Future Links Quebec – Beauceville, Que. – Club de golf Beauceville
• June 10-12 – CN Future Links Prairie – Neepawa, Man. – Neepawa Golf & Country Club
• July 4-6 – CN Future Links Western – Medicine Hat, Alta. – Medicine Hat Golf & Country Club
• July 12-14 – CN Future Links Atlantic – Fairview, P.E.I. – Countryview Golf Club

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division will gain entry into the 2016 Canadian Junior Boys Championship to be contested August 1-4 at Clovelly Golf Club in St. John’s, N.L. In the case of ties, exemptions will be decided via hole-by-hole playoff. All players within the Top-6, including ties, in the Junior Girls division will each earn exemptions into this year’s Canadian Junior Girls Championship, hosted by The Links at Penn Hills in Shubenacadie, N.S., from August 2-5.

Prior to the championship on Wednesday, May 25, Golf Canada and Special Olympics Canada will hold the second of two regional competitions in support of Special Olympics golf. The first event was held at The Dunes at Kamloops Golf Club before the CN Future Links Pacific Championship. A field of 24 local athletes will compete over nine holes. Following the event, PGA of Canada professionals will conduct a clinic for Special Olympics coaches and athletes with a focus on improving skills and leadership within the sport.

Additional information regarding the 2016 CN Future Links Ontario Championship, including participants, start times and up-to-date results can be found here.

DENVER, Colo. – Amateur Squad member Hugo Bernard capped off his impressive freshman season by winning medalist honours at the NCAA Division II Championship on Thursday at the Green Valley Ranch Golf Course.

The Mont-St-Hilaire, Que., product jumped out to an early lead with an opening-round 65 (-7) and never looked back, carding 17 birdies in total to lead the field en route to securing the two-stroke victory. The Saint Leo Lion finished at 13-under par (65-66-72) ahead of runner-up Calum Hill (Western New Mexico). The win marks the first NCAA championship win (individual or team) in Lions history.

The 21-year-old ended his freshman year where he spent most of his time this season—atop the leaderboard. Bernard finished inside the Top-5 in five out of seven events this season with Lions, including a win at the Argonaut Invitational.

The lefty’s efforts were further recognized by the NCAA on Thursday, being named as the Division II recipient of the Golf Coaches Association of America (GCAA) Phil Mickelson Freshman of the Year Award (won by Team Canada graduate Adam Svensson in 2013). Bernard also earned a nod as one of eight members named to the GCAA/PING First Team All-American squad.

Teammate and fellow Quebec native Joey Savoie struggled in the final-round, carding a 2-over 74 to slip nine spots to a T11 finish.

Bernard will lead the No. 1-seeded Lions into the eight-team match-play portion of the NCAA Championship Friday morning against Wilmington University.

Click here for full scoring.

National champion, freshman of the year, all-american team! Thanks to @dingramgolf to help me to get there! #dragons pic.twitter.com/GYF3KBP6qu

— hugo bernard (@Hbernard63) May 20, 2016

MONTREAL – Steve Wood of Winnipeg was officially made 46th President of the PGA of Canada at the association’s recent Annual General Meeting.

A PGA of Canada member since 1994, Wood has served on the National Board or Directors’ since 2008. In his eight years on the national board, he has chaired numerous committees including the Membership, Education and Finance Committees. Prior to becoming a member of the national board, Wood was a member of the Manitoba Board of Directors’ from 2000-2007, serving as zone president from 2006-2007.

“I am looking forward to the opportunity to continue serving and representing the members of the PGA of Canada as the 46th President,” Wood said. “This is a very proud moment in my professional career and look forward to the next two years.”

Wood replaces Constant Priondolo of Montreal. Taking over for Wood as vice-president is Mark Patterson of Elbow, Sask., who spent the past two years as secretary. Vancouver’s Tom Monaghan becomes the new secretary.

A PGA of Canada Class “A” Member since 1998, Wood is currently the head golf professional at Rossmere Country Club in Winnipeg.

Kevin Thistle (Alberta), Teejay Alderdice (Ontario) and Dave Levesque (Quebec) were also made national directors at the Annual General Meeting.

The PGA of Canada Board of Directors is comprised of the association’s president, vice president, secretary and zone representatives.

For more information on the PGA of Canada’s Board of Directors, click here.

John (Johnny) Johnston, a former Canadian Amateur champion who is a member of the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame, died Tuesday at the age of 91.

Johnston, known as J.J. to his many friends, was a longtime member of Marine Drive Golf Club in Vancouver.

Johnston’s long list of achievements as an amateur golfer include a B.C. Amateur title in 1966. He won the B.C. Open at Marine Drive as an amateur in 1967 and that same year also won the Mexican Amateur.

