GLENVIEW, Ill. – Lee Janzen likes what he’s seen from his golf game lately even if it means not seeing much of his home.

Janzen birdied three straight holes Friday to close his front nine and went on to shoot a 7-under 65 at North Shore Country Club to share the first-round lead in the Encompass Championship with Fred Funk, David Frost and Brad Bryant.

Janzen qualified in New York on June 8 for the U.S. Open, then followed up his two rounds at Chambers Bay near Seattle with a sixth-place finish at the Constellation Senior Players Championship outside Boston. He played the next week in the U.S. Senior Open in Sacramento and flew to Washington, and now he’s in the Chicago area for another Champions Tour event.

“Fortunately, I feel like I’ve got a decent idea about what I’m doing with my golf swing, so I don’t have this urgency to go to the golf course and hit a lot of balls,” Janzen said.

Janzen started on the back nine Friday and birdied the 15th and 16th holes to get to 3 under. He missed the green on No. 17 but then chipped in for a birdie.

“I probably would have had a 6- to 8-footer for par coming back had it not gone in,” Janzen said. “I came out of that hole smelling a lot better than it looked.”

Janzen is still smarting from his failure to make the cut in the U.S. Open, which he blamed on two shots that led to a double and triple bogey.

“If I had just paid attention a little better on two irons shots and made a few putts, I feel like I would have had a chance to at least finish in the top 10,” he said.

Funk began the season bothered by a sore elbow and sat at home for three months before returning.

“I’m trying to hit the ball better and I’m able to play,” Funk said. “But I can’t swing the way I want to swing.

“The doctors told me I’ve got a bunch of tendons hanging on by threads, they say, on both sides – inside and outside. They said eventually it will just go away on its own … maybe.”

Both Funk and Bryant had stretches of four birdies in five holes on their back nine.

Funk’s bogey-free round was his best to start a tournament since the Champion Tour’s opening round of the 2014 season. He holed out from a greenside bunker at No. 5, his 14th hole.

“I played really solid today overall,” Funk said. “I gave myself some chances, but I actually had a couple little breaks, too.”

Bryant’s score was his best in any Champions Tour event since 2012.

“I did not expect too much warming up today,” he said. “I figured something out at the end of my warmup session, and on the golf course I hit it great. It came out of nowhere.

“It sort of felt like the old Brad today.”

Jerry Smith, Mike Goodes, Craig Stadler and Rod Spittle are a shot behind the leaders.

GULLANE, Scotland – Some of the top names in golf were upstaged by a player ranked No. 528 in the world at the Scottish Open on Friday, with unheralded Englishman Daniel Brooks surging into a surprise three-shot lead after the second round.

Brooks rolled in a 30-foot putt for birdie on the last hole for a 5-under 65, which followed up a first-round 64 – the lowest 18-hole score of his eight-year professional career – at the links tune-up for next week’s British Open at St. Andrews.

Defending champion Justin Rose, 2008 winner Graeme McDowell and Shane Lowry all shot 66 and were in a six-way share of second place on 8 under, a group that also included American Ryan Palmer (65).

Phil Mickelson birdied Nos. 14-16 to recover for a 68 that lifted him to 3-under overall and above the cut mark of 2 under – despite what the five-time major champion called a “horrific” putting display on the Gullane greens.

But they were all trailing Brooks, who was ranked as low as No. 570 two weeks ago after 13 straight missed cuts on the European Tour. “Something clicked,” the 28-year-old Londoner said, when he tied for 20th at last week’s French Open to break the dismal streak and he has carried that form to the east coast of Scotland.

“It’s hard work when you are going out there every week and playing bad. It gets to you,” the reserved Brooks said. “You know you can do better, and I’m showing it this week.”

Brooks’ only title came after a playoff at the Madeira Islands Open in May last year, but that victory was in a tournament that was reduced to 36 holes because of fog and was overshadowed by the death of the caddie of Scottish player Alastair Forsyth earlier that day.

“With Mack (Ian MacGregor) passing away, I didn’t have time to celebrate. It wasn’t a nice feeling,” Brooks said. “I got a win but it put a downer on it.

“I’ve played some terrible golf since then but it’s started to come back.”

An eagle on the par-5 2nd hole, following a 5-iron to 8 feet from 225 yards, was the highlight of Brooks’ round.

Rose is in contention to become the first player to retain the Scottish Open title after two 66s, although he was shaken up during his second round after striking an elderly spectator on the head with an errant drive.

