CANTON, Miss. – John Daly was out of the hospital and playing golf again Sunday less than 24 hours after he was stricken on the course with what he says was a collapsed lung.

The two-time major champion was taken by ambulance to Baptist Medical Center on Saturday after he collapsed on the 18th tee during an outing at Deerfield Country Club. Daly said doctors ran tests and X-rays but found no other serious problems besides the lung.

“I was having a great time and then suddenly – boom – I’m falling down while on the 18th tee and the next thing I know I’m in an ambulance,” Daly said. “It was scary.”

But Daly was back at Deerfield on Sunday, smoking cigarettes on the clubhouse patio while mingling with some of the other players before his round. The tournament is a small, local gathering that includes some of Daly’s friends.

Daly’s agent, Bud Martin, said in an email earlier Saturday that the 49-year-old golfer has been coping with a lingering rib injury dating to 2007. The injury recently was causing pain and affected his breathing.

Daly’s right hand was heavily taped on Sunday. He said he hurt it while putting a new tire on his son’s golf cart earlier this week, which indirectly led to Saturday’s problems.

“I had to change my swing some to get a good grip and the doctor said the changed motion is likely what led to the collapsed lung,” Daly said.

Deerfield club pro Leigh Brannan says Daly was having trouble with the heat Saturday and had difficulty breathing before being taken to the hospital. Temperatures were near 90 degrees.

“It was just kind of a freak injury,” Daly said.

Daly’s hard-living ways have been well documented during a turbulent career on the PGA Tour. He recently threw his 6-iron into Lake Michigan during the PGA Championship after hitting three balls into the water.

VYSOKY UJEZD, Czech Republic – Thomas Pieters shot a 3-under 69 on Sunday to win the Czech Masters by three strokes for his first European Tour victory.

Pieters overcame a bad start with a double bogey on the third hole by making four birdies the rest of the way to hold off Pelle Edberg of Sweden. The 23-year-old Belgian finished with a 20-under 268 at the Albatross Golf course near Prague.

“To be a European Tour winner it’s an amazing feeling right now,”Pieters said. “Right now it means everything, you work for it all year long, up till now my whole life. I played really well after making an early double.”

Edberg shot a 71 after mixing three birdies with two bogeys, with Matthew Fitzpatrick of England another shot back after a 68.

Edberg opened the final round with two straight birdies to surge into the lead before his hopes for a first European Tour win suffered a blow with a bogey on the 3rd and another on the 11th.

“Overall, I’m pleased,” “Edberg said. “This is a step in the right direction.”

JACKSON, Miss. – John Daly collapsed near the end of a round of golf Saturday and was taken by ambulance to a hospital.

The 49-year-old Daly was playing in a small event at Deerfield Golf Club in Jackson’s northern suburbs.

Daly’s friend, Billy Allen, who was with Daly at the hospital, said the two-time major champion’s vital signs were good but doctors were checking on possible injuries to his ribs and fingers.

Deerfield club pro Leigh Brannan, who was at the tournament, said Daly was having trouble with the heat and had some difficulty breathing before being taken to the hospital. Temperatures were near 90 degrees in the Jackson area.

“He was struggling pretty badly right before he collapsed,” Brannan said. “But we’re all hoping it’s nothing serious and that he was just a little dehydrated. He was even telling (Allen) he still wants to play (Sunday).”

Daly’s hard-living ways have been well documented during a colorful career on the PGA Tour. He most recently made headlines after throwing his 6-iron into Lake Michigan during the PGA Championship after hitting three balls into the water.

EDISON, N.J. – Ryan Palmer can’t imagine the emotions if he were to win The Barclays a week after his father died. Bae Sang-moon would love nothing more than to play in the Presidents Cup at home in South Korea before he starts his mandatory military service. Jason Day is one round away from being in the race for No. 1 in the world.

The FedEx Cup playoffs suddenly are about a lot more than a $10 million bonus at the end.

Bae and Day traded birdies through the third round Saturday at Plainfield Country Club. Their best-ball score would have been 56. On their own, each had a 7-under 63 and were tied for the lead going at 11-under 199, one shot ahead of Bubba Watson (67).

Bae has to start his two-year military stint when he returns to South Korea. With a victory on Sunday, he would be assured a spot on the International team for the Presidents Cup, which is being held in his home country for the first time and will be the biggest golf event in South Korea.

“I have a really tough situation right now, but I don’t think about it anymore, actually,” he said. “I have to go back. So that is a few weeks later. So I just want to play good golf this week and really want to play Presidents Cup in my country.”

