Palm Beach, Fla. — Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch improved 46 spots Friday in second-round Web.com Q School action after firing a 7-under 64 at PGA National.

The 37-year-old played stellar golf Friday, making eight birdies on the Champion course after an opening score of 72 on Thursday.

Fritsch, who came up one spot shy of retaining his PGA Tour Card for 2015 in the FedExCup rankings, currently sits in a three-way tie for 5^th place at 7-under, trailing leader Rick Cochran III of Kentucky by three strokes.

Vancouver’s Ryan Williams and Ted Brown of Peterborough, Ont. also climbed the leaderboard Friday, both jumping 24 spots into a tie for 45^th with 2-under 70s on the Fazio course.

Cory Renfrew began the second round in a tie for 6^th after opening the tournament with a 68. However, the Victoria, B.C. native shot a 76 Friday and dropped 65 spots into a tie for 71^st overall with Calgary’s Ryan Yip, who shot a 71 in his second round.

Additionally, fellow Calgary native Wes Heffernan improved 27 spots with a 2-under 70, while Montreal’s Beon Yeong Lee’s 73 moved him into a tie for 145^th at 10 over.

For full Web.com Q School results, click here.

Garrett Rank, the 2014 Men’s Mid-Amateur champion, will be officiating his first NHL game on January 15, 2015, between the Buffalo Sabres and the Minnesota Wild.

The Elmira, Ont. native signed an NHL officiating contract in late July and has been working American Hockey League (AHL) games since the start of the 2014/15 season.

Having spent the entire 2013/14 campaign officiating in the Ontario Hockey League (OHL), the 27-year-old seems both excited and nervous for his debut at the pro level.

“The nerves are going to be flowing for sure but I’m really excited for it,” said Rank. “It’s something I’ve been working on for the past four or five years and I’m sure I’ll have a smile on my face and be pretty happy when I’m out there.”

According to Rank, his aspirations of becoming a professional golfer have not expired.

“I’ll have my summers off and I still play a bunch of tournaments. … I haven’t given up on the golf dream; it’s just taking a back seat at the moment.”

The former National Amateur team member is expected to tee it up at next year’s RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey, having earned an exemption for the PGA Tour event with his Mid-Am victory earlier this year.

Scott soon to be a father:

Adam Scott announced on Friday that he and his wife, Marie Kojzar, are expecting their first child in February 2015.

Following this week’s Australian PGA, the 2013 Masters champion plans to take a break from competitive play until the birth of his child.

The 34-year-old understands that certain challenges exist with raising an infant, while touring the globe.

“We’re not going to be in one place very long, at the moment, so it’s going to be a traveling baby and have to do with a makeshift bed for the time being,” said Scott.

Iconic cypress topples on Pebble Beach’s 18^th hole:

One of the most famous trees in golf took a tumble yesterday, as 40 mile per hour winds swept through the Monterey peninsula.

The cypress tree on the right side of the 18^th fairway, which was planted in 2004, will no longer frame the tee shot for golfers as they come down the stretch.

This marks the second time in as many years that an iconic golf course tree has been destroyed by a storm.

Last year, Augusta was forced to remove its beloved Eisenhower tree on 17, after an ice storm ripped through the area.

The Range Ball Bandit:

Nathan Brown, 27, was taken into police custody last week, after he admitted to stealing a large amount of golf balls from the Golfport driving range in Maryland Heights, Missouri.

Police have since released details concerning the case, claiming that Brown purportedly stole 42,000 range balls from the site, using the veil of nighttime to accomplish the task.

According to the report, 2,000 of the balls have been recovered and returned, leaving 40,000 balls unaccounted for in the general Missouri area.

Hoosier Madness:

Jeff Overton just cannot stop getting into trouble around NCAA basketball games.

The Hooisers alumnus was allegedly thrown out of the Dec. 9 Indiana-Louisville basketball game at Madison Square Garden for causing a disruption.

This is not the first time that the 31-year-old has gotten into trouble for disorderly conduct.

According to the Evansville Courier and Press, the Evansville, Ind. native was arrested and released on $500 bail for resisting law enforcement, public intoxication and disorderly conduct, following an Indiana-Kentucky game in 2011.

MALELANE, South Africa — Branden Grace increased his lead to five strokes after a 6-under 66 Friday in the second round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship.

The South African had three birdies on the front nine and another four after the turn at Leopard Creek Country Club to move to 16-under 128 overall.

Grace, who won all four of his European Tour titles in 2012, dropped his only shot of the competition on the par-3 fifth.

“This is a golf course that suits me and if I keep hitting everything in play the way I have been the first two days then it should be a good weekend,” Grace said. “The pins have been kind so far. I’m sure there’s going to be a couple of tricky and sticky pins out there on the weekend but I’ll just stick to the game plan and see what the next two rounds offer us.”

