AVONDALE, La. – Seung-Yul Noh became the first player to complete 54 holes at the TPC Louisiana without a bogey and strung together three birdies late in his round Saturday to surge two strokes ahead of Keegan Bradley atop the Zurich Classic leaderboard.

Noh shot a 7-under 65 to reach 18-under 198.

Bradley, who began the day tied for seventh at 9 under, pulled into a tie with Noh for first on No. 15 with his seventh birdie of the day. Then, Noh, who was tied for third at 11 under after two rounds, made birdie putts of 13 feet on 14 and 10 feet on 15 before hitting a 112-yard approach shot to a foot for another birdie, bringing him to 18 under.

Bradley also shot 65.

Robert Streb was third, three shots back after a 68.

Ben Martin, who had a three-shot lead after two rounds, shot a 73 to drop into a tie for fourth with Jeff Overton and Andrew Svoboda at 14 under. Overton shot 67, and Svoboda 70.

Noh, from South Korea, has been playing with yellow and blue ribbons affixed to his cap to honor victims of the fatal ferry accident in the waters off of his home country.

He said he hoped he could play well Sunday to provide Koreans with a dose of good news.

This marks the first time that Noh has led a PGA Tour event through three rounds. This is his third year on the tour, but he finished outside the top 125 on the money list last season, forcing him to play in Web.com Tour Finals events to retain his tour card.

He had never before been higher on the leaderboard than tied for second through three rounds. That happened once at the 2012 AT&T National, but he shot a 2-over 73 in his final round to finish tied fo fourth, his best finish in 77 previous career PGA Tour starts.

Martin had raced to the lead with a course-record 10-under 62 in his first round, and his 36-hole score of 129 also was a course record. Teeing off with the final group, his trouble began on the par-5 second hole. He pushed his second shot to the right toward the crowd. His ball hit a spectator and kicked right into a cluster of long pompass grass, out of which it was virtually impossible to hit.

Martin took a drop and wound up with a bogey.

Two Canadians qualified for weekend action in Louisiana.

Graham DeLaet is at 8-under 208 and is tied for 28th, while David Hearn is tied for 50th at 5-under 211.

AVONDALE, La. – When Ben Martin played junior golf, his father, Jim, would tell him that his demeanor should be the same every time he walked off a green, whether he made birdie or double bogey.

That might explain why Martin seemed so calm when his game briefly unraveled Friday in the middle of the second round of the Zurich Classic, and why he righted himself quickly enough to post the best two-round score ever at TPC Louisiana.

Martin, who shot a course-record 62 on Thursday, shook off his first bogey and double bogey of the tournament to finish with a 67 on Friday, putting him at 15 under – three shots ahead of closest pursuer Andrew Svoboda.

If the 26-year-old Martin can continue to show that type of composure, he might capture his first PGA Tour victory.

“That’s my personality in general. Sometimes my wife gets mad at me because I don’t get excited about anything,” Martin said. “And then I don’t get down too much, either. That’s golf. You can’t expect to shoot 62 every day.”

Svoboda followed his opening 64 with a 68.

Robert Streb (66) and Sueng-Yul Noh (68) were tied for third at 11 under. Erik Compton also shot a 68 and was at 10 under, a score that keeps the two-time heart transplant recipient in contention for his maiden PGA Tour triumph. Tied with Compton for fifth was Peter Hanson, who shot 69, four shots off the pace of his strong opening round.

Keegan Bradley (66), Jeff Overton (68) and Charley Hoffman (67) were 9 under.

The tournament record score at TPC Louisiana- which is hosting New Orleans’ PGA Tour event for the ninth time – is 20 under, set last year by Billy Horschel.

For a while, it looked as if Martin might match that in the second round. Starting the day on the 10th hole, Martin hit an 8-iron 160 yards to a foot to set up his first birdie. On the par-5 11th, he used a 54-degree sand wedge to chip in from nearly 58 feet, one day after he chipped in with the same club from 55 feet on 17. He then sank a 7-foot putt for birdie on 13.

Martin said his hot start was cooled off, almost poetically, by the sound of ice being poured into a cooler in one of the VIP suites overlooking the par-3 17th hole. It forced him to back away from a putt attempt, and he wound up three-putting.