The 2013 U.S. Open champion sent his tee shot left on the par-5 16th and when he approached his ball, there was a man sitting on the ground with blood coming from a cut on his head. Rose said a young spectator fainted at the sight of the blood, but soon “came around.”

“First you hope it’s not a kid, then you hope it’s not a woman. It’s an elderly gentleman, so it’s not nice, but he took it like a trooper,” Rose said. “He was talking to me and that’s reassuring.”

Rose made par on that hole, as he did on every hole on the back nine after picking up five birdies from Nos. 2-8. That was around the time morning rain relented and Friday’s early starters were treated to still conditions that left the Gullane links defenseless.

“I would say I’m running at 50 percent,” said Rose, who won at Royal Aberdeen last year.

Lowry, a links specialist from Ireland, is continuing his form from the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay where he was tied for ninth. And McDowell is also relishing this style of golf after a difficult 2015 in which the Northern Irishman has dropped out of the world’s top 50 for the first time in five years.

The other players on 8 under were Sweden’s Johan Carlsson (67) and England’s Matthew Nixon (67). Americans Rickie Fowler and Matt Kuchar both shot 68 and are five shots behind Brooks.

Mickelson looked like he was heading for an early exit and two extra days of practice at St. Andrews after dropping to level par overall with bogeys on Nos. 11 and 12.

The 2013 champion of both the Scottish and British Opens turned it round, although he said: “For me to make the cut the way I putted the first two days in surprising.”

Two players who did miss the cut: First-round leader Thorbjorn Olesen, who shot 7-over 77 for level par; and Ian Poulter (71 for 1 over).

GLENVIEW, Ill. – Lee Janzen, Fred Funk, David Frost et Brad Bryant partagent la tête du Championnat Encompass après des rondes de 65 (moins-7), vendredi, au club de golf North Shore.

Janzen, vainqueur de l’Omnium des États-Unis en 1993 et 1998, a calé une approche coupée au 17e trou lors d’une séquence de trois oiselets consécutifs en matinée.

Funk, Frost et Bryant ont joué en après-midi. Ils ont tous terminé la première ronde à un coup du record du tournoi établi l’an dernier par Russ Cochran, qui avait bouclé une ronde en 64 coups.

Le Canadien Rod Spittle fait partie du groupe à un coup des meneurs, en compagnie de Mike Goodes, Jerry Smith, Craig Stadler et Jeff Sluman.

Les autres Canadiens en lice sont Rick Gibson (71), Stephen Ames (73) et Jim Rutledge (74).

WINNIPEG, Man. – Dundas, Ontario’s Mackenzie Hughes and Los Angeles, California’s J.J. Spaun reached 9-under through 36 holes on Friday at Pine Ridge Golf Club to share the 36-hole lead at The Players Cup, the fifth event on the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada’s 2015 schedule.

Hughes, the 2013 Mackenzie Tour Order of Merit winner, carded a 6-under 65 to match the earlier clubhouse lead set by Spaun (64), who currently sits no. 5 on the Order of Merit and in position to earn status on the Web.com Tour for 2016. Hughes and Spaun sat two shots clear of Order of Merit leader Drew Weaver of Atlanta, along with Kalmar, Sweden’s Robert Karlsson and Rockville, Maryland’s Danny Balin through 36 holes.

“It was a really good day from start to finish,” said Hughes, who finished tied for third here in 2013 on the way to his Order of Merit victory. “I feel pretty comfortable around here. I like the way the course sets up and the challenges it presents. You play a solid steady round and you’re going to be moving up, so I like that about this place and I’m looking to it this weekend.”

The 24-year old member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad was one of just three players without a bogey on Friday, illustrating a stress-free round that was his lowest of the year so far on the Mackenzie Tour.

“I’m sure most guys hate bogeys, but I especially hate bogeys, so when you do that and get in your last few holes, it’s on your mind. I try not to think about it too much. I had a lot of good looks today and didn’t have too many stressful pars, so that was nice,” said Hughes.

Earlier, Spaun, who lost to Michael Letzig in a playoff at last week’s SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel, posted the best round of the week with a 7-under 64 to set the pace.

“I kept the ball in front of me and made some putts and didn’t make very many mistakes, so it was a good day,” said Spaun, who made six birdies, an eagle and a bogey. “You really have to take advantage of the gettable par-5s and the easy par-4s, and fortunately I did that today and was able to capitalize on it.”

