AKRON, Ohio – Graeme McDowell and Jordan Spieth were in good spirits Thursday at the Bridgestone Invitational, which was good news for only one of them.

McDowell has been in such a rut that he has fallen out of the top 50 for the first time in five years and hasn’t finished in the top 10 in America since playing this World Golf Championship a year ago. So he happily went along at Firestone South making five birdies in 10 holes on his way to a 4-under 66.

That left him one shot behind Danny Lee, who got his mistakes out of the way early and played a flawless front nine to lead the first round with a 65.

“I like this version of me today,” McDowell said. “It’s been a rough year, no doubt about it. Definitely been some time for reflection and some questions being asked of myself. It’s how you answer the questions and how you come out the other side, really.

“I feel like I’ll know what to do when I get back there, but it’s all about the process of getting there now,” he said. “So days like today will certainly help in that direction. I’ve got to keep doing it.”

Spieth was playing for the first time since he missed the British Open playoff by one shot, ending his bid at the Grand Slam. He expected a little rust. What concerned him was a sloppy start that was missing some of his fire. Walking up the fourth fairway, he said he told his caddie, “I need to get a little bit inspired right now.”

He made a bogey on par-5 second hole, the easiest at Firestone. His shot from the rough on No. 3 clipped some branches, and for a minute Spieth thought it might go in the water and lead to double bogey. It barely made the green and he got par.

“I’m staring at 3 over through three, trying to bounce back on a course that could host a major championship,” Spieth said. “I played these first three holes and it didn’t bother me. And that should normally bother me the way I played them.”

He made birdie on the next hole, a birdie on the final hole and shot 70. So did his playing partner, British Open champion Zach Johnson, in a pairing of the major champions this year. Johnson started birdie-birdie, only to come undone with a double bogey from the trees and rough on No. 9.

Spieth noted that he still hasn’t broken par at Firestone, though this was only his fifth round. And even par wasn’t a bad start.

The South Course featured fast fairways and firm greens, along with lush grass in the rough. Only 21 players in the 77-man field managed to break par. Phil Mickelson wasn’t among them. Spieth walked off the third green relieved that he cleared the water and made par. Mickelson was behind him and not so lucky. He clipped branches and went in the middle of the pond for a triple bogey. He shot 76.

Jim Furyk might get another chance to win a tournament he should have three years ago, when he went wire-to-wire until making a double bogey from the middle of the 18th fairway in the final round and lost by one. Furyk opened with a 66 to join McDowell one shot out of the lead.

Rickie Fowler and Justin Rose were at 67, while the large group at 68 included Henrik Stenson, Ian Poulter and Lee Westwood.

McDowell has three straight rounds of 66 at Firestone, though two of them were last year in softer conditions. This was a tricky test with the extra bounce on fairways and greens, and it was a big step for McDowell. It required getting the ball in play, some good wedge work around the greens and making putts. That’s been his hallmark, and he relief on those parts of the game to carry him in the opening round.

The slump is mainly due to change at home. His first child was born last September, and McDowell has found it harder to leave home. His motivation waned, followed by his game and inevitably some confidence.

He is at No. 159 in the FedEx Cup and in danger of missing the playoffs. But he found one answer even before he got to Firestone.

“Probably the hardest question was, `Do I still want to grind and be out here? Do I still want this?’ It was an easy answer. Yeah, I do want it,” McDowell said. “If this all went away, I’d miss it very badly. So when you answer that question positively, then you’ve got to start kind of answering all the other questions. How do I get myself back to where I need to be? And it starts with technique, and it starts with hard work and motivation and kind of all the things that I’ve done in the past.”

Tiger Woods took a pass on playing an opposite-field event this week in Nevada, meaning his season could end at the PGA Championship.

Or maybe not.

Woods floated the idea of playing the Wyndham Championship the week after the PGA Championship, which is the final regular PGA Tour event for players to get into the top 125 and qualifying for the FedEx Cup playoffs. Woods tied for 18th at the Quicken Loans National last week, though that was only enough for him to move up a whopping 12 spots to No. 185.

