Coquitlam, B.C. (Golf Canada) – The final four spots into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open field will be determined Monday as the Final Qualifier is set for Pitt Meadows Golf Club in Pitt Meadows, B.C.

A total of 50 competitors will challenge for one of four spots into the field for Canada’s National Women’s Open Golf Championship.

The Final Qualifier features 18 holes of stroke play with the low four competitors receiving an exemption into the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open field.  If necessary, a hole-by-hole playoff will be conducted immediately following the conclusion of play.

Click here for pairings, start times and results for Canadian Pacific Women’s Open Final Qualifying on Monday, August 17. Results will be available as players complete their rounds.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – With six straight 3s on his card, Jason Day looked determined as ever Saturday to finally get that first major. He had a 6-under 66 and built a two-shot lead in the PGA Championship, the third straight major he has at least a share of the lead going into the final round.

One look at the leaderboard at the name right behind him – Jordan Spieth – made it clear it won’t be easy.

Spieth was five shots behind and had two holes to play when he capped off a stunning charge along the back nine at Whistling Straits with six birdies over his last eight holes, including three in a row at the end that gave him a 7-under 65 to get into the final group.

“Very pleased to have a chance to win another major,” Spieth said.

He is trying to join Tiger Woods (2000) and Ben Hogan (1953) as the only players to win three majors in one year, and Spieth hopes to rely on his experience of having already won the Masters and U.S. Open this year.

Day showed plenty of moxie, though.

After making a double bogey that cut his lead to one shot, and then failing to birdie the par-5 16th, he poured in a 25-foot birdie putt and pumped both arms to show how much it meant.

“One more day left,” Day said before heading off to the practice range before the sun set on this wild day along Lake Michigan. “I got to keep pushing forward, keep grinding, keep doing the best I can out there and see how it goes tomorrow.”

Saturday featured abundant sunshine and endless action, starting in the dead calm of the morning when Matt Jones finished the storm-delayed second round with two birdies for a two-shot lead. In the hunt at a major for the first time, Jones kept his cool even when his drive landed in a hospitality tent left of the ninth fairway and he chose to play off the blue carpet, over the white fence and just off the green.

But he imploded at the end, dropping four shots over the last four holes for a 73.

Day looked like he was headed that direction. One moment it looked as though the 27-year-old Australian was pulling away. The next minute he was pulling himself together.

He played a six-hole stretch around the turn in 6 under, which included a 15-foot eagle at No. 11 for his first lead of the round. When he stuffed another approach close on the 14th hole for birdie, he was 16 under.

One swing changed everything.

He tugged a 5-iron into a bunker left of the 15th green and was surprised by the amount of sand. The first shot didn’t make it up the slope and rolled back into the sand, and Day wound up with a double bogey right about the time Spieth shifted into another gear.

Spieth was trying to stay close enough to have a chance on Sunday. The volunteers were slow to post Day’s double bogey on the large leaderboard on the 18th green, which Spieth couldn’t help but notice as he lined up his 7-foot putt.

“I saw Jason was at 16 under and I said, `You’ve got to be kidding me. When is he going to slow down?'” Spieth said. “I saw that he was 16 under with four holes to go, thinking he could get to 17 (under pretty easily). I need to make this to have a chance within four of the lead. And then I think he’s dropped a couple of shots since then. But I did all I could do to finish off the round.”

Day did his part, even after failing to make birdie on the par-5 16th. Instead of getting down, he hit 4-iron into 25 feet on the 17th hole and rolled in the birdie.

He was at 15-under 201.

This was hardly a two-man race. Branden Grace of South Africa, tied for the lead with three holes to play in the U.S. Open when he hit a tee shot out-of-bounds onto the train tracks at Chambers Bay, holed a bunker shot for birdie on the 18th hole for a 64 to finish three shots behind.

“It’s another chance,” Grace said. “This is what we all play for. We all play to give ourselves the opportunity to get close to a major championship and we’re all here.”