Spaun has improved with each finish on the Mackenzie Tour this season, lining up results of T16-T10-T8-T2 heading into this week in Winnipeg. The 24-year old former NCAA All-American at San Diego State said he’s seen his game improve in 2015 and is becoming more comfortable each week on Tour.

“I’ve been playing good for the past five months, but I just haven’t been playing in anything where it mattered. I knew my game was there so I think for me it’s just all about believing it and having no fear,” said Spaun.

VICTORIA, B.C.  – Team Canada Development Squad member Michelle Kim may be running out of room in her trophy case.

The 17-year-old Surrey native won her second straight British Columbia Golf event with an overpowering final day at Cordova Bay Golf Course. Kim shot a (-4) round of 69 to finish at (-4) 288 to beat 12-year-old Akari Hayashi by nine strokes.

A visibly nervous Hayashi managed to hold it together to shoot a (+5) round of 78 to finish at (+5) 297 to claim solo second place and a spot on the BC team going to the Canadian Junior Girls in Saskatchewan next month.

Surrey’s Hannah Lee finished with a (+2) 75 final round to finish at (+7) 299 to claim the third and final provincial spot.

“I still can’t believe it,” said Kim, who received her trophy from Shirley Nasheim, the 1952 winner of the BC Junior Girls title and the first winner of the trophy. “It feels amazing, especially since I won last week and I’ve played this tournament so many times.”

Kim thanked her family, including her father, who coaches her and her mother, who walks almost every hole with her. But the biggest thanks go to older sister Taylor, who Michelle beat at last week’s BC Women’s Amateur.

“Taylor gave me a really big hug before I came here and told me ‘Go get that trophy. I know you can.’ It’s the only trophy we don’t have in the house.”

For the second week in a row, Kim received a water shower from her friends Gloria Choi, Alisha Lau and Hannah Lee, who rushed the final green to spray Kim.

Kim entered the final round tied with Hayashi for the lead and after both players made nervous bogeys on the first, they also matched birdies on the par-5 second hole. But Kim gained the upper hand she would never relinquish by making another birdie on 3 while Hayashi made bogey.

When Kim made birdies at 5 and 7, and Hayashi made bogeys at 6 and 7, the lead was up to six and it was just a matter of time before Kim was lifting the BC Junior Girls trophy to go along with the Flumerfelt Cup she won last week at Duncan Meadows as the British Columbia Women’s Amateur Champion.

Hayashi made seven bogeys on the day, but saved her best for last, making birdie on the final hole as a large crowd cheered her on. “I am really happy,” said Hayashi. “This is my first time getting into the top 5 or top 10. I’m really happy.”

Hayashi was happy she finished second and got a runner-up trophy with her name on it. “I was really nervous,” she said. “There are so many good girls. I had so much pressure. . . There were so many people on the back 9, I was surprised.”

Kim, Hayashi and Lee comprise the British Columbia team at the Canadian Junior Girls Championship at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, SK from August 4-7.

For full results, please click here.

UNION, Ont. — In a week that had a little bit of everything from unpredictable weather, to penalty strokes to the round-three leaders, things finally came to a conclusion at the Golf Association of Ontario’s (GAO) Investors Group Women’s Amateur on July 10 at the St. Thomas Golf & Country Club, the 100^th anniversary of the event.

Heading into the final round, Orangeville’s Brittany Marchand held a two-shot lead. However, it would be a lights-out performance by Maddie Szeryk that would be the final-round story as she shot a four-under (68) to overcome the deficit and hoist the Marlene Stewart-Streit Trophy.

Szeryk, a Canadian-American dual citizen, makes her home in Texas, where she also attends Texas A&M, but has family connections to London, Ont., with her grandparents residing there. She is also a member of the Golf Canada National Team.

The 18-year-old Szeryk wasted little time in grabbing the lead. She birdied the first hole and then added three more on the fifth, sixth and eighth to lead at the turn. She was able to keep up her strong play on the back nine in order to take the win at seven-under for the tournament (73-70-70-68).

After the win, Szeryk spoke about what it meant to win the 100^th Ontario Women’s Amateur. “It is a pretty big honour to win the 100^th one, that is amazing!” Said Szeryk. “I came into the tournament hoping to play well and am really happy with the outcome. Coming into the tournament I knew it was a huge event and that it would mean a lot to win it. My family is from London, so to win here made it even better.”