Then he proceeded to hit his drive into water to the right of the 18th fairway, and three-putted for a double bogey.

Yet, as he walked off the green, he smiled slightly and proceeded calmly and purposefully to the first tee, where he made the first of four birdies on his second nine.

That’s the kind of composure Martin’s wife, Kelly, has come to know well.

“When he comes off the course, you wouldn’t know if he shot 10 under or 10 over,” she said.

Svoboda, who will tee off with the final group for the first time in a PGA Tour event, continued to be pleased with his putting, which he credited in part to a new putter with a shaft bent to 71 degrees and grooves on the face.

“I’m hitting the ball great and I’m putting really well,” said Svoboda, whose highlights included a 40-yard bunker shot to set up a 12-foot birdie putt on the par-5 second hole.

He didn’t have a single bogey in the tournament until his final hole of the day, when he three-putted the par-3 ninth.

“I hit a bad second putt there,” he said of his miss from 6 feet. “But I dug pretty hard today. I played really well, so I’m pretty happy.”

Graham DeLeat of Weyburn, Sask., fired a 4-under 68 on Friday and currently sits in a tie for 12th at 7-under par.

AVONDALE, La. – Ben Martin treated a tiny gallery to a course-record round, shooting a 10-under 62 on Thursday in the first round of the Zurich Classic.

Martin’s 10th birdie was his most spectacular shot in a round full of them as he chipped in from 55 feet on the par-3 17th hole. That came a hole after the 26-year-old former Clemson player he hit the flag on a chip from behind the green, setting up a tap-in par.

The previous record at TPC Louisiana was a 64, accomplished many times, including once earlier Thursday, when Andrew Svoboda did it to take a lead that held up until Martin surged past late in the day.

Peter Hanson and Sueng-Yul Noh were tied for third at 65.

Martin matched his career best Sunday with a third-place tie in the RBC Heritage at Hilton Head, S.C. He also finished third last month in the Puerto Rico Open.

Martin opened with a 10-foot birdie putt, the first of six birdies on the front nine, most set up by approach shots within 10 feet. One exception was his 26-foot birdie putt on No. 5. He opened the back nine with a 14-foot birdie putt, made a 10-footer on 11 and a 20-footer on 13.

Svoboda birdied six of his last nine holes.

Like Martin, the 34-year-old Svoboda has never won on the PGA Tour and appreciates how much can change in the next three rounds. At the same time, New Orleans has seen its share of maiden tour triumphs. It has happened in six of the past nine years, and 10 of the past 16.

“I’ll take that stat,” Svoboda said.

Svoboda’s best career finish on the PGA Tour is a tie for 15th at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open in Las Vegas last October.

Hanson’s round was highlighted by an eagle on the par 4 sixth hole. After a 277-yard drive to the middle of the fairway, Hanson knocked in his second shot with a 6-iron from 183 yards.

Hanson noted that he used the same club for a hole-in-one during a practice round at Lake Nona in Orlando, Fla., last weekend.

“So it’s holed out twice in the last five days,” Hanson said.

Hanson, who missed the cut at the Masters, said the key to his strong start in New Orleans was probably putting away his clubs for four days after returning from Augusta and trying to relax more.

“We want to do this so exact and be so precise,” Hanson said. “I over-read putts and overanalyze the shots, trying to figure this game out. I think sometimes you have to let the score come to you instead of you going after it.”

Erik Compton, Chad Collins and Michael Thompson were tied for fifth at 66, and Jeff Overton, Stuart Appleby and Robert Streb followed at 67.

Compton, a two-time heart transplant recipient, spent the early part of the week talking to children with heart conditions at a New Orleans-area hospital and also participated in a junior golf clinic. Although that limited his practice time, he thought it put him in a good frame of mind.

“It seems to really relax me and really puts things in perspective,” Compton said. “I seem to play better during the weeks where I have hospital visits.”

On the par-5 seventh, his 297-yard drive sailed right of the fairway, crossing a cart path. He then belted a 227-yard shot out of the rough to the foot of the green and two-putted for birdie. On eight, he cringed disgustedly as he left a 1-foot birdie putt on the lip of the hole, but responded by closing his round with a 22-foot birdie putt on nine to briefly put him atop the leaderboard.