He played on B.C.’s Willingdon Cup team on multiple occasions and represented Canada in the America’s Cup, World Amateur and Commonwealth competitions. “He was a guy who was one of the legends at Marine Drive,” said Dick Zokol, a fellow Marine Drive member and two-time PGA Tour winner. “I looked up to him. He flew bombers in World War Two and I loved to hear his stories.”

Johnston was renowned for his short game. He and Ron Willey defeated Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman in an America’s Cup match. “He was a very gregarious guy,” Zokol said. “He was really good friends with George Knudson. He came from that era. He wasn’t a great ball-striker, but he could putt.”

Johnston became a member of Marine Drive in 1952. His Canadian Amateur win came in 1959 at his home course, where he beat Ontario’s Gary Cowan in the final. “John was a real character,” said fellow Marine Drive legend Doug Roxburgh.

“I heard so many stories from him about playing against the best of his era. His passing is very sad, but he is in a better place. Perhaps Stan (Leonard) and him will be teeing it up against each other again soon.”

Johnston, who received invitations to play in both the Bob Hope and Bing Crosby tournaments, was inducted into the B.C. Sports Hall of Fame in 1971. He joined the B.C. Golf Hall of Fame in 2005.

Career highlights include:

• Won the Canadian Amateur, defeating Gary Cowan at Marine Drive in 1959
• Won BC Amateur in 1966
• Won BC Open at Marine Drive as an amateur in 1967, won Mexican Amateur in 1967
• Made BC’s Willington Cup Team 9 times from 1958-1967
• Represented Canada in America’s Cup 4 times, World Amateur twice and Commonwealth Competition twice
• Inducted into BC Sports Hall of Fame in 1971
• Won Marine Drive Golf Club’s Championship 6 times
• Teamed with Ron Willey, defeated Jack Nicklaus and Deane Beman in match play competition (America’s Cup)

IRVING, Texas — Jordan Spieth covered his mouth in disbelief on the 16th green when his long eagle putt stopped short of falling in for a share of the lead. His group then rushed to complete the final two holes before dark.

Spieth finished with consecutive pars for a 6-under 64 on Thursday and was within a stroke of the lead when the first round of the AT&T Byron Nelson was suspended because of darkness.

The world’s No. 2-ranked player and Dallas native, whose first PGA Tour event was the Nelson as a 16-year-old amateur six years ago, is playing only his second tournament since squandering a five-stroke lead on the back nine at the Masters. He missed the cut last week at The Players Championship, but had only one three-putt to start at rain-softened TPC Four Seasons.

“This week felt a bit different than the past couple years as a professional. I don’t know what it is,” Spieth said. “I came out and maybe kind of the bad weather has kind of softened the crowds and hasn’t felt the same. … Everything has been a bit more calm this week and it’s been a lot easier to just stay in a normal rhythm.”

Sergio Garcia, Danny Lee and Johnson Wagner shared the lead at 7-under 63. Garcia played in the morning, and Lee and Wagner, like Spieth, were just able to complete the round that started 2 1/2 hours late after early morning rain.

Dustin Johnson and Freddie Jacobson matched Speith with 64s.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., shot a 66. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., shot 73 and Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., shot 74.

Tom Hoge, one of 30 players who have to finish their first rounds Friday morning, was 6 under through 14 holes. His only bogey was after he missed the green and then two-putted from 10 feet at the par-3 fifth, the last hole he completed. His final shot Thursday was an approach at the par-4 sixth, onto the green and 41 feet from the cup.

Garcia finished his round with eight consecutive one-putts. Wagner and Lee, the 25-year-old South Korean who lives in Irving and is playing on his home course, also were bogey-free.

There was a loud cheer at No. 1 when Spieth teed off, and another when he holed a shot from the intermediate rough for a birdie after missing the first green.

Spieth was 3 under through 10 holes before four consecutive holes without a par. He made a short birdie at 11 and a 20-footer at No. 12 before his only three-putt, from 50 feet at the par-3 13th. He quickly got back that stroke with a 13-foot birdie putt at No. 14.

Then at the par-5 16th, Spieth’s 40-foot eagle chance that was rolling toward the middle of the cup when it stopped just short.

The 64 matched Spieth’s best round at the Nelson, where his best finish is still a tie for 16th in his debut as a teenager. He tied for 30th last year when he played after winning the Masters.

After his short appearance at The Players, Spieth talked about needing to do a better job being positive and having more fun. This was a good start at the Nelson.

“It’s just kind of something that everyone goes through. You got to learn to deal with it your own way and everyone gets frustrated when you play golf. You can’t be perfect in this game,” he said. “It’s just little bits and pieces here where I can maybe stay a little more neutral and yeah, when you’re playing well, when you’re 4, 5-under par, it’s a lot easier to be happy.”