Justin Rose also was three shots behind, even with a double bogey on the fourth hole for the second straight day. Rose also missed the 18th and made bogey, giving him one more shot he just make up against Day.

Still in the mix was Martin Kaymer, who had a 65 and was four shots behind. Kaymer won the PGA at Whistling Straits five years ago.

Day already has two wins this year and plenty of heartache in the majors. He was in a four-way tie for the lead at Chambers Bay while coping with vertigo symptoms, and he faded on the last day. A month ago, he needed birdie on the last hole at St. Andrews to get into a playoff at the British Open, and it stopped just short.

“It’s just all been trending in the right direction,” he said Saturday morning after finishing his second round.

Canadian Nick Taylor posted a third-round of 3-over par 75.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Brooke Henderson gave herself some breathing room in her bid for a breakthrough victory.

The 17-year-old Canadian opened a five-stroke lead Saturday in the Cambia Portland Classic, shooting a 7-under 65 at Columbia Edgewater.

“To get a good round together and try and increase my lead, and definitely just hit good shots. I’m really happy to get it to (18 under), and hopefully tomorrow just improve on that just a little bit,” Henderson said.

She’s trying to join Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson as the only players to win an LPGA Tour title before turning 18.

On a warm, calm day, Henderson made seven birdies in her bogey-free round. Henderson, who turns 18 in September, tied the tournament 54-hole record of 18-under 198 set by Yani Tseng in 2013. The five-stroke margin is the largest third-round lead on the LPGA Tour this year.

Morgan Pressel was second after a 65.

Henderson, from Smiths Falls, Ontario, also had the 54-hole lead in April in California in the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic. She closed with a 74 and ended up finishing third. She’ll be banking on that experience Sunday.

“Saturday I wasn’t feeling the nerves, and then Sunday I did. I’ll just have to be aware of that tomorrow,” Henderson said. “It was interesting in San Francisco. I learned a lot about myself and my game, and I think I’ve come leaps and bounds from there early in the season.”

The Canadian won the Symetra Tour’s Four Winds Invitational in June in Indiana, and tied for fifth in the Women’s PGA Championship – the second of the LPGA Tour’s five majors.

A win Sunday would assure Henderson of finishing among the tour’s top 40 on the money list, giving her an LPGA Tour card for next season. Through nine LPGA Tour tournaments, Henderson has made $466,818. LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan denied Henderson’s age petition last year, preventing her from playing Q-school. She earned a spot in the Portland Classic field in Monday qualifying.

Henderson is attempting to become the second Monday qualifier to win an LPGA Tour tournament. The only player to accomplish the feat was Laurel Kean in the 2000 Rail Classic.

Had it not been for Henderson’s older sister, Brittany, there’s a chance none of this happens. Brittany received a sponsor’s exemption for the Portland Classic, and Brooke decided to take a chance on the Monday qualifier after running out sponsor’s exemptions.

She was asked if she would have tried to qualify without Brittany in the field.’

“I don’t know,” Henderson said. “I think it was a blessing in disguise that she’s got the sponsor’s invite and I came out here, because it is a long way to travel from home, and I’m not sure I would have made the trip.”

Henderson took a one-stroke lead over Masson into the day. After the two matched birdies at the par-4 first, Henderson increased her lead to two strokes with a birdie at the par-3 second. Masson closed within a stroke with a birdie at the par-5 fifth, and both players birdied the par-5 seventh.

Henderson pulled away on the back nine, starting with birdies on the par-5 10th and par-4 11th. Masson bogeyed the par-5 12th, giving Henderson a four-stroke lead. Even though Pressel birdied three of her final four holes, Henderson increased her lead to five strokes with birdies at the par-4 15th and par-3 16th.

On Sunday, Henderson will play alongside Pressel. The two played in Sunday’s final group when Henderson had the 54-hole lead at Swinging Skirts.

