GULLANE, Scotland – Rickie Fowler birdied three of his last four holes to overhaul fellow American Matt Kuchar and win the Scottish Open by one shot on Sunday for his second victory of the year.

Kuchar was on the practice range, preparing for a playoff, when Fowler sent his approach on No. 18 to within 18 inches. He tapped in the putt for a 2-under 68 – the same score as Kuchar – and an overall 12-under 268.

It is the fourth title of Fowler’s professional career, coming two months after winning The Players Championship, and the second outside the United States after the Korea Open in 2011. And his links game looks in good shape ahead of next week’s British Open at St. Andrews.

Raphael Jacquelin of France birdied the last hole for 70 to tie for second place with Kuchar, and claim one of three British Open places on offer along with third-round leader Daniel Brooks, the No. 528-ranked Englishman, and Sweden’s Rikard Karlberg.

Fowler took the outright lead in the tournament for the first time with his last shot of the week, from the middle of the 18th fairway.

After knocking in the putt, he doffed his cap and acknowledged the crowd. But he had to wait for the final pairing of Jacquelin and Brooks to play the last before really celebrating.

Jacquelin was the only one who could force a playoff but he needed an eagle 2. That almost happened, with his approach spinning back to a foot from the cup.

It was a successful return to Scotland for Fowler and Kuchar, who were last here for the American team’s loss to Europe in the Ryder Cup in September 2014.

“I think we’ll be OK,” Fowler said when asked how Kuchar will feel about being edged out. “He did it to me at The Players (in 2012). Maybe this was payback.”

Fowler decided to alter his schedule and play the Scottish Open the week before British Open for the first time last year, after seeing Phil Mickelson win both events in 2013.

He is halfway toward emulating his compatriot two years on.

Marc Warren of Scotland shot 64 to finish in a three-way tie for fourth on 10 under, with Eddie Pepperell (69) and Joost Luiten (70).

Brooks started the final round with a one-stroke lead over Jacquelin, but his driving was poor and he was forced to scramble for a 73 that still clinched him an Open berth for the first time. He was tied for seventh with Luke Donald (66) and Ross Fisher (68).

BOISE, Idaho – Martin Piller completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday in the Albertsons Boise Open for his fourth Web.com Tour title.

Piller shot a 4-under 67 at Hillcrest Country Club for a 28-under 256 total, the second-lowest 72-hole score in Web.com Tour history and the third-best mark in relation to par.

“It means everything. The last couple of years have been tough,” Piller said. “I think this validates that if I play good I can be in contention.”

Steve Wheatcroft set the tour record of 255 in the 2011 Prince George’s County Open, finishing at 29 under, and Daniel Chopra was 30 under on a par-72 course in the 2004 Henrico County Open.

Piller broke the tournament mark of 24-under 260 set last year by playoff winner Wheatcroft and Steven Alker. The 29-year-old Dallas player won by six strokes to tie the event record set by Tim Clark in 2000 and matched by Roger Tambellini in 2003.

Piller earned $144,000 to jump from 52nd to fourth on the money list with $198,852, enough to earn a PGA Tour card next season. He played the PGA Tour in 2011.

“Sometimes you think, `Will I ever get back to the PGA Tour,” Piller said. “The fact that this happened, it gives me certainly a lot of confidence and belief that when I do play well I can be in contention and win tournaments.”

His wife, Gerina Piller, is an LPGA Tour player.

“The first thing I thought about was my wife and just the way she supported me all these years,” Piller said. “That’s what I was thinking about mostly when I was walking up 18.”

The former Texas A&M star opened with rounds of 61, 63 and 65 to break the 54-hole record at 189 and match the mark for relation to par at 24 under.

On Sunday, Piller birdied the par-4 first and holed out for eagle from a greenside bunker on the par-5 second. He parred the next 10 holes, bogeyed the par-3 13th, got back the stroke with a birdie on the par-4 15th and hit a wedge to 2 1/2 feet for a birdie on the par-3 17th.

“I pured it,” Piller said about his bunker shot on No. 2. “I hit it just the way I wanted to.”

Argentina’s Jorge Fernandez-Valdes shot a 68 to finish second.

