SILVIS, Ill. – Everything is coming up in pairs for Jordan Spieth, even when he’s fishing.

And these were big fish, too.

The Masters and U.S. Open champion was in the Bahamas with his best friends to celebrate his second straight major title when they threw a line in the water on the way back from snorkeling. Spieth got a tuna and was fighting with it for close to an hour, as small sharks kept approaching to try to get the fish.

“The captain was scaring them off, banging on the boat and on the water,” Spieth said Tuesday at the John Deere Classic. “And all of a sudden, it just rips back down again. And I almost got pulled in. And it was so much heavier.”

There was a reason for that, as Spieth soon found out.

The battle continued until Spieth said he couldn’t move his arm any longer. He took a break to use the bathroom and asked the captain to take over, and then Spieth grabbed the rod again. Finally, it surfaced. Only it wasn’t the tuna.

“What surfaced was like a 12-foot long, 300-pound black tip shark that had eaten this tuna and then had hooked itself,” Spieth said. “So I guess I caught both in one because I got that shark.”

Spieth was in a group of eight friends from Dallas, including his girlfriend, and there was no room on the boat for a shark. The captain managed to get the hook out and send the shark on its way.

“It was a cool experience,” he said.

GULLANE, Scotland – Five-time major champion Phil Mickelson has refused to comment on allegations linking him to an illegal gambling operation, saying he had got used to being an “object to be discussed.”

ESPN reported last week that $2.75 million belonging to Mickelson was transferred to a former sports gambling handicapper, who pleaded guilty to laundering money. According to court documents obtained by ESPN, the money was part of “an illegal gambling operation which accepted and placed bets on sporting events.”

Speaking Wednesday ahead of the Scottish Open, Mickelson says “the fact is I’m comfortable enough with who I am as a person that I don’t feel I need to comment on every little report that comes out.”

ESPN reported that Mickelson hasn’t been charged with a crime and isn’t under federal investigation.

Scott Stallings has been suspended for three months for violating the PGA Tour’s anti-doping policy, making him the third player to be sanctioned for performance-enhancing drugs since the policy was introduced to golf seven years ago.

Stallings said in a statement released Tuesday by the PGA Tour that he took a supplement to help with chronic fatigue and turned himself in when he realized in February that it was on the list of banned substances.

“I regret my inadvertent mistake in not doing my homework to know for sure what was on the list of permitted and non-permitted substances,” Stallings said. “I take responsibility and accept the penalty imposed by the PGA Tour.”

The suspension means the 30-year-old Stalling is out for the rest of the season. He would not be eligible to return until Oct. 7, the week of the Presidents Cup in South Korea. The 2015-16 season opens the following week at the Frys.com Open.

Doug Barron, who had not had a full PGA Tour card in three years, was suspended for one year in October 2009 for taking a substance to cope with low testosterone. His lawsuit against the tour was settled and he was granted a therapeutic use exemption the following year.

In January, Bhavik Patel on the Web.com Tour was suspended for taking a banned substance. Patel said he had a lapse in judgment.

Stallings is the first PGA Tour winner to be suspended. He has won three times in five years, most recently in 2014 at Torrey Pines. He lost in a four-man playoff at Torrey Pines this year, and then missed seven cuts in his next 12 events. He was at No. 101 in the FedEx Cup and No. 154 in the world ranking.

Stalling said his doctor recommended the supplement – he told Golf Channel it was DHEA, which is offered over the counter – that he took in December and January for chronic fatigue and “not in any way for performance enhancement.”

He said he reported his violation as soon as he realized it was on the list of banned substances.

Under its policy, the tour is required only to confirm the suspension and for how long. The announcement that he was suspended was about five months after Stallings said he informed the tour of his violation.

GIBBONS, Alta. – Clear skies and ideal conditions set the stage for the first round of the 2015 CN Future Links Western Championship at Goose Hummock Golf Course in Gibbons, Alta. Andrew Harrison opened at even par to top a crowded leaderboard in the Junior Boys division while Kehler Koss sits two strokes ahead of second place to lead the Junior Girls.

