MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ben Crane has waited so long to contend for another PGA Tour title that being patient through weather delays is no problem at all.

Staying atop the leaderboard into the third round helps.

Crane went more than 28 hours between competitive shots due to weather delays, and he was at 13 under with a four-stroke lead through six holes Saturday when another storm stopped play again at the St. Jude Classic.

“What an opportunity I have,” Crane said. “Certainly at the beginning of the week I never thought I would have been here, so I’ll just try to go home relax, get some food in me and sleep as fast as I can because we got to come back out at 7 a.m. and restart tomorrow.”

Troy Merritt, a group ahead of Crane, was at 9 under, with playing partner Peter Malnati at 8 under. Billy Horschel, Retief Goosen and Camilo Villegas were 7 under on their front nines.

Phil Mickelson, who hasn’t won in 19 straight events dating to the British Open, had pars on each of his first nine holes and was at 5 under. He’s one of many players using the event to tune up for the U.S. Open next week at Pinehurst.

Play stopped at 6:49 p.m. with officials hoping to have the leaders tee off for the final round by 9:10 a.m. Sunday, if they can avoid a fog delay like the one that delayed the start of play for an hour Saturday morning.

A storm Thursday forced 60 players to wrap up the first round Friday, and only 32 finished the second before two delays, the second for a thunderstorm that left water standing in fairways, bunkers and cart paths. The third round finally started at 3 p.m. with threesomes going off both tees. At least fans got to stick around all of Saturday afternoon after being sent home early the past two days.

Crane didn’t tee off until 4:50 p.m. Saturday after finishing up his second round at 12:18 p.m. Friday.

But this is Crane’s 300th career PGA Tour start, even though his last win was in 2011 at the McGladrey Classic. Crane said he can’t remember playing with a lead this late in a tournament it’s been so long.

He is putting well here this week, and he birdied his first hole to go to 13 under for the tournament as he rolled in a nearly 19-footer on the par-4 first. After hitting his approach into the rough behind the green on No. 2, Crane made a 12-footer to save par.

“Those are kind of critical putts right now, kind of keep the momentum going,” Crane said.

Merritt, who did not make a start on tour in 2012 or 2013 and missed his first six cuts this year, is the closest to Crane.

“Anything can happen on the final day when we’ve seen six-shot leads falter on the last day,” Merritt said. “If you can stay within a couple shots, that would be great. Anything can happen on Sunday on the PGA Tour.”

Mickelson tied for 49th last week in the Memorial following a visit from FBI agents and lingering questions about an insider-trading investigation. He never teed off at all Friday with the horn blowing for the second time with him at the No. 1 tee.

He said he couldn’t hit his irons close enough or his putts in his second round. He started bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie, though he birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to get to 5 under. He rolled in a 16-footer to save par on the par-5 16th and wasn’t happy at missing a birdie opportunity with the pin at the front of the green.

“I had a chance to get up and down,” Mickelson said. “I think if I had birdied 16 I might have gotten one more with a little bit of momentum. … I’m certainly not that far back, but I do need to get off to a quick start. I got to get a good front nine here this third round and get off to a fast start.”

Divots: Local favorite John Daly was among 71 making the cut at even par. Defending champ Harris English missed the cut along with Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood and David Toms, a two-time champ here. … David Duval withdrew after seven holes in his second round. He was at 7 over for the tournament. He was the 10th to withdraw since this event started.

Canada’s David Hearn, Brad Fritsch, and Stephen Ames all missed the cut.

Victoria, BC – Fargo, North Dakota’s Josh Persons shot a 3-under 67 at Uplands Golf Club on Saturday to take a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, the second event of PGA Tour Canada’s 2014 season.

The 30-year old former University of Minnesota Gopher will take his first 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event since the 2012 Neediest Kids Championship on the Web.com Tour. Persons built a two-shot cushion over California’s Garrett Sapp, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie and New Mexico’s Tim Madigan.

“I look forward to it. I had so much fun today and I’m hoping to have some fun tomorrow. I can’t wait to get out,” said Persons of his outlook for Sunday’s final round. “I played pretty solid today. I gave myself some chances and stayed out of trouble.”

