TORONTO – Henry Brunton is now paving a pathway to performance excellence for thousands of aspiring young Chinese golfers and their families.

His Canadian best-seller, High Performance Golf, The Serious Golfer’s Guide to Effective Training, has been translated into Chinese and is now selling in softcover throughout China’s main book distribution channels, including major online and physical bookstores, and junior golf associations and networks.

While it may not end up making the top-sellers list in China, young Chinese golfers, their families and coaches have an unique opportunity to learn from Canadian golf guru Henry Brunton.

“Golf is growing more rapidly in China than any other country in the world, so to have a chance to connect with Chinese people who share a passion for golf like I do is a tremendous honour,” says Brunton,  a PGA of Canada Master Professional and Golf Canada’s Men’s National Team coach for 13 years. “With golf being reintroduced to the Olympic Games for the first time in more than 100 years in 2016, the sport is going through a fundamental shift as many countries that have not paid a lot of attention to golf now put it on their radar including China.”

High Performance Golf identifies scientifically-proven tour-tested training strategies used by the game’s elite players. In it, Brunton shares a wealth of personal knowledge and the key ingredients: coaching, skill assessment, goal setting, scheduling, deliberate practice, choosing proper equipment, fitness and developing mental toughness – as a game plan for success.  “Hopefully they can take what I have learned over the last couple of decades and use this information to move the sport forward in China,” he says.

“High Performance Golf is the first book that will introduce the idea of Long-Term Athlete Development (LTAD) to China’s young golfers and their parents and coaches,” Wanli Ma says. Ma owns and operates Vision Golf in Beijing and contacted Brunton to get the book published in China. “We want to be able to provide the best information available to those youngsters who are interested in becoming serious golfers.”

There is a good chance that China will produce many more stellar amateurs like Guan Tianlang who played in the 2013 Masters where he made the cut and finished 58^th. Copies of the Chinese version of High Performance Golf, The Serious Golfer’s Guide to Effective Training, are also available through Brunton’s web site – henrybrunton.com  – for $24.95, plus shipping and taxes.

TORONTO – There’s something about turning a negative into a positive that strikes architect Ian Andrew’s fancy.

Actually it is two negatives – the summer flood from 2013 and the coldest winter in decades in 2014 – that wreaked havoc on the course that Stanley Thompson designed for Islington Golf Club in 1922 and many others in Ontario.

While it’s easy to blame the double-whammy on Mother Nature’s mean streak, it’s the membership’s positive and timely response to the adversity that energizes the noted Canadian golf course architect when it comes to the renovations and repairs that have taken place and that will continue throughout the summer.

“These are challenging situations for memberships to deal with, nobody wants to lose their golf course for an entire summer, but in this case the membership has planned for the long-term viability of the golf club,” says Andrew, who was disheartened by the dramatic winterkill when he first saw the course in April.

In December, a winter storm first covered Islington GC with a blanket of four to six inches of ice that didn’t melt until well into March. Extensive amounts of turf on its poa annua greens and fairways died due to the harsh winter conditions that included three freeze/thaw cycles. In response, on May 26^th, the membership voted 86 per cent in favour of rebuilding all greens to USGA standards, renovating the majority of the green side bunkers and revamping the practice area to include a netted practice range and short game area with two bunkers and two greens.

The one green that isn’t being rebuilt this spring, No. 11, was rebuilt with Luminary creeping bentgrass last summer after the flood. It came through the winter with barely a scratch, said Superintendent Ian McQueen. Reconstruction of the greens and bunkers started the day after the vote and Andrew expects to have all greens rebuilt and seeded by July 31^st. The clubhouse remains open for business, but the range is also closed for renovations until at least the fall, while members continue to play golf on temporary greens. The renovated course is slated to open for play in May 2015.

As a very early Thompson layout, Andrew says the original routing of the course demonstrates Thompson’s innate ability to make the most of the land and its features, but overall it was understated – with little drama when it came to bunkers. Over time, several architects left their finger prints on the course adding bunkers and altering tees and greens here and there. As a result, the work Andrew is doing at the club is not purely a restoration of Thompson’s original design. It’s a renovation that preserves some of Thompson’s original work and also builds upon the various evolutions of the golf course over the years.