“This is a course that I feel very comfortable on,” said Compton, also winless on the PGA Tour. “You have to hit a lot of long iron shots and drive it well here, and those are some of the strengths of my game.”

Graham DeLaet is leading the Canadian charge. The Weyburn, Sask. native is tied for 20th at 3-under par.

David Hearn opened with a 1-under 71 and sits tied for 54th.

Mike Weir, Stephen Ames and Brad Fritsch were 2-over on the day after all firing 74s to sit among a group tied for 114th.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – RBC Heritage tournament director Steve Wilmot doesn’t want to return to the dark, sponsor-less days of just a few years ago when his longtime PGA Tour stop didn’t know if it would make it through to the next year. So everyone connected with the event is making sure that won’t happen.

New construction on a $20 million clubhouse at Harbour Town Golf Links started shortly after Matt Kuchar’s chip-in on the 72nd hole lifted him to victory Sunday. PGA Tour commissioner Tim Finchem was there early in the week to participate in discussions with lead sponsors Royal Bank of Canada and Boeing to extend backing past the five-year deal that ends in 2016.

There are new parking strategies ahead to help beautify the island that were tested this past week when rain swamped many of the grassy, field areas where spectators and volunteers have parked practically since the tournament began in 1969.

And there’s a new luxury hotel ahead for the grounds to help increase the number of clients and officials sponsors might entertain during tournament week.

“Sea Pines is making a commitment and obviously the Tour has to be in,” Wilmot said. “And then then sponsors. But it’s better than when it was a `no.'”

That came before the 2010 tournament when longtime event sponsor Verizon announced it was ending its ties to the tournament. A search for sponsorship went beyond the 2011 event when the Heritage Classic Foundation had to spend some $4 million in reserve funds along with about $1 million in local government help keep things going that year.

In June of 2011, the tour, state and federal leaders and Wilmot’s organization announced the deal that brought in RBC, which has long sponsored golf, and Boeing, which had recently opened a major manufacturing facility about two hours north of the course.

Things have gone well the past three years. But the island facility knew it faced challenges to keep pace with some of the larger country clubs and made-for-TV golf facilities that host PGA Tour events.

The new clubhouse, which has been there since the tournament began 45 years ago, will increase from 11,000 square feet to 18,000 square feet and have room for 150 full-size lockers. There will also be an art gallery to display oil portraits of RBC Heritage champions through the years, a new restaurant and expanded pro shop among other amenities.

It’s expected to be complete in time for next year’s tournament.

The clubhouse is part of some $50 million in upgrades around the resort for year-round visitors, residents and tournament attendees.

A wrinkle in sponsorship talks could be the pending retirement of RBC chief executive officer Gord Nixon next summer, Wilmot said. Nixon has been a fan of golf and Hilton Head since the deal, Wilmot says, and his departure could impact whether the company goes forward past 2016.

“That being said, Boeing’s a big company and they’re not going away,” Wilmot said.

It shouldn’t hurt the tournament’s cause that four of RBC’s golf ambassadors in Jim Furyk, Brandt Snedeker, Graeme McDowell and Kuchar have won this event in the past five times it’s been played. Another RBC-backed golfer, Luke Donald, has finished second or third here in five of the past six tournaments.

The RBC Heritage has the strong support of players, many who enjoy the laid-back atmosphere a few days after the pressure of Augusta National at the Masters. Kuchar said he enjoys spending time with his family here, hitting the beach and riding bikes during down time. “It’s one of the nicest stops we go to,” Kuchar says.

There may be less traffic for cyclists to navigate at future events. Heavy rains forced officials to park fans and others outside the Sea Pines gates and bus them to the course. Wilmot said cars parked on grassy areas did not always go with the secluded, picturesque scenes officials want clients and sponsors to see.

“The rain just made us try it earlier and gave people the chance to see it working,” he said.

Wilmot’s confident a new deal will be done and he and others won’t face another doomsday scenario to keep the event afloat. “We can’t do what we did before,” Wilmot said. “So let’s try and take care of our sponsors and make sure they both feel at home.”

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Matt Kuchar overcame a four-stroke deficit to finally finish on top, when his stunning chip-in on the 18th hole gave him a 64 and a victory at the RBC Heritage on Sunday.