“Just win. It’s not real complicated,” Woods said of his playoff prospects “I’m not playing Reno this week or Bridgestone. … By playing well in the PGA, that determines whether or not I’ll play Wyndham, and obviously the rest of the FedEx Cup playoffs.”

Winning the PGA Championship would move him into the top 60, though Woods hasn’t won a major in seven years and hasn’t won any PGA Tour event in two years. Otherwise, his only chance to crack the top 125 would be to finish second alone at Whistling Straits.

At a media day Monday for the Deutsche Bank Championship, which his foundation runs, Woods made it sound as though getting close to the top 125 might be enough for him to consider going to the Wyndham Championship in Greensboro, North Carolina, for the first time.

“A lot of it is dependent on what I do with the PGA and whether or not I have a chance to make the playoffs,” Woods said. “I need to obviously play well at the PGA to get myself to move up in points and then give myself an opportunity to get into the playoffs. Right now, I’m so far off that I need to have a really high finish, and nothing higher than winning my fifth PGA would be nice.”

Woods isn’t alone in his plight.

Luke Donald is No. 127 in the FedEx Cup. He is not playing this week in Reno or at Firestone. Graeme McDowell is at No. 159, though he gets a crack at what amounts to free points this week at Firestone, which has no cut. McDowell is eligible from being on the most recent Ryder Cup team.

For Toronto’s Albin Choi, the transition from amateur to the professional ranks has been a bit of a bumpy ride.

But now in his third full season as a pro, the former Northview Heights Secondary student is starting to find his comfort zone; and the results are starting to show on the golf course.

As an amateur, the Toronto golfer was nothing short of spectacular. Besides winning the Canadian Amateur title in 2010, the Ontario Amateur title in 2012, and nine collegiate titles during his three years at North Carolina State University, Choi was also awarded the Gary Cowan trophy as the low amateur at the 2012 RBC Canadian Open.

Having turned professional after his junior year at NC State University, the former Canadian national team member admits that he’s gone through a bit of a learning curve.

“I haven’t been playing that well the past couple of years but the game’s been coming around,” said Choi recently at the RBC Canadian Open.

“It was just a bit of a learning curve when I came out of college and now I’ve been playing professional golf for a couple of years, so I’m getting use to how things work and I think I’m just getting a bit more comfortable out there,” added the 5 foot 11 inch amateur standout.

Someone who shares Choi’s assessment about the challenges involved in transitioning from amateur to pro is Canadian golfing legend, Gary Cowan.

“Once you’re a pro you have to learn how to play again,” said Cowan, who captured the United States amateur title in 1966 and then again in 1971.

“When you’re an amateur, you’re with your collegiate team or you’re with the Golf Canada amateur team and you go where everyone else goes. But when you turn pro you’re on your own and you have to learn to be on your own; and you have to take the time to learn and get familiar with the golf courses that you are playing on,” explained the 76-year-old Canadian golfing icon.

Having first met Choi in 2012, Cowan is confident, that with time, the amateur standout will be able to find similar success on the professional circuit.

“I first met him at the RBC Canadian Open in Hamilton and he’s very nice and quiet. I think he’s very talented; give him a couple more years and he’s going to be a really good player,” Cowan added about Choi.

Someone else who is eager to speak about Choi’s talents and dedication on the golf course is former high school classmate and current teammate on the Golf Canada’s Young Pro Program, Rebecca Lee-Bentham.

“Albin’s consistency really impressed me. He was the best putter I knew as a junior,” recalled the fourth year LPGA pro, who transferred from Bayview Secondary in Richmond Hill to Northview Heights Secondary after completing grade 10.

“He’s dedicated and always very focused when he practiced,” she added about Choi’s commitment.

For his part, Choi says it’s his commitment to improving and learning that has played a key part in his success so far this year.

“It’s always a work in progress but I’m just trying to learn from each tournament and take what I’ve learn into the week after,” he said.

Having learned his fair share of difficult lessons during his first two seasons as a pro as a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad, the Toronto golfer is successfully applying those lessons this year.

Choi started his 2015 season by claiming medalist honours at the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada Qualifying School, and followed that up with a victory at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open in early June.