“When push comes to shove, you must solve issues of ice and drainage and that too has brought about a few alterations designed to protect the club from going through this again,” says Andrew, who has been the Club’s consulting architect since 2010. “There is some pure restoration, but with nine greens previously renovated by other architects and superintendents, there are also some changes being made to have those greens become more appropriate for a Thompson course.”

Last summer, Islington GC was ravaged by a July rainstorm that dumped five inches of water throughout the course in the span of two hours. It devastated the course and Andrew was enlisted to rebuild the 11^th green after half of it went missing. He also rebuilt the greenside bunkers on holes No. 4, 6, 8, 10 and 11 as a result of severe washouts and contamination. The Club also approved rebuilding the par-3, 15^th hole. This spring they moved the green 30 yards away from Kipling Avenue and raised it into a better growing environment. The result is a striking new hole that will add more challenge to the closing stretch of holes. That work was completed in mid-June and No. 15 will reopened this fall.

When it comes to greenside bunkers, Andrew is taking out a total of three on No. 1, No. 2 and No. 6; he’s adding two on No. 5 and renovating 16 others. It’s interesting to note that there are no bunkers whatsoever on the three closing holes at Islington and that’s the way Andrew will leave it.

Over a two-to-three week period Andrew spent an excessive amount of time sketching in his office or doodling on his front porch to find a solution for the troubling sixth green. In the end, after 11 doodles and three fully worked out concept designs, an out of the box answer he had never dreamed of in the beginning of the process finally came. “Every once in a while a solution comes and you can say to yourself, “That was clever, I earned my keep today.” and that’s what happened with No. 6 when I drew it without the left front bunker,” Andrew says.

Creating something exciting, new and positive out of two game-changing blows from Mother Nature reenergizes the Club for growth and renewal. As one of the premier private Club’s in the Greater Toronto Area, Islington is charging forward as a confident membership continues to foster a solid foundation upon the gem Thompson first designed over 90 years ago.

Islington GC Superintendent Ian McQueen and architect Ian Andrew check out the new green on No. 15 at Islington GC. (Brent Long)

NIAGARA FALLS, Ont. – The Canadian Women’s Tour makes its second stop of the season in Niagara Falls, Ont. at the Battlefield Course at Legends on the Niagara, June 23-25.

Team Canada’s Brooke Henderson, No. 3 ranked amateur in the world, headlines the field of 90 players. Joining Henderson will be recent Canadian Women’s Tour B.C. champion, Michelle Piyapattra of Corona, Calif., 2013 Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario champion, Emily Childs of Alameda, Calif. and Samantha Richdale of Kelowna, B.C., the 2013 Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year.

In Niagara Falls, Henderson of Smith Falls, Ont. will aim to continue a stellar 2014 campaign that has seen her capture the South Atlantic Amateur Championship. On the professional stage, the 16-year-old recently finished T26 at the LPGA’s Kraft Nabisco Championship and tied for 45th at the LPGA Manulife Financial Classic.

“It’s a very strong field at the Tour’s second stop of the season, ” said Tournament Director Cam Crawford. “With another Canadian Pacific Women’s Open exemption on the line it should be an exciting two days of play and the course will definitely test the players in Niagara Falls.”

The event marks the second of three Canadian Women’s Tour events conducted annually across the country, featuring top amateur and professional players – from Canada and abroad – competing in a two-day 36-hole stroke play competition for a $60,000 purse.

A number of notable players will also join the field including Canadians Natalie Gleadall of Stratford, Ont., Danielle Mills of Pointe-Claire, Que., Erica Rivard of Tecumseh, Ont. and Ashley Sholer of Hamilton, Ont. Lauren Mielbrecht of Gulf Stream, Fla., who finished runner-up at the season’s first Tour stop is also in the field.

The par-72 Battlefield course at Legends on the Niagara played host to the 2004 Canadian Women’s Open. Designed by golf architect Douglas Carrick it should prove to be a challenge for the strong field.