Cody Gribble and Jin Park tied for third at 21 under. Gribble had a 62, the best round of the day, and Park shot a 67.

Brad Fritsch posted a final round 65 to move up the leaderboard and finish T30 alongside fellow Canadian Ryan Yip. Adam Svensson finished the competition at 10-under and T57. Wes Heffernan finished T70.

Winnipeg, Man. – In just his fourth start as a professional, Taiwan’s C.T. Pan claimed his first Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada victory at The Players Cup, carding a 5-under 66 on Friday at Pine Ridge Golf Club to win by two over Sweden’s Robert Karlsson.

The 23-year old, who recently finished a standout collegiate career at the University of Washington that saw him named an All-American four times and a finalist for the Ben Hogan Award in 2015, produced a bogey-free 31 on the final nine holes for a 5-under 66 and the two stroke victory.

“This something I’ve always dreamed of. I didn’t expect it so soon, but I guess it happened and it’s awesome. I’m beyond happiness,” said Pan.

Starting the day three shots off the lead held by Newport Beach, California’s J.J. Spaun, Pan made the turn at 1-under, then rattled off birdies at the 12th and 14th holes to take over the solo lead. Karlsson and Spaun would both tie Pan at 13-under briefly on the back nine, but the Mackenzie Tour rookie closed like a veteran with birdies on the 16th and 17th to post 15-under par in the clubhouse. Neither Karlsson nor Spaun could match him, giving Pan the Players Cup title.

“I knew I needed to make a couple of birdies,” Pan said of the back nine battle with Spaun and Karlsson. “Before the round I told myself I needed to finish better. I shot 3-over my last five holes the first round and didn’t make any birdies the last two rounds, so I needed to finish better. I knew if I finished better I would have a chance, and I guess it worked.”

Pan’s birdie at the 17th was especially strong, with the pin cut over a ridge in a spot Pan admitted he labelled ‘un-approachable’ in his yardage book. After safely finding the green, he drained a 40-footer for his fourth birdie in six holes, giving him a two-shot cushion.

“I wanted to make it, but I did not expect it to drop. I wanted to give it a shot and I hit it pretty hard – it turns out it dropped, I guess,” Pan said with a smile.

Pan, who erased a three-shot defeicit, becomes the fourth player in five events to come from behind to win on the Mackenzie Tour this season.

“I knew if there was a guy to be worried about, it was going to be him, to be honest,” said 54-hole leader Spaun, who carded a 1-over 72. “I knew he was in a good position starting the day because he wasn’t that far back but he was far enough back to not really care what happens to him. Good credit to him, he’s a good player.”

Pan graduated with a degree in Communications this spring, and joins Chris Killmer, Brock Mackenzie, 2014 Order of Merit winner Joel Dahmen and this year’s Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON winner Kevin Spooner as former University of Washington Huskies in the Mackenzie Tour winner’s circle, along with 2013 Mackenzie Tour graduate and 2014 PGA TOUR winner Nick Taylor.

“Nick Taylor, Brock Mackenzie, a lot of [University of Washington] alumni that were here after their collegiate life showed me this is the way to do it, and I just followed their path,” said Pan. “I want to be one of them and I want to compete on the PGA TOUR. I just want to thank them for showing me this path.”

Pan made his professional debut earlier this year at the U.S. Open, where he finished T64. He also played on the PGA TOUR the following week at the Travelers Championship and finished T25.

HUGHES WINS FREEDOM 55 FINANCIAL TOP CANADIAN AWARD

With a total score of 10-under, Dundas, Ont.’s Mackenzie Hughes claimed Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Week honours on Sunday along with a $2,500 prize. Each week, the top Canadian on the leaderboard will earn the award, with the top Canadian on the Order of Merit at season’s end earning the Freedom 55 Financial Canadian Player of the Year and a $25,000 prize.

Hughes becomes the third member of Team Freedom, which is composed of fellow players Taylor Pendrith, Albin Choi, Adam Svensson and Matt Hill, to win the award this season, joining Pendrith and Choi.

SILVIS, Illinois – Jordan Spieth’s tee shot on the par-5 17th hole landed in the trees.

Spieth’s second shot landed in the fairway.

