SILVIS, Illinois – For every good shot Jordan Spieth hit, a bad one seemed to follow.

Spieth’s struggles left him eight shots back after the first round of his final British Open tuneup.

Justin Thomas and Nicholas Thompson each shot an 8-under-par 63 to share the lead at the John Deere Classic on Thursday. Spieth was at even-par 71 in his first round since winning the U.S Open.

Spieth, who will go for his third straight major title next week at St. Andrews, had three bogeys in a four-hole stretch and missed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18.

“Just a rusty round,” said Spieth, who skipped last week’s Greenbrier Classic. “I didn’t get out on the golf course like maybe I should have.”

Thomas and Thompson were a stroke ahead of Charles Howell III and Luke Guthrie. Three-time tournament winner Steve Stricker led the list of golfers at 6 under.

Spieth is one of just five golfers in the current top 20 of the Fed Ex Cup standings to play in the Quad Cities.

Some even criticized Spieth for supposedly jeopardizing his Grand Slam push by playing this tournament rather than heading over to the United Kingdom early to prep for the Open Championship.

Spieth disagreed, naturally.

But Spieth nonetheless struggled for the “good feels” he said he was hoping to find at this forgiving 7,300-yard course on the banks of the Mississippi River. In a rare display of frustration, Spieth even slammed his fist on a table after barely missing a short birdie putt.

Spieth finally got something going on his 13th hole, sinking a 32-foot birdie putt after escaping the bunker. He put his next approach within 2 feet for another birdie. But Spieth’s tee shot on the 15th hole wound up in the gallery.

Still, Spieth shot a 70 during his opening round here in 2013 and went on to post his first career win at age 19.

“I had some pretty bad lip-outs, and that’s going to happen. I’m still going to continue to hit good putts. If they drop and I can chip the ball a little better, then I’ll be in good position,” Spieth said.

Thomas had his first career win within grasp with 10 holes to go last week at the Greenbrier Classic. He quickly learned how tough it is to win on the PGA Tour.

Thomas collapsed behind a shaky putter, falling out of contention with a bogey followed by a double-bogey. He then shot a ghastly 8 on the par-4 16th and finished tied for 54th.

On Thursday, Thomas answered with 10 birdies, including a 51-foot putt on his 16th hole.

“I just played a couple of bad holes, and if it wasn’t for that I’m right there. There’s definitely more positives than negatives to take out of the last couple of weeks,” Thomas said about last week’s final round. “I’ve felt like I’ve been close.”

Thompson, who has never won in 214 PGA Tour starts, had an eagle on the par-4 14th to highlight his impressive start.

Guthrie, a 2012 graduate of the nearby University of Illinois, went on a run of seven birdies in 10 holes. But he missed a 15-foot par putt that would have put him atop an unlikely leaderboard.

Iowa native Zach Johnson, who has finished either first or second in three straight John Deere Classics, shot a 66. It was Johnson’s 25th straight round in the 60s at Deere Run.

Canadians David Hearn and Adam Hadwin posted 3-under par rounds of 68 today. Roger Sloan had a 1-under opening round of 70. Mike Weir signed for 73, while Nick Taylor shot 75.

Rory McIlroy pulled out of the British Open at St. Andrews on Wednesday with an ankle injury, the first time in 61 years the defending champion will not be playing.

McIlroy made the announcement by posting a photo on Instagram that showed his left ankle in an air cast, propped up as he watched Wimbledon on television. That will be his only view of St. Andrews next week, a blow to the world’s No. 1 player and to the oldest championship in golf.

After much consideration, I have decided not to play in the Open Championship at St. Andrews. I’m taking a long term view of this injury and, although rehab is progressing well, I want to come back to tournament play when I feel 100% healthy and 100% competitive. Thank you for all your support and best wishes. I hope to be back on the course as soon as I can…. In the mean time, come on Andy!!!