“Brooke is a great player. I mean, to Monday qualify and obviously be playing this well, she knows what’s at stake for her. She’s a great girl, and she has a lot of potential, for sure,” Pressel said.

Pressel, who made nine birdies during her second and third rounds, says she’ll have to stomp on the gas again if she’s to have a shot at catching Henderson.

“I’ll take another nine birdies tomorrow,” Pressel said. “I need to just give myself a lot of opportunities and eliminate the sloppy mistakes that I’ve made the last few days.”

German players Sandra Gal (65) and Caroline Masson (70) were tied for third 12 under.

Jaye Marie Green had a 63 – the best round of the week – to move into a tie for ninth at 9 under. Ko was tied for 53rd after 2 under after a 72.

Alena Sharp posted a third-round of 70 to sit T9 heading into tomorrow’s final-round.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – The second round of the PGA Championship offered a little bit of everything Friday.

Except a conclusion.

On one side of the golf course, Jordan Spieth was piling up enough birdies to momentarily tie for the lead at Whistling Straits. On the other side with far less attention, Hiroshi Iwata ran off five birdies and an eagle and tied the major championship record with a 63.

Dustin Johnson was losing ground in the rough and in the bunkers, falling out of the lead with three bogeys in a four-hole stretch. John Daly lost his cool and then lost a 6-iron when he heaved it in Lake Michigan.

And that was before a wicked storm that packed gusts up to 48 mph and suspended the second round.

Jason Day ran off three straight birdies and was tied for the lead with Matt Jones at 9-under par when players were taken off the course. The storm was severe enough to topple the main scoreboard at the entrance and rip flags off the poles atop some of the grandstands.

The round was to resume at 7 a.m.

Justin Rose pulled within one shot of the lead with back-to-back birdies. He headed to the 18th tee, feeling good about being able to finish.

“I opened my big mouth to the boys playing with us,” Rose said. “I said, `The end is in sight.’ And 30 seconds later, they blew the horn. So my name is mud all over here.”

Tiger Woods, for all his struggles in the majors this year, can at least say he made it to the weekend in three of them. He made the cut at the Masters. He missed the cut on Saturday at the wind-delayed British Open. There was still hope at the PGA Championship, though he was 4 over with five holes to play, two shots away from the projected cut.

The leaderboard was as clouded as the sky over Whistling Straits.

Seven players had at least a share of the lead at some point Friday, when a strong breeze in the morning gave way to steamy sunshine and virtually no wind until the storms moved in. When players were evacuated from the course, 11 players were separated by three shots.

David Lingmerth of Sweden made only four pars in his wild round of 70 and was the clubhouse leader at 7-under 137. One shot behind was a group that included Spieth, the Masters and U.S. Open champion who is very much in the picture to join Woods and Ben Hogan as the only players to win three majors in one year.

Scott Piercy (70) and Brendan Steele (69) joined Spieth at 6-under 138.

The star of the day was Iwata, a 34-year-old from Japan who had every reason to think his first appearance in the PGA Championship would be a short one. He opened with a 77 and still was 3 over when he reached the back nine. Iwata reeled off five birdies and an eagle, and he saved par on the 18th for a 63.

It was the 27th time that a player shot 63 in a major, 13 of those in the PGA Championship and most recently Jason Dufner at Oak Hill two years ago.

“When I came here, I was thinking just to make my game better and better and on Sunday, I can be in the top 10,” Iwata said through a translator.

Even with a record-tying score, he still has plenty of work ahead of him to do that. Iwata was at 4-under 140 and losing ground as one player after another took aim at Whistling Straits in good scoring conditions.

Day was through 14 holes while Jones, his fellow Australian, was through 12 holes and on the front nine.

Day shared the 54-hole lead at the U.S. Open while coping with vertigo symptoms. He missed by one turn of the golf ball a birdie on the 18th hole at St. Andrews that would have put him in a playoff at the British Open. Now it looks like he gets yet another chance. He was thrilled to stop play, especially as the storm clouds turned dark and he had trouble with depth perception on some of his wedges.