His third one landed in the hole.

Spieth’s decision to spurn Scotland for the John Deere Classic looks more prescient with each passing round.

Spieth, bolstered by a 106-yard eagle on No. 17, shot a career-best 10-under 61 in the third round Saturday to grab a two-shot lead.

“With some good breaks and really good putting, a round like (Saturday) comes together,” said Spieth, who will go for his third straight major title next week at the British Open.

Spieth was at 17-under 196 after the best round of the tournament since Steve Stricker shot a 60 five years ago. Danny Lee is second after shooting a 62, followed by Shawn Stefani, Justin Thomas and Johnson Wagner at 14 under.

The round was suspended for close to three hours because of two weather-related delays.

The rain made the course even softer than usual, setting the stage for the low scores.

No one took advantage of the favorable conditions more than Spieth, who has done his best to answer the critics who felt he would be better off prepping for the Open Championship in Scotland compared to Illinois.

Spieth got off to a fast start on No. 2, sticking a 260-yard approach within three feet for an eagle.

Spieth’s approach on the par-4 eighth hole came so close to going in that it left a divot on the cup before spinning 10 feet forward. Spieth then converted the birdie putt.

Spieth made three more birdies on par 4s, and he hit a 12-footer on No. 16 to join Lee in first. But it was the next hole that really made Spieth’s day.

He escaped trouble by putting his second shot in the fairway. He then stuck his approach with a sand wedge directly behind the cup, where it spun in to the disbelief of even Spieth – who said he “mishit it.”

“I certainly didn’t think it had a chance to go in. I thought it was going past the hole,” Spieth said.

But as if to prove it wasn’t a fluke, Spieth sent his final tee shot of the round into the trees as well – and still picked up a birdie.

“I had a fist pump on the last shot because walking up after the second shot I said to (caddie) Mike (Greller), `I just saw the board and I think this is for my lowest round that I’ve shot on the PGA Tour,'” Spieth said. “I said that’s pretty cool, and he said (that) it doesn’t matter where you’re at. Just keep on trekking. And I said `Yeah, but I appreciate this and I really want to make this thing.'”

Though overshadowed by Spieth, Lee put himself in position for some history of his own on Sunday.

Lee, who was born in Seoul and raised in New Zealand, picked up his first career win at The Greenbrier Classic just last week. He will try to become the first player since David Duval in 1997 to get his first two PGA Tour wins in back-to-back tournaments.

Lee knows he is a heavy underdog. But Lee hit nine birdies on Saturday and is playing as well as anyone on the tour outside of Spieth.

“All I know is there’s going to be a lot of people watching us,” Lee said. “I think it’s going to be a fun day. I cannot wait.”

LANCASTER, Pa. – Amy Yang is back in the final pairing at the U.S. Women’s Open, and this time she’s prepared for the daunting challenge ahead.

The 25-year-old South Korean beat back all of Stacy Lewis’ challenges in the third round at Lancaster Country Club on Saturday, and the day ended as it started: with Yang three strokes ahead of Lewis.

On Sunday, for the third time in four years and fourth time in six, she’ll be in the final group at a U.S. Open. This time, she’ll have a three-stroke cushion over her nearest competitor and plenty of experience to draw on.

“It was good experience, the last two – the final group experience,” she said. “Me and my coach, we prepared. We practiced hard. I’ll go out there and I’ll just do my best, like what I practice.”

Yang shot a 1-under 69 Saturday, the same as Lewis, as the last pair off went toe-to-toe, giving the pairing a match-play feel.

Yang pushed her lead to four strokes at the 13th before Lewis capitalized on a two-stroke swing at the 14th, closing within two. But Lewis’ struggles with putting carried over to the 17th, where she made a three-putt bogey, sending Yang’s advantage back to three.

Yang’s three-day total of 8-under 202 is the second-lowest in championship history behind Julie Inkster’s 201 in 1999. Lewis was at 5-under 205.

On “moving day,” all the action was outside the top two spots.

In Gee Chun, playing in her first U.S. Open, shot a second 2-under 68. The 20-year-old from South Korea is alone in third place at 4-under 206. Japan’s Shiho Oyama is fourth at 3 under after a 71.

