DOHA, Qatar – Branden Grace successfully defended his Qatar Masters title on Saturday, becoming the first player to do so since the tournament began in 1998.

The South African shot a 3-under 69 on another wind-swept day at Doha Golf Club to win the second leg of the European Tour’s so-called “Desert Swing” by two shots over Spain’s Rafael Cabrera-Bello (70) and Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (71).

Grace shot an overall 14-under 274 for his seventh European Tour title.

Scotland’s Paul Lawrie, the overnight leader by two shots, faded away with a 78 and finished tied for 13th at 281, while Spain’s Sergio Garcia (70) shared seventh alongside South Africa’s Louis Oosthuizen (71) at 8-under 280.

Grace made the turn at 1 under with a lone bogey on the fifth after starting with a birdie and adding another on the sixth hole. The turning point came on the par-5 ninth, where Lawrie pulled his tee shot way left and finished with a double bogey to hand over the sole lead to Grace.

Grace is a traditionally strong finisher on the tough back nine here and the highlight Saturday was smashing his tee shot 327 yards on the par-5 18th, followed by an iron to 30 feet away and two-putting for a birdie.

“To win is tough, but to defend is even tougher,” Grace said. “It’s brutal conditions out there.”

Cabrera-Bello had one birdie and one double bogey in his first 15 holes, but finished in better weather with three straight birdies.

“It’s just a tough day, it was common to make mistakes,” he said.

SAN DIEGO – Phil Mickelson had to leave the golf course to play one of his shots at Torrey Pines, an early sign of the mass exodus Friday in the Farmers Insurance Open.

By closing with three straight bogeys on the easier North Course, Mickelson missed the cut.

At least he was in good company.

Jason Day, the defending champion and No. 2 player in the world, missed the cut for the first time in nearly eight months. Also leaving early was Rickie Fowler, the No. 4 player in the world who was riding high from his victory five days ago in Abu Dhabi,

Throw in Justin Rose (No. 7 in the world), and another gorgeous day along the Pacific bluffs felt like Black Friday.

Not losing sleep over the surprising departures were Gary Woodland and K.J. Choi, who shared the lead going into the weekend; and Dustin Johnson, who made a risky escape on the one wild tee shot he hit and wound up one shot behind.

Woodland powered his way to a 5-under 67 on the South Course, which he prefers because of his length and the left-to-right shape of his tee shots. Woodland reached two par 5s in two and was just off the green on two other par 5s. He made birdie on all of them to help atone for a few mistakes on the back nine. He had to make a 15-foot putt on the par-5 18th to be the first player to post at 9-under 135.

Choi was a mild surprise, having not won on the PGA Tour in nearly five years. The 45-year-old South Korean shot his 67 on the North Course.

Their games are different, though they shared one thought – power always helps, but accuracy is paramount on the Torrey Pines courses with thick rough.

“When I drive the ball in the fairway out here I’m having some short irons into par 4s, I’m having mid-irons into some of these par 5s,” Woodland said. “So when I drive the ball like I did today, good things are happening right now.”

Johnson was pounding driver on the North Course and making enough short putts to move up the leaderboard. Then came a shout of “Fore right!” and the crackle of a ball through a Torrey pine on the seventh hole. He had a tree right in front of him, no path to the green except through a V-gap in the tree about a foot wide. Johnson managed, nearly made birdie and finished up his 66. He was at 8-under 136.

Scott Brown had a 71 on the South to join Billy Horschel (70 on the South) and Martin Laird (68 on the North) at 7-under 137.

The cut was at 1-under 143.

Mickelson never thought that would be an issue. He opened with a 69 on the South and was prepared to take advantage of the short par 5s on the North. Instead, he sliced his second shot so badly on the par-5 18th (his ninth hole) that officials had to measure to make sure it was not out-of-bounds. It was in play, by little more than the dimple of a golf ball, but it was under an iron fence.

Mickelson had to walk to the other side of the fence and punch at it with a hybrid into a bunker. He blasted out and three-putted for double bogey. Mickelson grew up in San Diego and has played Torrey Pines more than anyone. Asked if that was the first time he played from the parking lot, Mickelson replied, “Probably not.”

“After that good round yesterday on the South Course, I thought, ‘I’m going to go to the North Course and really light it up.’ I think I tried to force the issue a little bit,” Mickelson said. “When I wasn’t under par early, I kind of started to press a little bit. But that stuff happens.”

He didn’t seem bothered, and neither did Day.

The PGA champion got sick last Friday after a week in the desert working on his game and didn’t touch a club again until the opening round Thursday. He said his energy was gone, his swing felt off and it showed. Day shot 74 on the South and missed the cut for the first time since the Memorial.