Persons began his day inauspiciously with a bogey on the second hole, but carded four birdies without a bogey the rest of the day to leap in front of overnight leader Mackenzie, who fell to a 1-over 71 on a day when Uplands Golf Club provided a tough test. Among players to make the cut, the field scoring average was 70.13 on Saturday compared to 67.80 on Friday and 68.84 on Thursday.

“It’s fun to play well, so that’s the good part, but this course will definitely test you. It was firm and there were some spots where you had to be real careful today,” said Persons. The second year PGA Tour Canada member admitted he would likely feel the pressure on Sunday, but that he would simply try to make the most of the situation and enjoy it.

“It’s where you want to be,” said Persons, who fell to a 77 when he led through 54 holes at the Web.com Tour’s Neediest Kids Championship. “Let’s have some fun tomorrow. In the past I’ve been very nervous and I’m sure I’ll be nervous again tomorrow, but like I said I’m looking forward to it.”

Persons will play in the final group alongside Sapp, whose 67 on Saturday vaulted him into a tie for second. Mackenzie, the 2010 champion at Uplands, will play alongside Madigan, who chipped in for birdie on the final hole for a 1-under 69.

Victoria, BC – Fargo, North Dakota’s Josh Persons shot a 3-under 67 at Uplands Golf Club on Saturday to take a two shot lead heading into the final round of the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist, the second event of PGA Tour Canada’s 2014 season.

The 30-year old former University of Minnesota Gopher will take his first 54-hole lead in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event since the 2012 Neediest Kids Championship on the Web.com Tour. Persons built a two-shot cushion over California’s Garrett Sapp, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie and New Mexico’s Tim Madigan.

“I look forward to it. I had so much fun today and I’m hoping to have some fun tomorrow. I can’t wait to get out,” said Persons of his outlook for Sunday’s final round. “I played pretty solid today. I gave myself some chances and stayed out of trouble.”

Persons began his day inauspiciously with a bogey on the second hole, but carded four birdies without a bogey the rest of the day to leap in front of overnight leader Mackenzie, who fell to a 1-over 71 on a day when Uplands Golf Club provided a tough test. Among players to make the cut, the field scoring average was 70.13 on Saturday compared to 67.80 on Friday and 68.84 on Thursday.

“It’s fun to play well, so that’s the good part, but this course will definitely test you. It was firm and there were some spots where you had to be real careful today,” said Persons. The second year PGA Tour Canada member admitted he would likely feel the pressure on Sunday, but that he would simply try to make the most of the situation and enjoy it.

“It’s where you want to be,” said Persons, who fell to a 77 when he led through 54 holes at the Web.com Tour’s Neediest Kids Championship. “Let’s have some fun tomorrow. In the past I’ve been very nervous and I’m sure I’ll be nervous again tomorrow, but like I said I’m looking forward to it.”

Persons will play in the final group alongside Sapp, whose 67 on Saturday vaulted him into a tie for second. Mackenzie, the 2010 champion at Uplands, will play alongside Madigan, who chipped in for birdie on the final hole for a 1-under 69.

Oakville, Ont. (Golf Canada) – CN and Golf Canada announced that CN is adopting 15 local schools from the Lambton Kent District and St Clair Catholic School Boards to deliver the game of golf to local students.  Students from the schools took part in a one-day golf clinic on Friday June 6th at the Saw Mill Creek Golf Club, receiving lessons in putting, chipping and driving from a PGA of Canada golf professional. Today, the program is being officially launched at the annual Sarnia Kids Fun Fest.

Families participating in the Kids Fun Fest will be invited to participate in the CN Future Links skills competition and experience the game of golf through different activities. CN Police will also be on-site throughout the day to promote rail safety.

“CN is proud to support the future of the game and the well-being and safety of our children by introducing the next generation of golfers to the game,” said Claude Mongeau, CN president and chief executive officer.  “We believe that Golf Canada’s vision to grow the sport aligns well with our corporate values to impact the health, wellness and safety of children in communities across Canada. “Golf and its inherent values are good for our children and we look forward to bringing Canada’s national junior golf program to communities across Canada.”

