JOHANNESBURG – Brandon Stone and Daniel Brooks share the lead at the European Tour’s South African Open after the third round was suspended because of approaching thunderstorms and the threat of lightning on Saturday.

Englishman Brooks was already one of the players who had to get up early to complete their second rounds because of similar stormy weather and a suspension on the second day in Johannesburg. He was 1 under through nine holes of his third round to be 10 under overall.

South Africa’s Stone was also 10 under, picking up four birdies in his opening nine, and five birdies in the 11 holes he managed to play on Saturday at Glendower Golf Club.

They have a two-shot lead over Keith Horne, who completed only nine holes of his third round.

Five-time champion Ernie Els missed the cut by a shot after finishing his second round earlier Saturday. The four-time major winner had three bogeys and just one birdie in that delayed second round for a 74 and to finish 3 over par.

Another South African major winner, Retief Goosen, was five shots off the lead after finishing 11 holes of his third round at Glendower.

Stormy weather has caused suspensions in play on all three days of the tournament. Players will return at 7:30 a.m. local time on Sunday to complete their third rounds.

KAPALUA, Hawaii – A new year, and everything is falling Jordan Spieth’s way.

Spieth chipped in for eagle, make a pair of tough par saves late and ended his round Friday with a 15-foot birdie putt into the grain that stopped on the lip and then dropped into the cup for a 9-under 64. It gave him a four-shot lead in the Hyundai Tournament of Champions.

Two rounds into 2016, it already feels a lot like last year.

Spieth is making putts. Spieth is holing chips. Spieth is in the lead.

For all the talk about how he can match what he did last year – two majors, five victories – it might be just as tough to repeat what he has done the opening two rounds. Spieth was at 16-under 130, one short of the 36-hole record at Kapalua set by Ernie Els in 2003.

“Did I see 16 under? Probably not to start the season,” Spieth said.

Kevin Kisner, coming off a big year of his own with his first victory and four runner-up finishes, missed a couple of short birdie putts and still shot his way around the Plantation Course with ease for an 8-under 65 that earned him a spot in the final group with Spieth on Saturday.

“What’s Jordan at? I saw he was at 15,” Kisner said when he finished. “He’ll probably shoot another 15 (under), so I better get going tomorrow, the way he plays. We’ll just make a bunch of birdies and see what happens.”

Birdies have not been in short supply this week with only a moderate breeze and a blazing sun that is making Kapalua pick up some speed. Fabian Gomez of Argentina, one of 14 players making his debut this week, made seven birdies in his round of 66. He joined Kisner and Patrick Reed (69) in the group four shots behind.

Reed didn’t make nearly enough birdies to keep pace. He fell out of the lead for the first time when Spieth made an 18-foot birdie on No. 8, and then Spieth took over with a chip from 35 feet behind the pin that broke sharply into the pin and disappeared.

But it was the back nine where Spieth built his lead.

Even this early in the year, he felt good enough with his driver to be aggressive on the 13th, and it led to a short wedge he hit to 3 feet. He driver again on the 14th, narrowly clearly a bunker and leaving a pitch just short of the green to 3 feet. And then from a hanging lie on the 15th, he drilled a 3-wood just off the back of the green and rolled the putt down to just over 4 feet for a third straight birdie.

Equally important, however, were the pars.

His worst swing of the week with a 52-degree wedge was fat and smothered, and it left him a long, tough putt across the green to 6 feet. He made that for par, and holed a 7-footer for par on the 17th. The final putt was a bonus.

“I go from leading by one to leading by four,” he said. “And that’s huge.”

Kisner only needed five holes to tie for the lead, making two birdies and a 30-foot eagle on the par-5 fifth hole. He started the back nine with three straight birdies, and the only glitch was failing to birdie the two par 5s on the back nine.

“First tournament of the year, kind of rusty, haven’t played in a while,” Kisner said. “Seeing where my game is, I’m looking forward to having a chance on the weekend.”

Danny Lee recovered from a bogey-bogey start to shoot 68 and was five shots behind. Rickie Fowler and Steven Bowditch each had 67 and were another shot back.

Jason Day, the No. 2 player in the world competing for the first time in three months, had a 73 and already was 12 shots behind. He would appear to have little chance of getting to No. 1 this week.

GAUTENG, South Africa – Branden Grace’s charge up the leaderboard at the SA Open was halted by stormy weather Friday, with play abandoned midway through the second round.

