UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — The toughest test in golf met one tough player Saturday at the U.S. Open.

Jason Day had every reason to withdraw when he collapsed on the final hole of his second round with a nasty bout of vertigo. He gave it his best shot under the stiffest conditions yet at Chambers Bay. The vertigo returned on the back nine, along with nausea. When he turned his head toward the target, he had to wait for his eyes to stop dancing before he could swing. He thought about quitting three times.

And it was worth it.

With three birdies on the last four holes, Day staggered off the course with a 2-under 68 and his name atop the leaderboard. He was part of a four-way tie with Masters champion Jordan Spieth, Dustin Johnson and Branden Grace of South Africa.

One day after his collapse, Day was standing taller than ever.

“That was the greatest round I’ve ever watched,” said Colin Swatton, his caddie and longtime coach who whispered words of encouragement along the hilly terrain of Chambers Bay. “I said, `You’ve got the heart of a lion. You get to show the world today you get to be the greatest you can be and look, let’s do it.’ And he just put his head down and kept walking, one foot in front of the other. It was pretty impressive.”

And now he gets to play in the final group of a major for the first time.

All it took was a performance that brought to mind Ken Venturi winning the U.S. Open at Congressional in 1964 with a 36-hole final while suffering from heat exhaustion and severe dehydration, and Tiger Woods winning the U.S. Open at Torrey Pines in 2008 with a shattered left leg.

Day still has one day to go and a course that is getting faster and scarier by the day. And he has plenty of company.

Jordan Spieth had four three-putts, missed birdie chances inside 12 feet on the last three holes and still wound up in a tie for the lead with a 71 as he tries to become only the fourth player since 1960 to win the first two legs of the Grand Slam. The others were Woods (2002), Jack Nicklaus (1972) and Arnold Palmer (1960).

“I didn’t have my best stuff today but still tied for the lead, and I’ve had my best stuff at times this week, and I’m pretty sure I know where it is and how to get it tomorrow and get ready to go,” Spieth said.

Dustin Johnson gets a fourth shot at his first major. He also wasted good birdie chances with his power – a tee shot that landed on the front of the green at the 372-yard 16th hole (three-putt par) and a big drive on the par-5 18th. He hit 3-iron into a bunker and made par for a 70.

Johnson also was in position to win the 2010 U.S. Open at Pebble Beach, the 2010 PGA Championship at Whistling Straits and the 2011 British Open.

“I’ve been in the situation a few times, so I know how to handle myself,” he said. “I know what it takes to get it done. And tomorrow I just need to go out there and focus one shot at a time. And we’ll see what happens.”

Grace overcame a rough patch in the middle of his round – three bogeys in five holes – and shot a 70. The leaders were at 4-under 206.

Day chose not to speak to the media out of sheer exhaustion. He offered a few comments to a USGA official, and then headed to his motor home to lie down.

“I didn’t feel that great coming out early,” said Day, who dropped two shots in his opening four holes to fall as many as seven shots behind at one point. “I felt pretty groggy on the front nine just from the drugs that I had in my system, then kind of flushed that out on the back nine. The vertigo came back a little bit on the 13th tee box, and then felt nauseous all day. I started shaking on 16 tee box and then just tried to get it in, really. Just wanted to get it in.”

He said it was worse than the vertigo he suffered last year at Firestone that caused him to withdraw. This time, he kept playing.

“I think the goal was just to go through today and see how it goes,” he said.

For everyone else, it was a matter of hanging on.

Spieth holed a pair of 35-foot birdie putts early and stretched his lead to three shots until he gave them back with a pair of three-putts, slapping his knee at the miscues.

“Just need to limit the mistakes tomorrow,” he said.

Johnson built a two-shot lead early on the back nine, only to give it back with a double bogey on the 13th hole with a 7-iron into the bunker and three putts. It was his only bad swing of the day. Johnson hit all 14 fairways.

Louis Oosthuizen, meanwhile, set himself up for a shot at U.S. Open history. No one since World War II has ever shot 77 in the first round of the U.S. Open and gone on to win. Oosthuizen was part of that horror show with Tiger Woods (80) and Rickie Fowler (81) in the opening round. He figured he would be watching the weekend at his home in Florida. Instead, he shot 66 to make the cut, and the South African shot another 66 on Saturday and was at 1-under 209.

Oosthuizen was joined by Cameron Smith of Australia (69), Shane Lowry of Ireland (70) and J.B. Holmes (71). No one else was under par, through 14 players were separated by five shots going into Sunday.

Canada’s Brad Fritsch shot a 2-over 72. The Ottawa native is currently tied for 38th at 6-over 216.

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — Masters champion Jordan Spieth is halfway home from the second leg of the Grand Slam.

It sure feels a lot farther away in this U.S. Open.

Spieth overcame a double bogey on the par-4 18th hole that he called “the dumbest hole” he has played, and a scary moment when Jason Day collapsed to the ground Friday on their final hole at the par-3 ninth from what was later diagnosed as vertigo. Spieth managed to make his birdie for a 3-under 67, giving him a share of the lead with Ryder Cup partner Patrick Reed going into what figures to be a long weekend.

The competition is plenty fierce. The real challenge might be Chambers Bay, from the wobbly roll on the greens to how the USGA presents its toughest test.

Henrik Stenson said it was like putting on broccoli. Reed was so furious after his closing bogey – he made only two pars over the final 12 holes – that he called it “Mickey Mouse golf” on the 18th green.