Garcia had a quick answer for what he changed midway through the opening round when all of his putts started going into the hole, including a 60-foot eagle putt on the par-5 seventh after a 25-foot birdie putt the previous hole.

“Nothing,” said Garcia, the 2004 Nelson champion. “The hole got in the way. Simple as that.”

Garcia finished a stroke off his Nelson-best 62 he shot as a 19-year-old in 1999 in his first round at Lord Byron’s tournament on the way to a third-place finish. He is back for the first time in five years.

He had only one birdie and needed 18 putts on his first 10 holes, including a 21-foot par-saver after his tee shot into the greenside bunker at the par-3 17th.

“Nice par putt on 17 to stay 1 under and then kind of caught fire on the other nine,” Garcia said.

WILLIAMSBURG, Va. – Mika Miyazato had five birdies in a six-hole stretch and finished with a 6-under 65 on Thursday to take the first-round lead in the Kingsmill Championship.

In tricky conditions on the rain-soaked River Course, the 26-year-old Japanese player closed her opening nine with the birdie run, dropped a stroke on the par-5 third and rebounded with birdies on the par-4 sixth and eighth holes. She won the 2012 Safeway Classic in Oregon for her lone tour title.

The greens where a lot faster than expected, though they were receptive and the players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls in the fairways.

Defending champion Minjee Lee and Brittany Lincicome were a stroke back.

Top-ranked Lydia Ko closed with a birdie for a 73.

Brooke Henderson’s 1-under 70 has the Smiths Falls, Ont., native tied for 31st. Maude-Aimée Leblanc of Sherbrooke, Que., opened with a 74, while Kelowna, B.C., product Samantha Richdale carded a 76.

GREENVILLE, S.C. – Byron Smith and Matt Fast matched opening rounds of 8-under 63 on Thursday at tournament host Thornblade Club to share the opening-round lead in the Web.com Tour’s BMW Charity Pro-Am presented by SYNNEX Corporation.

Smith entered the week in Greenville with just four Web.com Tour starts to his name in 2016, but blistered the Tom Fazio-designed Thornblade course with nine birdies, including four birdies in his last five holes.

“Pretty much one club – the putter. That was about it, but it was working really well,” said Smith when asked what clicked on Thursday. “So that can really make up for a lot. I hit a few squirrelly shots off of the tee, but managed to hustle par on those. I just made a lot of putts.”

The former Pepperdine golfer won the Rex Hospital Open in 2014 en route to earning his PGA TOUR card for the 2014-15 season, but struggled on golf’s biggest stage with just one top-25 in 21 starts during his rookie season.

The 35-year-old Smith has made the cut in each of his four Web.com Tour starts this year, posting a season-best T18 at the El Bosque Mexico Championship presented by INNOVA. He is currently 83rd on the money list.

“I felt like it was coming around, and everything was in a good place. The driver is still kind of giving me some problems, but everything else has been really good,” he said. “So if I could just manage to avoid the foul ball, then I feel like I could put a good score together.”

Fast, who opened his week on No. 10 at Thornblade, birdied four of his first eight holes to turn in 4-under 32 before adding a flurry of birdies down the stretch on his way to a share of the 18-hole lead.

Birdies on Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 were offset by a bogey on the par-4 seventh, but the former Mississippi State golfer rebounded with a birdie on No. 8 to move back to 8-under on the day, which is where he finished for a round of 63.

“Yeah, you know you’ve got to make birdies this week and then add ball-in-hand for three days, so just hit fairways and you’ve got wedges, 9-irons and 8-irons. I feel great. It’s not my first lead of the year so I’m looking forward to it,” said Fast, who was the 36-hole leader at the Chitimacha Louisiana Open presented by NACHER in March.

Fast’s 2016 season has been up-and-down, with six made cuts in eight starts entering the week, but just one top-25 finish to his name – a T23 finish at last week’s Rex Hospital Open.

Without intention of pun, his starts have been fast, notching seven rounds of 68 or better in the first two rounds of play, but only two rounds in the 60s in his final two rounds of competition.

“I got an old caddie back, which we’ve always played well together. So I was really excited about that. Just getting into the flow of the year,” said Fast, who reunited with caddie David O’Donovan in Raleigh. “I was hurt at the beginning of the year and actually played good on some Thursdays and Fridays, but (now we’re) just getting in the flow of it and letting it go.”

Five players set the pace at tournament co-host The Reserve at Lake Keowee, with Chris Baker, Brandon Hagy, Sebastian Cappelen, Adam Schenk and Rex Hospital Open champion Trey Mullinax matching rounds of 7-under 65 on Thursday.

Mullinax, who closed in 30 to win his first Web.com Tour title at TPC Wakefield Plantation on Sunday, birdied five of his first six holes in the opening round before adding a late eagle on the par-5 17th to move to 7-under for the day.