Harrison of Camrose, Alta., is carrying momentum from his recent victory at the 2015 Alberta Junior Championship. The 16-year-old matched three bogeys with a trio of birdies to finish at even-par 71. Several competitors are within striking distance with 10 players shooting 4-over par or better.

One shot back is Ponoka, Alta., product Jared Nicolls who bounced back from a double bogey on hole 15 with a birdie on 16 and two subsequent pars. Also shooting 72 was Calgary native Ryan Rody, whose round was highlighted by a front nine score of 2-under par.

Edmonton’s Jason Martens, who finished runner-up at the Alberta Junior Championship, opened the tournament with a 2-over par 73 and is T4. Sharing fourth is Brendan MacDougall of Calgary who capitalized on an even-par back nine to sit two shots back of the lead.

Three Calgary natives finished the day at the top of the Junior Girls division. Leading the way was Kehler Koss who opened the 54-hole competition with a 6-over par 77 performance. The 16-year-old notched two birdies and holds a two shot advantage heading into the second day of the tournament.

In second with a score of 79 is Kenna Hughes who is looking to improve upon her third-place finish at the 2014 edition of this event held at Birchbank Golf Club in Trail, B.C. Rounding out the top three is Sharmaine Rapisura, who sits five strokes back of the leader after opening with an 82.

The top six finishers in both the Junior Boys and Junior Girls divisions at the CN Future Links Western Championship will receive exemptions into their respective national championships. The 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship will take place August 2-6 at Summerlea Golf and Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., while the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship will be contested at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask., from August 3-7. The CN Future Links Junior Girls Western champion will also receive an exemption into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of her choice.

The second round will see the junior girls tee off at 7:30 a.m. MDT before the junior boys take to the course at 8:40 a.m.

For complete scoring and additional information from the 2015 CN Future Links Western Championship, click here.

David Hearn’s confidence is at an all-time high.

Hearn, from Brantford, Ont., finished second after a four-man playoff at the Greenbrier Classic on Sunday, the closest he’s ever been to a win on the PGA Tour. That momentum could not be better timed as he heads in to this week’s John Deere Classic, followed by the British Open and the RBC Canadian Open.

“I’ve felt like all year it’s been a lot closer than my results have been showing,” said Hearn on Tuesday. “Obviously, putting together a nice result like that will give me lots of confidence going forward. I’m doing the right things.

“It was a good learning experience for me, the whole week, the way I played that golf course and the way I played my game.”

Prior to the playoff at the Greenbrier, Hearn’s best performance this season was a tie for sixth at the Zurich Classic on April 23. His previous best result on the PGA Tour was at the 2013 John Deere where he also tied for second after a playoff.

Hearn won US$500,267 at the Greenbrier after making bogey on the par-five 17th in the playoff at the Old White TPC, while eventual winner Danny Lee reached the green in three shots and two-putted from across the green for par. Hearn had birdied on No. 17 in regulation to join the playoff. That performance qualified him for the British Open on July 16.

He believes that experiencing the pressure of a playoff scenario will help his game evolve.

“When you get in contention, you get that feeling in your body, and you learn how that adrenalin works and how to handle it in those situations,” said Hearn. “That’s the type of thing that I’m going to be able to draw on going forward. The next time I get in that situation I’ll know what’s happening and how my body’s reacting and how to handle it.”

Hearn will have plenty of opportunities to deal with pressure as he handles a busy mid-summer schedule.

He played in the RBC Canada Cup on Monday in Halifax and will return to the familiar John Deere Classic this week. He will fly out to St. Andrew’s, Scotland, on Monday for the British Open and then return to North America for the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Course in Oakville, Ont., the following week.

“Any tournament that I’m in I want to put my best foot forward and give myself a chance to win it,” said Hearn. “Right now it will be about taking a little bit more time off to rest.

“A little bit of down time will help me recuperate mentally and physically. I want to be competitive in each of my three upcoming events.”

That rest usually means taking his mind of golf and watching movies or spending time with his family if they travel with him.

Hearn’s professional commitments have kept him from competing at the Pan Am Games in Toronto, which tees off on July 16, the same day that the British Open begins.