Today’s announcement is also the inauguration of the CN Future Links Community Tour. The program will consist of three community festivals each year, intended to share the health, wellness and safety values of golf. Each Tour stop will engage community youth and festival attendees in various golf activities including driving, chipping and putting as well as a CN Safety Zone to educate children on rail safety tips.

Each Tour stop will also feature CN Future Links junior golf instruction from PGA of Canada professionals as well as prize packs given away to participants. The Community Tour will travel in a converted shipping container that has been retro-fitted to transform into on-site golf activation.

The CN Future Links Community Tour kicked off Saturday, June 7th at the Kids Funfest Festival in Sarnia, Ont. The Community Tour will also visit Montreal as part of the 2014 RBC Canadian Open, July 21-26 at The Royal Montreal Golf Club and Saskatoon, Sask., from August 5-10 during the Saskatoon Exhibition.

CN has been a driving force in Canadian junior golf since becoming title sponsor CN Future Links in 2006.

“Youth golf has provided us a valuable platform to make a significant impact in the communities in which we operate.  We are pleased to take an active role in helping Golf Canada and the PGA of Canada grow junior golf across the country,” said Mr. Mongeau.

Current CN Future Links programming includes the ‘Learn to Play’ program as well as mobile clinics, the Junior Skills Challenge, Junior Leagues, Girls Club and the CN Future Links Championships. As part of its investment in Canadian junior golf, CN is also a proud supporter of Golf in Schools. New programming as part of the investment in youth golf will include CN Future Links School Adoption Program and CN Future Links Field Trip Program. A full listing of programs and information for junior golfers, parents, instructors and facilities is available at www.cnfuturelinks.com.

In 2013, CN Future Links junior golf activities were conducted at 431 golf facilities with more than 7,000 juniors registered in the Learn to Play program. In addition, 160 golf facilities took part in the Junior Skills Challenge while more than 67,000 youngsters participated in more than 1,800 mobile golf clinics across the country.

Since 2006 more than 1 million children have been introduced to golf through the CN Future Links program.

For Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons, The CN Future Links Community Tour reinforces CN’s commitment to share the health, wellness and safety values of golf to junior enthusiasts across Canada.

“I can’t say enough what it means to Canadian golf that CN has aligned their brand and their corporate values with Canada’s national junior golf program,” said Simmons. “Together with CN as well as our partners at the PGA of Canada and the provincial golf associations, the CN Future Links program is introducing children in communities across Canada to a sport they can enjoy for a lifetime.”

RIDGEDALE, Mo. – Jay Haas and Peter Jacobsen took the second-round lead Saturday in the Champions Tour’s Legends of Golf, teaming for a 6-under 48 on the par-3 Top of the Rock course.

Haas and Jacobsen played nine holes of alternate shot and nine of better ball at Top of the Rock, the first par-3 course used in a PGA Tour-sanctioned event, after opening with a better-ball 62 on Friday on the regulation Buffalo Ridge layout. They had a 15-under 110 total.

Jeff Sluman and Fred Funk were second after a 50 on the par-3 course, the site of the final round Sunday.

In Legends Division for players 65 and older, the teams of Jim Colbert-Jim Thorpe and Bruce Fleisher-Larry Nelson shared the lead at 7-under 118. Colbert and Thorpe had a 2-under 52 on the par-3 course, and Fleisher and Nelson shot 56.

Craig Stadler and Kirk Triplett were third in the Champions Division, shooting a 64 at Buffalo Ridge. The teams of Tom Watson-Andy North and Tom Pernice Jr.-Bob Tway were tied for fourth at 11 under after rounds on the regulation course. Watson and North had a 65, and Pernice and Tway shot 64.

Pernice won the Principal Charity Classic last week in Iowa for his third senior title.

In the Legends Division, Jack Nicklaus and Gary Player had a 66 at Buffalo Ridge to move into a tie for third with Butch Baird and Al Geiberger at 4 under. Baird and Geiberger had a 54 on the par-3 course.

WATERLOO, Ontario – Shanshan Feng took a two-stroke lead Saturday in the LPGA Tour’s Manulife Financial Classic, shooting a 4-under 67 in calm conditions at Grey Silo.