“But we’re in a good position,” Reed said after a 69, “and we hopefully can have a good weekend and have a chance to win.”

Spieth and Reed were at 5-under 135, one shot ahead of Branden Grace of South Africa (67) and Dustin Johnson, who had the lead for most of the afternoon until he closed with three bogeys on his last five holes for a 71.

Tiger Woods won’t be around to watch it unfold. He shot 76 and posted the highest 36-hole score (156) of his pro career.

Spieth can lean on his experience as a Masters champion, but this major is nothing like Augusta National. For starters, he had a five-shot lead going into the weekend at the Masters. And he is on a golf course where the greens are getting plenty of attention for being bumpy and difficult to make putts.

“It’s playing different,” Spieth said. “And I’m in a very different position. I’m not going to have a five-shot lead. So given it’s a U.S. Open, I imagine they’re going to try to bring us back to par. … So I’ll draw some on Augusta, but at the same time, my patience level has to be even that much higher.”

Day was two shots out of the lead when the Australian crashed to the ground as he headed to the green. Spieth rushed to his side, shooing away photographers as Day sprawled on the ground. Helped to his feet, Day managed to finish the hole with a bogey and a 70 and still was three behind. He was treated at the course, and his agent said he was resting comfortably and hoped to play on Saturday.

Sixteen players remained under par. Spieth is the only one with experience winning a major.

And it’s clear he’s not just satisfied with one.

Not since Woods in 2002 has anyone won the Masters and U.S. Open in the same year. Spieth still has a long way to go, and he realizes it will only get harder on a course that already is perplexing – and to some, aggravating.

Reed has heard about the adage that par is always a good score at the U.S. Open. He opted for three birdies, an eagle and five bogeys over the final three hours, at times going from the lead to trailing but always in the mix. He looked as if he would take the 36-hole lead into the weekend when his tee shot on No. 18 stopped just short of a bunker, and his 7-iron found the middle of the green. The pin was in a valley, however, and from 50 feet away, Reed could get no closer than 20 feet. He three-putted for bogey.

“I hit the ball in the middle of the green on 18 and have no chance to putt a normal putt and stop near the hole, and have to play Mickey Mouse golf to try to make par,” Reed said. “Unfortunately, a bad way to end the day.”

Reed knows what to expect from Spieth – they were 2-0-1 in their partnership as rookies in the Ryder Cup. He’s not worried about anything but Chambers Bay.

“That’s how it is at every U.S. Open,” he said. “It seems like until 72nd hole is done, it’s anybody’s game.”

Tony Finau, the powerful PGA Tour rookie making his major championship debut, let it rip on his way to a 68. He was in the group at 3-under 137 that included Joost Luiten of The Netherlands (69), Daniel Summerhays (67) and Ben Martin (70).

Rory McIlroy, the world’s No. 1 player, four-putted on No. 17 and closed with a bogey for another 72 that put him nine shots behind. Phil Mickelson shot a 74 and said he struggled with the surface area around the holes. He was eight shots behind.

Woods, again, was never in the picture – not the tournament, not on television. Fox rarely showed him, except for a few shots, including the opening hole when Woods was so far left up a dune that he slipped and fell while trying to size up the shot. He missed the cut for the second time in the last three majors.

“Obviously, I need to get a little better for the British Open, and I’ll keep working at it,” Woods said.

The 18th hole was a par 5 on Thursday, and a par 4 on Friday with the tees moved forward. Spieth wasn’t sure where to go, found a bunker and caught the lip trying to get out. “This is the dumbest hole I’ve ever played in my life,” he said after climbing out of the bunker on his way to double bogey.

His caddie, Michael Greller, helped to calm him down.

“I was really frustrated walking off the tee box, and Michael did a great job coming in and telling me, `Sit back, you’re still very much in this tournament, don’t let this get to you,'” Spieth said.

That might be good advice for the next 36 holes.

Canadian Brad Fritsch will be around for the weekend after a second round 74, while David Hearn missed the cut after posting a round of 75 today.

UNIVERSITY PLACE, Wash. — So much for Chambers Bay being the star of this U.S. Open. Thursday turned into another horror show for Tiger Woods.

Henrik Stenson and Dustin Johnson set the tone on the wild terrain of Chambers Bay, which made a relatively gentle debut. Both shot 5-under 65 and shared the lead.

And then came Woods.

He made bogey after bogey, from the bunkers and tall grass, until he ended this not-for-prime-time performance by topping a 3-wood from the 18th fairway that bounced over one bunker and disappeared into another. He wound up with an 80, his worst ever at the U.S. Open.

“I fought. I fought hard. And that was my number,” Woods said.

It was the third time this year he has shot in the 80s, only this time he had some company. Rickie Fowler played alongside him and shot 81.

Their scores were not a reflection of the conditions at Chambers Bay, the 8-year-old course on the edge of Puget Sound that was a mystery to so many players going into this U.S. Open unlike any other.

Johnson was flawless and powerful. His only mistake came on his final hole when he pulled a 6-iron on the par-3 ninth over the green and made his only bogey. Stenson, among the cynical of Chambers Bay when he first saw it, birdied four of his last five holes. He poured in a 25-footer on the 18th for his 65.

They had a one-shot lead over Patrick Reed.