“As the site of the successful 2004 Canadian Women’s Open, as well as a 2012 Canadian Women’s tour event, The Niagara Parks Commission (NPC) is proud to be building a rich tradition of hosting some of this world’s finest golfers here at our Legends on the Niagara Golf Complex,” stated NPC Chair Janice Thomson. “We look forward to working with Golf Canada to ensure our competitors and guests will have the most memorable of experiences, when they visit Niagara and Niagara Parks this summer.”

Four exemptions into the 2014 Canadian Pacific Women’s Open, an LPGA Tour event held August 18-24 at London Hunt and Country Club in London, Ont. are currently available to competitors. Exemptions are given to the winners of each of the three Canadian Women’s Tour events with two additional exemptions reserved for the top two competitors (not otherwise exempt) on the season-ending Canadian Women’s Tour Order of Merit. Michelle Piyapattra claimed the season’s first exemption with her win at Canadian Women’s Tour B.C.

In addition, the top five (previously the top 3) players on the Canadian Women’s Tour season-ending Order of Merit will be awarded direct entry into LPGA Stage-2 Qualifying.

The Tour’s final stop is scheduled July 29-31 at Firerock Golf Club in Komoka, Ont. for the PGA Women’s Championship of Canada presented by Nike Golf. It will count as the third and final stop on the Canadian Women’s Tour. Points will also be awarded toward the Jocelyne Bourassa Player of the Year at the conclusion of the championship.

Total season prize money for the 2014 season is $180,000 (CDN) for three events, which includes the PGA of Canada’s PGA Women’s Championship presented by Nike Golf. Each 36-hole championship purse will be $60,000 with the champion being awarded a $10,000 winners’ cheque.

Conducted since 2002, many of Canada’s elite female golfers have used the Canadian Women’s Tour to hone their skills and develop as athletes both on and off the course. Canadian Women’s Tour alumnae Lorie Kane, Alena Sharp, Jessica Shepley, Isabelle Beisiegel, Stephanie Sherlock, Rebecca Lee-Bentham, Sue Kim, Jennifer Kirby, Sara Maude-Juneau and Maude-Aimée LeBlanc have all used their experiences as Canadians on the Canadian development circuit as a catalyst to future successes. Other Canadian Women’s Tour graduates include LPGA notables Yani Tseng, Ryann O’Toole, Candace Schepperle, Sara Brown and Katy Harris.

For more information on Niagara Parks golf click here.

Fort McMurray, AB – PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen tied the course record at Fort McMurray Golf Club on Thursday, carding a 9-under 63 to take the first round lead at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON.

The Clarkston, Washington native, who claimed the PC Financial Open three weeks ago for his first PGA TOUR Canada win, made 10 birdies and one bogey to lead by two shots over Massachusetts’ Evan Harmeling.

“I actually only made one putt outside of 12 feet, so I hit it really close all day,” said Dahmen. “My wedges were on fire.”

The 26-year old comes to Fort McMurray a year after sharing the 54-hole lead at the 2013 Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, and while he was only able to muster a 1-under 71 and a tie for fourth last year, Dahmen said he was comfortable on Thursday thanks to his experience last year.

“I played really aggressively off the tee today,” said Dahmen. “There are some lines off the tee I can be more aggressive on because I’m more comfortable out here, and I hit it really well, so that helps a lot.”

With a win at the start of the 2014 season, Dahmen said he felt comfortable taking more risk in his on-course strategy to try and secure another strong finish to solidify his place atop the Order of Merit.

“I’m playing well and I’m hitting it well, so that helps me to play aggressively, but knowing I had a little head start and a win in the back pocket definitely frees me up a lot,” said Dahmen.

Two shots behind Dahmen, Harmeling said a solid day on the greens propelled him to his opening round of 65, his lowest career round on PGA TOUR Canada.

“I came out here yesterday and made everything and kind of continued it on today,” said Harmeling. “I thought they were rolling true. I’m really happy with how I played. I putted really well out there.”

Another shot behind Harmeling were California’s Daniel Miernicki, who held the lead for much of the day by carding the low round of the morning wave, and Sarnia, Ontario’s Matt Hill, who birdied his final three holes for a 6-under 66.