The 24-year-old Chinese player had a 15-under 198 total. She made a 30-foot eagle putt on the par-5 fifth, had two birdies and dropped her first stroke of the week with a bogey on the par-4 16th.

“I got off to a very good start, 4 under through six holes,” Feng said. “Then actually, I couldn’t make a lot of putts. I missed a lot of birdie putts, plus one bogey, so actually I dropped back one shot. My goal is to get to 25 under. Of course, now I’m 15, so if I want to get to 25 tomorrow, I need to shoot 10 under.”

Feng won twice late last year after taking the 2012 LPGA Championship to become the first Chinese winner in LPGA Tour history.

“I think tomorrow I have no pressure,” Feng said.

Michelle Wie and second-ranked Inbee Park were tied for second. Wie had a 65, and Park shot a bogey-free 65.

Wie, the winner in Hawaii in April, is seeking her second victory in Canada after winning the 2010 Canadian Women’s Open in Winnipeg, Manitoba.

She rebounded from bogeys on No. 2 and 3 with birdies on Nos. 4 and 6.

“Yeah, quite a shaky start,” Wie said. “I missed a good birdie opportunity on the first hole and I kind of duck hooked it on the second hole and had to take an unplayable, and actually it was a really good bogey.

“Then I kind of hooked it on the next hole, hit it in the bunker. So I just couldn’t get my tempo right in the beginning, but definitely felt like I finished strong. Definitely the start that I had today, I’m really happy with the way I finished.”

Park is winless in 10 tour starts this season after sweeping the first three majors last year and finishing the season with six victories.

“I played really well on the front nine,” Park said. “I holed a lot of putts. I feel like I hit the ball great today. I had a lot of opportunities on the back nine also, but just missed a couple putts. I think overall it was a very good day. Just give myself a chance for tomorrow.”

Cristie Kerr was 12 under after a 65.

“Mentally, I was very good today,” Kerr said. “I’ve just got to take that into tomorrow.”

Third-ranked Lydia Ko and Anna Nordqvist were 11 under. The 17-year-old Ko had a 64, the best round of the day, and Nordqvist shot 69.

Ko, the Swinging Skirts LPGA Classic winner in California in late April, won the Canadian Women’s Open as an amateur the last two years.

“You never know what’s going to happen,” Ko said. “There’s always another 18 holes. … I’ve just got to play my own game and see where it goes.”

Defending champion Hee Young Park, tied for the second-round lead with Feng, had a 72 to drop into a tie for seventh at 10 under.

Top-ranked Stacy Lewis was 7 under after a 69. She won last week in New Jersey to take the top spot in the world from Inbee Park.

Alena Sharp shot 65 to sit tied for 23rd, while Sue Kim of Langley, BC is among the group currently tied for 33rd after shooting 67 in round 2. LPGA Tour rookie Jennifer Kirby of Paris, Ont. and 16 year old amateur Brooke Henderson of Smiths, Falls, Ont. both carded 69 to close the day tied for 50th.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ben Crane remained atop the leaderboard with his 5-under 65 good enough for a four-stroke lead once the weather-delayed second round finally ended Saturday at the St. Jude Classic.

Crane finished his first 36 holes Friday with a 12-under 128 total before a delay for lightning, then thunderstorms washed out play and closed the TPC Southwind course. Fog delayed the start of play Saturday morning for an hour, and the drenched course made for softer, more receptive greens though also stopping shots from rolling in the fairways.

Retief Goosen (66) and Camilo Villegas (64) were at 132. Peter Malnati (68) and Troy Merritt (66) were at 133 with Carl Pettersson (67) and Brian Harman (65) at 134.

Phil Mickelson shot a 68 after a bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie start. He was in a group of eight at 135 including Davis Love III (70), Billy Horschel (68) and Dustin Johnson (67).

The third round was set to start at 3 p.m. with players going off both tees trying to squeeze in as much golf as possible with more thunderstorms possible.