The emotion comes from Palmer, who hasn’t had a top 10 in the last three months. He is playing a week after his 71-year-old father died just north of Amarillo, Texas, when his SUV overturned. Palmer has found peaceful moments on the golf course, and while dropping two shots late in his round Saturday, he had a 65 and was two shots behind.

At times, Palmer caught himself wondering what it would mean to win with a family grieving at home.

“But then I just kind of come back saying, `OK, let’s just hit this shot, let’s not get too ahead of ourselves yet.’ I don’t know what it’s going to be like if it happens,” Palmer said after a 65. “I can’t put into words what it would mean for sure.”

Day, just like he did on the par 5s at Whistling Straits when he won his first major two weeks ago, cracked a 343-yard drive down the middle on the 601-yard 16th hole, and then hit a 4-iron to 18 feet and holed it for eagle to tie for the lead.

Day and Bae made bogey from the rough on the 17th, and both got up-and-down for birdie on the reachable 18th.

A victory by the 27-year-old Australian would be his fourth win of the year, tying him with Jordan Spieth for most on the PGA Tour this year, and allow him to join the race for No. 1 going into the final month of the tour season. Spieth, who missed the cut, will lose the No. 1 spot to Rory McIlroy.

“I’m shooting for my fourth win of the season, so I can’t really get ahead of myself,” Day said. “I’ve just got to not be satisfied with the score that I’m at. I’ve just got to keep pushing, because the moment that you’re satisfied with a score is the moment that you mentally kind of take a break and you start making mistakes.”

Still, Bae might have the most at stake.

He had been able to avoid his mandatory military service through his PGA Tour career until it was determined that he spent too much time in South Korea last year. He appealed the decision at the start of the year, and the military courts ruled a month ago that he had to serve. Bae accepted the decision, though he remains in America to finish out the FedEx Cup. It was not clear when the military service starts, or if he could even play Oct. 8-11 in the Presidents Cup.

And if Bae gets to the Tour Championship and captures the FedEx Cup, the $10 million might be a secondary award. Bae also would receive a five-year exemption, which would come in handy when he returns from the military.

The FedEx Cup trophy is a long way off. So is the trophy for The Barclays.

British Open champion Zach Johnson and Henrik Stenson each had 67 and joined Palmer at 9-under 201. Former PGA champion Jason Dufner had a 69 and was four shots behind. Ten players were separated by five shots going into the final round.

Palmer can only hope for the same soothing feeling golf has given him this week. The problems he has had driving the ball seem to have gone away. So has the irritation from hitting bad shots. Golf has been a refuge this week. His caddie, James Edmondson, also was close to Palmer’s father. Edmondson and Palmer’s agent, Mike Chisum, were with him in Amarillo and all week in New Jersey.

“Them being here this week has been huge for me to just kind of keep my mind off of it,” Palmer said. “When I get inside the ropes, I get those four hours to not thin a whole lot about it and really try to play golf with some peace and comfort.”

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Austin Ernst took the lead at 10 under Saturday before darkness forced the suspension of third-round play in the weather-delayed Yokohama LPGA Tire Classic.

Ernest was 1 under through four holes after waiting out a five-hour delay for rain and lightning on the links-style Senator Course. She passed second-round leader Yani Tseng, who had a bogey on the fourth hole to drop to 9 under.

Players are expected to stay in the same groups for early morning starts Sunday, trying to complete the 72-hole tournament.

Lexi Thompson, the 2011 winner, was two strokes back along with Sei Young Kim, Tiffany Joh, Sydnee Michaels and Julieta Granada.

A number of players had to complete the second round Saturday after a 90-minute delay a day earlier. None completed more than 14 holes in the third round.

Ernst, a 23-year-old former LSU player, had a birdie on the second hole and is seeking her second LPGA Tour title. She won the Portland Classic last year.

Tseng had hoped to ride momentum from her finish on Friday. She had closed an 8-under 64 with an eagle and a birdie to move to 10 under.

The 26-year-old Taiwanese player, ranked No. 1 for 109 weeks early in her career, is trying to snap an 85-event winless streak dating to the 2012 Kia Classic.

Tseng won seven times in 2011, becoming the youngest player to win consecutive Rolex Player of the Year awards and earning just shy of $3 million. The 15-time tour winner’s only top-10 finish of the year came when she tied for second in March in the LPGA Thailand.

Kim was 3 under through seven and birdied her final two holes.

PRATTVILLE, Ala. – Austin Ernst a pris les devants en atteignant un score cumulatif de moins-10, samedi, avant que la noirceur n’interrompe la troisième ronde de la Classique Yokohama Tire.