Just over two dozen players managed to break par in the U.S. Open, the major where anything around par is considered a hard day of work. Masters champion Jordan Spieth was among those at 68. Phil Mickelson, going for the one major keeping him from a career Grand Slam, started strong and settled for a 69.

Rory McIlroy had a rough day. He was frustrated with the bumpy greens and shot 72.

Several tees were moved forward. Several pins were in spots where the slopes could be used to get the ball close. Complaints – except for the greens – were at minimum.

“My guess was there would be 20 to 30 guys under par after today, and by the end there will be barely any,” Geoff Ogilvy said after his 69. “With a course like this, I would have thought that would be a sensible strategy to keep us all happy on Thursday and then gradually wear us down.”

Woods wasn’t happy, though he managed a few laughs.

“The bright side is at least I kicked Rickie’s butt today,” he said.

Woods said he was on the right path with his new swing, but it was taking time and he was trying his hardest. That’s the message he gave at Memorial after his 85, yet his struggles were never more exposed than at the toughest test in golf, a major he had won three times.

From the side of a hill in deep, yellow grass, he hit one shot in which the club came out of his hand and landed some 15 feet behind him. That would have been an image that defined this day at Chambers Bay – until he got to No. 18 and hit a shot with which millions of hackers could identify.

Leave it to Woods to steal the show at the U.S. Open, even if he wanted to hide.

Chambers Bay showed off some of its nuances. Camilo Villegas took four shots to get out of a bunker on No. 12 that ruined his birdie-birdie start. Jason Day was motoring along toward the leaders until a stiff breeze showed up off Puget Sound and left his tee shot on the par-3 15th hole some 15 yards short of the green, buried in the sand just beyond a mound of tall fescue. Day still managed a 68.

“It’s only going to get tougher and tougher as the week goes on and everyone knows that,” Day said. “It’s all about the attitude. You have to have a good attitude in U.S. Opens. It’s easy to play yourself out of the tournament real quick here.”

The first time Stenson saw Chambers Bay, he walked the course without playing it. The Swede did just fine with clubs in his hand.

“One day out of four done, and we’re right there with where we want to be,” Stenson said. “It’s still a long journey until Sunday afternoon.”

Johnson lost a chance to win the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach five years ago with an 82 in the final round. He missed out on a playoff at the PGA Championship that same year by grounding his club without realizing he was in a bunker at Whistling Straits. And his challenge at the British Open in 2011 was derailed by a 2-iron that went out-of-bounds on the 14th hole.

But coming off a six-month break to get his life in order, Johnson is as imposing as ever. He already has won a World Golf Championship this year. And he likes the look of a big course where he can smash his way around it – and hitting it straight always helps.

“I really felt like I swung it well and hit a lot of quality iron shots,” Johnson said. “So the confidence is definitely there. I feel really good about where I’m at going into tomorrow.”

Two Canadians are in the field, Brad Fritsch fired an even par round to place him in a tie for 26, while David Hearn shot a 2-over par 72.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Fabian Gomez of Argentina won his first PGA Tour title Sunday at the St. Jude Classic, beating England’s Greg Owen by four strokes.

Gomez, 36, started the round tied with Owen atop the leaderboard at 9 under with 23 players within four strokes. Gomez shot 4-under 66 for a 267 total for the win. He carded a five birdie-one bogey round for his first PGA title in his 70th start in a season already featuring three top 25s.

Taking home the winner’s check of $1.08 million is a nice turnaround for Gomez who had to earn back his tour card through the Web.com Tour last year. When he rolled in a 30-footer for birdie on No. 18 for the final margin, Gomez celebrated by holding up his putter and pumping his right fist.

Owen finished with a 70 for the round.

Phil Mickelson remains winless since the 2013 as he tied for third (65-272). He finished with a flourish, rolling in a 25-footer for birdie that nearly lipped out on No. 18. Mickelson finished tied with Seung-Yul Noh (65), Michael Thompson (66), Matt Jones (68) and Brooks Kopeka (70).

Boo Weekley (65), Billy Horschel (65), Russell Knox (66) and Chad Campbell (68) all tied for seventh at 273.

Mickelson used this event at TPC Southwind, sponsored by FedEx, to tune up his game for the U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in Washington. He carded eight birdies Sunday with three bogeys and says he got the confidence boost he wanted.

“I’m feeling a lot better about heading into the U.S. Open after this week than I did after last,” Mickelson said.

This event belonged to Gomez who honed his game with tips from his mentor Jose Coceres along with many rounds with Angel Cabrera. He already had won twice on the PGA Tour Latinoamerica in Buenos Aires in 2013 and 2014. The last time he had a piece of the 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, he tied Jordan Spieth for second at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open.

Starting with the lead this time, Gomez fell a stroke back of Owen with his lone bogey of the day on No. 5 and was two strokes behind before Gomez birdied the par 3 No. 8. He tied Owen at 10 under when the Englishman bogeyed No. 9.

Gomez took the lead for good at 11 under when he stuck a shot within 8 feet on the par-3 11th with the island green. He clinched his victory on the par-5 16th with his fourth birdie despite hitting into the greenside bunker. Gomez blasted out to within 2 feet for the tap-in birdie and a three-stroke lead.

Jones was only two strokes behind Gomez after a birdie on No. 13, but the Australian couldn’t roll in a birdie putt from 10 feet on the par-3 14th and then had a bogey on No. 15 after hitting into the rough twice.

That left Owen with the only chance to run down Gomez.