“Winning always boosts your confidence. It was a big accomplishment for me early on in the year so I’m just trying to keep it going,” he pointed out.

Despite failing to make the cut recently at Glen Abbey, Choi is confident that he has the all-around game to compete against the PGA TOUR’s best.

“My game is definitely good enough to compete out here; just a couple of small errors here or there that I need to touch up on.  But I feel my game is just as good as these guys,” he said.

“I just have to play more on the big stage and get used to being out there with the best players. I’ve played in four of these RBC Canadian Opens and I learn from each of them; and I just need to get myself into more tournaments like this,” Choi added.

With valuable experience now under his belt and a success first half of 2015 in the books, the 23-year-old golfer takes comfort in the fact that he’s heading in the right direction; and firmly believes in his abilities to meet his long term goals.

“I’ve just got to keep working at it and just keep doing what I’ve been doing,” he said. “And I definitely see myself on the PGA TOUR five years from now – hopefully with a win or two.”

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Troy Merritt walked to the final tee with a three-shot lead and slapped hands with fans on both sides of the ropes, knowing he had all but wrapped up his first PGA Tour title.

Not bad for a player who had missed five cuts in a row coming into the Quicken Loans National.

Merritt shot a 4-under 67 on Sunday and finished his first career victory in 96 starts with a flourish, rolling in a 34-foot putt for birdie on the 72nd hole. After the putt fell, he raised his hands, looked toward the crowd and shrugged his shoulders, as if to say that it was the perfect way to finish.

The victory came a day after Merritt soared to the lead with a tournament-record 61 at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club, and his closing 67 matched the best of the day on another sweltering afternoon.

He finished at 18-under 266.

Rickie Fowler, who started the day one shot off the lead, also made a birdie on the final hole to claim second place at 15 under, and David Lingmerth was third, but both had up-and-down rounds. Fowler shot a 69 that featured seven birdies and five bogeys, and Lingmerth’s 69 included five birdies and three bogeys.

Merritt, who appeared to be walking in place as he set up for each shot, being sure to get his feet in exactly the right position, lost the lead only briefly on the final day and stumbled just once, with a three-putt bogey at the par-4 12th, the most difficult hole on the course. He made five birdies.

For much of the day, the tournament seemed destined to become a duel between Merritt and Bill Haas, who had six birdies in his first 10 holes and got to 17 under, tied with Merritt and three clear of the rest of the field. But Haas struggled to find the fairway on the back nine, making four bogeys and a double bogey in the final seven holes and leaving Merritt in position to win it by just making pars.

He did more than that, also knocking an 8-iron to 3 feet on the par-3 16th.

It helped that all of the expected challengers faltered.

Fowler, one shot back at the start, had three bogeys on the front nine.

Lingmerth, who once shared the lead with Haas and Merritt at 15 under, followed with a bad bogey at the par-5 eighth, the first of three bogeys over the closing 10 holes that kept him from making a move.

Haas wound up with a 70 and shared fourth at 12 under with defending champion Justin Rose and four others.

Merritt, meantime, never looked as though the stage was too much.

He opened with a birdie to take sole possession of the lead, and made two more to turn at 3 under. His bogey at the difficult 12th dropped him into a tie with Haas at 16 under, but Haas then crumbled.

Tiger Woods made a run at contention with birdies on five of his first 10 holes to get to 10 under, but with a huge crowd following and shouting encouragement with every swing, he missed 3-foot putt at No. 11, the first of three bogeys in four holes that killed his chances of making a serious charge.

His bogey on the 12th came despite one of the best shots of the tournament. After hitting his drive well right and into a hazard, he took a drop and then hit a blind 5-wood to the back fringe of the green, about 15 feet from the cup. His bid for par buzzed the right edge of the hole, but did not fall.

Woods finished with a 68 to tie for 18th at 8 under.

Woods rose from No. 195 to No. 185 in the FedEx Cup rankings and has just three weeks left to climb into the top 125 and qualify for the FedEx Cup playoffs, but said that that is not his focus.

“I’ve got years ahead of me. That’s how I look at it,” he said.