Defending champion Michelle Wie played with nagging hip and ankle pain, firing a 68. She is in a four-way tie for fifth at 2-under 208, along with two-time winner Inbee Park (70).

History was made in the third round when South Korea’s Chella Choi shot the first nine-hole score of 29 for the championship. But the 24-year-old missed a three-foot putt on her final hole that would have tied the championship’s single-round scoring record. She settled for a 6-under 64, shooting up the leaderboard into the pack at 2 under.

On Sunday, Yang will again be one of the last to tee off in the U.S. Open. She has been in the last grouping two of the last three years, and in 2010. At Pinehurst No. 2 in 2014, she played with Wie, was overtaken by eventual runner-up Lewis and settled for fourth. In 2012, she finished second to Na Yeon Choi, and placed fifth in 2010.

Lewis, a two-time major winner, figures she needs to solve the slippery, sloping greens of Lancaster Country Club if she’s to overtake Yang.

“It’s just the severity of these greens,” said Lewis, who is tied for 26th with 96 putts over three rounds. “And the moment you do try to hit one of those down the hill, that’s when you knock it five feet by. I don’t think the speed of the greens is that inconsistent; I just think it’s the slope within the greens.”

Chun is enjoying her run through her first U.S. Open. She was paired with two-time champion Karrie Webb on Saturday, saying she was 4 years old when the seven-time major winner turned pro. She offset three bogeys with five birdies in her round to stay in contention, albeit four strokes off the lead.

“Everything I experience here, it is new, completely new,” she said. “So this is an adventure to me. So tomorrow it’s going to be the same thing. Everything is going to be very fun. I just want to be enjoying every bit of the time.”

The hilly course in the heart of Amish country is taking its toll on the hobbled Wie. At one point Saturday, the 25-year-old, four-time winner was kneading her hip and thigh, trying to loosen her muscles.

“I just feel like there’s a knot in it sometimes and just trying to get it to go,” she said.

“Unfortunately it does get a little bit worse. It’s just a pretty hilly golf course. On flat lies, it’s OK. It’s just on the uphill shots,” she said.

Wie, 57th after the opening round, finally got into red numbers with a birdie at the second, but struggled to stay below par on the front nine. She gave a stroke back at the fourth before following consecutive birdies at the sixth and seventh with back-to-back bogeys closing out the side.

She finally got on track on the back side, posting birdies on the 10th, 12th and 13th to reach 3 under. But she gave another stroke back at the 16th and limped in with pars.

Wie is refusing to let the injuries that forced her to withdraw from Kingsmill earlier this year hamper the defense of her major title.

“It was a long day today,” Wie acknowledged. “I’m glad to be done … I’ve played with the pain for a while. I know what to expect, nothing is unexpected.

“I just feel like it’s coming together. I just want to keep the good feelings going and keep improving on them, gaining confidence in my good shots and learn from the bad ones.”

Of the five amateurs who made the cut, Megan Khang has the lowest score at 4-over 214, good for a tie for 37th.

There was a hole-in-one Saturday. Lee Lopez used a 6-iron to ace the 156-yard sixth hole, the 23rd hole-in-one in U.S. Women’s Open history.

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Jerry Smith matched a tournament record with an 8-under-par 64 Saturday to take a three-shot lead after the second round of the Encompass Championship.
Smith is at 14-under 130 as he seeks his first professional title of any kind. Mark Goodes was second, while Bart Bryant, Fred Funk and David Frost are among the group five strokes back.

Smith, who tied for third last week at the Seniors Swiss Open, was six under par for his first seven holes Saturday at North Shore Country Club, sinking an 11-foot eagle putt at the 579-yard, par-5 16th. He started on the back nine and shot 30.

He tied the tournament’s 18-hole record set by Russ Cochran last year in this Champions Tour event.

Smith, 51, played in Europe last year and has played in 14 Champions Tour events. The only other time Smith has led in a pro tournament was in the 2005 Virginia Beach Open on the Web.com Tour.

Goodes followed nine straight pars with four birdies in five holes to shoot 32 on the back nine and take the lead until Smith played in the afternoon.