The veteran playing his 214th PGA event just missed rolling in a 30-footer for birdie on 13, and he couldn’t get up and down from a greenside bunker on No. 14 after hitting 12 feet past the hole. Owen rolled his par attempt just right of the hole for third bogey, giving Gomez a three-stroke lead with four holes to play. Owen birdied No. 15, but it wasn’t enough.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., completed his final round with a 70 to finish tied-45.

DIVOTS: The last player from Argentina to win on tour was Cabrera at the 2014 Greenbrier Classic. … This is the second straight year a leader has held on for the win on Sunday. Ben Crane won last year to protect his lead, but Brian Gay in 2009 was the only other third-round leader in the past decade to finish with the win.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – England’s Greg Owen has never had a piece of a 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour. Now he hopes he can stay relaxed with the great short game that has him in position to win his first title in his 214th tour event.

And winning would mean so much more than simply having a title on every tour Owen’s ever played.

“Just a huge, huge relief that what you’ve been striving for your whole life you can say you’ve achieved,” Owen said Saturday.

Owen and Fabian Gomez of Argentina each shot a 3-under-par 67 to share a one-stroke lead after 54 holes at the St. Jude Classic, tied at 9-under 201 total.

Swirling wind and tough pins kept everyone guessing on a hectic day at TPC Southwind, where as many as six players had a piece of the lead.

Both Owen and Gomez putted well on the firm greens despite hitting only 11 of 18 greens. Owen needed 26 putts in making four birdies and one bogey, while Gomez had 24 putts despite three bogeys. He had six birdies.

“I’m reading them well, and my pace is good and I feel good with the putter,” Owen said. “I’ve been working hard.”

Gomez credited hitting his driver well and finding fairways with leaving him plenty of short putts.

“I’ve been working since the beginning of the year,” Gomez said through a translator. “You know when you make some putts, the confidence gets higher and the game is easier.”

Brooks Koepka had at least a piece of the lead through the first two rounds and got to 10 under. He finished with a 71 and was tied with Scott Brown (68) for second at 202.

“It was swirling, swirling so much we couldn’t even figure out a wind direction,” Koepka said. “We knew it was coming from the south. Downwind, threw grass up, hit you in the face two seconds later. You never really knew where the wind was.”

Matt Jones (68) and Austin Cook (72) were tied at 204, and David Toms (69) and Camilo Villegas (66) were tied with six others at 205. Phil Mickelson (69) was in a group tied at 207.

Owen, 43, who lives in Florida, has struggled this season, missing five of 12 cuts on tour. His best career finish is second at the 2006 Arnold Palmer Invitational, but his best result this season is a tie for 22nd last November at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He knows this might be his best, last chance at a PGA title.

“I’m in a position where this year my career is probably on the down spiral a little bit,” Owen said. “It’s very upsetting to say that. There’s a lot of young kids coming through. You got to be game. It’s a different game from when I started.”

His lone bogey came at No. 10, and Owen, who shared the 18-hole lead with Koepka and Ryan Palmer, moved atop the leaderboard with Gomez when he birdied the par-3 No. 14 from 11 feet. He also finished with a birdie on No. 18 after hitting his approach to 5 feet.

Gomez, 36, is from the same town in Argentina as Jose Coceres, whom he counts as a mentor. He also has played many rounds with Angel Cabrera the past few years. Gomez tied Jordan Spieth for second at the 2013 Puerto Rico Open, where he had a piece of the 54-hole lead.

“Obviously for me to win on the PGA Tour is like a dream come true, and tomorrow is going to be a really exciting day,” Gomez said. “And you know it’s a day that you don’t have to think too much about the situation and try to play the same way that you played the last few days.”

Gomez birdied four of five holes through No. 6 to grab a piece of the lead at 9 under, and he stayed atop the leaderboard for seven holes. He bogeyed No. 11 after hitting into a back bunker on the par-3 island green, and bogeyed No. 13. He birdied Nos. 15 and 16, getting back to 9 under.

Canadian David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., is tied for 47th after shooting a 1-over 71. He is even for the tournament.

DIVOTS: Seven of the last nine champions at this event, sponsored by FedEx, have come from behind to win. … Cook, a 24-year-old Arkansas native playing just his fourth PGA event, had a share of the lead at 8 under through 13 holes. But he hit his tee shot into the water on the par-3 14th. … Steven Alker of New Zealand also had the lead at 9 under when he eagled the par-5 No. 3, holing out from 17 yards from the rough just off the front of the green. But he shot a 74 and was at 207.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Brooks Koepka is tuning up quite nicely for the U.S. Open at the event he added at the deadline.

Koepka, who had a share of the lead after the first round, shot a 3-under 67 Friday to lead the St. Jude Classic by a stroke after 36 holes. He turned in a four birdie-one bogey round for a 9-under 131.

“Playing solid golf, no mistakes, being very patient, waiting for my opportunities to come,” Koepka said. “And when they have come, I’ve kind of taken advantage of them, but I still feel like I could be about 5, 6 under par … Really haven’t been firing on all cylinders, but good enough to be at the top.”

Austin Cook (64) was at 132. The Arkansas native is playing his tour event after getting a sponsor’s exemption.

“There’s a lot of people here, and I’m sure lot more buying tickets right now to come tomorrow,” Cook said after matching the best round.