Ernest était à moins-1 après quatre trous, elle qui a d patienter durant cinq heures en raison de la pluie qui s’abattait sur le parcours Senator. Elle a devancé la meneuse après deux rondes, Yani Tseng, qui a commis un boguey au quatrième trou pour glisser à moins-9.

Les joueuses devraient demeurer dans les mêmes groupes, dimanche, alors qu’elles tenteront de compéter le tournoi de 72 trous.

Lexi Thompson, la gagnante de 2011, accusait deux coups de retard en compagnie de Sei Young Kim, Tiffany Joh, Sydnee Michaels et Julieta Granada.

Les Canadiennes Brooke Henderson et Alena Sharp sont à égalité au 19e rang à moins-4.

ENDICOTT, N.Y. – For Canadian Rod Spittle, just playing on the Champions Tour at age 60 is old hat that never gets old. Now, he finds himself in a most unusual place – alone in the lead for the first time heading to Sunday.

Spittle shot a 6-under 66 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead over tour newcomer Scott McCarron (64) and John Huston (68) after the second round of the Dick’s Sporting Goods Open. Spittle was at 10-under 134.

Huston, the 2011 champion, is trying to become the first two-time winner in the event that started in 2007.

Jeff Maggert (68), Stephen Ames (64), Ian Woosnam (69) and first-round co-leader Paul Goydos (70) were tied for fourth at 8 under, with Corey Pavin (66) and Willie Wood (69) another shot behind.

Spittle, a star at Ohio State in the late 1970s with Joey Sindelar and John Cook, turned pro at age 49 after working as a corporate insurance executive for 25 years. He won the 2010 AT&T Championship, 106 starts ago.

“I was home being a husband and a dad,” said Spittle, who wanted to watch his three children grow up instead of traveling and living out of a suitcase. “We’ve won all of one time out here. It’s very fun to have a chance to win. The reason I still play is I think I can win again.”

Spittle, who had a 68 on the opening round, had four birdies and a bogey on the front nine, barely missing a fifth birdie when his putt at the par-3 seventh hole stopped at the lip and didn’t drop. He had two more birdies and another bogey over the first five holes on the back side, then vaulted into the lead with an eagle at the par-4 No. 16, his chip from 65 yards bouncing twice on the green before hitting the flag and dropping in the hole.

“Folks started jumping up and down, so we guessed right,” Spittle said with a chuckle. “I’ve played very solid this summer, been very consistent the last five or six weeks. We’ll see if we can have some more fun tomorrow.”

Right behind was McCarron, playing just his fourth event on the Champions Tour since turning 50 in July. He made up considerable ground on the leaderboard as he chases his first victory and said playing in the final group with Schwab Cup points leader Colin Montgomerie at the Shaw Charity Classic at Calgary, Alberta in early August did wonders for his game.

“It’s been a long time,” said McCarron, who had three PGA Tour victories, the last at the 2001 BellSouth Classic. “I learned a lot just being in the final group with Colin on Saturday. When you don’t get in tournaments on the PGA Tour, you play once a month, once every two months, and you miss every cut by a shot, that’s not a lot of fun.

“Being out here, knowing there’s no cut, I’m having fun playing golf again,” said McCarron, who has overcome surgery for a bone spur and torn ligaments in his left thumb in 2012 and right elbow surgery in 2006. “I’m healthy, I’m happy and I’m in better shape now than I’ve ever been.”

Montgomerie is not playing for a second straight week because of commitments in Europe, giving Maggert and Bernhard Langer a chance to take over the top spot. Montgomerie has 2,873 points, Maggert 2,707 and Langer 2,604 in what has become a three-way competition with four more events until the Schwab Cup Championship in November.

Langer, who won here last year, plummeted with three bogeys in the last six holes Saturday to finish with his second straight 71 and at 2 under is likely out of contention for a top-10 finish and a chance to gain in the points race.

Maggert isn’t

“I need to be a little more aggressive on the front nine tomorrow, make four or five birdies if I can, and set myself up for a good finish,” said Maggert, who birdied the three par-5s on the front side but also had a pair of bogeys.

A bogey on his final hole after seven birdies put a frown on Pavin’s face. Still, he was just three shots behind and playing well.

“Tomorrow, I’ve got to go out and probably shoot another score like that to have a chance,” said the 55-year-old Pavin, who has 15 PGA Tour wins but just one on the senior tour, three years ago. “We’ll just see. I’m in a position where I can make a run, hopefully.”