A photo posted by Rory McIlroy (@rorymcilroy) on Jul 8, 2015 at 8:38am PDT

McIlroy said he ruptured a ligament in his left ankle over the weekend while playing soccer with friends in Northern Ireland. He was hopeful that he would recover in time for The Open, but decided two days later it was not worth risking a full recovery.

“After much consideration, I have decided not to play in the Open Championship at St. Andrews,” McIlroy said. “I’m taking a long-term view of this injury and, although rehab is progressing well, I want to come back to tournament play when I feel 100 percent healthy and 100 percent competitive.”

He said he hoped to be back to golf as soon as he could.

Ben Hogan in 1954 was the last British Open champion who did not defend. Hogan, who was nearly killed in an automobile accident in 1949, won the only British Open he played in 1953 at Carnoustie.

“We are naturally very disappointed that Rory will be unable to defend his title at St. Andrews next week,” the R&A said in a statement. “Rory will play in many more Open Championships and our primary concern is for his complete recovery.”

He was replaced in the field by Russell Knox, who grew up in Inverness in the north of Scotland and will be making his Open debut.

Still to be determined is how long the ankle injury keeps McIlroy out of golf.

He also is the defending champion in the Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone on Aug. 6-9, and the PGA Championship the following week at Whistling Straits. McIlroy finished one shot out of a playoff when the PGA Championship was last held there in 2010.

His absence makes Jordan Spieth the favorite at St. Andrews in his quest for the Grand Slam. Spieth is only the fourth player since 1960 to have won the Masters and the U.S. Open in the same year.

“We want him back. Everybody does,” Spieth said Tuesday at the John Deere Classic. “It’s unlucky, it’s unfortunate, and I’m sure he’s taking it harder on himself than anybody else. But I don’t think he did anything wrong, it was just an unfortunate situation. And hopefully, he rebounds quickly and gets back right to where he was.”

Spieth will have a chance to replace McIlroy at No. 1 in the world if he were to win at St. Andrews.

Tiger Woods is the only other No. 1 player to miss a major championship – the British Open and PGA Championship in 2008 recovering from reconstructive knee surgery, and the Masters last year when he had surgery on his back.

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

And these were big fish, too.

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

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

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

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

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

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

“It was a cool experience,” he said.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Players were shocked to hear the news.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Danny Lee was overcome with nerves after qualifying for a four-man playoff at The Greenbrier Classic.

By the time he walked to the first playoff tee, he was ready.

Lee earned his first PGA Tour victory when he parred the second hole of Sunday’s sudden-death playoff, eliminating David Hearn after Kevin Kisner and Robert Streb faltered on the first playoff hole.

“All I can say is wow,” Lee said. “I finally did it.”

Lee, Hearn, Kisner and Streb were tied at 13 under after four rounds on the Old White TPC course. And Lee wasn’t in a good place mentally heading into the playoff.

“I was so nervous,” he said. “My head was blank, and I was just trying to breathe.”

For good measure, Lee said his caddie, Kurt Kowaluk, put the piece of paper indicating his playoff starting position into a mock wishing well on the par-3 18th tee.

“He put it in there so I can win it,” Lee said.

By then, Lee had his focus back.

“I felt ready,” he said. “I felt like I could really win this thing.”

The South Korean-born New Zealander earned $1.2 million and became the ninth first-time winner on the tour this season.

The former U.S. Amateur champion was competing in his 27th event this season, including his eighth in nine weeks. He is trying to qualify for the international team for the Presidents Cup in October in South Korea. He was 47th in the standings heading into The Greenbrier Classic.

“I never get tired of playing golf,” Lee said. “I mean, it’s my job, and I just love doing it, and I’m just happy to be out here every week.”

Kisner shot a 6-under 64 to get to the clubhouse at 13 under.

Hearn (67) and Lee (67) birdied No. 17 to join the playoff. Both missed birdie putts for the lead on the final hole in regulation.

