INZAI CITY, Japan – Tiger Woods held a three-stroke lead over local favourite Hideki Matsuyama after 11 holes of the fourth round of the Zozo Championship on Sunday.

Woods, who has led from the opening round of the PGA Tour’s first tournament in Japan, carded three birdies against a lone bogey when the fourth round was suspended due to darkness. Combined with the third round he played earlier, Woods played a total of 29 holes on Sunday.

“Today has been a long day in the saddle, so early wake-up call tomorrow and back at it again,” Woods said. “I’m gonna try to win, there is no doubt about that. I have a job to do tomorrow, start off from the 12th hole, it’s not one of the easiest of holes so right out of the gate I’ve got one of the hardest holes on the golf course.”

Woods is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA Tour. If he can hold onto his lead through the remaining seven holes on Monday, he will reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.

Play will start at 7:30 a.m. local time on Monday.

Matsuyama made things interesting when he finished with back-to-back birdies on Nos. 11 and 12. Before that he was five strokes back which would have put him in a difficult position on Monday.

“Three strokes behind right now,” Matsuyama said. “I have a lot of ground to make up tomorrow. I need to play well to even have a chance, but I will give it a shot and do my best.”

Matsuyama started the fourth round at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course three strokes back of Woods after completion of the third round earlier Sunday when Woods shot 4-under 66. In the fourth round, the Japanese star faltered with two bogeys on the front nine but made up for it with his two birdies on his final two holes.

Woods got off to a strong start to the fourth round with a birdie on the first hole.

His only trouble of the day came when his tee shot on the par-4 No. 4 went into the rough. His second shot was a routine chip shot from the side of the green that was short, barely reaching the green. He then two-putted for his only bogey of the fourth round.

Woods came right back with a birdie on the next hole and added another on the sixth.

Torrential rain washed out play on Friday prompting the second round to be moved to Saturday. To make up for the lost day, the players started the fourth round immediately after finishing the third to get in as many holes as possible.

Gary Woodland was tied in third place at 12-under with Sungjae Im, while Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field, was fifth at 11 under with just two holes to play.

Woods last played in an official tournament in Japan in 2006 at the Dunlop Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. He won the Dunlop Phoenix the two previous years.

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INZAI CITY, Japan – Tiger Woods produced a round that would have had the spectators roaring.

Teeing off in front of empty stands, Woods shot a second straight 6-under 64 on Saturday to take a two-stroke lead over Gary Woodland after the second round of the rain-hit Zozo Championship.

“I’m surprised that I was able to score as well as I have, usually that takes a little bit of time,” Woods said. “But this golf course is a little bit on the softer side. I’ve been able to strike my irons pretty well this week so far and that’s been nice.”

Organizers of the PGA Tour’s first tournament in Japan took the unusual step of closing the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club course to spectators for Saturday’s second round over safety concerns.

“Today was just one of those days where we did this at Congressional one year when the derecho (storm) came through there and it was just like a ghost town,” Woods said. “This was a little bit different. When you make a putt and you kind of put your hand up, you’re like, hmm, don’t really need to put your hand up because there’s no one clapping.”

It was in stark contrast to Thursday’s opening round when huge crowds followed the American.

Torrential rain washed out play on Friday causing the second round to be moved to Saturday after the course took on more than eight inches (20 centimetres) of rain. Flooding and mudslides in towns in the surrounding area left at least nine people dead, expanding damage in areas still recovering from recent typhoons.

With the course in remarkably good condition, Woods picked up where he left off after a 64 in Thursday’s opening round with a birdie on the first hole. It was one of seven birdies on the day that gave him a 36-hole total of 12-under 128, two shots ahead of Woodland (66).

Woods took the lead on the par-4 17th when his approach shot landed a foot from the hole and the Masters champion made the easy birdie putt before another birdie on the par-5 18th with darkness setting in. His only bogey came on the par-4 second hole.

Play starts 6:30 a.m. local time Sunday when organizers hope to get in as many holes as possible. The event is set to conclude on Monday in order to complete 72 holes.

Woodland, who shared the lead with Woods after the first round, had five birdies including three straight from the par-3 16th.

“It was a grind all day,” Woodland said. “I didn’t have my best stuff today. Hit some putts early that didn’t go in and fortunately I made three big putts there on 16, 17 and 18, which was awesome.”

Local favourite Hideki Matsuyama and Keegan Bradley were tied for third at 8 under. Bradley shot a 63 that included eight birdies against a lone bogey while Matsuyama had a 67.

Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field, shot a 65 to move into a tie for 21st.

Woods is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA Tour, needing one victory to reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.

Woods last played in an official tournament in Japan in 2006 at the Dunlop Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. He won the Dunlop Phoenix the two previous years.

INZAI CITY, Japan — Tiger Woods couldn’t have scripted a better scenario for the PGA’s first tournament in Japan despite his shaky start.

After a layoff from arthroscopic surgery on his left knee two months ago, Woods shot a 6-under 64 on Thursday to share the first-round lead at the Zozo Championship.