A delay Thursday forced 60 players to wrap up their first round Friday morning with only 32 finishing the second before a delay for lightning with 13 minutes of play squeezed in followed by the next delay for a thunderstorm. Fans were sent home for a second straight day, and players never went back out again with water standing in fairways, bunkers and cart paths.

Crane’s 36-hole total tied for the second best of his career and the 12 under matched Harris English’s winning score here a year ago. That left him a target that nobody could reach during the second round.

Villegas said he wasn’t thinking about Crane at all. He went out with a six-birdie round, finishing birdie-birdie on Nos. 17 and 18.

“There’s still half of the tournament to be played, and you got to focus on your game,” Villegas said.

Mickelson hasn’t won in 19 events dating back to the British Open, and he’s just one of the many in Tennessee trying to tune up for the U.S. Open at Pinehurst next week. He tied for 49th last week in the Memorial following a visit from FBI agents and lingering questions about an insider-trading investigation. He never teed off at all Friday with the horn blowing for the second time with him at the No. 1 tee.

He said he couldn’t hit his irons close enough or his putts. He birdied Nos. 14 and 15 to get to 5 under but had to roll in a 16-footer to save par on the par-5 16th. He wasn’t happy at missing a birdie opportunity with the pin at the front of the green.

“I had a chance to get up and down,” Mickelson said. “I think if I had birdied 16 I might have gotten one more with a little bit of momentum. … I’m certainly not that far back, but I do need to get off to a quick start. I got to get a good front nine here this third round and get off to a fast start.”

Pettersson was upset he couldn’t finish Friday, forcing him to set his alarm for 4:45 a.m. in order to finish his second round with a two-putt from 46 feet.

“It wasn’t too bad,” Pettersson said. “I just had to putt. I hit 30 minutes of putts on the putting green.”

Only 32 finished up the second round Friday, and Goosen was among the many playing a full 18 Saturday. He had an up and down round with seven birdies and three bogeys to pull within four strokes of Crane. He planned to go rest until his next tee time.

“Tricky some of these greens, this morning or afternoon,” Goosen said. “I don’t even know what the time is. It’s been a long day already. Overall very happy with the round yeah. I could have probably would have been nice to make another birdie coming in on the last three. I had my chances but (can) shoot pretty low again this afternoon to catch Ben.”

Divots: Local favorite John Daly was among 71 making the cut at even par. Defending champ Harris English missed the cut along with Patrick Reed, Lee Westwood and David Toms, a two-time champ here. … David Duval withdrew after seven holes in his second round. He was at 7 over for the tournament.

Canada’s David Hearn, Brad Fritsch, and Stephen Ames all missed the cut.

ATZENBRUGG, Austria – Defending champion Joost Luiten aims to become the first Dutch golfer to retain a title on the European Tour after taking a two-stroke lead over home crowd favorite Bernd Wiesberger going into the final day of the Lyoness Open.

Luiten carded seven birdies and dropped one stroke on Saturday to shoot a 6-under 66 and go 11 under for the tournament. Wiesberger, who won the event in 2012, also had a round of 66.

“I am in the position where I want to be,” Luiten said. “I need to play well again and focus on my own game.”

Fabrizio Zanotti of Paraguay was four strokes behind Luiten in third, while England’s Adam Gee was another stroke back in fourth.

Overnight leader Mikael Lundberg shot a 4-over 76 and dropped six strokes off the lead. The Swede double-bogeyed the par-4 third and had five more bogeys.

Luiten went top of the leaderboard with five birdies on the front nine. He dropped a stroke on the par-3 14th but birdied two more holes on the back nine.

The Dutchman singled out a long putt on the 17th as his best shot of the day. The birdie helped him stay two clear of Wiesberger, who birdied the 18th to the delight of the cheering home crowd.

“I played really, really well on the first 12, 13 holes,” Luiten said. “I could have done even better but I had that bogey on the 14th. After that I didn’t play great but I kept myself in it. Just one bogey is pretty good on a course like this.”

Wiesberger, who is ranked 69th, will need to win the tournament to enter the top 60 and earn a starting place at next week’s U.S. Open. But the Austrian said he won’t think about a possible trip to Pinehurst, North Carolina, before his home tournament is over.