Goodes didn’t turn pro until age 50 in 2007, and his only Champions Tour victory came in the 2009 Allianz Championship.

Lee Janzen, Funk and Frost followed up first-round 65s in which they were tied for the lead by shooting 70 and are tied with Bryant and Woody Austin for third at 135.

GULLANE, Scotland – Unheralded Daniel Brooks overcame a dreadful start, an injured wrist and the toughest conditions of the week to keep his unlikely lead at the Scottish Open on Saturday, after a windy third round in which Rickie Fowler surged up the leaderboard.

The 528th-ranked Brooks, who surprisingly took a three-shot lead after the second round, recovered from a double bogey on his first hole to shoot a 1-under 69 for a one-stroke advantage on 12-under 198.

Raphael Jacquelin, a Frenchman ranked No. 335, shot 64 for the lowest round of the day and was alone in second place, ahead of Joost Luiten (66), Tommy Fleetwood (67) and Fowler, who eagled the par-5 16th in a 66.

Justin Rose, the defending champion, was one of the many players to struggle as winds picked up on the Gullane links off the Firth of Forth, shooting 72 to drop from second to a tie for 18th – six shots off fellow Englishman Brooks. The 12th-ranked Jimmy Walker made three double bogeys and a triple-bogey 8 in his front nine on his way to a 78, which left the American in last place.

A first prize of nearly $850,000 – easily the biggest payday of his career – and a spot at next week’s British Open at St. Andrews is at stake for Brooks in what would be a life-changing win for the 28-year-old Londoner. He had missed the cut at 13 straight tournaments before finishing tied for 20th at the French Open on Sunday.

“I have struggled all year and I need some money to keep my card,” Brooks said. “It’s a big day.”

Brooks won the Madeira Islands Open in May 2014, a tournament restricted to 36 holes and marred by the death of a caddie, but he is in uncharted territory this week given the standard of a field looking to gain links practice ahead of the British Open.

A nervy start saw him slice his opening drive into the thick rough and he could only hack at the ball for his second shot, which moved a foot. In doing so, he jarred his wrist and he said he felt twinges throughout his round.

A six on the first hole briefly dropped him out of the lead behind Jacquelin, and he needed some clutch putts for pars on Nos. 2-4 before settling down.

“I wasn’t feeling the pressure today, which is a nice feeling,” Brooks said.

Jacquelin has a good record at the Scottish Open with a 2nd place in 2009 and a 3rd in 2010, both on the parkland Loch Lomond course. He also showed he is adept over the links in a bogey-free round where he picked up four shots on the front nine, during which he chipped in from off the green on No. 6, then birdies on Nos. 12-13.

Two Frenchman have won this event in recent years – Thomas Levet in 2004 and Gregory Havret in 2007 – and on both occasions Jacquelin was on hand to spray his compatriots with champagne afterward. It’s a French tradition he’d like to see happening again on Sunday, especially given his poor 2015 that has seen go without a top-10 finish.

“I’ve been struggling getting the ball on the fairway or the greens this year,” the 41-year-old Jacquelin said. “Maybe it’s a new Raphael coming back.”

Fowler is the biggest name on the leaderboard after following up a 66 and 68 with another solid round that shows he is in good form ahead of his latest attempt at landing a major. The ninth-ranked American is two shots off the pace.

“One of the goals coming in was to get ready for next week but putting myself in contention has got my juices ready,” Fowler said.

Matt Kuchar of the U.S. is one of three players on 9 under overall after a 67. Phil Mickelson shot a 70 and is nine strokes back.

WINNIPEG, Man. –  Los Angeles, California’s J.J. Spaun will look to continue a hot streak on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada on Sunday after firing a 4-under 67 at Pine Ridge Golf Club to take a two-stroke lead into the final round of The Players Cup.The 24-year old birdied three of his first four holes on Saturday to take the solo lead and held it for the rest of the day, making a pair of lengthy par putts on the 16th and 17th holes to build a two shot cushion at 13-under heading into Sunday.

“I feel like everything is kind of clicking right now and I’m just going with it, and I’m just trying to enjoy it,” said Spaun, who has finished in the top-10 in each of the last three Mackenzie Tour events, including a playoff loss at last week’s SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel.