The South African was tied for the lead with countryman Keith Horne at 8 under, after going through 11 holes in 5 under, when play was called off for the day at Glendower Golf Club because of the threat of lightning.

Horne held the clubhouse lead after shooting a 3-under 69 to follow up his first-round 67.

Eleven of the leading 13 players are from South Africa, which has delivered 12 winners in 19 editions of the event since it joined the European Tour in 1997.

Jbe Kruger is a shot behind after a 70. Justin Walters (70), Brandon Stone (67) and Ross McGowan (70) were at 6-under 138 after two rounds.

Play also ended early on Thursday because of similar bad weather, meaning 33 people had to return early Friday to complete their first round. Seventy-eight of the remaining 154 players are yet to finish their second rounds.

Grace is the highest-ranked player in the field at No. 14 and has won three of his six European Tour titles in his native country. He sank birdie putts from Nos. 2-5 and also picked up shots at Nos. 10 and 11.

Playing alongside Grace, Jaco van Zyl was the first-round leader after a 65 but he bogeyed three of the first nine holes in his second round before a double-bogey at No. 10, after finding the water, dropped him to 3 under. He still had seven holes to play.

It was even worse for Shaun Norris, who was a shot behind Van Zyl after the first round. Norris dropped 11 shots in 12 holes Friday, leaving him on 5 over and likely to miss the cut.

Richmond Hill, Ont. — A new year may be just beginning, but it’s not too early to look forward to the upcoming Olympic Games. The Games begin in August, but BMW Group Canada took advantage of the kick-off to 2016 as a means to introduce Team BMW, a group of six high-performance Canadian athletes aiming to compete at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games.  Support for Team BMW athletes will be on various levels in an extension of the company’s role as National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team.

Passionate about performance and driven to succeed, Team BMW brings the BMW spirit to life.  This group of athletes represents the essence of the BMW Group in human form: efficient performance, innovation, power and grace.  BMW Group Canada is proud to support each of these athletes on their road to success.

BMW Group Canada announced its partnership with the Canadian Olympic Team in January of 2013. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, the company and its retailers have since provided athlete support and generated funds that go towards specialized programs, sports medicine, coaching and travel, among other items. This Olympic year will see those efforts continue, with Team BMW being only the beginning.

Team BMW consists of the following athletes:

• Roseline Filion, 10m Synchronized Diving: Roseline and diving partner Meaghan Benfeito have been one of the best 10m teams in the world since 2005. Reaching Rio would be Roseline’s third Olympic Games. She currently holds gold, bronze and silver medals from various competitions including the Olympic Games, the Pan Am Games, and World Championships.
• Meaghan Benfeito, 10m Synchronized Diving: Diving partner of Roseline Filion, Meaghan began diving at age seven.  In her second Olympic Games at London 2012, the pair won bronze. She has won multiple medals at other multi-sport games, including the 2011 Pan Am Games where she won silver with Filion and bronze individually. In 2014, she was a double Commonwealth Games gold medallist in the 10m and 10m synchro events.
• Mark de Jonge, 200m Sprint Kayak: Mark has come a long way since learning to “just stay upright” in a kayak.  Earning a bronze medal at his Olympic debut in London 2012, Mark has proven himself to be a resilient and focused athlete. In 2015, he successfully defended his world championship gold medal, making him the first man to win back-to-back titles since 2003.
• Derek Drouin, High Jump: At his first Olympic Games in London 2012, Derek was part of a three-way tie for bronze after clearing 2.29m. It was Canada’s first Olympic high jump medal since 1976. In 2013, he won bronze at the 2013 IAAF World Championships, and in 2014, he became one of 12 men in history to jump the height of 2.40m, breaking his own Canadian record. This past summer, he won gold at the Pan Am Games, followed by another gold at the World Track and Field Championships.
• Ryan Cochrane, 400m and 1,500m Freestyle Swimming: Ryan is one of Canada’s most-decorated swimmers ever.  His six medals at the FINA World Championships are the most ever earned by a Canadian swimmer. He is also just the second person to reach the podium in the 800m and 1500m freestyle events at three straight Worlds, winning a total of four silver and two bronze. His Olympic history includes a bronze medal at the Beijing Olympic Games in 2008, and a silver medal at the London Olympic Games in 2012.
• Brooke Henderson, Golf: Brooke Henderson made history in September, 2014 when she became the first Canadian to be ranked number one in the Women’s World Amateur Rankings. With more than 50 amateur victories to her credit, she turned pro in December, 2014.  She then earned her first pro win at the 2015 Four Winds Invitational in June, becoming the third-youngest winner in Symetra Tour history. In December, 2015, she was named the Canadian Press Female Athlete of the Year, and is on track to represent Canada as golf makes it return to the Olympic Games in Rio.