However, he’ll be keeping a keen eye on how Canada’s team of Charlottetown’s Lorie Kane, Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., and Austin Connelly, a dual citizen who lives in Irving, Texas, will perform.

“This is a really big deal for the City of Toronto and Canada to be hosting these Games,” said Hearn, who hopes to represent Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “It will be a real honour for the guys that do represent Canada to compete in that golf championship. I’ll definitely be paying attention and pulling for our guys. It would’ve been a fun competition for me to compete in but I know that the guys that they chose will do an amazing job and represent Canada very well.”

The 13^th edition of the Take a Kid to the Course week is back from July 6-12.

The program, developed by the National Golf Course Owners Association of Canada, offers parents an added opportunity to introduce their children to the sport. How better to grow the game than playing alongside the next generation of golfers?

Hundreds of participating courses across the country will offer a free complimentary golf round to a child under the age of 16 when accompanied by a paying adult. Many courses will also provide additional programs such as junior clinics, free range balls, junior club rentals and parent/child tournaments during the week.

Over 300,000 junior golfers have participated over the past 12 years, creating a great platform for promoting the game of golf while providing a healthy and fun activity for parents and children to enjoy together.

For more information and a list of participating courses click here.

CUMBERLAND, Ont. – Team Canada’s Étienne Papineau notched another provincial tournament win on Monday at the Camelot Golf & Country Club, winning Golf Québec’s Alexander of Tunis in a two-hole playoff.

Papineau, a two-time Québec junior champion, posted a cumulative score of 140 (-4) to enter the sudden-death playoff against Pierre-Alexandre Bédard of Chibougamau-Chapis, Qué., and Scott Ray of Ottawa—also the president of host club Camelot.

With the group still all-square on the second playoff hole, 18-year-old Papineau made his mark with an approach shot that landed inches from the hole. From there, the St-Jean-sur-Richelieu native tapped-in for birdie and the win.

“I was so nervous; it felt like I was carrying 200 pounds on my shoulders,” said Papineau. “When I saw the ball sink into that cup, I started breathing easy again.”

The win adds to Papineau’s impressive summer, which includes a T10 finish for Canada at the Toyota Junior Golf World Cup in Japan last month. He will look to keep up the strong play this weekend at the Duke of Kent tournament—the second of leg of the men’s triple crown of amateur golf in Québec.

The “Tunis” is the most prestigious amateur tournament presented in the Ottawa region. The men’s Triple Crown is composed of the Alexander of Tunis, Duke of Kent, and Men’s Provincial Amateur Championship. The three (3) best players on the Triple Crown’s Order of Merit will form the provincial team representing Golf Québec at the Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to be held at the Weston Golf & Country Club and Lambton Golf & Country Club, in the Toronto area, from August 10 to 13. Practice rounds will be held on August 8 and 9.

Click here for full results.

Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club in Bathurst, N.B., will showcase junior golfers from July 13-16 in the final CN Future Links Championship of the 2015 season. The CN Future Links Atlantic Championship will begin with a practice round on July 13 before the 54-holes of stroke play competition commences on July 14.

Along the windy shores of the Bathurst Harbour near the Bay of Chaleur lies Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club. Juniors will appreciate the picturesque water views and the coast’s breezy weather while they are challenged by Gowan Brae’s quick tiered greens.

“The CN Future Links Championships have run with great success this season,” said Dan Hyatt, Tournament Director. “We have seen strong competition and Golf Canada looks forward to closing out the CN Future Links Championship series at Gowan Brae Golf & Country Club. With the final six exemptions into both the Canadian Junior Boys and Junior Girls Championships available, the event will prove to be exciting as we prepare to crown the season’s two remaining CN Future Links champions.”

Headlining the field in the Junior Girls division will be Laura Jones, the 2014 runner-up in this event and the 2015 New Brunswick Junior Girls Champion. The Moncton, N.B., product also recently competed in the Kent Ford Motors Bouctouche East Coast Junior Championship where she finished three strokes back of winner Claire Konning, who will also be in the field chasing the Atlantic Championship. The Indian Mountain, N.B., native claimed a third-place finish at the 2014 edition of this competition. Joining the pair will be last year’s fourth place finisher, Bailey Carr of Charlottetown, P.E.I.