When asked about what made the difference this week, Szeryk credited her play to having a solid all-round game. “It really was everything. I was focused on each shot, playing my plan and hitting the right shots. Today was really solid.”

Sharing the silver medal were Marchand and Victoria, British Columbia’s Naomi Ko. Marchand, the National Team and Brampton Golf Club member had her struggles during the final round and just couldn’t find her consistency. She finished the day one-over (73) and four-under for the Tournament (69-73-69-73).

As for Ko, she got off to a hot start with back-to-back birdies on the first two holes. She was able to get to three-under for the day before the turn but gave one stroke back with a bogey on the tenth. Despite her best efforts, she was unable to make a run at the top spot and had to settle for a share of second with a final round two-under (70) and four-under for the tournament. (71-68-75-70).

Based on their results, Marchand, Toronto’s Elizabeth Tong and Ottawa’s Grace St-Germain all move on to represent Ontario, in the inter-provincial competition, at the Canadian Women’s Amateur, July 28-31, at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

For full final results from the 2015 GAO Investors Group Women’s Amateur, please see the tournament site.

Ready, set…it’s the final countdown to the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games! The opening ceremonies will be held on Friday, July 10 to officially kick-off the Games.

Golf’s return to multi-sport games on the world stage is set to begin Tuesday, July 14 with a practice round at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.  Angus Glen is no stranger to hosting major golf tournaments.  In 2001, it played host to both the Telus Skins Game and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open before hosting the 2002 and 2007 RBC Canadian Opens.

After winning the bid to host this competition, Angus Glen’s South Course underwent major renovations in preparation for this monumental event.  What began as a bunker project quickly turned into a decision to make the course more sustainable in terms of water use and storage, as well as reconfiguring the property to reduce overall maintenance.

Fast facts about golf at the 2015 Pan Am Games:

• The Pan Am field currently includes 31 women and 32 men.
• There will be women’s individual, men’s individual and mixed team events played over a 72-hole stroke play format. Each round, teams will count their lowest scores from each gender and these scores will represent their team total.
• The Canadian men’s team will be comprised of 18-year-old Austin Connelly who resides in Irving Texas. The National Amateur Team member, who is currently ranked 10^th in the World Amateur Golf Rankings, will be joined by reigning Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.
• On the women’s side, four-time LPGA Tour winner Lorie Kane of Charlottetown, P.E.I. will represent the host nation.
• Golf Canada’s National Women’s Team Head Coach Tristan Mullally of Straffan, Ireland along with National Men’s Team Head Coach Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man., will serve as the coaches for the 2015 Pan Am Golf Team.

For additional information on the host venue and what you’ll need to know prior to attending the TO2015 Pan Am golf competition, click here. A complete overview of the Pan Am golf schedule, can be found here.

GIBBONS, Alta.  – The third and final round came down to a playoff for the Junior Boys at Goose Hummock Golf Course in Gibbons, Alta., with Jason Martens emerging as the 2015 CN Future Links Western champion. Kenna Hughes held firm on her one-stroke, second-round lead to be crowned the Junior Girls champion.

Martens of Edmonton was forced into a playoff after Brendan MacDougall of Calgary finished with back-to-back birdies. The competitors came away from the first extra hole with a birdie apiece; Martens claimed the championship by making par on the second playoff while MacDougall registered a bogey.

The 18-year-old Martens entered the final round one stroke off the lead. The 2015 Alberta Junior Championship runner-up completed the round with three birdies to shoot 1-over 72 and end the tournament at 5-over-par 218.

“I just stayed pretty patient all day and didn’t really go for too many pins. I just tried to put it in the middle of the green and two-putt,” said Martens. “My game plan was pretty much the same as it’s been for the past two days, just keep the ball in the fairway, put it on the green and keep it away from the water because it’s so easy to drop a shot at this course.”

Brendan MacDougall, 17, put on a valiant effort in the final round, tying the tournament low score of even par. He recorded rounds of 73-74-71 to total 218. Ryan Rody of Calgary opened the day tied for fourth; he pulled into solo-third after an even-par performance and finished two shots back of the winner. Finishing in a three-way tie for fourth place were 2015 CN Future Links Prairie champion Alexander Smith of Calgary, Kade Johnson of Yorkton, Sask., and Alex Park of Vancouver.