The third year Mackenzie Tour member began the day tied with Dundas, Ontario’s Mackenzie Hughes for the lead, but established himself as the frontrunner even as others made a move on Saturday, most notably North Vancouver, B.C.’s Eugene Wong, who fired a 9-under 62 in the day’s first pairing to tie the lead before the final group even teed off.

“It was good to get off to a hot start and get out ahead a little bit before I got into the middle of the round. That settled the nerves a bit,” said Spaun. “Having a two shot lead coming in – no lead is safe, but it’s better to have some sort of cushion than none at all. Making those putts were very good momentum boosters towards the end of my round.”

Spaun comes into the week in the fifth spot on the Order of Merit and can take over No. 1 with a win as long as current leader Drew Weaver finishes no better than a tie for second.

“I try not to get too far ahead of myself. Of course it’s going to creep into the back of your head but I try to do what I can do best out on the course,” said Spaun of trying not to focus on the big picture with plenty at stake on Sunday.

Two back of Spaun was Sweden’s Robert Karlsson, who fired a 4-under 67 to reach 11-under, while Taiwan’s C.T. Pan and Rockville, Maryland’s Danny Balin were a shot further behind. Wong, who matched the course record with his 9-under 62, was alone in fifth at 5-under.

SILVIS, Illinois – Four holes into Friday’s second round, Jordan Spieth knew he was in danger of missing the cut.

The Masters and U.S. Open champion will head into Saturday knowing he’s got a shot at another win before the British Open.

Spieth bounced back from an even-par opening round with a 7-under 64 to give himself a chance to contend at the John Deere Classic.

Spieth, 21, still has a lot of work to do to catch the leaders, though.

He’s five shots behind Justin Thomas, who leads with a 12-under 130 total. Johnson Wagner is a shot back after shooting a second-round 63, as is Tom Gillis after shooting a 65.

Spieth said he knew he needed to shoot at least a 67 on Friday. He did better than that.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s a course that yields a lot of birdies. It’s still hard to do on the PGA Tour. I wasn’t taking it for granted. I was still searching,” said Spieth, who will try for his third straight major title next week at St. Andrews. “Once I got a couple of shorter putts to go in and got a little bit of breathing room, I was able to be patient knowing that there were other birdie holes left.”

Spieth took two weeks off after winning the U.S. Open and acknowledged he was rusty during his first round at the TPC Deere Run.

After opening with four straight pars Friday, Spieth finally got going with four birdies and an eagle over a remarkable seven-hole stretch.

Spieth, who started on the back nine, stuck his approach on the par-4 14th hole within 3 feet. He then hit putts of 24 and 16 feet to get to 3 under.

The best hole of the tournament for Spieth came on No. 2. A 319-yard drive and a 241-yard approach left him with a 4-foot eagle putt.

Spieth needed just 25 putts Friday. This week is playing out similarly to his first tournament after winning the Masters. After opening the RBC Heritage in late April with a 74, Spieth shot a 62 in the second round.

“I knew I’d have my chances, and then my putter started working,” Spieth said.

Thomas, 22, has had something of a rivalry with Spieth for years.

They were two of the best college golfers in the country while Thomas was at Alabama and Spieth was at Texas – though Spieth has clearly outpaced Thomas in the pro ranks.

But it’s Thomas who heads into the weekend with the advantage.

Thomas opened play with a tournament-best 63 and followed it up with a solid 67. Thomas had five more birdies Friday, putting himself in position for his first career win after losing the lead with a dreadful back nine at last week’s Greenbrier Classic.

“I’ve had my opportunities and I’ve learned from my mistakes, learned from the times when I didn’t feel like I played or made the mental decision I felt like I should have,” Thomas said.

Zach Johnson won’t tee off Saturday with one of the top groupings.

But he’s in prime position for another strong finish at the TPC Deere Run.

Johnson, who won here in 2012 and has finished in the top three in five of his last six starts at Deere Run, strung together three straight birdies for a 68 – his 26th straight round in the 60s at this course.

Johnson is four back of Thomas at 8 under and one shot ahead of Spieth.

“I had my chances,” Johnson said. “I just didn’t get it in the low, low number. But I can’t be too upset.”