“We’ll see how it goes tomorrow,” Day said. “We’ve got some scoring holes and some tough ones to finish on. But I’m real happy to be done.”

Dustin Johnson, the 18-hole leader, took a brief lead at 8 under until he ran into trouble on the par-5 11th with a wicked lie in the bunker that led to bogey. He added two more bogeys and was four shots out of the lead at 5 under.

“Hopefully, I can come back in the morning and make a couple birdies coming in, and then we’ll get the day started on Saturday,” he said.

Rory McIlroy had hopes of being a little closer to the lead. Coming off an ankle injury that has kept him out since the U.S. Open, he world’s No. 1 player went cold with the putter and had to settle for another round of 71 that put him at 2-under 142.

McIlroy was keeping pace with Spieth until a big turnaround on the 18th hole at the halfway point of their round. Spieth holed out from a bunker for birdie, while McIlroy went well left into knee-high hay, took two chips to reach the green and made double bogey.

“You’re going to have to have more of a short game to be able to salvage par sometimes,” he said. “I wasn’t quite able to do that today at points. But there’s still enough good stuff to give me encouragement and make me feel that I can shoot a low one tomorrow and get myself back into it.”

Woods had his work cut out for him. He opened with two quick birdies, only to give them back with a double bogey from the bunkers on the fourth hole.

As for Daly?

His tournament effectively ended on the seventh hole when he hit 4-iron into the lake, and then followed with two more tee shots with his 6-iron into the lake. After a fourth attempt found the green, Daly heaved his 6-iron into the lake and made 10. He shot 82 and missed the cut.

Canadian Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 69th after a a 1-over 73. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 1-under par and is tied for 76th at 3-over.

PORTLAND, Ore. – Brooke Henderson is trying to leave everyone else behind – and not get too far ahead of herself.

The 17-year-old Canadian took the outright lead in an LPGA Tour event for the third time this year, birdieing three of her last four holes Friday for a 5-under 67 and a one-shot advantage in the Cambia Portland Classic.

“Just to stay within myself and play my own game,” she said when asked what she has learned this season. “Playing as an amateur I was used to a lot of people, a lot of media and television and stuff like that, but it’s a little bit different on the LPGA Tour, and I think that’s something that I’ve gotten a lot more comfortable with this year.

“I think if I can just stay patient and play my own game and not focus on outside factors, I think good things will happen.

Playing in cool, breezy and sometimes wet conditions, Henderson finished with an 8-foot birdie putt on the par-4 ninth to reach 11-under 133 at Columbia Edgewater. She made her only bogey of the tournament at 11, but rebounded with birdies at 12, 14 and 3 before the late burst.

Henderson, who turns 18 in September, has made $466,818 in nine LPGA Tour tournaments and needs to finish in the top 40 on the money list to earn a card for next year. LPGA Tour Commissioner Mike Whan denied Henderson’s age petition last year, preventing her from playing Q-school. She earned a spot in the field in Monday qualifying.

“Right now, I’m just taking it one day at a time and one tournament at a time, but I’m really looking forward to the next couple years,” Henderson said. “Hopefully, this week I can secure my card for next year and be full time on the LPGA.”

Henderson is attempting to become the third player to win an LPGA tournament before turning 18, joining Lydia Ko and Lexi Thompson.

“That would be really good, but I’m still a long way from that, and I realize that,” Henderson said. “I have to go low and shoot some good numbers.”

Caroline Masson has second. The German player shot a 64, the best round of the week.

Masson had eight birdies, four on each nine, in her second straight bogey-free round after missing the cuts in five of her six previous tournaments. Masson is winless in her three-year LPGA Tour career. In the 2013 Portland tournament, she shot a second-round 64 on the way to a fifth-place finish.