In the Junior Girls division, Kenna Hughes of Calgary rebounded from a 5-over front nine to finish bogey-free and capture the Junior Girls title. The 17-year-old, who entered the round ahead by one stroke, fired an impressive 3-over 74 – tied for the Junior Girls tournament low – en route to a three- day total of 231.

“It was close between Kehler (Koss) and I all day, but I hit it well on the back nine, made a couple birdies and got ahead. It was definitely close and very stressful. I was close last year, but I just couldn’t quite pull through, so it feels really nice that I could do it this year,” said Hughes, who finished last year’s tournament in third place.

Also shooting 74 on the day was Kehler Koss. The Calgary native finished even-par across the back-nine and finished the championship with a score of 19-over-par 232. Claiming third in the competition was Jayla Yoonji Kang of Surrey, B.C., who notched back-to-back birdies on the final two holes to finish with an 80 on the day and a 243 for the tournament.

Hughes and the remaining members of this competition’s top-six finishers have received exemptions into the Junior Girls national championship, to be played in Yorkton, Sask., from August 4-7 at Deer Park Golf Course. She has also earned entry into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of her choosing.

Jason Martens and the first to fifth runners-up in the Junior Boys division have been awarded direct entry into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship field. The tournament will be contested from August 3-6 at at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que.

The Western edition of the CN Future Links Championships is the fifth in a series of six competitions conducted by Golf Canada in partnership with CN. The season-opening Pacific edition saw Team Canada Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) find the podium at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) captured the Ontario titles at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. At Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., Alexander Smith (Calgary, Alta.) and Development Squad member Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.) joined the winners circle at the Prairie Championship. Alyssa Getty claimed her second CN Future Links title of 2015 at the Quebec Championship held at Golf Château-Bromont, while Jason Chung (Thornhill, Ont.) claimed the Junior Boys title.

The 2015 season’s concluding event – the Atlantic championship – will tee off July 13-16 at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B.

For additional information from the 2015 CN Future Links Western Championship, please visit the tournament website here.

SILVIS, Illinois – For every good shot Jordan Spieth hit, a bad one seemed to follow.

Spieth’s struggles left him eight shots back after the first round of his final British Open tuneup.

Justin Thomas and Nicholas Thompson each shot an 8-under-par 63 to share the lead at the John Deere Classic on Thursday. Spieth was at even-par 71 in his first round since winning the U.S Open.

Spieth, who will go for his third straight major title next week at St. Andrews, had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch and missed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

“Just a rusty round,” said Spieth, who skipped last week’s Greenbrier Classic. “I didn’t get out on the golf course like maybe I should have.”

Thomas and Thompson were a stroke ahead of Charles Howell III and Luke Guthrie. Three-time tournament winner Steve Stricker led the list of golfers at 6 under.

Spieth is one of just five golfers in the current top 20 of the Fed Ex Cup standings to play in the Quad Cities.

Some even criticized Spieth for supposedly jeopardizing his Grand Slam push by playing this tournament rather than heading over to the United Kingdom early to prep for the Open Championship.

Spieth disagreed, naturally.

But Spieth nonetheless struggled for the “good feels” he said he was hoping to find at this forgiving 7,300-yard course on the banks of the Mississippi River. In a rare display of frustration, Spieth even slammed his fist on a table after barely missing a short birdie putt.

Spieth finally got something going on his 13th hole, sinking a 32-foot birdie putt after escaping the bunker. He put his next approach within 2 feet for another birdie. But Spieth’s tee shot on the 15th hole wound up in the gallery.

Still, Spieth shot a 70 during his opening round here in 2013 and went on to post his first career win at age 19.

“I had some pretty bad lip-outs, and that’s going to happen. I’m still going to continue to hit good putts. If they drop and I can chip the ball a little better, then I’ll be in good position,” Spieth said.

Thomas had his first career win within grasp with 10 holes to go last week at the Greenbrier Classic. He quickly learned how tough it is to win on the PGA Tour.

Thomas collapsed behind a shaky putter, falling out of contention with a bogey followed by a double-bogey. He then shot a ghastly 8 on the par-4 16th and finished tied for 54th.

On Thursday, Thomas answered with 10 birdies, including a 51-foot putt on his 16th hole.

“I just played a couple of bad holes, and if it wasn’t for that I’m right there. There’s definitely more positives than negatives to take out of the last couple of weeks,” Thomas said about last week’s final round. “I’ve felt like I’ve been close.”