Streb shot a 5-under 65 in the final round by making five birdie putts on the back nine with a 56-degree wedge after breaking his putter on the ninth hole. The putter broke when Streb tossed it at his bag next to the green.

“It hit the bottom of the bag and the (putter) head went flying,” Streb said. “It was not my intent, but that was what happened. And so I said, well, let’s see what we can do with a wedge.”

He three-putted No. 17 for bogey, but got in the playoff with a 6-foot birdie at No. 18.

Streb was allowed a replacement putter for the playoff, but he never got to use it after missing the green.

Lee and Hearn made birdie putts on the first playoff hole, also eliminating Kisner, who lost in a playoff for the third time this season.

On the second playoff hole, Hearn drove behind a tree on the par-5 17th and made bogey.

“That was probably the only bad tee shot I hit all day,” said Hearn, who is still looking for his first PGA Tour win in 164 events. “I’ve just got to keep giving myself chances like this, and it’s going to happen soon.”

Lee also missed the fairway, but reached the green in three shots and two-putted from across the green for par.

It marked the third playoff in the tournament’s six-year history.

Tiger Woods started the day seven shots behind the leaders, shot a bogey-free 67 and said he made some “nice strides” heading into next week’s British Open.

“Best I’ve hit it in a long, long, long time,” Woods said. “I had full control over all clubs. This could have been one of those special rounds.”

Woods broke a streak of 55 consecutive rounds with at least one bogey. It was his first time under par in a final round since the 2013 Tour Championship.

Lee, Hearn, James Hahn and Greg Owen earned spots at St. Andrews. There also were four spots handed out a week ago at the Travelers Championship and one more is available this week at the John Deere Classic.

Russell Henley shot 63 and finished fifth at 12 under. Seven others were at 11 under, including Chad Collins (69), who was tied for the lead before bogeying the final two holes.

Graham DeLaet had a final round 69 to finish T37.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Jason Bohn’s main goal after barely making the cut at The Greenbrier Classic was to get some extra rest before the final round.

Sweet dreams. And try not to think about being the co-leader heading into Sunday.

Bohn shot a 9-under 61 Saturday and was at 11-under 199, tied with Sean O’Hair, Sung Joon Park and Bryce Molder on the Old White TPC course. O’Hair and Park both shot 66. Molder had a 67.

Bohn started strong with six birdies on the first 10 holes. After a bogey at No. 11, he regrouped with four more birdies over the final five holes

It’s setting up to be another close finish at the tournament, which debuted in 2010. Two were decided in playoffs and the largest margin was two shots twice.

A crowded leaderboard has 27 players within four shots of the lead. Tiger Woods wasn’t among them.

Woods struggled on the back nine, shot 71 and was seven strokes back.

Bohn’s round was his best on the PGA Tour and included 14 one-putt greens. He shot 58 in a 2001 Canadian Tour event, the Bayer Championship.

A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Bohn has two runner-up finishes this season. On Saturday, he was just hoping to play well enough to avoid an early tee time in the final round.

“I just wanted to sleep in to be honest, so now I don’t have to get up early in the morning,” Bohn said.

Bohn had birdied the final hole in the second round Friday to make the cut on the number at 2 under. He said he’ll need a similar round on Sunday to have a chance at winning.

“You’ve just got to play very aggressive and play smart when you’re out of position – and aggressive when you’re in position,” Bohn said.

O’Hair lost to Jordan Spieth in a playoff at the Valspar Championship in March, but had missed cuts in four of his last five events.

Seeking his fifth PGA Tour win and first since 2011, O’Hair had four back-nine birdies Saturday.

“I don’t feel any pressure,” O’Hair said. “I actually feel like a weight’s been lifted off a little bit. I’m just happy to be in this situation again. This definitely beats struggling, I can promise you.”

Molder reached 11 under with a birdie at No. 9 before stringing together nine straight pars.

“Somewhere midway through the back nine I just kind of lost rhythm,” Molder said. “But my short game hung in there and kept me in it.”