The former Alabama standout moved from No. 33 to No. 4 on the money list with last week’s win, which pushed his 2016 earnings up to $154,486.

Surrey, B.C., native Adam Svensson, who earned medalist honors at the Web.com Tour Qualifying Tournament in December, and former Western Amateur champion Jhared Hack posted the day’s low rounds at The Preserve at Verdae with a pair of 67s.

The 22-year-old Svensson was even-par through eight holes at the tournament’s newest host venue before making birdie on five of his final 10 holes to round out his 5-under-par effort.

Svensson, who finished ninth on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s Order of Merit in just six starts last year, earned fully exempt status on the 2016 Web.com Tour with his Q-School win. The former Barry University golfer turned professional at the start of 2015 before competing on the Mackenzie Tour, where he ended the year ranked No. 1 in Scoring Average (Actual), thanks in part to four top-5 finishes.

Young Pro Squad member Albin Choi of Toronto was 3-under at The Reserve at Lake Keowee.

At Thornblade, Calgarian Ryan Yip shot 4-under and sits T-24; Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., is T88 at 1-under; North  Vancouver’s Eugene Wong is even-par and Young Pro Squad member Taylor Pendrith opened with a 74.

At The Preserve at Verdae, Wil Bateman of Edmonton is T113 after carding a 72. Ontarians Ben Silverman (Concord) and the Young Pro Squad’s Mackenzie Hughes (Dundas) registered matching 73s.

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. –

Kenny Perry made a couple of early birdie putts from about 20 feet, mostly steered clear of trouble and finished well.

Perry birdied the final hole for an 8-under 64 and a two-stroke lead Thursday in the Regions Tradition, the first of five PGA Tour Champions majors.

“I mean, I didn’t miss a green,” he said. “I putted for birdies or eagles on every hole so took a lot of pressure off myself by doing that. I hit the ball nicely, drove it beautifully, hit lots of fairways. Was able to attack the par 5s.”

Bernhard Langer matched him going into the final hole. Then Langer bogeyed No. 18 for a 66 to fall into a second-place tie with Gene Sauers at Greystone Golf and Country Club, hosting its first PGA Tour Champions event since the Bruno’s Memorial Classic in 2005.

Perry won the Regions Tradition a few miles away at Shoal Creek in 2014, and the 14-time PGA Tour winner started on a roll. He birdied five of the first eight holes in a bogey-free round, including the two long putts during that hot start.

He was in a tie going into 18 with Langer, who had three straight birdies starting on No. 11.

Billy Andrade was three strokes back at 67. Defending champion Jeff Maggert was among seven players four shots behind.

Langer, who has not finished worse than 11th this year, needed two attempts to escape the greenside bunker on 18. The two-time Masters winner, who leads the tour in scoring average, then two-putted.

“I bladed it,” Langer said about his first bunker shot. “I was just trying to bank it against it but not fly it into the netting. No other way to get it close. It was a very bad trap.”

He said he had hit “a beautiful 3-wood” that kicked right and into the sand.

Sauers, who tied for third at last year’s Regions Tradition, had birdies on four of the final six holes, including 18. The three-time PGA Tour winner has four runner-up finishes on the 50-and-over circuit. His only bogey came on the par-5 fifth hole.

Sauers started practicing a new putting grip a couple of days before leaving for the Insperity Invitational, where he tied for 12th after a closing 67.

“I made some putts where before I wasn’t making the putts and now I’m really rolling it better and I’m kind of going cross-handed, left hand low,” Sauers said. “This is my second week for it, so I should have done it 20 years ago.”

With an eagle and a double bogey, John Daly finished his first round in a PGA Tour Champions major with a 70. He made an eagle from the fairway on the 435-yard fifth hole. Two holes later, came the double bogey after Daly’s drive went into the rough.

“Getting into this thing is pretty cool, I’m enjoying myself,” he said. “But having a start like that is kind of cool. My last round at Houston I had it going but didn’t finish it, so I’ve just got to keep going and try to finish these good starts.”

In the meantime, he relished having a big following around Greystone – and not having to worry about making a cut.

“Oh, it’s great, man. It’s just awesome,” Daly said. “That’s what’s cool. They get me for three or four days now instead of two, so it’s good to work on weekends again.”

Jesper Parnevik, who’s coming off a four-stroke victory at the Insperity Invitational, finished with a 70. He was 3 over on the final three holes, including a double bogey on No. 18.

With rain and thunderstorms forecast for Friday, Perry expects the scoring and conditions to change significantly. Play will start on two tees with tour officials aiming for a mid-afternoon finish.

“I’m not a great rainy (day) player,” he said. “I have trouble hanging onto the club and stuff, so it’s going to be a challenge.”

Stephen Ames of Calgary and St. Catharines, Ont., native Rod Spittle sit T39 at even-par.