Francesco Molinari (65) had the low round to move into second place. The Italian had five birdies through the first 12 holes followed by an eagle at No. 13, but he missed an opportunity to cut the deficit to four strokes at No. 14 when he failed to make a three-foot putt.

“Five shots is still a very good margin, but the greens are firming up nicely so it might be slightly different over the weekend,” Molinari said. “I started 12 behind this morning and tried not to think about it. I just tried to do my best and I’m really happy with how I played.”

Tjaart van der Walt (67) is a shot behind Molinari, while Shaun Norris (67), Lucas Bjerregaard (67) and Danny Willett (69) are a further shot behind at 9 under.

Defending champion Charl Schwartzel, who is trying to become the sixth European Tour player to win the same event three years in a row, shot 70 and is 11 strokes behind Grace.

Jason Day et Cameron Tringale occupent toujours la tête du Franklin Templeton Shootout disputé selon la formule des coups alternés à l’issue de la deuxième ronde disputée vendredi sur les allées du Tiburon Golf Club , à Naples, en Floride.

Le duo Day-Tringale, qui a joué 64, détient présentement trois coups d’avance sur celui formé de Graeme McDowell et Gary Woodland, qui occupe le deuxième échelon à -22.

Les meneurs ont notamment calé six oiselets sur leurs huit premiers trous.

Matt Kuchar et Harris English, de leur côté, sont en troisième position à -21, un coup devant la paire Howell III-Verplank.

Les duos Bradley-Villegas, Horschel-Poulter et Reed-Snedeker, pour leur part, se partagent le cinquième échelon, un coup devant ceux composés de Leonard-Sabbatini et Palmer-Walker.

Samedi, les 12 équipes concluront le tournoi avec une ronde disputée selon la formule deux balles, meilleure balle.

CHONBURI, Thailand — Former champion Lee Westwood was relieved to card a 1-under-par 71 in windier conditions to trail Thailand Championship leader and English countryman Tommy Fleetwood by one shot after the second round on Friday.

Westwood had five birdies against four bogeys in rough he called brutal, and considered he played well at Amata Spring Country Club. The 2011 champ was at 3-under 141, tied with Marcus Fraser of Australia (72).

Making his debut in the Asian Tour event, new leader Fleetwood shot 69, spoiled only by a bogey on the fourth hole.

U.S. Open champion Martin Kaymer was at 3 under for the tournament after 13 holes, but bogeys on the 14th and finishing hole dropped him to 1-under 143 and into a tie for sixth with Thai No. 1 Thongchai Jaidee (71), and American Paul Peterson (72).

Defending champion Sergio Garcia (75) and two-time Masters winner Bubba Watson (70) were at 2 over.

Canada’s Richard Lee, who began the day with a share of the lead, shot a 76 and dropped back into a tie for 12th at +1.

GOLD COAST, Australia — Australians Scott Strange and Wade Ormsby shared the second-round lead at the Australian PGA on Friday, with defending champion Adam Scott two strokes behind and American Boo Weekley three off the lead.

Strange shot a 6-under 66 and Ormsby a 67 at Royal Pines for a 36-hole total of 9-under 135.

Scott, who confirmed he and his wife are expecting their first child in February, was in third place after a 69, with Weekley, who had a first-round 66, in fourth after a 72.

South Korean Jin Jeong, who held the first-round lead with a 65 and was one of 78 players to complete his opening round on Friday morning due to weather delays on Thursday, was in a group tied for fifth after a 74.

Jeong played 24 holes on Friday and had only a 30-minute break between his rounds.

Ormsby’s round included a six-hole run of an eagle and four birdies on his front nine. Strange, a two-time European Tour winner, joined Ormsby in the lead with a birdie on his final hole.

Scott is playing his third Australian tournament in four weeks.

“It’s big for me,” he said. “Energy levels are getting low and you can see the end of the line but I’m pushing through, I’m doing my usual routines. I really want to finish off with a win.”

NAPLES, Fla. — Jason Day and Cameron Tringale shot a 17-under 55 on Thursday in the first-round scramble to take a two-stroke lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.

“The abridged version is, I hit first and then let Jason loose,” Tringale said.

Day and Tringale tied the tournament scramble record set by tournament host Greg Norman and Nick Price in 1993 and matched by Peter Jacobsen and John Cook in 1998 and Norman and Steve Elkington in 2005.

“Scramble is one of those formats where you have to go at it and shoot lights out,” Day said. “It definitely helps when you have a partner who hits it down the middle all the time and putts great.”

They were 12 under on the last 12 holes at The Ritz-Carlton Golf Resort, making eagles on Nos. 13 and 14 and birdies on Nos. 9-12 and 15-18.

“It’s great to be able to read the putt together, really put our minds together, because he’s a great putter,” Day said. “He always has been.”