Kevin Chappell, who shared the overnight lead, shot a 77 to finish in the tie for 18th at 8 under.

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Troy Merritt couldn’t miss Saturday in the Quicken Loans National. Tiger Woods couldn’t make anything.

Merritt shot a tournament-record 10-under 61 to top the leaderboard even before the leading contenders teed off. It held up, too, as several players made runs at joining him at 14 under, but only Kevin Chappell, another veteran seeking a breakthrough victory, didn’t fade in the searing heat at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Chappell had a 67. Rickie Fowler (68) was a stroke back, and Jason Bohn (67), Whee Kim (67), Charles Howell III (67) and David Lingmerth (68) followed at 12 under.

Woods, who seemed to signal a return to contending golf Friday with a 66 that moved him within three strokes of the lead, was errant off the tee early and had several birdie putts slide by the hole.

While Merritt had 11 birdies and a bogey on the par-5 eighth, Woods didn’t make his first birdie until a 17-foot putt dropped on the par-4 15th. He hit his tee shot on the 187-yard 16th to inches, flashing a huge smile on the tee box, and then made a bogey at the par-4 18th to finish with a 74. He’ll start Sunday nine shots back.

“I was waiting for the one moment, the one shot. I couldn’t find it,” Woods said, adding that after starting with seven consecutive pars, he thought it might come at the par-5 eighth when his tee shot finally found the fairway.

Instead, his 3-wood approach sailed over the green and he made a bogey.

“I was dead back there, compounding the problem,” he said.

Merritt had long since finished and went into the final round as the leader for the second time this season. He had the lead to himself after the second and third rounds of the RBC Heritage, but finished third.

Merritt had missed five consecutive cuts coming into the week.

“The big thing is we put ourselves into contention for tomorrow and that was the goal,” he said. “I wanted to have a good week this week and I’ve been taking weekends off for two months now.”

Chappell wasn’t as spectacular, but started the day tied for third and more than kept pace with the field.

“You know, I’ve done a really good job of functioning this week,” he said. “‘That’s the grass. That’s the sky. That’s the hole. That’s my ball.’ Shoot the lowest score tomorrow and I win the golf tournament.”

Fowler, starting in the group ahead of the last two, has already won The Players Championship and the Scottish Open this year and hopes to give the leaders something to think about as quickly as possible.

“I’m looking forward to being out in front and making some noise, see if we can chase the guys down early and get things going,” he said.

Charles Howell III, playing with Woods, followed his near-ace at 16 by knocking his tee shot just to just inches, giving them both tap-in birdies, but with larger implications for Howell; the 15-year pro is seeking his first victory since the 2007 Nissan Open.

“I made some birdies and they’re out there,” Howell said. “Got to keep the pedal down tomorrow.”

There was no shortage of players making big moves attacking soft greens and with no wind.

Carl Pettersson and Bill Haas shot 64s to move to 11 under, and Vaughn Taylor had a wild day with 10 birdies and three bogeys in another 64 that moved him into a tie for 15th at 9 under.

No one took greater advantage that Merritt, seeking his first victory in 96 career starts.

“I finally made putts,” he said. “It’s really frustrating the first few days hitting the ball really, really well and having good proximity to the hole and not getting much out of it. Today I hit the ball really well and got a lot out of it.”

He started with five consecutive birdies and six in the first seven holes, and had four birdies in a row and five in six holes in another stretch on the back nine. He closed with a par on the par-4 18th.

Starting fast isn’t unusual, Merritt said, but sustaining it has been challenging.

“Making birdie at No. 12 was a huge momentum gain,” he said, speaking of the 490-yard par 4, that hardest hole on the course through three rounds. “Then went on to birdie 13, 14 and 15 making good putts.”

Defending champion Justin Rose shot a 65 and was among four tied at 11 under. With conditions expected to be similar in the final round, “It’s going to take something I would imagine in the realm of 63” to win, Rose said.

Canadian Adam Hadwin sits at 7-under for the tournament, tied for 21st place after a third-round of 69. Nick Taylor signed for 1-over 72.