TPC Southwind played firmer with temperatures in the 90s drying out the course, and that has greens playing faster along with some tricky pin placements Friday.

Koepka hit 14 of 18 greens for a second straight round and needed 28 putts Friday. The Floridian who won his first career title in February in Phoenix likes his chances going into the weekend as he tries to join Rory McIlroy, Jordan Spieth and Jimmy Walker as multiple winners on tour this season.

“I haven’t blitzed the golf course yet,” Koepka said. “You can shoot 8, 9 under in a round out here. I feel like the greens are so good, you put the ball in the fairway you really take it 8, 9 under. Being in the lead is nice, but would have liked to have been a few more under par.”

Steve Alker briefly had the lead at 10 under with two holes to play only to finish bogey-double bogey. He had a 68-133 total and needed only 23 putts Friday as he got to 10 under with his sixth birdie of the round.

Alker said he picked the wrong club on the par-3 No. 8 where his tee shot landed short of the green leading to his second bogey of the round. Then he put his first three shots on No. 9 – his 18th hole – in the rough leading to double bogey.

The New Zealand native who now lives in Arizona said he wasn’t aware he was the first to 10 under at TPC Southwind.

“It’s a good thing it’s not Sunday and finish two behind that would be bad,” Alker said. “You have to look at the positives and say, `I’ve got two days left.’ I’ve been swinging it pretty good and still learning the putter, so there’s a lot of good things going on.”

Chris Smith (67), Russell Knox (64) and Greg Owen (70) were among seven tied at 134. Ryan Palmer (71) shared the first-round lead with Koepka and Owen and was tied with three others at 135.

At one point Friday, as many as five were tied atop the leaderboard with eight having a piece of the lead at some point.

Koepka was tied with four others when he teed off in the afternoon and promptly birdied his opening hole to take the lead to himself. Koepka, who played at Florida State and joined the PGA Tour last year, took the lead back with consecutive birdies on Nos. 15 and 16.

He called his birdie on the par-5 16th a bit embarrassing after his attempted chip for eagle missed by 3 feet.

Phil Mickelson was tied with seven others at 137 after a 69. He spent some time on the range before his afternoon tee time, which helped him hit better shots both off the tee and with his irons. Mickelson said pin placements kept him from attacking the greens, but he agrees that this course can give up even a 7-under round to anyone making birdies.

“The swing is starting to feel a lot better,” Mickelson said. “I feel a lot more confident on where the ball is going to go, and so hopefully I’ll be able to put it together tomorrow and have a good round and get in contention.”

Divots: Steven Bowditch and Retief Goosen were among those missing the cut at 1 over with 76 playing the weekend. … David Hearn had his hole-in-one on tour on No. 4 with a 6-iron from 185 yards and shot 68 to make the cut, and Hudson Swafford had an ace on No. 14 with a 9-iron from 169 yards. Hearn said this was his eighth overall and first since holing out on No. 8 here in a practice round with the same club. … Kevin Chappell tied the course record with a 29 on the back nine with six birdies. He finished with a 64-135.

Other Canadians in the field to miss the cut include Corey Conners (72), Mike Weir (75) and Roger Sloan (79).

If you need to know anything about Graham DeLaet and his generosity, look no further than one of his latest tweets.

DeLaet was in Chicago looking to attend game three of the Stanley Cup final with a friend of his from Saskatchewan. His friend couldn’t make it because of flight times, so while DeLaet was picking up his ticket, he saw a stranger with a sign saying, “I need 1 ticket. Get Stanley Cup finals off my bucket list.”

DeLaet invited “Lars” – the gentleman’s name, according to Twitter – to enjoy the game with him. Free of charge.

Stanley Cup Finals with my new bud Lars! Here we go! pic.twitter.com/cVCjgIyNkU

— Graham DeLaet (@GrahamDeLaet) June 8, 2015

“I was able to make a guy’s year,” DeLaet said. “He wanted to pay me for the ticket, I said ‘No,’ he could just come as my buddy for the night.”

That kind-hearted nature makes it no surprise the native of Weyburn, Sask. was announced Tuesday as an ambassador for Golf Canada’s successful Golf in Schools program.

The top-ranked Canadian in the Official World Golf Ranking, DeLaet will appear in Golf in Schools promotional materials, and, as part of his relationship with the program, he will raise money through the foundation he and his wife started – the Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation – to adopt schools into the program in communities across the country.

“It’s something that makes total sense for Ruby and I,” he explained. “It’s not even about getting more players to the PGA Tour, it’s about getting the participation numbers up. I never had the opportunity to pick up a golf club in school, so I think that’s pretty cool.”

Launched in 2009, the program is conducted by Golf Canada in concert with the PGA of Canada and the provincial golf associations. Physical Health and Education Canada also endorses it.

“From our standpoint it’s a fantastic addition to what is already perceived as a great program,” said Golf Canada Chief Sport Officer Jeff Thompson. “Having someone like Graham on board, who is a hero in our sport, will do a lot to inspire children to pick up a golf club and get engaged in the game.”

The program is in more than 2,700 schools across Canada, and approximately 306,000 students are participating.

For DeLaet, he explained it was his parents who introduced him to golf at age three. He was inspired by athletes as well, and is excited to help give youngsters a comparable opportunity.

“If I was a kid and we were playing hockey in school and an NHLer came in, we’d ramp it up a little bit,” he explained. “Being around it (the program) rather than just putting my and Ruby’s name on it was important to us.”