“I know I speak for our retailers and associates nationwide when I say how proud I am to help Canadian athletes drive towards their Olympic dreams,” said Kevin Marcotte, Marketing Director, BMW Canada.  “The BMW Group and the Olympic Movement share many common values, which makes our partnership resonate with every one of us. Supporting the Canadian Olympic Team enables us to give back to our community in a unique and fulfilling way by supporting athletes from coast to coast. It is an honour and a pleasure to assist these six athletes in their quest for the podium.”

“BMW has been an outstanding partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and we are honoured to continue our partnership with them,” said Derek Kent, Chief Marketing Officer, Canadian Olympic Committee. “Both of our organizations strive for high-performance and we look forward to seeing Ryan, Meaghan, Roseline, Mark, Derek and Brooke, with BMW’s support, bring this shared value to life on the road to Rio.”

“I’ve appreciated BMW products for quite some time,” said Olympic bronze medallist Mark de Jonge.  “As an engineer, I really appreciate the innovation built into them.  Having BMW as a partner has inspired me to look at my paddle differently and helped me to think differently about how I approach my sport.”

“I’m so happy to have a partner like BMW,” said Roseline Filion, Olympic bronze medallist.  “Sponsorships help fuel the entire athlete.  From food to training to transportation, the support is very much appreciated.  My BMW X3 helps me get to all of my appointments and training and home to visit my parents.  It helps me live the slightly hectic life of an athlete in training a bit more easily.”

BMW Group Canada is proud to partner of the Canadian Olympic Team and will showcase Team BMW on bmw.ca. As National Partner and Official Vehicle of the Canadian Olympic Team, BMW’s partnership will provide athlete support and generate fundraising opportunities for the team.

KAPALUA, Hawaii – The first round of the new year on the PGA Tour was not an encore for Jordan Spieth – or defending champion Patrick Reed.

Spieth had said earlier in the week that an encore means the show is over, and it sure didn’t look that way at the Hyundai Tournament of Champions. He opened with seven birdies and no bogeys for a 7-under 66 that left him one shot behind when Reed finished strong and made a 15-foot eagle putt on the 18th hole for a 65.

Reed hasn’t won since he rallied to win at Kapalua a year ago, though he hasn’t been far off. He ended last year with six top 10s in five countries, and he showed his comfort level on a Plantation Course in gorgeous sunshine and only a stiff breeze that picked up in the middle of the round.

Reed and Spieth both had eagle putts on three of the par 5s.

The difference was Reed converting on the final hole. They were in the last group and part of a five-way tie for the lead when Reed smashed a 3-wood from 309 yards that trickled onto the front of the green and let the grain take it 15 feet below the hole.

“I didn’t think I could get it all the way to the green,” Reed said. “I thought if I smoked it, I’d get to the front edge and it just happened to ride the wind a little bit and kind of just kept on going. And once it gets on that green, I know it’s going to just keep feeding.”

That capped off a finish that took Reed from the middle of the pack to the lead. He was 6 under over the last six holes with that eagle.

Spieth came up some 60 yards short and hit a great shot of his own, a flip wedge that rolled to 4 feet for birdie.

Brandt Snedeker, still battling a head cold, J.B. Holmes and Danny Lee were all at 67, while Fabian Gomez of Argentina was another shot behind.

Jason Day, who has a chance to replace Spieth at No. 1 in the world this week, has not played in three months since the Presidents Cup. And it showed. In ideal scoring conditions, Day didn’t make a birdie until the ninth hole and made only two on the back nine for a 70.

Only seven players from the 32-man field of PGA Tour winners last year failed to break par. One of them was Dustin Johnson, a past winner at Kapalua, who had to birdie the 18th for a 73. Johnson had the longest drive on six of the holes, including three of them just short of 400 yards. It didn’t help him score.

Smylie Kaufman, one of 14 players making their debut at Kapalua, hit the opening tee shot of 2016 so far left that he played his next shot from the ninth hole. He still made birdie, and wound up with a 70.

Spieth won the Masters and U.S. Open last year, along with three other titles that led to the FedEx Cup and a sweep of all the awards. He wanted this to me a continuation of last year and brought that attitude to the opening tee shot.