Wiesberger carded five birdies on the first 10 holes before dropping a stroke on the par-4 11th. He gained two more strokes on the back nine.

“I am very happy,” he said. “I’ve done pretty well and made a good move. I played decent on the back nine … unfortunately I couldn’t take advantage of the par-5s.”

Wiesberger played a final-round 65 two years ago and said he will likely need a similar score to give himself a chance of overtaking Luiten.

“The way I hit the ball today, I can shoot that again,” Wiesberger said.

David Horsey of England carded the lowest score of the day with a 7-under 65 to trail Luiten by six. Horsey gained a stroke on the first hole and then made five consecutive birdies from the fifth. He added two more on the back nine before dropping a stroke on the par-4 17th.

Victoria, BC – Yakima, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie rode a streak of five birdies in a row to card a 4-under 66 on Friday at Uplands Golf Club and build a two stroke advantage heading into the weekend at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist.

The 2010 champion made a tricky up-and-down at the par-4 18^th to keep his two shot cushion intact, a fact he knew would be significant heading into the weekend with a tightly-packed leaderboard. 10 players were within five shots of the lead after 36 holes, including five within three.

“You never want to finish a round where you grinded all day and you’re kind of exhausted by giving one back,” said Mackenzie. “Every stroke when you’re out in front is so important. It’s one more mistake that I can make and one less mistake than guys behind me can make.”

The 32-year old got off to a shaky start, going 1-over for his first seven holes before righting the ship in a big way. He carded five straight birdies on holes 8-12 to jump out in front and turn a tough round into a solid one.

“I was treading water,” said Mackenzie of his start. “The first seven holes I just was real scrappy. It was a nice stretch. I needed that.”

Calm winds and soft conditions in the morning gave way to swirling breezes and firm greens on Friday, setting up a test Mackenzie expected to see in the late afternoon on the weekend.

“It was playing tough, but that’s kind of what I’m going to expect for Saturday and Sunday too,” said Mackenzie. “It was good to get a taste of it, and I settled down during the middle of the round and started hitting some good shots.”

Two shots behind Mackenzie were North Dakota’s Josh Persons and New Mexico’s Tim Madigan at 9-under par, while Florida’s Michael Buttacavoli and California’s Jake Sarnoff were a shot further behind at 8-under. Vancouver Island native Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., who finished third here last year, carded a 1-under 69 to sit tied for eighth heading into the weekend.

Victoria, BC – Yakima, Washington’s Brock Mackenzie rode a streak of five birdies in a row to card a 4-under 66 on Friday at Uplands Golf Club and build a two stroke advantage heading into the weekend at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by Times Colonist.

The 2010 champion made a tricky up-and-down at the par-4 18^th to keep his two shot cushion intact, a fact he knew would be significant heading into the weekend with a tightly-packed leaderboard. 10 players were within five shots of the lead after 36 holes, including five within three.

“You never want to finish a round where you grinded all day and you’re kind of exhausted by giving one back,” said Mackenzie. “Every stroke when you’re out in front is so important. It’s one more mistake that I can make and one less mistake than guys behind me can make.”

The 32-year old got off to a shaky start, going 1-over for his first seven holes before righting the ship in a big way. He carded five straight birdies on holes 8-12 to jump out in front and turn a tough round into a solid one.

“I was treading water,” said Mackenzie of his start. “The first seven holes I just was real scrappy. It was a nice stretch. I needed that.”

Calm winds and soft conditions in the morning gave way to swirling breezes and firm greens on Friday, setting up a test Mackenzie expected to see in the late afternoon on the weekend.

“It was playing tough, but that’s kind of what I’m going to expect for Saturday and Sunday too,” said Mackenzie. “It was good to get a taste of it, and I settled down during the middle of the round and started hitting some good shots.”

Two shots behind Mackenzie were North Dakota’s Josh Persons and New Mexico’s Tim Madigan at 9-under par, while Florida’s Michael Buttacavoli and California’s Jake Sarnoff were a shot further behind at 8-under. Vancouver Island native Riley Wheeldon of Comox, B.C., who finished third here last year, carded a 1-under 69 to sit tied for eighth heading into the weekend.