Just like the opening round, conditions on the narrow, tree-lined 6,974-yard En-Joie Golf Club course were ideal, with partly cloudy skies, temperatures around 80, and just the hint of a breeze.

Chilliwack, British Columbia’s Brad Clapp birdied the final two holes at Loyalist Golf and Country Club on Saturday to shoot a 4-under 68 and maintain his lead at The Great Waterway Classic, the ninth event of the 2015 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Clapp, who was born in nearby Trenton, Ontario and raised for the first 10 years of his life in southeastern Ontario, maintained the two-shot lead he began the day with, capping his round with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 18^th to sit at 18-under through 54 holes.

“It always feels good finishing birdie-birdie, especially to keep the lead. I didn’t really feel like I had my best today, so watching that leaderboard I knew I had some to work to do,” said Clapp, whose closing birdie came after another at the 17^th where he stuck a wedge inside 10 feet and rolled in the putt for birdie.

The 28-year old was two strokes ahead of San Antonio, Texas resident Tom Moore through three rounds and said he was surprised when he saw his name atop the leaderboard on the back nine with so many low scores posted earlier in the morning.

“I’m actually surprised that 18-under is still in the lead, knowing how good these guys are. I expected to start the day without the lead. This Tour’s so good, and watching the scores this week has been crazy. I kind of thought I’d be chasing guys when I get on the first tee,” said Clapp.

The 54-hole lead is Clapp’s first on the Mackenzie Tour, putting the second year Tour player in unfamiliar territory. Still, Clapp said he would draw on other successful competitive experiences, including wins at the 2012 PGA of BC Championship and the Vancouver Open on the Vancouver Golf Tour earlier this month.

“That [Vancouver Open win] was a come-from-behind victory, so this would be a little bit different, but having the taste of success is huge no matter what level you’re on,” said Clapp. “I’ve been struggling to keep my mental game in shape all year, so it’s nice that I can draw from this round not having my best but still staying calm and patient and just plugging along. It’s a huge confidence boost.”

One shot behind Moore at 14-under were Maryland’s Kyle Stough and Florida’s Chase Seiffert, each of whom secured two-putt birdies of their own at the 18^th. A group of seven players, including Order of Merit no. 5 Albin Choi and Oklahoma’s Talor Gooch, who shot matching 8-under 64s in the same pairing, were one shot further behind.

“I was a little disappointed I didn’t get in last week, but I came out here and wanted to prove something, so here I am,” said Moore, who did not get into last week’s National Capital Open to Support Our Troops as an alternate and spent the week caddying for Ohio’s Ross Beal, who finished fourth.

VYSOKY UJEZD, Czech Republic – Thomas Pieters of Belgium shot a 7-under 65 on Saturday despite being penalized for hitting the wrong ball, taking a one-stroke lead after the third round of the Czech Masters.

Pieters began the round one shot behind overnight leaders Matthew Fitzpatrick and Pelle Edberg but made an eagle on the par-5 first hole and continued with four birdies on the next nine. His lead could have been bigger if not for taking a double bogey on the 11th after playing the wrong ball in the rough.

“It’s never happened to me before,” Pieters said. “I normally check my ball. It still hurts a little bit because it is my mistake. It could have been a lower one but I’m still really happy with the way I played and seven under is a good score on a Saturday.”

Seeking his first European Tour victory at the Albatross Golf course near Prague, the 23-year-old Pieters recovered immediately with a birdie on the 12th and added two more on the 14th and 16th for a 17-under total of 199.

“It was nice to fight back and finish off with a couple of birdies, but I need to learn from it obviously and not make stupid mistakes like that,” Pieters said.

Edberg of Sweden produced a flawless round of 67 to sit a shot back in second place.

Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark carded a 67 with a 40-foot putt for a birdie on the last hole to sit three shots behind in third. Fitzpatrick is tied for fourth after carding a 71.

Sweden’s Mikael Lundberg carded a 64 to equal the course record with an eagle and six birdies to surge into a tie for sixth on 9 under.

Chilliwack, British Columbia’s Brad Clapp took advantage of another perfect day for scoring at Loyalist Golf and Country Club on Friday, shooting a 9-under 63 to take the 36-hole lead at The Great Waterway Classic, the ninth event of the 2015 Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada season.

Clapp, who was born in nearby Trenton, Ontario and spent the first 10 years of his life in southeastern Ontario, carded seven birdies and an eagle to reach 14-under par through two rounds, two shots clear of Taiwan’s C.T. Pan, Florida’s Chase Seiffert, Minnesota’s Clayton Rask and California’s Trevor Simsby.