“It’s another event in the course of my career,” he said. “The calendar changed.”

It only took two holes from a familiar look – Spieth walking across the green as a long putt dropped for birdie. He had long two-putt birdies on the par 5s on the front and missed a 15-foot eagle on the 15th that was such a weak attempt that he said even Reed said to him, “Nice effort.”

They typically do well together, which includes a 2-0-1 record as partners in the Ryder Cup two years ago. Reed picked up his first PGA Tour victory in a playoff over Spieth in 2013 with a shot out of the trees to 3 feet. Spieth got him back last year at Innisbrook with a 30-foot birdie putt on the third playoff hole.

“Whether we want to feed off each other or we want to beat the crap out of each other, we somehow play well together,” Spieth said.

Reed wasn’t converting many chances, with two-putt birdies on the par 5s on the front. His round turned with a 15-foot birdie putt on the 13th. He followed with a pitch to tap-in range on the 14th and 15th holes, and a shot over the gorge to 2 feet on the 17th.

Snedeker has been at Kapalua for a week, playing four times before the official start of tournament week. He was ready to go, and when it counted, he looked sharp.

“I know the golf course pretty well and I think getting over here early, the greens always pose a big problem,” Snedeker said. “You get comfortable on greens and be aggressive on putts that you know are fast or slow. You just have to know putts. They’re hard to read. So that’s kind of the reason I came over to do that.

Before each round Dustin Johnson plays on the PGA TOUR, he goes through an extensive warm-up routine. Enjoy this all-access look at how he prepares for competition.

GAUTENG, South Africa – Jaco van Zyl shot a 7-under 65 Thursday to top a South African-dominated leaderboard in the first round of the SA Open, the European Tour’s first event of 2016.

Van Zyl maintained the form that put him in ties for eighth and 13th at the season-opening Alfred Dunhill Championship and Nedbank Golf Challenge before Christmas, hitting six birdies and an eagle.

It was the 36-year-old Van Zyl’s first round of golf without the assistance of knee braces since he underwent surgery to both knees in March 2014.

Shaun Norris was alone in second place after a 66, and Jbe Kruger and Keith Horne were tied for third at 5 under at Glendower Golf Club as South Africans filled the top four places. Two more were in a six-way tie at 4 under – Justin Walters and 2006 winner Retief Goosen – on a low-scoring day when the rough was less penal after a recent drought and heatwave.

Defending champion Andy Sullivan of England shot 3 over and was 10 strokes off the pace.

Play was suspended for the day because of the threat of lightning, with 33 players still to finish their rounds. Nicolas Colsaerts (shoulder) and Richard Finch (Achilles) retired in the first round.

Van Zyl has 13 victories on South Africa’s Sunshine Tour but is yet to win on the European Tour, with the most recent of his four runner-up finishes coming at the Turkish Airlines Open in November.

“I’ve had a couple of weeks off, spending time with the family,” Van Zyl said. “I’ve had my fair share of whisky and Christmas pudding so it was really nice to get off to a good start.”

Starting at No. 10, Van Zyl picked up four shots on his front nine, and moved to 7 under after an eagle 3 at the par-5 second hole. He made up for his only bogey of the round, on No. 7, by making a birdie from three feet on the next hole.

Fairhaven, MA – FootJoy has announced its plan to expand into women’s performance apparel with the launch of FJ Golfleisure.  With the rapid growth of its men’s apparel line after entering the market just 4 years ago, FJ expands into the women’s market with a golf focused line inspired by the women’s athleisure lifestyle movement.

“The rise of athleisure women’s apparel driven by lifestyle changes inspired by fitness and wellness, has led us to develop this exciting range.  As an authentic golf brand focused on performance golf wearables, we feel there is an opportunity in the market for a golf interpretation of the athleisure lifestyle movement,” said Whitney Trimble, Director of Marketing-FJ Apparel.  “We also believe this is not a trend but rather a lifestyle shift in women’s apparel that needs to be addressed by a brand whose sole focus and passion is golf.”

FJ Golfleisure features an array of multifunctional silhouettes in comfortable performance fabrics for the active golfer while allowing these styles to also be worn for every day routine.  The range includes body mapped base layers, performance mid-layers, full zip hoodies, skorts, leggings, space dye layering styles along with performance shirts and outerwear.  All items are specifically designed for golf while being tailored for the player’s athleisure lifestyle.