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Tiger Woods showed a rare flash of anger on a mostly stress-free day when his second shot on the eighth hole failed to clear a massive fairway bunker. The best he could do was to squeeze it onto the front of the green.

The mistake on the par-5 hole set up the signature moment of a 5-under 66 on Friday in the Quicken Loans National that put Woods in contention for his first victory in nearly two years.

Woods sank the 36-foot birdie putt, which broke hard to the right and trickled over a crest and into the hole. He celebrated with a vintage fist pump and smile.

“If I keep hitting good putts, eventually they’re going to go in,” Woods said. “I made my share on my back nine and especially that bomb on eight. That was a bit lucky, but I’ll take it.”

Woods was tied for fifth, three shots behind Ryo Ishikawa, who was even par for the day before he birdied the last three holes at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club. Ishikawa had a 68 to reach 11 under, one shot ahead of Rickie Fowler, who also birdied the last three for a 65, and Kevin Chappell, who shot 68.

Woods is the host and a two-time winner of the Quicken Loans National, which is being played at RTJ for the first time.

His 66 was his best score in relation to par this year and only his seventh round in the 60s. In eight previous starts this year, he missed three cuts and withdrew once. His best finish is a tie for 17th at the Masters.

Two years ago, Woods was ranked No. 1. Since then, he has had back surgery and changed his swing. Earlier this year, he struggled to make solid contact on basic chip shots. His ranking has plummeted to 266th.

“I know what I’m doing out there. It’s just a matter of time before things start to click in,” Woods said. “People want the immediate fix, the one tip that’s going to work for the rest of their life. It doesn’t work that way.”

Woods started on the back nine and made three pars before a shockingly bad tee shot on the par-5 14th. He slammed his driver to the turf as the ball traveled only 161 yards and failed to reach the fairway. That led to his only bogey of the day.

“That kind of got me kick-started a little bit. Got me a little fired up,” Woods said.

On the next hole, he twirled his driver in satisfaction as the ball sailed down the middle of the fairway. He hit his approach to 3 feet for his first birdie of the day. From then on, he put on a flawless display of ball-striking.

Another long, accurate drive on the 18th led to a 10-footer for birdie. On the first hole, he laid back with a 3-wood before hitting 9-iron to 5 feet for another birdie.

On the par-3 fourth, playing at 223 yards, he attacked a difficult pin and made a 20-foot putt, raising his putter in the air as the ball dropped. He added a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth before his dramatics on 8.

While Woods is trying to salvage his season, Fowler is hoping to build on a career year. Fowler won The Players Championship in May and the Scottish Open in July, doubling his career victory total.

He struggled with his driver Friday but made up for it with putting. On the 18th, Fowler raised his putter and started walking before his 27-foot birdie putt went down, and then high-fived caddie Joe Skovron.

“Probably hit it worse today,” Fowler said. “I wouldn’t say I putted any better, just happened to get some that went in.”

Playing three groups behind Fowler, Ishikawa had made four birdies and four bogeys when he nearly made his second hole-in-one of the tournament, hitting a 9-iron to 2 inches on the short par-3 16th. He tapped in for birdie and followed that up with a 13-foot birdie putt on 17 and a 31-footer on 18.

“My goal for this weekend is like 15 under, 16 under,” Ishikawa said. “So I’m just here focused on that number.”

David Lingmerth, enjoying a breakout season thanks to his victory at the Memorial, made five birdies on his final nine holes for a 65. He was two shots back.

The cut was 2 under, and Billy Hurley III made it on the number. After his second-round 70, he was informed that his father, Willard Hurley Jr., had been located after disappearing for nearly two weeks.

Woods was part of a group of nine players at 8 under. They included Jimmy Walker, who followed an opening 71 with a 63, including a holed fairway bunker shot from 112 yards for eagle.

“I don’t hit a lot of fairways anyway. It’s not that big of a deal,” Walker said. “Bunkers out here are nice. I hit some good shots.”

Canadians Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor currently sit T19 heading into Saturday’s round.