Traveling to Bathurst, N.B., from Toronto, will be Tyler Erb who finished tied for second place in 2014 after opening the event with an even-par 72. Blair Bursey of Gander, N.L., will look to add a CN Future Links championship to his resume after having already captured the 2015 Golf Newfoundland and Labrador Amateur Men’s title.

In-season winners joining the hunt for the 2015 CN Future Links Atlantic title will be Kent Ford Motors Bouctouche East Coast Junior Boys Champion Mackenzie Clark of Fredericton, N.B., and Bantam Champion Isaac Darling of Rothesay, N.B. Junior Boys runner-up and 2014 New Brunswick Junior Boys Champion, Calvin Ross from Fredericton N.B., will also vie for the championship title.

Among the 27 athletes competing in their home province, Bathurst, N.B., trio Danek Hadley, Nicholas Cameron and Nathan Hogan will hope to capitalize on their home club advantage at Gowan Brae.

The top six finishers in the Junior Boys division of the CN Future Links Atlantic Championship will receive exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Boys Championship, to be contested at Summerlea Golf & Country Club in Vaudreuil-Dorion, Que., from August 2-6.

The CN Future Links Atlantic Championship will award its top six Junior Girls with exemptions into the 2015 Canadian Junior Girls Championship, from August 3-7, at Deer Park Golf Course in Yorkton, Sask. In addition, the Junior Girls champion will also receive an exemption into a 2016 Canadian Women’s Tour event of their choosing.

The CN Future Links Atlantic Championship is the last in a series of six championships presented by Golf Canada in partnership with CN to support the growth and development of junior golf in Canada.

The 2015 season began with National Team Development Squad members Trevor Ranton (Waterloo, Ont.) and Grace St-Germain (Ottawa, Ont.) being crowned CN Future Links Pacific champions at Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum Beach, B.C. The Ontario stop in the championship series saw Jack Simpson (Aurora, Ont.) and Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) finish at the top of the leaderboard at Pine Knot Golf & Country Club in Dorchester, Ont. Capturing the Prairie titles at Cooke Municipal Golf Course in Prince Albert, Sask., were Alexander Smith (Calgary, Alta.) and National Squad member Alisha Lau (Richmond, B.C.). This past weekend at the CN Future Links Quebec Championship Alyssa Getty (Ruthven, Ont.) added a second Junior Girls title to her resume for the season at Golf Château-Bromont, in Bromont, Que., while Jason (Chan Young) Chung captured the Junior Boys title.

Additional information on the 2015 CN Future Links Atlantic Championship, including a full list of competitors and tee-times are available here.

WestJet today announced a three-year partnership as the official airline of the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open with a new Facebook contest and a golf-themed fundraiser for Ronald McDonald House Charities (RMHC).

This year’s RBC Canadian Open is set to take place at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, ON, from July 20-26, 2015, and the 2015 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open takes place at The Vancouver Golf Club in Coquitlam, BC, from August 17–23, 2015.

“As an airline that earned its stripes on the leisure side of the business, and golf being a top Canadian leisure pursuit, sponsoring the RBC Canadian Open and the Canadian Pacific Women’s Open is a natural fit,” said Richard Bartrem, WestJet Vice-President, Communications and Community Relations. “Getting involved with both tournaments offers a great opportunity to celebrate Canadian’s love of the game, especially since many of our guests fly WestJet to popular golf destinations across our network.”

“WestJet has shown a tremendous innovation in how they engage with Canadians and we are honoured to align their respected brand with Canada’s National Men’s and Women’s Open Golf Championships,” said Golf Canada Chief Commercial Officer Gavin Roth. “The RBC Canadian Open and Canadian Pacific Women’s Open are pinnacle events in Canadian golf and WestJet’s partnership will further strengthen both championships’ ability to connect with Canadian golf enthusiasts in communities from coast to coast.”

WestJet will also team up with RBC and RMHC, a WestJet Cares for Kids national partner, for a special fundraiser during the RBC Canadian Open.

“We see an opportunity to highlight the tremendous work Ronald McDonald House Children’s Charities does on behalf of families across Canada every day,” continued Richard Bartrem. “Partnering with RBC and RMHC during one of the premier sporting events in Canada will help us raise funds and raise the profile of a valuable organization.”