“You can’t live and die by one week,” Day said. “It’s not going to be the last cut I’m going to miss. Hopefully, it is the last cut I’m going to miss this year, but once again it’s a process. I got to keep working hard and hopefully that delayed gratification is a lot more sweeter at the end of the year than it is right now.”

The 13 players separated by three shots at the midway point featured a collection of long and medium hitters, which didn’t surprise Johnson in the least.

“If you look at the winners here, they’re all over the board, as far as length,” Johnson said. “But you’ve got to drive it straight. And right now I feel like I’m driving my driver very straight, so that’s definitely a key.”

In Canadian action, Adam Hadwin leads the charge. He’s 3-under and 6-off the lead, while Graham DeLaet is 1-under – 2-shots back of Hadwin. Nick Taylor finished 5-over and did not advance to the weekend.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Charley Hull, Megan Khang and Haru Nomura all sit atop the leaderboard at 8-under par after two rounds of the Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic. Players battled gusty conditions at the LPGA’s season opener with winds reaching gusts of 30 mph. The young trio is one shot in front of a group of four players including defending champion Sei Young Kim, Anna Nordqivst, Catriona Matthew and Min Seo Kwak.

The average age of the leaders is just 20 years old (Hull at 19, Khang at 18 and Nomura at 23) and it marks the first time in each of their careers to hold the lead at an LPGA event after 36 holes. This event has been kind to first time winners and crowned Rolex First-Time Winners twice in the first three editions (Ilhee Lee in 2013 and Sei Young Kim in 2015).

Hull followed her opening round of 68 with a 3-under 70 in the morning wave to get to 8-under par. The teen from England had a sunny disposition when it came to the challenging wind conditions.

“I’ve never played the wind, or the golf course with that wind before,” said Hull. “It was a completely opposite direction. So it was good fun to play in that direction, I like it in that direction actually. No, it was good, just got to keep patient out there. Obviously the same for everyone. No, I enjoyed it, I thought it was fun.”

Khang, who is making her rookie debut this week, said she didn’t have many expectations in the season opener but feels like she belongs out on Tour. Seeing her name at the top of the leaderboard might take some getting used to.

“It definitely will take some time to sink in but I think my game’s at a good place right now and I definitely think I can hold my own,” said Khang. “I’ve played in the Open a few times and they’re all there, all the pros are there, even like the best amateurs make it there. So I think I can hold my own and it’s going to take a while for it to sink in after two days.”

Cristie Kerr tied the tournament record in impressive fashion in such high winds with the low round of the week, 8-under 65. She shot a 77 on Thursday and jumped from T95 to T13 and agreed the round of 65 was a solid day.

“Yeah, I would say,” said Kerr. “Yeah, after yesterday, it wasn’t looking good and very difficult day and I just came out and just did it.”

Top-ranked American Stacy Lewis followed up her opening round of 73 with a 5-under 68 on Friday to move into a tie for 10th and sits just three shots back.

Canadians Maude-Aimee LeBlanc and Brooke Henderson both have a share of 20th at 3-under, five-shots off the lead.

ORLANDO – The Canadian Golf Hall of Fame & Museum’s Coordinator of Heritage Services, Alyssa Reynolds, brought the 1904 Olympic golf trophy won by George S. Lyon to the 2016 PGA Merchandise Show, which wraps up today in Orlando.

The sterling silver trophy cup stands about 1 1/2-feet tall and resides at the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Lyon won the trophy — and gold medal — by beating reigning U.S. Amateur champ, American H. Chandler Egan, 3 and 2, at Glen Echo Country Club in Normandy, Mo., just north of St. Louis — site of the 1904 Olympic Games. Golf returns to the Olympics in 2016 in Rio.

The PGA of Canada arranged for the trophy’s travel, and it was on full display during the association’s Canada Night celebration and awards ceremony.

While at the show, Reynolds filmed a segment with Golf Channel’s Morning Drive. You can watch it below.

KENT, Ohio– Kent State Director of Golf/Head Men’s Golf Coach Herb Page has announced the addition of Jon Mills to his coaching staff.  Mills, a Canadian professional golfer and a former Golden Flash, will serve as Associate Head Coach of the the men’s golf team.

Mills was a member of the Web.Com Tour from 2002-2015 and was on the PGA Tour from 2006-2008.   Mills claimed his first professional win on the Canadian Tour (now Mackenzie Tour- PGA TOUR Canada) in 2003 en route to becoming the leading money-winner on the Tour that year.  Mills also captured two titles on the Web.Com Tour, including the 2005 Canadian PGA Championship and the 2007 Boise Open.  He also qualified for three US Opens.