Masson is attempting to win and make a late bid for European team berth in the Solheim Cup, set for Sept. 18-20 in Germany.

“It’s been on my mind a lot. I don’t know, maybe not too much. It’s the only Solheim Cup probably that’s going to be in Germany while I’m playing,” said Masson, who played in the 2013 Cup. “It means a lot to me, obviously, to be on that team. But you can’t think about it and you can’t play with that being on your mind because it just puts too much pressure on yourself.

Candie Kung, Julieta Granada and Jenny Shin were tied for third at 9 under. Kung, a four-time LPGA Tour winner, had a 66, Granada shot 69, and Shin 68.

Amy Anderson and Sandra Changkija, tied for the first-round lead at 65, each shot 72 to drop into a tie for ninth at 7 under.

Defending champion Austin Ernst was 6 under after a 66.

No. 3 Stacy Lewis was 4 under after a 69, and No. 2 Ko shot a 72 to remain 2 under.

The 36-hole cut was at even par. Among those failing to advance were two-time Portland champion Suzann Pettersen. She was 5 over after a 74. Also missing the cut was Henderson’s sister Brittany, who was 5 over after a 75.

The Portland Classic is the penultimate tournament before the U.S. Solheim Cup team is set Aug. 24. The top eight players in the Solheim Cup standings, the top two in the world ranking not among the top eight in the standings, and two captain’s picks will make up the 12-player team. Six players have clinched spots in the standings.

No. 7 Angela Stanford failed to make the cut after shooting 74, while No. 8 Gerina Piller was even par after a 72. Of those outside the top eight, No. 9 Lizette Salas (70) and No. 10 Brittany Lang (71) are in the best position to make a move, as both are 3 under through 36 holes.

Alena Sharp of Hamilton, Ont., posted a second round of 2-under to sit T9 at 7-under for the tournament.

Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont., signed for a round of 75, Sue Kim had a round of 74 and Brittany Henderson recorded a round of 75. The trio not play the weekend.

MISSISSAUGA, Ont. — Jim Rutledge cruised to win his fourth Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada presented by Adams Golf since 2010 Friday at Credit Valley Golf and Country Club.

The 55-year-old Victoria, B.C., native put together rounds of 64-71-69 for a three-day total of 9-under-par. His 54-hole score was three shots better than David Wettflaufer and Ken Tarling, who both fired 6-under-par 65 final rounds.

For the first time all week Rutledge managed to get through Credit Valley’s tough opening five holes under par, which he says was the key to the day.

“The good thing was I got through the top side of the golf course at 1-under and that had been my issue really all week,” he said. “Once I got down into the valley I just kind of held my own out there and no one really managed to make a real charge at me . . . so I was thankful for that.”

Rutledge’s final round playing partners—Rod Spittle and Scott Allred—finished T4 at 4 under, while Keir Smith placed sixth at 2 under. Phil Jonas and Serge Thivierge were T7 at 1 under, with last year’s winner Remi Bouchard and this year’s Super Senior’s winner Daniel Talbot rounding out the top 10.

For the full leaderboard, CLICK HERE.

On Credit Valley’s back nine, Rutledge had some tree troubles on Nos. 13 and 14, but kept his round together with some nifty wedge work.

“I had some really good saves today after hitting some stray tee shots,” Rutledge said. “I made a good birdie on 13 after clipping the tree on my approach and then an even better par on 14 when I got a wild bounce into the trees off the tee.”

With his win Rutledge is halfway to Moe Norman’s record of eight PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada wins. Rutledge says he’s well aware of Norman’s record, but also admits this week is about much more than winning.

“As long as I can keep healthy I’ll keep playing in this championship and keep chasing Moe,” he said. “But I’ve said it in the past and I’ll say it again: as much as it is about winning this week; it’s also about coming home, seeing some old buddies and having a bunch of laughs.”

The PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada was first played in 1938 as a division of the Canadian PGA Championship. In 1973, the championship became an independent event and has stayed that way since.