“I just stayed out of trouble. I’ve been hitting my driver really well this week, so I hit it almost every hole on the back nine,” said Clapp. “I gave myself a lot of chances and only missed one green, so I’ve just been keeping it in play, plugging along and staying patient.”

The 28-year old, who tied the round of the week despite missing a one-footer for birdie on the 13th, is staying with his Aunt and Uncle nearby and said he enjoyed the hometown feel of the event with familiar faces following him in the crowd.

“I only get a chance to come out here and see my family on this side of the country once a year if I’m lucky, so it’s nice that we can have dinners together,” said Clapp. “I’m seeing some friends I haven’t seen in a long time, so it’s awesome. It keeps me nice and relaxed off the golf course.”

Clapp said the good vibes for the week started when he set the new course record during a casual round on the course he grew up playing as kid on Tuesday.

“My aunt and uncle operate the Trenton Golf Club where I first grew up playing, so I went back and played there on Tuesday. There’s a membership that usually comes out and follows me. Unfortunately I didn’t play very well last year, but I’ll hopefully have some more people out this week,” said Clapp.

Two shots behind Clapp was a group of four players that included Pan, the champion earlier this year at The Players Cup and current No. 9 on the Order of Merit, along with Rask, who finished third at last week’s National Capital Open to Support Our Troops, Web.com Tour member Trevor Simsby and Mackenzie Tour rookie Chase Seiffert.

NUMBERS YOU NEED TO KNOW

• 14: Brad Clapp’s 36-hole score to par, tied for the lowest on Tour this season.
• 5: The 36-hole cut, the second lowest on Tour this season.
• 30: Players to shoot in the 60s both days at Loyalist.

QUOTABLES:

“There’s only so much I can control. People might shoot 25-under and I might not win, but there’s nothing I can do about that. It’s hard, with people talking about it. When they announce you on the tee with your position on the Order of Merit, it’s hard not to think about it. When that happens, I go back to my basic stuff and just try to make sure my mindset is right and not setting my expectations too high.” – C.T. Pan on trying to block out thoughts of his position on the Order of Merit with four events left in the 2015 season.

“I’m hitting the ball great and just got some putts to fall. That’s the difference between this week and last week, just getting some putts to fall. I’ve been hitting well most of the year, and just getting the ball to fall is kind of the key for everybody out here.” – Chase Seiffert, who shot his second straight 6-under 66.

“Last week was good. I was hitting it really well, but putting better than everything else helped me out a couple of holes early today. It’s good momentum to have going into the last stretch here.” – Clayton Rask, who finished third at last week’s National Capital Open to Support Our Troops.

“It’s funny; that year felt a lot different. This year I feel like even though I didn’t do anything at the beginning of the season, I was still playing pretty well. I was making some cuts and had some top 30s, and felt like I was closer than what the scores were indicating. I’ve certainly played better the last month or so. I think I’m playing so much better than I did in 2013, it’s just really hard to win out here and shoot four 65s, which is pretty much what you have to do.” – Mackenzie Hughes, who ranks 11th on the current Order of Merit, on comparing his game to the 2013 season, when he won the Order of Merit. Hughes shot 29 on the front nine Friday for a 6-under 66 and 11-under total.

Notes:

• Weather: 20 degrees Celsius (24 degrees with Humidity). Partly cloudy. Winds 23 km/h.
• Clapp currently sits 67th on the Order of Merit. His best career finish on the Mackenzie Tour is a T2 at the 2014 PC Financial Open.
• This is Clapp’s first time with the lead after any round on the Mackenzie Tour.
• Clapp’s 14-under total ties the best 36-hole score on the Mackenzie Tour this season, matching Eric Onesi (64-66) at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open pres. by SaskTel.
• Order of Merit leader J.J. Spaun finished birdie-birdie-par-eagle to make the cut at 6-under. Spaun has yet to miss a cut on the Mackenzie Tour this season.
• 63 players made the 36-hole cut at 5-under (T53) or better. The lowest cut in Mackenzie Tour history is 6-under at the 2013 & 2015 SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel and the 2008 ATB Financial Classic.
• Sam Ryder and Mackenzie Hughes remain the only players to make the cut in every Mackenzie Tour event this season.
• 18-year old Austin Connelly, who is making his pro debut this week, shot a 5-under 67 to sit tied for sixth at 11-under through two rounds.
• All five players in The Five made the 36-hole cut: 1. J.J. Spaun (-6/T42); 2. Sam Ryder (-9/T16); Drew Weaver (-5/T53); Kevin Spooner (-8/T21); Albin Choi (-6/T42).