“We are honored to have a person of Jon Mills’ character and integrity come back to his alma mater after experiencing success at the highest level while playing on the PGA Tour,” said Page.  “It’s phenomenal for our student-athletes, and they are thrilled to have someone of his caliber to work with them every single day. We are very fortunate to have him here to pass on his knowledge and expertise in the game of golf to current and future student-athletes.”

Mills had an exceptional career competing as a Golden Flash under Page’s tutelage.  He was a two-time All-American as well as the only Kent State golfer to earn First Team All-American honors.  Mills was an All-MAC performer each of his four years and was also the MAC Freshman of the Year in 1998.  Mills was the medalist at the 2000 NCAA Central Regional Championship, a Kent State individual’s best-ever finish at the regional.

“It’s truly a privilege to be able to come back to my alma mater and help coach the sport I love,” said Mills.  “I am looking forward to working with the team and making them the best student-athletes they can be.”

Mills also holds the record for having the second-best finish by a Kent State golfer at the NCAA Championships, placing sixth in 2001.  In that same year, he earned MAC Championship medalist honors.  Mills was a member of four consecutive MAC Championships teams (1998-2002) and led Kent State to an NCAA Regional title in 2001.

Team Canada Women’s Head Coach, Tristan Mullally, added another trophy to the shelf on Thursday, winning the PGA of Canada’s Ben Kern Coach of the Year award at the PGA Merchandise Show in Orlando, Fla.

The PGA of Canada awards the Ben Kern Coach of the Year based on a professional’s overall performance in coaching; unusual, innovative and special coaching programs initiated or implemented; articles published; as well as outstanding golfers the professional has coached.

Entering his sixth season at the helm of the women’s program, Mullally has coached many of Canada’s brightest young stars including Canadian sensation Brooke Henderson. A native of Ireland, Mullally has played a key role in developing a record number of Canadian amateurs to positions inside the World Amateur Golf Rankings (WAGR) top-100.

Mullally has also been heavily involved with industry-leading initiatives including Long-Term Player Development 2.0 and the Golf Association of Ontario’s high performance program.

Since 2013, PGA of Canada national award winners have been honoured during PGA of Canada Night. The PGA of Canada national award winners for the 2015 season are:

• Danny King (The Performance Academy at Magna), Mike Weir Player of the Year;
• Dean Manz (Wascana Country Club), Pat Fletcher Retailer of the Year;
• Cory Southon (Henry Brunton Golf), Moe Norman Candidate for Membership of the Year;
• Adam Werbicki (The Derrick Golf & Winter Club), George Knudson Teacher of the Year;
• Adam Boge (Golf Mentor), Jack McLaughlin Junior Leader of the Year;
• Tristan Mullally (Golf Canada), Ben Kern Coach of the Year;
• Judy Forshner (Glencoe Golf & Country Club), Murray Tucker Golf Professional of the Year;
• Liam Mucklow (The Golf Lab), Tex Noble Award for Professional Development;
• Daryl MacLean (Cherry Hill Club), Stan Leonard Class “A” Professional of the Year;

What a proud moment for me to win this award,to have my dad,wife and kid here makes it all the more special #blessed pic.twitter.com/KVXgb8OBOw

— Tristan Mullally (@tmullallygolf) January 29, 2016

DOHA, Qatar – Paul Lawrie earned a two-shot lead at a windy Doha Golf Club on Friday to close in on an unprecedented third Qatar Masters title.

The overnight leader started the third round with 13 straight pars before making his first birdie on the 14th hole, then picked up another shot on the par-5 18th to finish at 2-under-par 70.

He was on top of the leaderboard at 13 under, two ahead of Branden Grace, who had his chance to make history: The first player to successfully defend the title.

“Conditions were tough, but to go around there and not have a bogey …,” Lawrie said. “It is a little bit frustrating for me. I hit a lot of good putts that didn’t go in.”

The 47-year-old Lawrie hasn’t won on the European Tour since 2012, the same year he won in Doha for the second time.

At 11 under overall with South Africa’s Branden Grace (68) was Denmark’s Thorbjorn Olesen (69).

Grace finished his bogey-free round with three successive birdies.

“Patience was the name of the game. It was a brutal day out there,” Grace said. “The wind was blowing and the greens were tricky. I pretty much got the most out of my round today. So 4 under was a great score.”

Olesen, winner of the Alfred Dunhill Links Championship last year, showed good touch in a 69 that featured one bogey on the fifth hole.

“To be honest, I played great down the last nine holes. Gave myself so many chances,” Olesen said.