HILL MAKES MOST OF RETURN WITH OPENING 66
Two years ago at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON, Sarnia, Ontario’s Matt Hill was in the middle of a torrid run that drove him to an Order of Merit title. The former Jack Nicklaus Award winner at NC State University wound up losing in a playoff to Cory Renfrew, then won the following week at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel to cement his top spot, eventually earning a spot on the Web.com Tour for 2013.

Playing this week on a sponsor’s exemption, Hill finds himself in a different situation with a chance to play his way up the conditional member ranking with a solid finish this week. The 25-year old said he was simply focusing on playing good golf, however, and avoiding any distractions.

“I’m not really looking at what everything means. I’m just out trying to have some fun and play golf,” said Hill. “I know I can win out here, and that’s my goal. I try to prepare as well as I can and just try to play smart golf and hit fairways and greens.”

ANDERSON USES HOME FIELD ADVANTAGE IN ROUND ONE
When four-time PGA TOUR Canada winner Stuart Anderson was a kid, he would take advantage of the long northern Alberta summer days by playing 54 holes a day at Fort McMurray Golf Club, breeding a familiarity with the golf course few players can claim at a PGA TOUR Canada event.

“You can close your eyes and go through every piece of the property. It’s a beautiful place and I love being here,” said Anderson, who fired a 3-under 69 in round one to sit tied for 20th.

The 36-year old is playing on a sponsor’s exemption this week, and looking to get back to the form that saw him win as recently as the 2011 TOUR Championship of Canada. After reaching the Web.com Tour in 2012, Anderson failed to keep his PGA TOUR Canada card last season and finds himself looking to return to the TOUR with a solid performance on his home track. One way to do that would be finishing in the top-20 this week and earning a start at the SIGA Dakota Dunes Open presented by SaskTel in two weeks.

“One goal is to finish top-20 so I play the next event in Saskatoon,” said Anderson. “Overall I’m happy. Going into the week I had the goal of shooting in the 60s every day, so it’s a good start to that.”

PINEHURST, N.C. – Just over 1,000 yards shorter didn’t make Pinehurst No. 2 feel any easier in the U.S. Women’s Open on Thursday.

Except for Stacy Lewis.

The top-ranked Lewis took note of how Martin Kaymer won the U.S. Open last week and took a small step in that direction. She had a 3-under 67 in the morning and built a two-shot lead among the early starters on a blistering day in the North Carolina sandhills.

Kaymer also opened with a bogey-free round (65) and went wire-to-wire for an eight-shot victory.

“It was such an easy day,” Lewis said, speaking of the stress-free round more than the golf course. “I played really, really solid, other that I had to make a few par putts. But other than that, I didn’t put myself in too bad of spots and made a few birdies.”

Lucy Li, the 11-year-old who is the youngest qualifier in Women’s Open history, had a triple bogey and two double bogeys that ruined an otherwise solid round. She shot 78 and was 11 shots behind, likely needing a round in the 60s to have any chance of making the cut.

“Getting to play in the U.S. Open was a lot of fun,” Li said. “I learned that you’ve got to be patient. One shot at a time. Try to get rid of the big numbers.”

More than the biggest event in women’s golf, it’s also a grand experiment for the USGA. This is the first time the U.S. Open and U.S. Women’s Open have been played on the same course in back-to-back weeks.

The course measured 6,296 yards – 1,064 yards shorter than the opening round for the men – though there were plenty of indications that it was equally tough. The early part of the first round for the men was played under cloud cover, making Pinehurst feel soft. The sun already was broiling, with more wind, on this day.

Only two other players from the morning group broke par. Former Women’s Open champion So Yeon Ryu and Katherine Kirk each had a 69.

Lewis didn’t come to Pinehurst early to watch the final round of the men’s Open, instead seeing the course for a practice round a few weeks ago.

“It was cool to see the plan I had laid out in my head. He was kind of doing the same thing,” said Lewis, a two-time winner in her last five tour starts. “So it was nice coming into the week knowing that y plan as going to work on this golf course. I thought that somebody, like the guys, can run away with this. If you’re hitting the ball well enough, you can definitely run away with it. At the same time, you have to know par is a good number and keep grinding away.”