Kuchar was four shots behind Luke Donald at the start but made that up with seven birdies on his first 10 holes. He had a birdie putt of less than eight feet at the par-3 17th, but three-putted for bogey to fall into a tie for first.

Kuchar was in more trouble in a bunker at Harbour Town Golf Links’ closing lighthouse hole. That’s when he blasted out and watched the ball rattle in for birdie. Kuchar punched the air and raised his arms in celebration of what would be his seventh career PGA Tour win.

Donald had two holes to catch Kuchar after the chip but couldn’t do it. He missed a 28-foot birdie putt at the 17th hole, then saw his own try at a chip-in birdie slide past the cup.

Kuchar finished at 11-under 273 to win $1.044 million and his first trophy since the Memorial last June.

Kuchar has spent a month of Sundays in the thick of things, only to come up short. He was two strokes behind winner Steven Bowditch at the Texas Open on March 30, lost a playoff to Matt Jones’ 42-yard chip-in on the first extra hole in Houston the next week, then was tied for the lead at Augusta National last Sunday before four-putting the fourth hole and finishing tied for fifth.

Donald shot 69 to finish at 10 under and earn his fifth top-three finish in his past six appearances at the RBC Heritage.

Ben Martin, who turned pro in 2010, shot 67 to finish tied for third at 9 under with John Huh, who shot 68.

At sixth in the world, Kuchar was the highest-ranked player competing the week after the season’s first major, when most of golf’s biggest names were taking a needed break.

But Kuchar, smiling all the way, hoped to ride the momentum of his near misses.

Sunday finally brought the sunshine the tournament had lacked all week. Players got the bonus of easy, softened greens from three days of moisture.

The birdies were flying from the start, and Kuchar took full advantage.

That Donald was in the chase again here was no surprise. The steady Englishman, once No. 1 in the world, says Harbour Town’s tight fairways and small greens are a perfect layout for a player like him who isn’t the longest hitter on tour.

Donald drove his ball way left out of bounds on the sixth hole for a double bogey and, after climbing back into the hunt with birdies on the seventh and ninth, hooked his drive into the water left on No. 10 for a bogey.

Donald kept charging, though, and drew within a stroke of Kuchar’s lead with consecutive birdies on the 11th and 12th holes. He could get no closer, finishing his round with six pars.

Martin, who had missed seven cuts in his past eight tournaments, reached 10 under with back-to-back birdies on the 13th and 14th holes.

Martin’s run ended when he couldn’t squeeze through some pine trees after driving into the rough at the par-5 15th. His ball struck a tree and scooted into more trouble across the fairway. He took bogey to drop two shots off the lead.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – Luke Donald believes he’s got the right game on the right course – and is ready to make up for so many near-misses at the RBC Heritage.

Donald had an eagle and six birdies to shoot 66 on Saturday and take a two-stroke lead over John Huh after three rounds at Harbour Town Golf Links. The Englishman has done just about everything on Harbour Town the past five times he’s played – except win.

He fell in a playoff to Brandt Snedeker here in 2011, part of a run of four top-3 finishes since at the tricky, Pete Dye design. Now, he’ll carry the lead into the final day and is ready to make it stand up on Sunday.

“If I can go out as relaxed and confident as I was today tomorrow,” he said. “If I can control the trajectory (of shots) as well as I did today, then hopefully I’ll be sitting here as the winner.”

It has been a long time since Donald has been able to say that.

Once the world’s top-ranked golfer, Donald has changed coaches and the transition back to the top has not come as quickly as planned. The last of his five PGA Tour wins came in 2012, his best showing this year was a tie for fourth at the Valspar Championship last month and he was quickly bounced at the Masters after shooting 79-70.

Donald acknowledged he has grown anxious waiting to win again.

“I was the former world No. 1 and was there for a long time and obviously slipped down,” said Donald, currently 29th. “But I haven’t felt my game had gotten that much worse.”

Certainly not at Harbour Town.

Donald’s round got started with a 25-footer for eagle on the par-5 second hold. He added four more on the next six holes. Donald then tied leader Nicholas Thompson with a birdie on the 14th before stretching his lead with a final one by rolling in a 15-foot putt on the par-3 17th.

Donald nearly closed with a flourish when his approach on the closing, lighthouse hole nearly landed in the cup on the fly before bouncing to the edge and settling for par.