Molder’s lone tour win came in a playoff at the 2011 Frys.com Open.

Park scattered four birdies in his bogey-free round. The South Korean has a runner-up finish at the Humana Challenge in his rookie season.

He doesn’t expect to be nervous Sunday as he seeks his first tour victory.

“I’ve been in this situation before,” Park said. “It’s going to be the same – another round for me.”

Justin Thomas (66), David Hearn (68), Danny Lee (68) and Chad Collins (68) were at 10 under.

Woods hasn’t been the same since shooting 66 in the first round, his lowest score of the season and matching his best in relation to par.

Woods was within four shots of the lead at the start of Saturday’s round and kept pace with two front-nine birdies.

Then all parts of his game came unraveled. He surpassed 30 putts for the second straight day.

Woods drove out-of-bounds on the par-4 11th and made double bogey. He three-putted the par-4 13th from 30 feet for bogey.

On the par-5 17th, where he had driven into water to the right in the first two rounds, his drive went 190 yards far to the left of the fairway and he made another bogey.

“I started pressing at the end trying to make some birdies and really got aggressive,” Woods said. “I hit a lot of shots close. I just need to convert on those and get some kind of string going in a positive way.”

Third round co-leaders Jhonattan Vegas (76) and Scott Langley (74) both shot 2 over on the front nine and were far back in the field.

Graham DeLaet came out of the gates running as he made five consecutive birdies to open the day and signed for a round of 67 on Saturday.

WHITE SULPHUR SPRINGS, W.Va. – Jhonattan Vegas hasn’t had much success since winning his second PGA Tour event as a rookie in 2011. The Greenbrier Classic could give him that needed boost.

Vegas shot a 5-under-par 65 to tie Scott Langley for the lead after the second round Friday. They were at 9-under 131 on the Old White TPC course in West Virginia.

Twenty-three golfers were within three shots of the lead, including seven at 8 under.

Vegas doesn’t have a top 10 finish this season, but he’s looking to change that. He made five birdies during a bogey-free round Friday, including two of his final three holes.

“I feel like I’m playing great, I just haven’t been able to put it all together,” the Venezuelan said. “But I’m staying patient and working really hard to make it happen, and it’s coming together.”

Langley didn’t have the same birdie explosion as he enjoyed in the first round, when he shot 62 to take the lead.

Starting his round on the back nine, Langley made back-to-back birdies on Nos. 6 and 7 and shot 69.

“Following up a round of 62 is never super easy,” Langley said. “I left a lot of putts within 6 inches of the hole, just right in the heart. I need to be a little more assertive (Saturday) on the greens.”

Langley and Vegas had a chance to make noise last week at the Travelers Championship. Langley was four strokes behind eventual winner Bubba Watson entering weekend play, while Vegas was six shots back.

Both faded in the final two rounds.

The top four finishers at The Greenbrier not previously eligible for the British Open will earn spots next week at St. Andrews, provided they are among the top 12 and ties.

“That’s one of the goals for the week,” Vegas said. “So we’re going to try to go get it.”

Tiger Woods made little progress after a solid first round but avoided missing consecutive cuts for the first time as a pro. Woods shot 69 Friday and was at 5 under, four shots back.

Woods had more trouble reaching fairways on Friday. He found the water to the right on the par-5 17th for the second straight day, hit his golf bag with his driver in disgust, then nearly holed his 97-yard fourth shot and made par.

He salvaged his under-par round with a short birdie putt on the par-3 18th. He declined interviews afterward.

Langley is looking to become the third person to become a first-time PGA Tour winner by winning The Greenbrier in the tournament’s six-year history.

So, too, is David Hearn, who was among those in the group at 8 under. The Canadian is still looking for his first PGA Tour win in his 164th event. His best finish was second at the 2013 John Deere Classic.

“This would be a great place for me to win one, but I’ve got 36 holes of golf (left),” Hearn said. “I’m playing great right now and I look forward to the weekend.”