Karrie Webb, who won a U.S. Women’s Open at nearby Pine Needles in 2001, had a 70. Juli Inkster, at 53 and playing in the Women’s Open for the 35th and final time, made a late bogey and shot a 71.

Other players were headed in the wrong direction.

Defending champion Inbee Park shot a 76, her highest open-round score in this event since her debut as a 16-year-old in 2004. Jessica Korda, a two-time winner on the LPGA Tour this year, had a 79.

There were 11 rounds in the 80s among the 78 players who went early.

Amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths Falls, Ont. had the lead early in the day and continues to develop her confidence at LPGA events.

“Yeah, there definitely are some nerves out there, especially on the first tee,” said the 16-year old. “Everybody gets those… But I’ve definitely become a lot more comfortable the last couple of LPGA events that I played in. I’m getting to know the pros a little bit more, getting to know where my game is compared to theirs, which is definitely exciting and hopefully in the future I’ll play against them a little bit more.”

Sitting tied for 11th, it’s fairly safe to expect she’ll three more rounds with the pros this week.

“It was pretty cool being up there, closer to the top of the leaderboard,” she added. “It was definitely fun and hopefully I’ll put a good round together tomorrow and make the cut and then hopefully climb up the leaderboard on the weekend.”

Langley, B.C.’s Sue Kim also opened with a 71. Jessica Wallace, also of Langley, B.C., shot 74.

Amateur Elizabeth Tong of Richmond Hill, Ont. had a 76. while Richmond Hill’s Rebecca Lee-Bentham shot 78.

CROMWELL, Conn. – Brendan Steele changed his putter and ended up equaling the lowest round of his career at the Travelers Championship.

Steele shot an 8-under 62 on Thursday morning that stood up for a one-stroke lead in the first round at TPC River Highlands.

The 31-year-old Californian opened with an eagle, holing a 129-yard wedge shot in the rain. He birdied six of the next 12 holes, and closed the bogey-free round with five straight pars.

Steele went from a long to a short putter while trying to qualify for the U.S. Open and though he missed that tournament, he said the change seems to be paying off. He needed just 26 putts Thursday.

“Speed control is a lot better,” he said.

Steele finished two shots off the course record set by Patrick Cantlay in 2011 as an amateur.

“On 14, I started to think 59, which is probably why I slowed down a little bit,” Steele said.

Bud Cauley and Ryan Moore shot 63, and Chad Campbell, Joe Durant, Scott Langley, Eric Axley and Jeff Maggert followed at 64.

Former Stanford stars Patrick Rodgers and Cameron Wilson made their pro debuts, with Rodgers shooting a 66, and Wilson a 73. Rodgers won 11 college tournaments and this year’s Ben Hogan and Jack Nicklaus awards as the nation’s top college player. Wilson won the NCAA individual title.

Two-time heart transplant recipient Erik Compton, coming off a second-place tie in the U.S. Open, had a 74.

Steele and Cauley went out in a steady rain Thursday morning, but by noon the sun had broken through.

“It took the rain pretty well,” said Masters champion Bubba Watson, who shot a 67 and was among 75 players to break par. “It’s kind of soft, but not too windy, so you can score around it.”

But nobody could catch Steele, who had spent last week watching from the stands as his favorite hockey team, the Los Angeles Kings, won the Stanley Cup.

Cauley started on the back nine and got his round going on the signature 15th hole. He avoided the woods on the right and put his tee shot within 20 feet, then made the eagle putt.

“With that pin back right, if you hit it right, that’s obviously not where you want to be, and obviously there’s water left,” he said. “So I hit that right where I was trying to and rolled it up there and capitalized with the putt.”

Campbell was at 7 under until he hit it into the water on the same hole.

Moore, who has four top-10 finishes in eight starts at this tournament, credited his 63 to a decision not to practice after a poor round in the pro-am Wednesday.

“I was relaxed and comfortable and just went out and played golf today instead of overdoing it and over-thinking it, which I feel like I’ve maybe done a little lately,” Moore said. “I’ve been practicing too much.”