Canadian Roger Sloan posted a round of 3-under 68 Friday, while Adam Hadwin and David Hearn signed for a scores of 70 to play the weekend.  Nick Taylor missed the cut after a round of 72 today. Mike Wier withdrew from the competition after an opening round of 73.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Amy Yang has experienced success at the U.S. Women’s Open. Now, she wants the ultimate prize.

The 25-year-old South Korean went on a four-birdie run Friday, charging to a three-stroke lead after two rounds at Lancaster Country Club and putting her in position – again – to make a run at her first major championship.

The day started early for 55 players, who resumed their opening round after play was suspended late Thursday due to a powerful storm. The second round ended with the bulk of the field still trying to solve the speedy and sloping greens of the hilly William Flynn layout in the heart of Amish country.

Ultimately, the day belonged to Yang.

She took control on her inward nine with birdies on the 11th, 12th, 13th. She hit her approach to within a foot on No. 14 and punctuated the 4-under-par run. She was at 7-under 133.

“I just enjoy it out here,” Yang said. “And I know the golf courses are very tough; I just enjoy the tough condition of the golf courses.”

Stacy Lewis, last year’s runner-up, and Japan’s Shiho Oyama were tied for second at 4-under 136.

Yang has had her share of success on the LPGA Tour, earning two victories since turning pro in 2006. But some of her finest golf has been played in the U.S. Open, where she has finished in the top 10 four times in the last five years.

She tied for fifth in 2010, shared 10th place the following year and placed second in 2012. Last year at Pinehurst No. 2, she was third after 36 holes and first after 54 before closing with a 74 and finishing fourth.

She was paired with eventual winner Michelle Wie in the final round at Pinehurst and believes that experience can only help over the final two rounds.

“It’s better to have that experience than never experience that before,” Yang said. “It’s different out there and I know what kind of pressure that is like. It will be tough, but I will be patient and work on it.”

Lewis birdied four of eight holes in the middle of her round, but bogeyed her last and settled for a 3-under 67.

Lewis’ patience was tested early in the first round as she struggled with four bogeys and two birdies before breaking out of her funk. That carried over into the second round and she went on a tear that propelled her near the top of the leaderboard – again – in the biggest event in women’s golf.

“I just started playing golf, is really what it was,” Lewis said, “I was thinking a lot those first 10, 11 holes, thinking a lot about my golf swing and just not playing. So I got to just playing golf … and it’s what you’re seeing in the scores.”

The 38-year-old Oyama had an opening 70 and was 2 over early in her second round before shooting up the leaderboard. She made six birdies in a 12-hole stretch, including four on her second nine on the way to a 4-under 66.

She has a total of nine victories in Japan. She played in the 2007 and 2009 U.S. Opens, but said surgery kept her from playing golf for a year. She’s thrilled to be back in the championship.

“I feel really great. … I’m so excited to play two more days,” she said.

Marina Alex, part of a three-way tie for the lead after one round, carded a 1-over 71 and was in fourth place at 3-under 137.

Karrie Webb, also first-round co-leader, had a 2-over 72 and was in a large group at 2-under 138. That group includes top-ranked and two-time champion Inbee Park (70), first-round co-leader Jane Park (72) and Morgan Pressel (70).

Inbee Park and Jane Park were among the players forced to finish their first rounds early Friday.

Jane Park, the 2004 U.S. Women’s Amateur champion, used a birdie and four pars to earn a share of the lead after one round.

“It wasn’t exactly a day where I could be very aggressive with my putts because the pin placements were very difficult,” she said.

Inbee Park, a two-time U.S. Open winner with titles in 2008 and 2013, played 22 holes Friday. She said her patience was tested by her poor putting.

“I hit probably every putt short, I missed it short,” she said. “It’s hard to think that you have to smash the putts at a U.S. Open. That’s where putts are, really, really slow. It’s a little bit disappointing. “

Wie rebounded from an opening 72 with a 2-under 68 and was seven shots off the lead.

Team Canada Young Pro Brooke Henderson signed for a round of 73 today and sits T44 heading into the weekend. Christina Foster missed the cut after a round of 82 to follow a round of 71 yesterday.