Woods was tied with Gary Woodland, with local favourite Hideki Matsuyama one stroke behind.

Teeing off from the 10th hole, things didn’t start well for Woods who sent his opening shot into the water. That led to the first of three straight bogeys.

“The start I got off to wasn’t very good, I hit bad shot after bad shot … and the next thing you know, things aren’t looking so good,” Woods said.

But the Masters champion quickly found his game at the Accordia Golf Narashino Country Club, with birdies on four of his next six holes to get to 1 under.

“After the start, the ball striking was better, the putting was really good,” Woods said. “I was hitting a lot of good putts, the ball was rolling tight which was nice.”

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is tied for 14th after a 1-under 69. Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is tied for 33rd at 71.

Woods is making his first start in his 23rd season on the PGA Tour, needing one victory to reach 82 wins and tie the career record held by Sam Snead.

Woods last played in an official tournament in Japan in 2006 at the Dunlop Phoenix, where he lost in a playoff to Padraig Harrington. He won the Dunlop Phoenix the two previous years.

As pleased as Woods was with his day, the Japanese fans couldn’t have been happier. The American is hugely popular in Japan and drew the biggest galleries on Thursday.

“The people here in Japan have come out and supported this event,” Woods said. “It’s been a lot of fun to play in front of them again, I haven’t done it in a while. I’ve missed it. They’ve always been fantastic with golf and supported their golf here.”

Woodland had six birdies, including one on the par-5 18th.

“I played well from top to bottom,” Woodland said. “I drove the ball well and anytime I can control the ball on the greens from the fairway, that adds up to a pretty good day.”

Matsuyama led early with four birdies on the front nine, but faltered with a bogey on the final hole.

“I am just one stroke behind the leader so think I am in a good position,” Matsuyama said. “Tomorrow I need to minimize my mistakes.”

The Zozo tournament is part of three tournaments that make up the PGA Tour’s Asia Swing, including the CJ Cup in South Korea won last week by Justin Thomas and the HSBC Champions in Shanghai next week.

Organizers said more than 20,000 fans attended the opening day.

Heavy rain from a storm over the Pacific Ocean is expected on Friday. With weather issues predicted for the second round, the tee times have been moved up an hour but play could still be affected.

Among the other big names, Rory McIlroy (72) struggled with the windy conditions and Thomas had an even-par 70.

Jason Day, who beat Woods in a Skins game on Monday at the same venue, finished with a 73 while Jordan Spieth shot a 74.

INZAI CITY, Japan – Not only did Jason Day win the inaugural “The Challenge: Japan Skins” game on Monday, beating Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy and Hideki Matsuyama, he also won the needling contest.

Turning to Woods after receiving the trophy, Day asked how many similar events Woods had played in.

“Tiger, this is what – your fifth of sixth?”

Before Woods could reply, Day supplied the rejoinder.

“He hasn’t won one yet. I found that out today when he told me.”

Woods and everyone else laughed, which captured the lighthearted day at the Narashino Country Club, where the made-for-TV skins game finished under floodlights on the 17th and 18th holes.

“First time I’ve ever finished under lights, so that was exciting,” Day said, surprised the sun goes down about 5 p.m. in the fall in the Tokyo area.

Day won eight skins and $210,000. Woods had five skins and $60,000 with McIlroy taking four and winning $60,000. Matsuyama won only one skin and $20,000.

Final results from #TheChallengeJapanSkins@JDayGolf: $210K (8 skins)@TigerWoods: $60K (5 skins)@McIlroyRory: $60K (4 skins)
Hideki Matsuyama: $20K (1 skin) pic.twitter.com/hyOHhzZZmV

— Golf Channel (@GolfChannel) October 21, 2019

“I’m disappointed I had only one,” Matsuyama said, speaking through an interpreter and also getting a laugh.

It was Woods’ first event after surgery two months ago, the fifth on his left knee. He’ll get a stiffer test at the Zozo Championship that opens Thursday – the first-ever full PGA Tour event in Japan.

Wood said it was great “just being able to compete again. I haven’t done this in a little bit now.”

By his own assessment, he started very slowly.

“I did not play well at the beginning,” he said. “I hit a lot of bad shots and did not putt well. Once I got into the flow of competing and feeling the round, it just got exciting. We were competitive, the banter was great, the back and forth.”

Woods, who had a hand in organizing the event, said he hoped “we were entertaining everyone and everyone who’s watching had a good time.”

They probably did.

On No. 4, Woods seemed to try to take advantage of the fact the Narashino Country Club has two greens on every hole. It’s a tradition at some courses in Japan, alternating greens to keep them both in good shape.

Woods hit a shot between two greens and Day got on him.

“I asked him (Tiger) to let me know which green he was going for,” Day said. “But he was in between so I still don’t know which one he was going for.”

Woods agreed.

“I hit in between the greens, so it looked kind of like I kind of didn’t know what I was doing,” he said.

Both greens at No. 4 will be used this week at the tournament. A hole will be cut in each and players will choose which to play to.