Among the Canadian golf legends to win the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada are Stan Leonard, Moe Norman—who won a record seven straight years from 1979-1985—Bob Panasik, Al Balding—who wowed the golf world by winning at age 76 in 2000—and Jim Rutledge.

OLYMPIA FIELDS, Ill. – 12 Canadians will take to the Olympia Field Country Club on Monday to kick off the U.S. Men’s Amateur from Aug. 17–23.

Highlighting the field of Canadians are both Team Canada National Amateur Squad members, dual-citizen Austin Connelly and Burlington, Ont., native Blair Hamilton. They will be joined by Development Squad member and Texas State sophomore, Tyler Saunders of Sturgeon County, Alta.

Another notable is former long-time National Amateur Squad member Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., who competed for Canada alongside Connelly at the 2015 Pan-American Games in Toronto. The 27-year-old Rank is coming off a strong T2 finish last week at the Canadian Men’s Amateur, co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and Lambton Golf & Country Club in Toronto.

2014 Canadian Junior Boys champion, Austin James of Bath, Ont., will also tee-it-up at Olympia Fields.

The format for the championship consists of two stroke-play qualifying rounds, followed by six rounds of match-play concluding with a 36-hole final on Sunday.

Olympia Fields Country Club, a two-time U.S. Open venue, will host its first U.S. Amateur with stroke-play being conducted on the 7,037-yard South Course and match-play on the 7,234-yard North Course.

In 2014, Canadian Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., fell in the final 36-hole match to South Korea’s Gunn Yang, 2 and 1. Both finalists are usually invited to compete in the Masters tournament the following April, alongside exemptions into next year’s U.S. and British Opens.

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The full list of Canadians is below:

Austin Connelly (Dual-citizen)

Garrett Rank (Elmira, Ont.)

Blair Hamilton (Burlington, Ont.)

Tyler Saunders (Sturgeon County, Alta.)

Nicholas Ross (Dundas, Ont.)

Joey Savoie (St-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Qué.)

Eric Banks (Truro, N.S.)

Turner Southey-Gordon (Toronto)

Brett McIntosh (London, Ont.)

Josh Whalen (Napanee, Ont.)

Austin James (Bath, Ont.)

Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver)

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Click here for starting times

Billy Kennerly won the 111th Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship co-hosted by Weston Golf & Country Club and Lambton Golf & Country Club. The native of Alpharetta, Ga., shot a final-round 2-under 70 to finish six strokes clear of his nearest competitor.

“It’s really nice to win, especially the Canadian Am,” said the graduate from Clemson University. “It’s a huge tournament and a national championship is always nice. On top of that, to win where Arnold Palmer won his first tournament, that’s really special and something I’ll never forget. I’m honoured to be the Canadian Amateur champion.”

Kennerly began the day with a front-nine 38, but settled in with four birdies across his final nine holes to complete the tournament at 12-under 275. “I got off to a slow start,” the 22-year-old explained. “I wasn’t quite putting my best and I just wasn’t quite hitting the ball where I needed to hit it. On the back nine, I just hit better and made a couple of adjustments with my putting which really made a big difference in my scoring.”

With the victory, Kennerly has secured a spot into the 2016 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. The 107^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship is set to take place July 18-24, 2016. “That’s a really big honour,” added the winner. “I’m looking forward to next year, I can’t wait.” Kennerly is slated to compete in the 2015 U.S. Amateur Championship at Olympia Fields Country Club in Olympia Fields, Ill.

Three players finished 6-under 281 to claim shares of second. Garrett Rank entered the third round tied for 13^th place. An eagle and five birdies propelled the Elmira, Ont., native up the leaderboard. “I got off to a great start. After having a bad start yesterday when I was 3-over through three, today I was 3-under through three, so that led to some good momentum going forward. Overall, it was a really good day.”