Thompson, who has never won in 214 PGA Tour starts, had an eagle on the par-4 14th to highlight his impressive start.

Guthrie, a 2012 graduate of the nearby University of Illinois, went on a run of seven birdies in 10 holes. But he missed a 15-foot par putt that would have put him atop an unlikely leaderboard.

Iowa native Zach Johnson, who has finished either first or second in three straight John Deere Classics, shot a 66. It was Johnson’s 25th straight round in the 60s at Deere Run.

Canadians David Hearn and Adam Hadwin posted 3-under par rounds of 68 today. Roger Sloan had a 1-under opening round of 70. Mike Weir signed for 73, while Nick Taylor shot 75.

LANCASTER, Pa. – Atop the leaderboard, veteran Karrie Webb and second-year LPGA Tour player Marina Alex did their best to temper expectations at the U.S. Women’s Open.

Both early starters opened with a 4-under-par 66 on Thursday, and that score held up through the afternoon before things turned wet and windblown. Play was suspended in the early evening after a storm packing high winds, lightning and heavy rain pounded Lancaster Country Club.

The sudden halt to the action with 55 players needing to complete their rounds – with at least two threatening the lead – left Webb and Alex as unlikely co-leaders.

The USGA’s plan is to restart the first round at 6:45 a.m. Friday and begin the second round at 7:15.

Amy Yang was in the clubhouse a shot behind the leaders. Two players on the course were also at 3 under: Na Yeon Choi, the 2012 U.S. Open champion, had three holes to play, while Jane Park had five.

Top-ranked Inbee Park birdied two of her last three holes before play was stopped and was at 2 under through 14. Morgan Pressel and six other morning starters shot a 2-under 68.

The 40-year-old Webb reeled off four birdies on her second nine holes and finished with her first score in the 60s in a U.S. Open since 2001, when the Australian won the tournament for the second straight year.

The seven-time major champ started on the back nine and reeled off 10 straight pars before making her move with birdies at the second, fourth, sixth and eighth holes.

This season has been a struggle for Webb, who has three top-10 finishes in 14 starts. That all changed Thursday when she hit 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens.

“It’s been a test of my patience. I feel like I’ve had some good golf in me,” Webb said.

An eighth major title would move her into a tie for sixth place with Betsy Rawls, but Webb said it was too early to think about that.

“That’s never been a goal of mine,” she said. “I’m just happy to get off to a good start and hopefully continue to play this good for the next three days.”

Alex, playing in her second U.S. Open and first since 2009, was a surprise atop the leaderboard. The 24-year-old from Wayne, New Jersey, is in her second season on the LPGA Tour. She missed the cut five straight weeks and her best finish was a tie for ninth in Arkansas.

She’d been working on swing changes before the tournament, and it finally all came together.

She hit a 5-wood to within 18 feet on the ninth hole and made a curling birdie putt.

“It was the best putt and best shot of the day for me, so that was great,” she said.

Alex was an amateur when she played in her first U.S. Open.

“I qualified like the last spot on my sectional,” she said. “My game then and now is not even remotely the same. I was a nervous kid, pretty much.”

On Thursday, she embraced the championship atmosphere and cheering crowds.

“I’m not a front-runner for this tournament, really,” she said. “So I’m just going to go out there and have fun tomorrow with my caddie and just keep doing the things that we’ve been doing and just see where that puts me.”

Elizabeth Nagel, a 23-year-old playing her second professional event, was in the group two strokes off the lead. Making her U.S. Open debut wasn’t going to rattle the cancer survivor.

After a trip to her doctor because of cold symptoms during her junior year at Michigan State, Nagel was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She had surgery to remove her thyroid and cancerous lymph node in her neck. Nagel went through radioactive iodine treatments and was declared cancer free about a year later.

“It kind of brings all this into perspective and makes this even more special,” she said. “Everybody says it, but when you make a bogey you keep pressing on. When you’ve heard the `C’ word and went through that whole battle really in your life, it brings everything back to even keel.”

Stacey Lewis, who finished second last year, shot a 69, while Lydia Ko opened with 70, and defending champion Michelle Wie, slowed by injury and illness this season, shot a 2-over 72.

Jimin Kang withdrew after 16 holes, citing illness.

Canadian Christina Foster made her professional debut today with a round of 1-over par 71. Currently Brooke Henderson sits at 1-over par with two holes to play tomorrow to complete her first round.