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Tiger Woods took a conservative 3-wood off the first hole at the Quicken Loans National when many players were hitting driver. No matter – he still pull-hooked it into the gallery, hit his second shot into a greenside bunker and lipped out a 5-footer for par before slamming his putter against his bag.

On the third hole, he missed the green well left and had to get up-and-down for bogey. A three-putt on No. 4 left him 3 over.

It was his final bogey of the day.

Woods got a fortunate deflection off a marshal left of the green on the par-5 fifth. He apologized, handed out an autographed glove and made his first birdie. Then he ran off five birdies in six holes around the turn for a 3-under 68. That left him five shots behind leaders Retief Goosen and Ryo Ishikawa at Robert Trent Jones Golf Club.

Woods said it was the first time since the Masters in April that he’s turned a bad round into a good one.

“That’s what scoring is all about,” Woods said. “I made a lot of key putts today. I ran them by the hole but I made all the comebacks, and overall I felt like I hit the ball well enough to turn it around. It was nice to actually turn it around.”

Woods is the host of the Quicken Loans National, which he won in 2009 and 2012 at Congressional in Maryland. The last of his 79 PGA Tour victories was nearly two years ago, and he has plummeted to 266th in the world.

Woods got up-and-down from a greenside bunker for birdie on the par-5 eighth. He made a 9-footer on 10 and a 7-footer on 11. He hit his approach to tap-in range on 12, the most difficult hole on the course, and ended the run with a 12-footer on 13. He two-putted for par on the final five holes.

The 68 was only his sixth round under 70 this year. He has had three scores of 80 or higher and has missed three cuts and withdrawn once in eight events.

In soft conditions with little wind, Woods’ 68 was only good for a tie for 27th. Players were allowed to lift, clean and place their golf balls on the rain-softened fairways, and 81 of them managed to break par.

“We got the fresh greens tomorrow,” said Woods, who played in the afternoon after a 95-minute rain delay. “Hopefully, go out there and post a low one.”

RTJ is welcoming a regular PGA Tour event for the first time after hosting four Presidents Cups, most recently in 2005, and experience seemed to help. Goosen, who played in two of those events, had a bogey-free 63. Presidents Cup veterans Ernie Els and Justin Leonard were one shot back, along with Kevin Chappell.

Goosen, a 46-year-old two-time major champion, is finally feeling healthy after major back surgery in 2012. Always stoic on the course, he still has plenty of passion for the game, which he showed by qualifying for both the U.S. Open and the British Open.

“I’m lucky to be out here. Three, four years ago my career looked like it was at an end,” said Goosen, whose last victory was in 2009. “I’m just glad I’m still out there and playing. Yeah, I just wish I was 10 years younger again.”

Ishikawa, who started on the back nine, ran off six birdies in a row starting on the 14th hole. Then he made a hole-in-one on the 180-yard fourth, spinning an 8-iron 15 feet back into the cup for his first competitive ace in the United States.

At that point he was 8 under with five holes to go. He parred the last five.

“It took about two holes to make myself calm,” he said. “No. 5 was a par 5, like a birdie hole, but it was kind of difficult for me to make a par right there.”

Defending champion Justin Rose, the highest-ranked player in the field, was three shots back. So was Ollie Schneiderjans, making his second professional start.

Rickie Fowler also made an ace, kicking a 7-iron off the fringe and into the cup on the 184-yard ninth, his final hole of the day. He was four shots back after a 67 that could have been much better.

Fowler said his putter went cold after his victory at the Scottish Open, and on Thursday he missed four birdie putts from inside 15 feet in a five-hole stretch. Three of his four birdies were from inside 4 feet. Honoring a club golf tradition, he bought beer for the media to toast his hole-in-one.

“I hit a great shot. Get a little bit of a good kick. Hey, we’ll take it,” Fowler said. “Looking forward to getting back out tomorrow and see if we can get some putts to go.”

Canadian Adam Hadwin coming off a T7 finish at the RBC Canadian Open fires a 4-under 67 to sit T18 after today’s opening round, while Nick Taylor posts 68.

AKRON, Ohio – Rory McIlroy has told the PGA TOUR he will not play the Bridgestone Invitational next week as he recovers from his ankle injury.