Rank claimed victory at the Investors Group Ontario Mid-Amateur Championship before representing Canada at the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games and competing in the 2015 RBC Canadian Open. “It’s been a busy summer, my game has been close. I’ve been able to play in some really cool events and it was a good experience moving forward. It was nice to get a good result here this week.”

From August 25-28, the reigning Canadian Mid-Amateur champion will defend his title at Abercrombie Golf Club in New Glasgow, N.S. “I’m really looking forward to that. It’s a big opportunity to get into the RBC Canadian Open again next year. I have the U.S. Amateur Championship next week, so hopefully I can take my momentum here and try to get into match play, and then move on from there.”

Jake Shuman earned his share of second following a seven-birdie, 4-under final round. Completing the trio knotted in second was Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. The 20-year-old, who also earned a runner-up finish at this year’s Quebec Men’s Amateur Championship, carded three birdies and an eagle for a final round of 69.

Kevin Carrigan shot the low round of the day with nine birdies in a 7-under performance. The Victoria, B.C., native finished in a five-way tie for 6^th place alongside Team Canada Development Squad member Patrick Murphy. The Crossfield, Alta., native and UCLA Bruin led the national team contingent with a combined 4-under 283 showing.

Played in conjunction with the tournament’s first 36 holes is an inter-provincial team championship. The competition saw 12 provincial and territorial teams compete for the Willingdon Cup with Team British Columbia emerging victorious. The squad comprised of Stuart Macdonald (Vancouver), Jared du Toit (Kimberley) and Kevin Kwon (Maple Ridge) combined for a total of even-par 286 to claim a 3-stroke victory.

The Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship is the third-oldest amateur championship in the world. The 2016 edition is set to take place August 8-11 at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Gatineau, Que.

Additional information regarding the 2015 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship can be found here.

The 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Championship is set to be hosted at Highland Country Club in London, Ont., from September 14-20. The London community is invited to join the existing team of volunteers for the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s season-ending tournament.

“It’s already been an eventful season on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada this year and we’re looking forward to their flagship event,” said Tournament Director Adam Helmer of Golf Canada. “We would like to extend an invitation to all the golf enthusiasts in the London area to be a part of this championship.”

Golf competitions could not be held without the support and assistance of dedicated volunteers. This unique experience will also allow golf fans the opportunity to see future Web.com and PGA TOUR stars up close.

The season-ending championship presented in partnership with Golf Canada will feature the top 60 ranked players in the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit.

Currently, J. J. Spaun leads the Order of Merit rankings. This season, the Los Angeles, Calif., native claimed victory at the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel and claimed five top-10 finishes on tour.

Spaun is being chased by Drew Weaver of Newport News, Va., the current No. 2 ranked player on the TOUR’s Order of Merit and current No. 3, Team Canada Young Pro Squad member Albin Choi of Toronto, Ont.

At the end of the 2015 season, the top five players in the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit standings will receive playing privileges on the Web.com Tour in 2016.

Volunteer and ticket information for the 2015 Freedom 55 Financial Championship is available at the tournament website here. In addition, juniors aged 17 and under gain free admission all week long at the Freedom 55 Financial Championship, click here to download your free junior ticket.

SHEBOYGAN, Wis. – Rory McIlroy was nervous about his game. Jordan Spieth was frustrated with his putting.

Not so surprising about the opening round of the PGA Championship on Thursday was Dustin Johnson.

He was leading.

Shaking off a double dose of disappointment in the majors, Johnson breezed his way to a 6-under 66 in moderate morning conditions at Whistling Straits and wound up with a one-shot lead over David Lingmerth of Sweden. It was the fifth time in 13 rounds at the majors this year that Johnson had at least a share of the lead.

Just never on Sunday, which he knows all too well.

“It’s only the first round,” Johnson said.