The Graham and Ruby DeLaet Foundation began in September 2014. Focused on improving health and wellness of children, and supporting the development of junior golfers, DeLaet said giving back was just common sense.

The foundation that now bares his name is an extension of his and Ruby’s previous charitable efforts. Those efforts raised money for both Golf Saskatchewan and the Weyburn & District Hospital Foundation. In 2014, DeLaet hosted the inaugural ‘Graham Slam’ which raised approximately $380,000 towards the creation of the new Children’s Hospital of Saskatchewan.

“I look at where I am in life and I wouldn’t be here without golf and all the people who helped me along the way,” he stated.

Despite DeLaet not having his best season on the course – he admitted 2014-15 has been “injury-riddled” and he’s been frustrated his body – he’s gained some confidence over the last three weeks, and will take the next two weeks off before a busy stretch of golf this summer.

Off the course, DeLaet continues to show his charitable side, no matter if it’s at the Stanley Cup finals or with young golfers across the country.

So why did he think giving back to Golf in Schools was important? Because golf is, according to the 33-year-old, “the greatest game in the world.”

“It teaches kids so many good values – honesty, integrity (and) sportsmanship,” he continued. “The more kids we can get playing golf, the better.”

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Ryan Palmer, Brooks Koepka and Greg Owen each shot 6-under 64 Thursday for a three-way tie atop the leaderboard after the opening round of the St. Jude Classic.

Palmer, a three-time PGA Tour winner, turned in a bogey-free round with six birdies in the afternoon to join Koepka and Owen atop the leaderboard at TPC Southwind. Koepka, who won in Phoenix earlier this year, matched his low round of 2015 with eight birdies and two bogeys, while Owen shot his best round this year with no bogeys and six birdies.

Scott Brown, Steven Alker, Brian Davis and Richard Sterne each shot 65s. Defending champ Ben Crane tied four others with 66s.

Boo Weekley was tied with six others at 67, and Phil Mickelson was in a group of 11 at 68.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was the low Canadian, tied for 73rd. Hearn shot a 1-over 71, while Calgary’s Roger Sloan and Corey Conners both shot 5-over 75s. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., was 7-over 77.

Palmer had seven holes left after reaching 6 under, but he had to scramble down the stretch and needed to get up and down on his 18th hole, No. 9, to keep a piece of the lead. His last victory came in 2010 at the Sony Open, though he tied for second in Phoenix and tied for sixth at the Texas Open this year.

His key Thursday was his putter. He needed only 24 putts with his closest birdie putt at 6 feet with a couple 20 feet and longer.

“I’ve been trying to get comfortable with the putter,” Palmer said. “I finally found the position I had last year from the British Open through the playoffs when I putted some of my best I felt. And I get on the putting green this morning and found it. The ball position, the width of my stance, where my shoulders and feet were, and it paid off today.”

Koepka has had three Top 20 finishes since his win in February, but he also withdrew from the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March before missing the cut at The Players Championship. Needing to play better before heading to Chambers Bay in Washington for the U.S. Open prompted him to add Memphis to his schedule. He said he was playing good golf but not scoring well enough. He gave himself a nice confidence boost, especially finishing with back-to-back birdies for a share of the lead.

“To me, it’s been expectations,” Koepka said. “My expectations have been a little too high. When you’re able to kind of put it in the center of the greens, give yourself uphill putts, that makes this golf course a lot easier, and being in the fairway helps a lot.”

Owen, an Englishman who now lives in Florida, has played 213 PGA Tour events since turning pro in 2005. He’s back on tour thanks to a Web.com Tour exemption. He topped the 66 that had been his low round this year back in April in New Orleans in the opening round where he wound up tied for 43rd. Owen said his game started coming around at the Byron Nelson where he shot in the 60s his final three rounds and tied for 46th.

“I’m healthy and fit and I’m putting well,” Owen said. “That’s a big bonus for me, confidence with the putt.”

Crane was the only player to get to 7 under as he rolled in seven birdies in nine holes. But he started hitting shots into the rough and wound up with bogeys on three of his final five holes.

“Obviously had it going pretty low there for a while, and all in all, I feel like my game is going in the right direction,” Crane said. “Feel very comfortable on this golf course. I love this place.”

Mickelson was at 4 under after a quick start with four birdies over his first seven holes starting on the back nine. A couple bogeys on the par 3s on the front nine dropped him to 2 under.

“I had a couple of opportunities coming in that would have really made the round a few more shots lower, but they didn’t quite fall,” Mickelson said. “That happens. But I made a bunch on the front. Made some good putts on the front, so it’s going to come down to … you got to get some putts to fall because it’s not a course you can overpower. It’s a course if you hit some poor shots will bite you.”

Divots: Dustin Johnson, the highest-ranked player in this event at No. 7 in the world and the 2012 champ here, withdrew after nine holes. Johnson opened with three bogeys and had six pars. Crane played with Johnson, who told him he wasn’t going to make it on the ninth hole. “Clearly, he wasn’t feeling good,” Crane said.

Two Canadians have emerged from the longest day of golf and have received their tickets to the 115^th U.S. Open at Chambers Bay in University Place, Wash., June 18-21.

Competing in one of the toughest fields at Brookside Golf and Country Club, PGA Tour member David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Manotick Ont., native Brad Fritsch, who plays on the Web.com tour, have earned spots into the U.S. National Open Championship.