Donald’s not the longest hitter on tour and said some layouts are dragons he can’t slay.

“But this one I feel like I can plot my way around with low wedges,” he said. “If you miss greens, you need to be pretty good at the short game. Certainly a course that favors my style of play.”

Huh shot a 68 and was at 6 under.

Major champions Charl Schwartzel (68) and Jim Furyk (71), Nicholas Thompson (68) and Ben Martin (71) were tied for third at 5 under.

Matt Kuchar, ranked sixth in the world, shot 70 as part of a group of five golfers another shot back at 4 under.

Donald’s performance capped a long day at soggy Harbour Town, where 65 golfers had to finish the second round before the third could begin with K.J. Choi, Furyk and Ben Martin tied for the lead.

But by midafternoon, the moisture had softened things and competitors were treated to slick greens easily accepting approach shots.

At times, it looked more like a local club shootout than a PGA Tour stop.

Thompson, whose sister Lexi won her first LPGA Tour major at the Kraft Nabisco Championship earlier this month, got things going with five birdies on the front nine to lead at 7 under. But bogeys at the 16th and 18th holes dropped him back into the group at 208.

Schwartzel, the 2011 Masters champion, was among those with an early start and jumped into the chase with a third-round 68 to move to 5 under. He said the course held up well despite more than 2 1/2 inches of rain that fell here Friday.

Schwartzel has not won on the PGA Tour since his surprising run to the green jacket, when he birdied the final four holes.

“I think if I can continue the ball striking and giving myself chances, I can make a few (birdies) tomorrow and give it a shot,” he said.

Furyk, the 2010 winner at Harbour Town, made birdie on his second hole to take the lead at 6 under. He failed to build on that hot start, but held on to stay in the hunt.

The craziest day might have belonged to Kuchar, the highest-ranked player competing at Harbour Town after the season’s first major. He followed his fifth-place showing at the Masters last week with a strong bogey-free 66 on Thursday to take the lead.

Things went the other way quickly Friday, with Kuchar posting a pair of double bogeys before the rains came and suspended play. Kuchar struggled some more with a bogey on the eighth hole once he restarted Saturday. Then he made four birdies on his back nine to climb back in it.

Kuchar has finished fifth or better in his past three events and has a chance to do it again at Harbour Town.

“To be playing some good golf and be in contention is fun,” he said. “I’m excited to have my fourth shot at trying to take a title.”

Canadians Mike Weir (73-74–147) , David Hearn (75-72–147) and Stephen Ames (73-84–157) all missed the cut.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – K.J. Choi’s early tee time and quick start moved him to the top of the rain-delayed RBC Heritage on Friday.

Choi shot a 67 to get to 5-under 137, one stroke ahead of Robert Allenby and two in front of a group led by former world No. 1 Luke Donald as the second round was suspended because of heavy storms.

Allenby was among 65 players still on the course when the rain hit Harbour Town Golf Links. Officials delayed the round shortly before 3 p.m. and then sent everyone home until Saturday morning after waiting through about 90 minutes of steady, heavy rain.

Allenby has 13 holes to finish when play resumes Saturday morning.

Donald shot a 69 and joined Billy Hurley III (69) and first-round tri-leader Scott Langley (73) in the clubhouse two shots behind Choi. Bo Van Pelt and Ben Martin were also at 3 under early in their rounds.

Masters contenders Matt Kuchar and 20-year-old Jordan Spieth faltered after their strong starts at Harbour Town.

Kuchar, who tied for fifth last week at the year’s first major, had a pair of double bogeys on his first six holes before the rains came and stood four shots behind Choi.

Spieth, a Masters rookie who tied for second at Augusta National, had a 74 and was at 1-over 143 – good enough to make the projected cut of 4 over, but well off his opening 69.

Choi was four shots back of first-round leaders Kuchar, Langley and William McGirt at the beginning of the day. Based on his recent play, he didn’t figure to make much of a dent in the cool, drizzly conditions.

But Choi had three birdies on the front nine, including one on the difficult, par-4 eighth hole, to get into contention. He caught Kuchar on No. 16, rolling in a 20-footer for birdie.

Choi’s usual schedule had him return home to South Korea after the Masters to help take care of his three children. However, after hearing for years how Harbour Town might suit his game, he decided to play the South Carolina course.