Sergio Garcia made a 50-foot putt for an eagle on the 18th hole to console himself after a poor round of 2-over 74. He was seven shots off the pace.

SAN DIEGO – Scott Brown birdied his last hole for a 30 on the front nine, a 6-under 66 and a share of the lead Thursday in the Farmers Insurance Open.

Only it felt much better for Brown. He played on the tough South Course at Torrey Pines, which was 2 1/2 strokes harder than the North Course where Andrew Loupe shot his 66 in the opening round.

Phil Mickelson salvaged a rough start when he made double bogey on the second hole, the second-easiest par 4 on the South. But he stayed patient, made six birdies and wound up with a 69.

Jason Day, who missed the pro-am with the flu, had a 72 on the North Course. Rickie Fowler, who won last week in Abu Dhabi, had a 73 on the North Course.

Adam Hadwin topped the Canadian contingent after a 1-under 71, while Graham DeLaet was a shot back at even-par thanks to a 72. Nick Taylor was 4-over. All three Canadians played the North Course Thursday.

PARADISE ISLAND, Bahamas – Michelle Wie was stung by a bee Thursday in the season-opening Pure Silk-Bahamas LPGA Classic, and second-ranked Inbee Park withdrew because of back pain after the second-worst round of her LPGA Tour career.

Wie was stung on the palm of her right hand on the 16th hole, her seventh of the day at the windy Ocean Club. She finished with a 3-over 76 to fall eight strokes behind first-round leaders Paula Creamer, Charley Hull, Alison Lee, Ashlan Ramsey, Catriona Matthew, Mika Miyazato and Haru Nomura.

“I was waiting to hit my tee shot and I felt something sting and it hurt really, really bad and I knew it was a bee,” Wie said. “I brushed it away and the stinger was still in there. We were trying to find a tweezer and out of all the people, our security guy had tweezers on him, so I got it out.”

She bogeyed three of the first five holes on her back nine.

“It just kind of felt so swollen it was kind of hard to grip the club. I was hitting the ball so well on the front nine and just definitely had a couple loose ones coming in making the turn. You can kind of feel the venom kind of spread. But the last couple holes, it’s feeling better.”

She struggled with her putting.

“I only missed two greens,” Wie said. “I just putted horribly.”

Park shot an 80, playing her final four holes in 5 over with a double bogey on the par-5 15th and three bogeys. She will sit out the Coates Golf Championship next week in Florida, and hopes to return late next month in the Honda LPGA Thailand.

“I’ve always had a little lower back problem and some weeks it just gets bit worse and today happened to be one of those days,” Park said. “Hopefully, in Thailand I’ll be in really good shape.”

Creamer played a late three-hole stretch in 4 under, making an eagle on the par-4 eighth.

“I’ll definitely take it,” Creamer said. “This golf course, it’s a great track. It really does play well. The wind makes it very difficult, but these greens, they’re challenging. The biggest thing is get it as close as you can from the fairways and see what you can do.”

Lee finished with a bogey on the par-4 ninth after playing the previous three holes in 4 under with an eagle on the par-5 seventh. She is still a student at UCLA.

“I’m taking four classes right now,” Lee said. “Each week, I think, I counted to about 13 hours of class, so it’s not too bad. I have friends in each class that can give me notes.”

The 46-year-old Matthew also eagled No. 7.

“You would much rather get off to a good start than a bad start,” Matthew said. “I think this course is tough because there’s a lot of crosswinds, which makes it difficult.”

Miyazato had only 10 putts in a first-nine 6-under 31.

“Very excited because if green in regulation, I make it, make it, make it,” Miyazato said.

The Japanese player had an interesting answer when asked if she did anything exciting in the offseason.

“Too much drink,” Miyazato said.

Her drink of choice?

“Whiskey,” Miyazato said. “Only in the offseason.”

Hull had a bogey-free round.

“It’s quite quiet this week,” Hull said. “You can really focus and get your head down and just get back out on tour.”

Jennifer Johnson and Min Seo Kwak were a stroke back at 69.

Defending champion Sei Young Kim opened with a 71, and 2014 winner Jessica Korda had a 72. Third-ranked Stacy Lewis shot 73, No. 4 Lexi Thompson 74, and No. 11 Christie Kerr 77.

Canada’s Brooke Henderson carded a 2-under 71 in her opening-round of 2016. The 18-year-old Smiths Falls, Ont., native had three birdies and a single bogey on the day.

“It was a good round today,” said Henderson. “I missed a lot of opportunities which I wish I would have capitalized on, but at the same time I missed a couple greens and was able to get up and down. It was just kind of up and down. And I would have like to have finished a little further under par. But it’s a good start and get another good round in tomorrow and see what happens.”