Monday was the final chance for nearly 800 players, at 10 sectional qualifying events, to enter the field of competition through though 36-hole qualifiers spanning the country.

In a field loaded with PGA Tour members, Hearn shot a bogey-free total of 11 under to tie for third, one stroke behind co-medalists Michael Putnam and Samuel Saunders. Fritsch tied for seventh on the strength of a final round 67 to finish 8 under.

After claiming the top spot in the sectional event, Putnam will be a favourite heading into the U.S. Open next week as he heads to his home town of University Place, Wash. Putnam lives just over a mile from Chambers Bay, south of Seattle, and has the advantage of playing the course more than anyone.

Another Ontario native just missed out on a spot in the championship. Mackenzie Hughes, a member of Team Canada’s Young Pro Squad, finished his second round with a double-bogey placing him fourth in a field of 50, just shy of the three qualifying spots. The Dundas, Ont., native needed a bogey to qualify for a three-way playoff or a par to gain a spot. Hughes will be an alternate for the 2015 U.S. Open.

Hearn and Fritsch are the only Canadians to book their tickets to University Place.

Canadian results at U.S. Open Qualifying:

Old Oaks CC/Century CC, Purchase, NY

Keven Fortin-Simard, Roberval, Que. *74-75—149: +8

Michael Blair, Ancaster, Ont. *73-79—152: +11

Dan McNeely, Smiths Falls, Ont., *73-81—154: +13

Chang Wan Woo, Markham, Ont. *WD

Brookside G&CC/Lakes G&CC, Columbus, Ohio

David Hearn, Brantford, Ont. *68-65—133: -11

Brad Fritsch, Manotick, Ont. *69-67—136: -8

Brett Nymeyer, Stratford, Ont. *WD

Mike Weir, Brights Grove, Ont. *WD

Drew Nesbitt, Shanty Bay, Ont. *WD

Nick Taylor, Abbotsford, B.C. *WD

Springfield CC, Springfield, Ohio

Cam Burke, New Hamburg, Ont. *71-69—140: Even

Jae Kim, North York, Ont. *74-68—142: +2

Evan DeGrazia, Thunder Bay, Ont. *75-79—154: +14

Germantown CC/Ridgeway CC, Memphis, Tenn.

Corey Conners, Listowel, Ont. *69-70—139: -3

Devin Carrey, Burnaby, B.C. *71-68—139: -3

Austin Connelly, Nova Scotia *69-74—143: +1

Northwood Club, Dallas, Tx.

Ted Brown, Peterborough, Ont. *66-70—136: -4

Tumble Creek Club, Cle Elum, Wash.

Mackenzie Hughes, Dundas, Ont. *70-70—140: Even

Beon Yeong Lee, Montreal *69-75—144: +4

James Lepp, Abbotsford, B.C. *73-74—147: +7

Taylor Pendrith, Richmond Hill, Ont. *72-77—149: +9

Michael Gligic, Burlington, Ont. *78-73—151: +11

Corey Renfrew, Victoria *80-73—153: +13

Mitchell Fox, Okotoks, Alta. *WD

In other qualifiers:

– Luke Donald was back in U.S. Open qualifying for the first time in 11 years. He had a 68 in his second round at The Bear’s Club – his home club in south Florida – to earn one of four spots. He shared medalist honors with Florida State’s Jack Maguire and Andrew Pope. Sam Horsfield, an 18-year-old who plans to attend Florida, won a playoff for the last spot.

– Lee Janzen won the U.S. Open in 1993 at Baltusrol and in 1998 at Olympic Club. After his 10-year exemption expired, he never made it through a qualifier. He was disqualified two years ago for wearing metal spikes at a course that doesn’t allow them. At in the New York sectional, Janzen shot 69-68 to earn one of four spots. The other qualifiers were Jamie Lovemark, Pat Wilson and Rich Berberian Jr.

That sets up Janzen for three straight weeks of majors – a Champions Tour major in Boston this week, the U.S. Open, and the U.S. Senior Open.

– Roberto Castro, who played in all four majors last year, made it through the Georgia qualifier at Hawks Ridge by not making a bogey in rounds of 64-68. But his brother, Franco Castro, missed by one shot and will be an alternate. The other qualifiers from that site were college players Matthew NeSmith and Lee McCoy.

– Power rookie Tony Finau shot 66-67 to earn one of four spots in the secondary Ohio qualifier to earn one of four spots. The others were Michael Davan, Illinois freshman Nick Hardy and Stephan Jaeger.

– Cole Hammer, a sophomore in high school, shot 64-68 at Northwood Club in Dallas to gain one of six spots with two shots to spare. Steve Marino, Rod Pampling and Peter Malnati, all of whom have been full PGA Tour members, missed by one shot. Tour rookie Carlos Ortiz missed by two.

“My main goal was to see how I match up against these people. I just had to keep doing what I was doing,” Hammer said. “This means the world to me.”

– Navy veteran Billy Hurley III earned one of three spots in the Maryland sectional with rounds of 66-72. The other spots went to Denny McCarthy, who reached the semifinals of the U.S. Amateur last year, and Tim O’Neal.

– In the other qualifier filled with PGA Tour players, two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen held on for one of 10 spots in Memphis, Tennessee. Blayne Barber shared medalist honors. Others who made it through included Brian Harman and Andres Romero.