Hearn birdied six of his first eight holes and shot 64. He and Jonathan Byrd were tied for the lead on the back nine before late bogeys slowed their momentum. Byrd shot 69 and also was at 8 under.

Sixty-seven golfers made the cut at 2 under. Michael Putnam had an eagle and four birdies on the back nine to make the cut on the number.

Steve Stricker missed only his third cut since 2010.

Heavy rains stopped play for 18 minutes in the morning. Occasional thunderstorms are forecast through the weekend.

Graham DeLaet posted a round of 70 to make it to the weekend. 

Nick Taylor and Roger Sloan narrowly missed the cut by two strokes. Adam Hadwin was one shot back of the pair.

OAKVILLE, Ont. – In celebration of Canada Day, Golf Canada and RBC are proud to announce the first 15 Canadians, including 10 tournament exemptions, confirmed for the 2015 RBC Canadian Open taking place at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., from July 20-26, 2015.

Leading the Canadian contingent at Glen Abbey will be Weyburn, Sask., native Graham DeLaet, fresh off a fourth-place finish this past weekend at the Travelers Championship. The finish moved DeLaet to No. 78 on the World Golf Ranking and secured his spot in the field for The Open Championship at St. Andrews.

Joining DeLaet will be fellow Canadian PGA TOUR players David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., Abbotsford, B.C., natives Adam Hadwin and Nick Taylor; Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C. and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame member Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., who will be making his 25^th appearance in Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship.

Golf Canada has also granted a tournament exemption to Web.com Tour player Brad Fritsch of Manotick, Ont. who will make his eighth appearance in Canada’s National Open Championship.

Additional tournament exemptions were given to Team Canada Young Pro Squad members Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., Adam Svensson of Surrey, B.C., as well as National Amateur Squad members Austin Connelly of Irving, Texas and Blair Hamilton of Burlington, Ont.

Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont., won the 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur title to earn his exemption into the 2015 RBC Canadian Open. Leading into tournament week, Rank and Connelly will represent Canada at the 2015 Pan Am Games golf competition, July 13-19 at Angus Glen Golf Club in Markham, Ont.

PGA of Canada professional Billy Walsh of Markham, Ont., earned his way into the 2015 RBC Canadian Open field as the No. 1-ranked player on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC.

Earlier this week, former Team Canada member Richard Jung of Toronto shot a course-record, 10-under 62 at Rattlesnake Pointe Golf Club to top the 144-player field to earn an exemption through the RBC Canadian Open Ontario Regional Qualifier.

“This is OUR Open and we’re proud to have these 15 deserving Canadians compete in the 106^th playing of Canada’s National Men’s Open Championship,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “The depth of talent in Canadian golf has never been stronger and I’m sure each of them will feel the tremendous wave of Canadian pride and support from golf fans across the country.”

The 15 Canadian players announced today will look to become the first Canadian to capture the national title since Pat Fletcher claimed victory in 1954.

The Canadians confirmed for Glen Abbey will join a field of PGA TOUR and international stars that includes World No. 3 Bubba Watson, World No. 5 Jim Furyk, World No. 8 Jason Day, World No. 13 J.B. Holmes, World No. 16 Matt Kuchar, World No. 17 Chris Kirk, World No. 22 Brooks Koepka, World No. 26 Brandt Snedeker, World No. 30 Ryan Palmer, World No. 40 Hunter Mahan, World No. 48 Graeme McDowell, World No. 65 Luke Donald, and World Golf Hall of Fame member Ernie Els.

Celebrating Canada Day at the RBC Canadian Open….

For more than a century, our National Men’s Open Championship has been a celebration of Canada’s most talented golfers. This year, that celebration will be on full display as Friday, July 24 has been declared Canada Day at the RBC Canadian Open. Spectators are encouraged to wear red and white to proudly show their support for Canada’s top golfing talents. Players in the field will also be encouraged to wear Canada’s colours to help celebrate the day.