“If you just hit it beneath the trees, it’s a good course to play,” Choi said. “It has very small targets and this course is working well.”

Kuchar, the world’s sixth-ranked player, probably wished the storm had arrived sooner. His tee shot found water on the par-3 fourth hole for a double bogey. He sent his drive out of bounds on No. 6 to drop two more shots.

Kuchar opened with a steady performance – Thursday’s 66 was his lowest career round at Harbour Town – just a few days after contending in the Masters.

He’ll see if he can find that game once play resumes. His bad start didn’t seem to bother him much. He smiled after hitting his provisional drive on the sixth hole, and then talked about the good time he and his family were having at Hilton Head.

“Chasing my youngest around the beach, so had some fun this morning,” Kuchar said. “It’s going to be lots of games and some movies maybe the next couple of days.”

Allenby jumped into second after birdies on the first and second holes and was glad to get out of the inclement weather.

“It’s not fun when it’s blowing 20 miles an hour every different direction and it’s raining at the same time,” he said. “So it was nice get out of there.”

Donald is coming off a disheartening Masters (he shot 79-70 to miss the cut), but he generally plays well at the RBC Heritage. He’s had four top threes in his past five appearances and, with his 69, broke par for the 17th time in his last 22 rounds here.

“It’s a good course for me and my results have certainly showed that in the last few years,” Donald said.

David Hearn was thru 11 holes of his second round and is sitting on the projected cut line of 4-over.

Mike Weir completed his second round – a 74 -and was at 5-over 147.

Stephen Ames only got four holes in on Friday. He’s sitting at 5-over 147 but has plenty of holes left to get below the cut line.

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. – There were no major letdowns for Masters contenders Matt Kuchar and Jordan Spieth at the RBC Heritage on Thursday.

Kuchar, who tied for fifth at Augusta National, shot a bogey-free 5-under 66 to share the first-round lead with Scott Langley and William McGirt.

The 20-year-old Spieth tied for second behind Bubba Watson last Sunday and continued his strong play with a 69, part of a large group tied for fifth at Harbour Town Golf Links.

Kuchar and Spieth both spent much of Sunday in the pressure cooker that is the Masters’ final round. But neither player allowed any lingering disappointment or fatigue from a grueling week to slow them down here.

“I was anxious to get back out and play another competitive round,” Spieth said. “So today was going to be kind of therapy, in a sense, from last week.”

Langley and McGirt each had five birdies on the front nine to match Kuchar.

Harris English was two shots behind after a 68 before Spieth topped a group of 15 another stroke back. In all, 54 competitors shot par or better despite the gusts of 20 mph that swept through the course much of the round.

Spieth, who tied with fellow Masters rookie Jonas Blixt for second last week, didn’t consider withdrawing at Harbour Town, convinced of the benefits of quickly getting back to work.

It was also a get-to-know-you session for Spieth, who was paired with U.S. Ryder Cup captain Tom Watson and 2012 Ryder Cup captain Davis Love III.

“It was unbelievable just to be playing with them,” Spieth said.

For Kuchar, playing was a no-brainer considering the strong run he’s been on the past month or so.

He tied for fourth at the Texas Open three weeks ago and lost in a playoff at the Houston Open a week later right before the Masters.

And Kuchar understands being focused at the Masters can mean being zoned in at Harbour Town.

“You’re going to see a lot of guys, if they’re not too run down from a major championship, come out and play some pretty good golf the week following.”

Kuchar played with confidence and precision, avoiding the winds when possible and playing to the meatiest parts of the smallish greens.

After starting on the back nine, Kuchar birdied both the par 5 holes on the front side before finishing with a birdie on his final hole, the ninth, to shoot in the 60s for the sixth time in his past 11 rounds here.

“It was some awfully steady golf,” he said.

Langley, with his early birdie run, looked as if he might finish on top alone after a 17-foot birdie putt on the par-3 14th moved him to 6 under. But Langley wound up in the scrub along the 18th green and took bogey to fall into the three-way tie for first.

Langley has missed seven cuts this season, including his past two tournaments. But he felt confident in his game and took motivation from his friend Spieth’s run at a green jacket last week.

“Seeing Jordan do so well, almost win the Masters, inspired me a little bit,” Langley said.