In order to ensure everyone across the country can share the excitement surrounding the RBC Canadian Open, WestJet wants you to share #YourOpenMoment. Visit the WestJet Facebook page to view a special video celebrating a love of the game. Share the video and one lucky winner will receive round-trip WestJet flights for two from anywhere in Canada, along with accommodation and tickets, to the RBC Canadian Open. WestJet’s Facebook post can be found here.

Rory McIlroy was on crutches Monday with an ankle injury from playing soccer, leaving in doubt the prospects of golf’s No. 1 player defending his British Open title next week at St. Andrews.

Just as excitement was building toward a potential clash at the Old Course between McIlroy and Jordan Spieth, McIlroy posted a jarring photo on Instagram showing him on crutches with a walking boot on this left ankle. The 26-year-old from Northern Ireland said it was a “total rupture” of an ankle ligament and the joint capsule that happened while he was playing soccer with friends.

A photo posted by Rory McIlroy (@rorymcilroy) on Jul 6, 2015 at 2:53am PDT

Sean O’Flaherty, his chief spokesman, said McIlroy has withdrawn from the Scottish Open this week at Gullane. O’Flaherty said they would not know until later in the week the extent of the injury and whether McIlroy would be able to tee it up July 16 at St. Andrews.

Ben Hogan in 1954 was the last British Open champion who did not play the following year.

McIlroy had been the joint favorite along with Spieth. They have won the last four majors – the first time in nearly a century that two players in their 20s have shared four successive majors – and Spieth is headed to St. Andrews as only the fourth player with a chance at the Grand Slam.

Players were shocked to hear the news.

“Unlucky, obviously,” Luke Donald said in a telephone interview. “I would never say, `Don’t play football or don’t do these thing.’ You don’t want to live in a bubble. It’s just unlucky timing, especially this time of the year. Golf is exciting with Rory and Jordan. It’s added a bit of spice to the game. It’s a shame if Rory were to miss the Open, which it looks like he might.”

Sergio Garcia, a runner-up to McIlroy at Royal Liverpool last year, tweeted, “So sad to hear about (at)Rory McIlroy injury on his ankle. We will all miss you (at)TheOpen next week my friend. Fast and healthy recovery.”

McIlroy referred to his ATFL, which is the anterior talofibular ligament and the one most commonly sprained. The left ankle is crucial in a golf swing as weight transfers to that side of the body (for right-handers) in generating power.

“That’s a big blow to the Open if he misses it,” former Ryder Cup captain Sam Torrance said from Wimbledon.

McIlroy won the Open last year at Royal Liverpool by going wire-to-wire and taking a six-shot lead into the final round. He also won the PGA Championship, joining Jack Nicklaus, Tiger Woods and Bobby Jones as the only players in the last century with four majors at age 25 or younger.

The injury brought to mind Woods winning the 2008 U.S. Open at Torrey Pines with a stress fracture and shredded knee ligaments in his left leg. Woods knew about the injury a month before the U.S. Open and was determined to play, mainly because he was a six-time PGA Tour at Torrey Pines.

No one saw this injury to McIlroy coming, however. Along with potentially missing the British Open, McIlroy faces a busy time of the year as defending champion of the World Golf Championship at Firestone and the PGA Championship, followed by the FedEx Cup in America and the Race to Dubai in Europe.

Shane Lowry of Ireland told the Irish Times that he heard about the injury on Saturday.

“It’s not ideal for him because he’s wearing that boot and he’s going to have everyone in the media on his back now,” Lowry said. “But should he be playing football? I don’t know. He likes playing football, and he likes playing football with his mates. What’s wrong with that? … People think because you’re good at something you should just do that and focus on that, but that’s not what life is about.”

McIlroy has an affinity with the Old Course. It’s where he secured his European Tour card in 2007 as an 18-year-old at the Dunhill Links with a third-place finish. He also tied the major championship record of 63 when the British Open was held at St. Andrews in 2010, though McIlroy followed with an 80 in the wind. He tied for third at St. Andrews five years ago.