Trevor Immelman had the shot of the day, making a double eagle from 246 yards on the par-5 13th hole. He used a 3-wood and cleared a green-side water hazard.

“The main thing is to keep it dry,” he said. “You got to get it over there, and it came out pretty good and started rolling.”

Immelman also had three bogeys in his round of 68.

Defending champion Ken Duke opened with a 65.

Louis Oosthuizen withdrew after seven holes because of back issues.

Canada’s Brad Fitsch shot 65 to sit tied for ninth at the close of the first round, and Graham DeLaet shot even par to tie for 76th.

The final round of the Men’s Mid Amateur Championship at Athabasca Golf & Country Club started off rainy and remained dreary throughout the day, however, Frank Van Dornick of Camrose, Alta. was able to battle the elements and win his 4th Alberta Men’s Mid Amateur Championship shooting an impressive 2-under 70 to clinch the title.

Van Dornick knew he had his work cut out for him, holding off some of the provinces best golfers aged 25 plus.

“The course played tight and demanding off the tee, you could double bogey in a heartbeat, ” Van Dornick said. “Harry played well, if there was anyone I was looking at, it was him. The intensity increases and you focus a little harder, playing with that lead group, you become more aware of what you need to do.”

Van Dornick put together a round that only had two bogeys and he was able to recreate his 2nd round performance by birdieing the 18th. Harry Aime of St. Albert, Alta., and Kevin Temple of Calgary both matched Van Dornick’s 2-under 70, but could not gain any ground because of Van Dornick’s consistency. They finished second and third respectively.

Frank Van Dornick and Harry Aime were scheduled to represent Alberta this fall at the Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship at Barrie Country Club in Barrie, Ont. However, Van Dornick declined, so his spot will be filled by Kevin Temple.  The Canadian Men’s Mid Amateur Championship will take place September 16th-19th.  Temple and Aime will be joined by the top 25+ Mid Amateur’s at the Sun Life Financial Alberta Men’s Amateur Championship.

Click here for full scoring from the 2014 Alberta Men’s Mid Amateur Championship.

VERNON, British Columbia – Jackie Little won her fourth British Columbia Golf Senior Women’s Championship in addition to placing first in the Mid-Master Championship Thursday at Vernon Golf and Country Club; while Holly Horwood took home top honours in the Super-Senior Championship.

Little closed out the championships shooting 78-73-78 for a final of +7 on the 5919-yard par-74 course with a comfortable six-stroke lead.

“The golf course was in fabulous shape, the greens were beautiful. And tricky,” said Little. “I haven’t been here for 10 years, and I forgot how subtly tricky these greens are.”

Four bogeys on the back nine and tricky greens made less of an impact after the Port Alberni resident shot a championship-best 73 on the second day of competition and entered the final round five strokes ahead of Horwood in second.

In addition to taking the titles in individual competition, Little won the Zone Team Competition on Wednesday as part of the Zone Six team with Karen Kloske.

Horwood struggled on the back nine for the second day in a row, carding a total of seven bogeys out, but had cultivated a strong enough lead during the first two days of competition to hold second place in the Mid-Master and Senior Championships and first in the Super-Senior event shooting +13 (75-78-82).

“It’s so nice that they do honour the over-60’s, I think that’s very important for the longevity of the game,” said Horwood.

The 2006 & 2007 Champion’s performance was highlighted by two eagles both on number six on the first and second days of competition.

Penny Baziuk, representing Ardmore Golf Course, finished at +15 (78-79-80) to round out the top three in the Mid-Master and Senior Women’s Championships. Baziuk played consistently over the three days of competition earning her bronze medal finish and the final spot on the provincial team that will compete at nationals in August.

In the Super-Senior Championship, Alison Murdoch of Victoria, pulled off a spectacular come-from-behind performance, finishing second at +16 after her best round of the championship. Murdoch recorded three birdies on the final day of play; Murdoch improved her scores each day shooting 83-79-76.