Defending champions Matt Kuchar and Harris English opened with a 57. They birdied 14 of their last 15 holes.

“To go 15 is great,” Kuchar said. “To go 17 is quite amazing.

All 12 teams were 11 under or better. The teams will play a modified alternate shot Friday and close with a better-ball round Saturday.

English thinks they separated themselves last year in the modified alternate shot.

“I feel like we can do the same thing as we did last year,” English said. “Kooch is driving it great right now, so we’re going to kind of lean on that.”

Keegan Bradley-Camilo Villegas, Graeme McDowell-Gary Woodland and Ryan Palmer-Jimmy Walker shot 59, while the team of Mike Weir and Retief Goosen, who have three Major championships between them, carded a 12-under 60.

Patrick Reed played two days after wife Justine suffered a grand mal seizure.

“We are really fortunate that she is OK and lucky that I was in the room with her to save her from drowning,” Reed said

Reed, a late replacement for Chris Kirk, teamed with Brandt Snedeker to shoot 61. They were tied for 10th.

Palm Beach, Fla. — Corey Renfrew leads all Canadians at Web.com Q School after carding an opening round 68 at PGA National.

The Victoria native made eight birdies in Rd. 1 and was on pace for a tremendous back nine until he double bogeyed the 18^th hole.  He is currently tied for 6^th place at -4.

Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch, who came up one FedExCup point shy of retaining his PGA Tour status for 2015, is tied for 51^st after shooting an even par 72, while Calgary’s Ryan Yip, Vancouver’s Ryan Williams, and Ted Brown of Peterborough, Ont. are all tied for 69^th at +1.

Wes Heffernan of Calgary opened his week with a 77 and is tied for 130^th place, while Montreal’s Beon Yeong Lee (T147) carded an 80.

For full Web.com Q School result, click here.

MALELANE, South Africa – Branden Grace made light work of the Leopard Creek Country Club course as he shot a 10-under 62 to claim a three-shot lead after the first round of the Alfred Dunhill Championship on Thursday.

Although the South African missed an eagle chance at the last hole that would have seen him equal the course record, that was his only disappointment of the day as he fired in 10 unanswered birdies.

“I hit the ball superbly,” said Grace, who came within a whisker of holing approaches at Nos. 11 and 15.

“I can’t remember the last time I hit 18 greens in a row, which is pretty nice, especially around this place, where there are some daunting approaches. It’s a good feeling going into the rest of the tournament.”

Grace’s compatriot, Jake Roos, lay second after his first day as a full European Tour member, leading fellow rookie Matt Ford by one stroke after the Englishman’s 6-under 66.

Ford had been set to accept a job as a postman before his success at Qualifying School last month changed his winter plans, while Roos claimed the last spot available on The Race to Dubai via last season’s Challenge Tour.

The limited field at the Nedbank Challenge last week delayed the involvement of players coming through the Challenge Tour and Qualifying School.

“I’m very happy and it was a dream start to the tournament and my season,” Ford said. “It’s the first time I’ve had my European Tour card, so I’m pleased with how today went.”

Ford was joined in third place by countryman Danny Willett, who carried his good form through from last weekend’s win at the Nedbank Challenge.

Spain’s Nacho Elvira and South Africans Michael Hollick and Tjaart van der Walt were tied for fifth on 5 under, while defending champion Charl Swartzel had a decent day that left him at 3 under and tied for 21st.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, Fla. – PGA Tour Commissioner Tim Finchem has announced that the PGA Tour Policy Board has approved a recommendation to reduce the number of points awarded for each of the four FedExCup Playoff tournaments.

Beginning in 2015, The Barclays, Deutsche Bank Championship, BMW Championship and TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola will award 2,000 points for a victory (down from 2,500) with all other places being reduced by the same proportion. The intent, Finchem said, is to place a greater emphasis on season-long excellence while still maintaining the element of volatility and movement throughout the Playoffs.

“Every year since the FedExCup was introduced in 2007, we have reviewed the points structure with the Player Advisory Council and four Player Directors who sit on the Policy Board,” Finchem said. “We believe this slight modification will add greater significance to players having an outstanding season leading into the Playoffs, while still allowing for the excitement of volatility and movement during the Playoffs, particularly as players vie to make the final 30 for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola.”

The proposal was strongly supported by the Player Advisory Council, which advises and consults with the Policy Board and Commissioner on matters affecting PGA Tour members.

With the change, reset points for the TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola also have been proportionately reduced to maintain the current scenarios of all 30 players having a chance to win the FedExCup, the higher seeds having a significantly greater chance of winning, and the top 5 seeds being guaranteed the FedExCup title with a victory.

Additionally, the Board voted to eliminate a secondary cut for the Playoffs that normally would occur after three rounds when more than 78 players make the 36-hole cut.