Introduction of the FJ Golfleisure line will take place at the upcoming PGA Show in Orlando and include significant marketing support such as a lookbook catalog.

The Canadian line will be available in Canadian golf shops beginning Spring, 2017.

FAIRHAVEN, Mass. – Pinnacle Golf introduced a pair of new golf balls on Tuesday, with the Rush and Soft models.

The Rush design is a distance ball, while the Soft is to live up to its name, offering great feel at a modest price.

Here’s a little more about the two new products.

PINNACLE RUSH is designed with proprietary high-energy core technology that produces fast ball speed for extraordinary distance on all full swing shots. Rush utilizes an advanced icosahedral dimple design with 332 dimples to deliver a consistent, powerful ball flight, while its soft, durable ionomer cover provides great feel.

“Pinnacle Rush is designed to max out a golfer’s distance potential. It’s a distance-focused construction with a low compression core and a firm cover. That combination gives you high initial velocity off the clubface with very low spin, which is the perfect recipe for hitting it long. And because Rush has a lower overall compression than most other distance balls, it provides a very playable feel,” said Scott Cooper, Titleist R&D’s Product Development Manager. “We design, engineer and manufacture every Pinnacle golf ball ourselves. That’s a huge advantage which allows us to deliver the distance and performance these golfers want along with exceptional consistency.”

Pinnacle Rush is available in both White and Optic Yellow.

PINNACLE SOFT is engineered with a high-energy, extremely low compression core –Pinnacle’s lowest compression core ever – that delivers extremely soft feel along with low spin for long distance. The proprietary core formulation combines with an incredibly soft ionomer cover to produce the softest-feeling Pinnacle ever made. Soft’s advanced icosahedral dimple design with 332 dimples ensures an ideal, consistent flight.

“Pinnacle Soft is designed for the golfer that wants soft feel on every single shot. It’s the softest core we’ve ever manufactured, combined with one of our softest cover blends. The ball just feels fantastic no matter which club is in your hands,” Cooper said. “Yet this is still a Pinnacle golf ball, and when golfers tee up a Pinnacle they expect long distance. We’ve made sure that this new construction, from the core to the cover to the aerodynamics package, still delivers on that expectation.”

Pinnacle Soft is available in three color options: White (with black play number); White (with pink play number); and Pink (with black play number).

New Pinnacle Rush and Soft are available in golf shops beginning January 2016.

UXBRIDGE — The Golf Association of Ontario (GAO) is pleased to announce the hiring of Andrew Moss to fill the newly created role of High Performance Director. Moss joins the GAO’s Sport Department after High Performance Manager Mary Ann Hayward’s retirement announcement and former Director Mike Kelly’s move to the role of Executive Director.

“I am thrilled to be joining the GAO at this important time for golf,” said Moss. “With the upcoming Olympic Games, and the great pool of talent we have in Ontario, there is a fantastic opportunity to grow the participation in our sport, and see more and more golfers come through our clubs, and through our high performance pathways.”

Moss brings 25 years of experience to the GAO as a coach, provincial and national sport administrator, consultant and most recently, Lead of High Performance Athlete Development at the Canadian Sport Institute Ontario (CSIO). At the CSIO, Moss was responsible for overseeing a portfolio of National and Provincial high performance programs with some of Canada’s top Olympic sports, such as Rowing, Athletics, Swimming, Cycling, and Figure Skating.

Having started out as a swimmer, golfer and sailor in Kingston, Moss pursued a coaching passion over a 15-year career. Following retirement from coaching, he moved to sport administration as Program Director at Swim BC, and Director of Domestic Operations with Swimming Canada. In both roles, Andrew oversaw the development and implementation of athlete, coaching, and club development programs, along with implementation of online performance tracking systems.

“We received an incredible amount of interest for this new position and following a very thorough process, we are thrilled to welcome Andrew to our team,” said Kelly.  “His background in sport, passion for golf and experience at the renowned Canadian Sport Institute Ontario will be a massive benefit to Ontario athletes, PGA of Canada coaches and clubs.”

“I appreciate the confidence Mike Kelly has shown in me, and I am confident that the unique experience I bring will help build on the great work done by Mary Ann Hayward and the GAO team over the past six and a half years,” added Moss. “I’m excited to help shape a great future for our high performance programs, and the other exciting initiatives underway at the GAO, Golf Canada and the Government of Ontario.”

Moss will begin the new role February 1, 2016.