It will be the second straight tournament that McIlroy will miss as the defending champion. He injured his left ankle while playing soccer with friends in Northern Ireland the first weekend in July. He was not able to defend his title in the British Open at St. Andrews.

McIlroy did not indicate if he would be able to play the PGA Championship on Aug. 13-16 at Whistling Straits in Wisconsin. He won the PGA Championship last year for his fourth career major.

Jordan Spieth will have another chance to replace McIlroy at No. 1 in the world next week at Firestone.

Although David Hearn didn’t capture the RBC Canadian Open Sunday night, 24 hours later, he was still a winner.

The fourth annual David Hearn Charity Golf Classic raised $114,000 for the Alzhemier Society of Canada.

And, you could say the launch of the David Hearn Foundation – which was officially announced Wednesday of Canadian Open week – was a resounding success.

Hearn, whose great-grandmother and grandmother both suffered from the disease, said that given the personal, direct impact Alzheimer’s has had on his life, he felt a need to formally get involved with the cause, and help those who are affected by it.

“When I started playing PGA Tour golf I never envisioned I’d be at this point. But, it’s really nice to get here now,” Hearn said Monday from Beverly Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ont.

The foundation will fundraise for projects that will help build on and expand programs and services for those with Alzheimer’s across the country. The direct focus of the foundation is to support the Alzheimer’s Society nationwide work in improving care for Canadians with the disease.

“We’re grateful for David’s work in supporting dementia in the community and thrilled he has chosen the Alzheimer Society as his charity partner. The foundation is an incredible opportunity to further enhance the lives and well-being of all Canadians affected by Alzheimer’s disease,” said Mimi Lowi-Young, the CEO of the Alzheimer Society of Canada, in a press release.

The release further stated the foundation “will aim to increase awareness, enhance the quality of life for those affected by the disease, raise funds to research best practices and implement them in communities across the country.”

Hearn said he saw the positive impact the Mike Weir Foundation and the Graham & Ruby DeLaet Foundation has had on Canadians, and knew he wanted to get involved as well.

“Starting the foundation was the next step in my charitable endeavors,” explained Hearn.

Hearn’s charity tournament directly supports the Alzheimer Society of Brant, Haldimand-Norfolk and Hamilton-Halton. Hearn was thrilled to see the outpouring of support.

Before the day began, he assumed the attendees would raise more money than they ever had before.

He was right. The $114,000 mark eclipsed the previous mark earned at the 2014 edition of the event.

“It’s exciting to see these tournaments grow,” said the 36-year-old, who still lives in Brantford for half the year.

As a long-time member of the PGA Tour, Hearn has made over $6 million (USD) in his career, including nearly $1.8 million this season alone. Hearn said giving back is what the PGA Tour stands for, and he’s happy to do his part.

“If you talk to anyone who is related to the Tour, our number-one goal is to raise money for charity,” he explained. “We play for a lot of money and the golf tournaments are exciting to watch, but each and every tournament, the benefactors are charities.

“So much of what the PGA Tour is about is about giving back and being charitable. It’s in the fabric of what we do. To have a foundation and be able to do that is really exciting,” he continued.

Despite falling just short at Glen Abbey – “I gave myself a chance right until the very end,” he explained – Hearn said his experience during the Canadian Open week was something he would remember for the rest of his life.

Hearn will now enjoy two weeks off – including a full week without swinging a golf club, he said – before playing the PGA Championship.

GAINESVILLE, Va. – Tiger Woods is running out of opportunities to salvage a lost season.

This week’s Quicken Loans National could be his second-to-last start before the new PGA Tour season begins in the fall. He’s on track to miss the FedEx Cup playoffs, and he needs a victory just to be eligible for next week’s Bridgestone Invitational, on a course where he’s won eight times.

Barring a dramatic turnaround, Woods’ season will conclude at the PGA Championship in two weeks.

Woods acknowledged Tuesday that his last two years have been forgettable. Last year, he missed three months after back surgery, and this year he took two months off to fix a balky short game. He says he doesn’t feel a huge sense of urgency because he hasn’t played much competitive golf.