It was a big start for McIlroy, and a shaky one for Spieth. They were the main event in the first round of the final major. McIlroy has not played since the U.S. Open, out for 53 days because of an injury to his left ankle and mildly curious whether his game would be sharp enough to compete. Adding to the buzz was playing with Spieth, the Masters and U.S. Open champion who is closing in on McIlroy’s No. 1 ranking.

“It’s not that. It’s more just being a little bit anxious coming back and seeing how my game is going to react whenever I’m put under a little bit of pressure and have a card in my hand and have to really score,” McIlroy said. “Once I got those first couple of holes out of the way, I felt like I settled into the round really nicely.”

Three birdies on the par 5s, and one big par save with his feet in the water, carried him to a 71.

Spieth doesn’t usually go 11 holes without making a putt of any length, and frustrations were starting wear on him until he chipped in from behind the 12th green for birdie which steadied him enough to match McIlroy with a 71.

Considering they played in a strong wind and tough afternoon conditions, it was a reasonable start.

It certainly was for Johnson.

He took three putts from 12 feet on the final hole at the U.S. Open to shockingly go from a chance to win to a runner-up finish behind Spieth. He had the 36-hole lead at St. Andrews until he disappeared on the weekend. And the PGA Championship was at Whistling Straits, where five years ago Johnson famously grounded his club in a bunker and lost out on a spot in the playoff because of the two-shot penalty.

It was like none of that ever happened.

He birdied the first two holes. He hit 4-iron to 30 feet and made eagle on No. 16. He added a trio of birdies on the front nine.

“Today was pretty easy, I would have to say,” Johnson said. “But I was swinging well and I was hitting the shots where I was looking. So anytime you’re doing that, it makes things a lot easier on you. The ball was going where I was looking. I was controlling it. In this wind it’s tough to do, but I did a great job of controlling the golf ball today.”

The one par McIlroy made on the par 5s was as big as his three birdies.

He pulled his third shot on the par-5 fifth hole into the water, and a double bogey looked likely. But his ball was sitting up in the water, so McIlroy rolled up his pant leg, splashed it out to 7 feet and saved par.

“The only thing I was trying not to do was get my feet wet,” McIlroy said. “Because if the water gets through this shoe, then the tape gets wet and then that would be a little more than just sort of annoying or uncomfortable for the rest of the day. But it was fine. It was a little bit deeper on the right side, so I just rolled my right trouser leg up and it was fine. I just had to remember to hit it hard. And I was very fortunate to escape with a par there.”

That shot made for good TV. Good for his soul was getting that first tee shot out of the way, and especially the 3-wood he hit pure as ever onto the green at the par-5 second that led to birdie.

“That was full bore, as good as I can do,” McIlroy said.

Spieth was far more boring in opening with 10 pars, and he was far more irritated. He had one birdie chance after another on the front nine and missed them all, trying to get the speed right and wondering how much the wind would affect it.

“I guessed wrong,” he said.

And then he started to press, and it nearly cost him. He wasted an easy birdie chance on the short 10th hole by chipping 12 feet by the hole. He three-putted from about 15 feet on the par-5 11th for a bogey. After going just long of the par-3 12th, he had to play a chip because of a sprinkler head in his line.

The chip came out hot, and Spieth figured it would have gone some 12 feet by the hole. Spieth said he was pleading it for it to hit the pin, if nothing else to keep it near the hole. It hit straight on and dropped for a birdie he badly needed.

“If I didn’t get that good break on 12, it could have been a different story the rest of the round,” he said.

The wind began to blow hard over the final hour of Johnson’s round, and it showed in the scores. Of the 14 players who broke 70, Lingmerth and Scott Piercy (68) were the only ones who faced the tougher afternoon conditions.

Tiger Woods might be one day away from the end of his season. Woods opened with a 75 and was in danger of missing the cut. In the four majors this year, he is 18-over par in the opening round with a scoring average of 76.

Canadian Nick Taylor posted an opening round of 73 to sit just above the projected cut. David Hearn opened with a round of 76.