Defending Senior Women’s champion, Lynda Palahniuk placed third in the Super-Senior Championship despite struggling on the final day of competition shooting an 84 to finish the Championship 17-over par (76-79-84).

Little, Horwood and Baziuk have earned spots to represent British Columbia Golf at the Canadian Senior Women’s Championship at Milby Golf Club in Sherbrooke, Que on August 19-21.

Best-ball competition

Dee Horie and Sheila van Gisbergen finished first in the best-ball competition. Scoring for this event was taken from the teams combined best score for each hole over the three days of competition; it differs from a four-ball competition in that teammates were not paired together.

The pair finished at an impressive 36-under (60-63-63) with a total of seven eagles and only two bogeys blemishing their scorecard.

Darleen Michell and Susan Ovans finished second in the best-ball competition 28-under par (65-64-65) followed two stroked behind by Nina Henriksen and Susan Russell (71-63-62).

CORK, Ireland – Finland’s Mikko Illonen shot a 7-under-par 64 to set a new course record on Thursday as crowd favorite Rory McIlroy struggled on the opening day of the Irish Open.

Illonen birdied five of his closing seven holes in superb morning conditions on the Fota Island course in Cork and took a three-stroke clubhouse lead over Italy’s Edoardo Molinari and England’s Matthew Baldwin, who were the next best among the early finishers.

The 64 is a new low for a course that has undergone major changes since its previous staging of the Irish Open in 2002.

McIlroy hit just eight of the 14 fairways and took 30 putts in a round of three-over 74.

Illonen is playing his 300th European Tour event and said Thursday’s round was belated reward for good recent form.

“I lost out in a play-off to Sergio (Garcia) in the Qatar Masters earlier this year and recently in the Nordea Masters I felt my game was good despite finishing 32nd, which is still a mystery how I finished 32nd that week as I was hitting my best shots of the week there,” Ilonen said.

“Maybe the good golf is there but then we still have a long way to go this week.”

McIlroy said jetlag, and the late arrival of his clubs after returning from the U.S. Open, contributed to his disappointing showing in front of home fans.

“I was very sloppy with the scoring clubs today, wedges, the short game, the putting,” McIlroy said. “All that was just a little off.

“So hopefully that is my poor round for the week and I can do a better job of that tomorrow and I’ll need something in the low 60s just to be here on the weekend.”

History will be made Thursday when the U.S. Women’s Open Championship kicks off at Pinehurst No. 2 in North Carolina, a week after Martin Kaymer captured the men’s championship on the same venue. This will mark the first time men and women have played a golf major at the same venue on back-to-back weeks.

The top female players in the world will take the spotlight at the par-70 6,649 yard championship course including five Canadians who will look to bring home Canada’s first U.S. Women’s Open Championship title.

Get to know the Canadians in the field…

Rebecca Lee-Bentham, 22, Toronto, Ont. (@RLeebentham)

• Ranked No. 231 in the Rolex Rankings
• Finished T11 at the 2013 Evian Championship
• 2014 LPGA Tour member
• A member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad

Brooke Henderson, 16, Smiths Falls, Ont.

• No. 3 ranked amateur in the world, No. 308 in the Rolex Rankings
• Finished T26 at the 2014 Kraft Nabisco Championship
• Finished T59 at the 2013 U.S. Women’s Open
• Has won five straight amateur titles (Porter Cup, Scott Robertson Memorial, Sally Amateur, Spirit Invitational and Junior Orange Bowl)
• A member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Team

Sue Kim, 23, Langley, B.C. (@TheSueKim)

• Ranked No. 388 in the Rolex Rankings
• Finished T35 at the 2014 LPGA Manulife Financial Classic
• 2014 LPGA Tour member
• A member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad

Jessica Wallace, 23, Langley, B.C. (@JessWGolf)

• Past Canadian Women’s Tour Ontario Champion (2011)
• Member of the LPGA’s Symetra Tour
• Former member of Team Canada’s National Amateur Squad

Elizabeth Tong, 21, Thornhill, Ont. (@lizabeth_tong)

• Senior at Indiana University (Division I NCAA)
• Winner of two NCAA titles during sophomore season at Indiana

For pairings and tee times, click here.