– A trio of Washington Huskies made it out of the Washington qualifier at Tumble Creek Club – Richard Lee and Troy Kelly, both on tour, and Cheng-Tsung Pan, the runner-up at the NCAA championship this year. Pan qualified for the British Open last year in an Asian qualifier.

– Beau Hossler returns to the U.S. Open. He featured on the weekend at Olympic Club in the 2012 U.S. Open when he was 17. He now plays for Texas and earned one of six spots from the California qualifier in Newport Beach.

The most spots (15) were available in Columbus, held the day after the Memorial.

David Lingmerth, who won the Memorial in a playoff over Justin Rose, failed to earn a spot in the U.S. Open. Among those who qualified were Bryson DeChambeau, the NCAA champion from SMU. Also getting through were David Hearn of Canada, Camilo Villegas and Ryo Ishikawa.

D.A. Points, Robert Streb and Danny Lee earned the last three spots after a five-man playoff that finished just before dark.

Thunderstorms were forecast for Ohio, leading to a delay in the afternoon. It also led to plenty of players withdrawing – a total of 28, including nine on Monday.

There is still hope for the alternates from the sectional qualifiers. The U.S. Open field still has eight spots available. Some will be given to whomever is in the top 60 in the world a week from Monday, and the rest will be filled by alternates.

The USGA has not determined the order of the alternates.

DUBLIN, Ohio – David Lingmerth didn’t crack over the final two hours Sunday at the Memorial, outlasting Justin Rose with a par on the third playoff hole at Muirfield Village to win for the first time on the PGA Tour.

Showing great resolve and little emotion, Lingmerth gave a soft fist pump when his putt just inside 5 feet on the 10th green dropped. He earned every bit of that handshake with tournament host Jack Nicklaus.

“I can’t believe it,” the 27-year-old Swede said. “I’m so happy right now I don’t know where to go.”

He’ll be going to the Masters next year for the first time – but not the U.S. Open in two weeks. Lingmerth moves to No. 71 in the world and still has to qualify Monday.

It was the longest playoff in 40 years of the Memorial, and it could have ended much earlier – or been avoided – if not for so many clutch moments.

Rose overcame a shank from a bunker on the 18th hole in regular and hit a 55-yard pitch out of deep rough to 3 feet to save par for an even-par 72 to force the playoff. On the 18th in the playoff, Rose holed a 20-foot par putt that went in from the right side of the cup. That looked as if it might be a winner until Lingmerth calmly sank a 10-foot putt to match his par.

On the 18th on the second extra hole, Lingmerth got up-and-down from a bunker.

It ended on the 10th hole when Rose when into deep rough, hit a fairway metal into the gallery, chipped 18 feet by the hole and missed his par putt. Lingmerth two-putted from 45 feet.

Lingmerth closed with a 69. So strong was his performance that he didn’t make worse than par over his final 11 holes.

Masters champion Jordan Spieth closed with a 65 and wound up two shots behind in a tie for third with Francesco Molinari of Italy, who was tied for the lead until hitting into the water on the 16th for a double bogey. He shot 71.

Tiger Woods showed improvement – it was hard not to after a career-worst 85 on Saturday. He shot 74 and finished last, 29 shots behind, with his worst 72-hole score (302) in his PGA Tour career.

Spieth was nine shots behind going into the final day and could not have imagined having to spend an extra three hours in Ohio. He chipped in twice – for birdie on the par-5 seventh and for eagle on the par-5 15th – and closed with a birdie. He posted at 13-under 275 and stuck around all afternoon to see if it would be enough.

Lingmerth made sure it wasn’t with a solid finish – a short birdie on the 15th to reach 15 under, and pars the rest of the way to reach 15-under 273.

Rose had the wild finish.

He was playing a tough bunker shot on the 14th when a fan yelled in his swing. Rose hit the shot to the fringe and made bogey, and then bounced back with an up-and-down from the bunker for a birdie on the 15th to make it a three-way tie.

That’s where his thrills began.

Rose hammered his first putt on the 16th some 10 feet past the hole and made bogey. He bounced back with a bending 12-foot birdie putt to rejoin Lingmerth in the lead, only to hit his tee shot on the 18th in a bunker. Needing par to force a playoff, he hit a shocker off to the right, into the gallery and off the head of a spectator.

The man was fine. The lie was not.

Buried in deep rough, Rose came out with perfect touch and watched it roll past the cup to 3 feet for a par and a playoff.

Spieth at least was headed to Chambers Bay – after a week at home in Dallas – feeling good about his game.

“Today I gained a lot of momentum going into the U.S. Open no matter what happens,” Spieth said.

In a strange way, so did Woods. It’s far better to have the last round before a U.S. Open be a 74 than an 85. Woods said he felt the swing he has been working on at the range was the one he used much of the final round. He still can’t avoid big numbers, though, such as pair of double bogeys over the last four holes that ruined an otherwise decent round. He still heads to Chambers Bay thinking about another major.

“I did not win, and I wasn’t even close,” Woods said. “So hopefully in two weeks’ time, things will be a lot better and I’ll be ready to try to win a U.S. Open.”

Patrick Rodgers earned special temporary membership with a tie for 40th, meaning he gets unlimited exemptions the rest of the way. But it wasn’t easy. He made bogey on the 15th and triple bogey on the 16th, only to finish birdie-birdie to lock it up.

Graham DeLaet tied for 26th and was the top Canadian. He finished at 5 under 283.