McGirt played in the same group with Langley and matched his partner with five front-nine birdies. He chipped in on the par-3 17th to move up into the tie for first.

“Scott and I were both making birdies left and right,” McGirt said. “It was easy to feed off each other.”

On the Canadian front, Stephen Ames and Mike Weir opened with 2-over-par 73s to share 77th spot, while David Hearn carded a 76.

Proving it’s not just their play on the course, but what they do off the course that makes them good, 10 PGA Tour members gathered in Hilton Head, S.C. to launch #RBCGolf4Kids, a new online challenge designed to raise money and awareness for several children’s charities.

#RBCGolf4Kids invites Team RBC golfers and the public to engage in a fun social media challenge. By sharing a unique player hashtag on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or at www.RBCmakeyourmark.com, fans can help their favourite player win a share of the $300,000 donation from RBC, for his or her charity of choice.

“This friendly competition off the course will require social media prowess in addition to top notch golf skills. You’ve heard of paying it forward, this is Team RBC playing it forward,” said Jane Broderick, chief brand and communications officer, RBC. “With some of the game’s most charitable golfers on our team, we know they are equally as committed as we are to making a difference in the lives of kids.”

Golfers will compete in a series of entertaining weekly challenges – such as sharing their best Throwback Thursday (#TBT) photo or crazy trick shot video – and will challenge each other and fans to do the same. The ultimate winner will be determined by the player whose hashtag is used the most. The challenge launches today, just two days before the RBC Heritage and will wrap up at the RBC Canadian Open, during the week of July 21 at the Royal Golf Club in Montreal.

“I’m proud to be part of this unique program to support Blessings in a Backpack and all of the other incredible organizations that work tirelessly to help children,” enthused Morgan Pressel, LPGA golfer and member of Team RBC. “I’m determined to make a difference and can’t wait to take on my teammates in what promises to be one of the most heated competitions this summer.”

“We’re always delighted to see our sponsors and players engage in new campaigns to raise awareness and funds – like #RBCGolf4Kids – as golf has been intrinsically linked to philanthropy for decades,” said Ty Votaw, EVP & chief global communications officer of the PGA Tour. “The PGA Tour and its tournaments recently surpassed the $2 billion milestone in all-time charitable giving and we’re pleased to continue that legacy with this innovative competition.”

With charities from around the world as potential benefactors, these are the organizations Team RBC is supporting:

AUGUSTA, Ga. – Bubba Watson decided to keep his post-Masters victory more low key this year. Instead of going to New York for a media tour, he headed home to Orlando, Fla., and kept plans for a five-day vacation with his wife.

Bubba being Bubba, there had to be a wrinkle.

Before leaving Tuesday morning for The Greenbrier resort in West Virginia, Watson decided to pay an unannounced visit to the Golf Channel studio and wanted to keep it a surprise.

“True Bubba style,” manager Jens Beck said. “He has a good relationship with all those guys. But even when we left his house this morning, he started to get into his car. I said, `Bubba, we can’t be taking your car if we want this to be a surprise.’ So we all got into my little rental car so they wouldn’t spot us when we pulled up.”

The video shows Watson winding his way down the hallway and into the studio. You can watch it below.

Beck said Watson’s wife and the wife of Golf Channel president Mike McCarley are friends, and not even the top man at the network was aware of the plans.

Watson also did “CBS This Morning” via satellite from his home.

His “media” tour actually began with a selfie. In a move that was sure to thrill is Southern fan base, Watson finished up his obligations Sunday night at Augusta National and then tweeted a picture of his crew having a late-night dinner at The Waffle House.

Champ dinner @WaffleHouse! #hashbrowns #covered pic.twitter.com/rXuaHtXqj5

— bubba watson (@bubbawatson) April 14, 2014

Watson planned to spend the rest of the week in West Virginia, and then Beck said he would try to carve out time to return to the University of Georgia and to his home in the Florida Panhandle to let fans in both spots join the celebration.

He was not sure where Watson was playing next.

Watson had just become a father before he won the Masters in 2012. After playing in New Orleans, he skipped the Wells Fargo Championship and The Players Championship so he could have a full month at home.

FINAL WORD: “Freak show. I can’t describe it any other way.” Ted Scott, the caddie for Masters champion Bubba Watson, asked to give his definition of “Bubba golf.”