Pan Am golf champion to earn an exemption…

Golf Canada will also grant an RBC Canadian Open tournament exemption to the winner of the men’s Pan Am Golf Competition happening as part of the Toronto 2015 Pan Am Games. The golf competition will run July 13-19 at Angus Glen Golf Club with 32 players from 16 countries set to compete, including Austin Connelly and Garrett Rank who will represent Team Canada. Besides the champion’s exemption, the rest of the men’s Pan Am golf field will be exempt into the RBC Canadian Open Monday Qualifier happening Monday, July 20 at Heron Point Golf Links near Ancaster, Ont.

Canadian players confirmed to compete in the 2015 RBC Canadian Open include:

Graham DeLaet

• Currently the top-ranked Canadian on the World Golf Rankings (No. 78)
• Currently ranked No. 83 in the FedEx Cup standings
• Competing in his 7^th RBC Canadian Open

David Hearn

• Currently ranked No. 177 in the world and No. 88 in the FedEx Cup standings
• Competing in his 13^th RBC Canadian Open

Adam Hadwin

• PGA TOUR Rookie
• Topped the 2013-14 Web.com money list
• Currently ranked No. 174 in the world and No. 114 in the FedEx Cup standings
• Competing in his 6^th RBC Canadian Open (finished T4 in 2011)

Nick Taylor

• PGA TOUR Rookie
• 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship champion (first Canadian to win on PGA TOUR in six years)
• Former World No. 1 Amateur
• Competing in his 6^th RBC Canadian Open

Mike Weir

• 8-time PGA TOUR winner
• 2003 Masters champion
• Inducted into the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame in 2009
• Competing in his 25^th RBC Canadian Open

Roger Sloan

• PGA TOUR Rookie
• 2014 Web.com Tour Nova Scotia Open champion
• Competing in his 3^rd RBC Canadian Open

Brad Fritsch

• Currently ranked No. 81 on the 2015 Web.com money list
• Career-best PGA TOUR finish: T8 at 2014 Wyndham Championship
• Competing in his 8^th RBC Canadian Open

Corey Conners

• Member of Golf Canada’s Young Pro Squad
• Runner-up at the 2014 U.S. Amateur to earn an exemption into the 2015 Masters
• Competing in his 3^rd RBC Canadian Open

Taylor Pendrith

• Member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad
• Low amateur at 2014 RBC Canadian Open
• Competing in his 2^nd RBC Canadian Open

Adam Svensson

• Member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad
• Two-time runner-up on the Mackenzie Tour PGA Tour Canada
• Competing in his 3^rd RBC Canadian Open

Austin Connelly

• Member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team
• Currently ranked No. 13 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking
• Will represent Team Canada at the 2015 Pan-Am Games golf competition
• Competing in his 1^st RBC Canadian Open

Blair Hamilton

• Member of Golf Canada’s National Amateur Team
• Currently ranked No. 81 on the World Amateur Golf Ranking
• University of Houston (winner of the 2015 NCAA Border Olympics)
• Competing in his 1^st RBC Canadian Open

Garrett Rank

• Former Team Canada National Team member
• 2014 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur champion & 2015 Ontario Mid-Amateur champion
• Will represent Team Canada at the 2015 Pan-Am Games golf competition
• Competing in his 1^st RBC Canadian Open

Billy Walsh

• Currently ranked No. 1 on the PGA of Canada Player Rankings presented by RBC
• Competing in his 2^nd RBC Canadian Open

Richard Jung

• Winner of the 2015 RBC Canadian Open Ontario Regional Qualifier
• Competing in his 1^st RBC Canadian Open

Additional player and tournament announcements will be made in the coming weeks. The final field for the 2015 RBC Canadian Open will be released on Friday, July 17, 2015 after 5 p.m. ET.

For information about tickets, FREE 17-and-under junior passes, volunteer opportunities or corporate hospitality for the 2015 RBC Canadian Open, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.