The Narashino club is located about 50 kilometres (30 miles) northeast of Tokyo in Chiba prefecture. The course for next year’s Tokyo Olympics will be at Kasumigaseki Country Club in neighbouring Saitama prefecture.

Four famous rugby players really got the match moving at No. 7 when they paired up with the pros for one hole.

Matsuyama dropped a 35-foot putt for birdie, and then was embraced by his teammate – former South African rugby player Bryan Habana. The 100-kilogram (220-pound) Habana almost crushed Mastuyama as he screamed: “That’s my partner.”

Seconds later, former Ireland rugby player Brian O’Driscoll holed another long putt, matching Matsuyama’s birdie. Jason Day then holed another shorter birdie putt.

Walking one fairway, McIlroy was asked by a TV interviewer about comments by Brooks Koepka about the Irishman’s game.

Koepka said last week: “Rory hasn’t won a major since I’ve been on tour, so I don’t view it as a rivalry.”

McIlroy last won a major in 2014 at the PGA Championship.

McIlroy said Koepka “wasn’t wrong. He’s been the best player in the world for the last couple of years. Four majors. I don’t think he needed to remind me I haven’t won in a while. And I love Brooks. He’s a great guy; obviously super-competitive like we all are. I can see where he’s coming from.”

McIlroy then paused and also added: “I think that’s good for the game, and I think if you take what Brooks said out of context – then it can become this big thing it’s become. Brooks and I are good. We’re good friends.”

Any time Adam Hadwin is asked about his professional goals, he mentions playing in the Presidents Cup.

The product of Abbotsford, B.C., debuted in the international team event two years ago and it was a seminal moment in his career. After two top-five finishes to start the 2020 PGA Tour season, Hadwin is in good position to make it back to the Dec. 9-15 Presidents Cup and the 31-year-old golfer relishes the opportunity to re-immerse himself in the prestigious tournament’s atmosphere.

“It’s been on my mind since the last one ended,” said Hadwin. “It was such an incredible experience. Being a part of a team is something you rarely get in golf. So being part of such a great group of individuals that are all trying to come together for the same goal is special.”

Although Hadwin’s international team lost 19-11 to the United States at Liberty National Golf Club in 2017, he was bitten by the bug.

“I know we got waxed by the Americans but it was still such an incredible experience being around the top guys in the world,” said Hadwin. “Once you’re a part of it once you never want to be left off of it again.

“I didn’t play well enough in the past year to get into that top eight and really felt like I needed to do some good work in these fall events before (Els) would pick his team.”

Els is expected to make four selections as captain’s picks the week of Nov. 4.

Hadwin has posted some strong results early in the 2020 season. He shot a 16-under overall to finish second at the Safeway Open and then fired a 20-under overall to tie for fourth at the Shriners Hospital for Children Open.

Those back-to-back top-five finishes have Hadwin ranked fifth in the FedExCup standings with 415 points headed into this week’s Houston Open.

Hadwin’s strong play has caught the eye of at least one other person: fellow Canadian Graham DeLaet, who played in the 2013 Presidents Cup.

“I would be surprised if Ernie (Els) didn’t give him a shot to play down there in Melbourne. I think he deserves it,” DeLaet told Golf Canada earlier this week. “He’s got some experience underneath him. There are some new faces on that team so I think some of that experience is going to be helpful. He’s playing great, which has been good to see.”

Hadwin’s fast start hasn’t just made a return to the Presidents Cup possible, it’s made the rest of the PGA Tour season significantly easier.

“It definitely helps. It takes a lot of pressure off the rest of the season,” said Hadwin. “Not that I’m going to relax and rest on some good early play but being in a nice position, earning a bunch of FedEx points early, it sets up a whole season.

“I know that I’m not going to be stressing at the end of the year about keeping a job. More than anything it validates all the work we’ve been putting in.”

Hadwin is spending a couple of weeks at his home in Phoenix before heading to Asia for the ZOZO Championship in Chiba, Japan and then the HSBC Champions, a World Golf Championship event, in Shanghai.

PGA TOUR:
Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., will be in the first group teeing off at No. 1 at the Houston Open on Thursday. DeLaet, from Weyburn, Sask., Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., will also be in the field at the Golf Club of Houston.

Graham DeLaet is back to work. Now it’s time to get into a routine on the PGA Tour once again.

DeLaet, who returned to action after more than two years at the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open last week, is playing again this week at the Houston Open as he tries to earn enough FedEx Cup points to regain his PGA Tour card.

The native of Weyburn, Sask. needs to earn 267 FedEx Cup points to get off his Major Medical Exemption, but after that he’ll need to earn enough points to be within the top 125 to keep his card for next season.

It’s a lot to think about for someone who is just getting his feet wet in competitive golf again after so long away.

The 37-year-old received a series of stem-cell treatments in 2017, which were deemed unsuccessful, and he opted to have a second microdiscectomy surgery (the first he had in 2011).

He was on the shelf for the full 2018-19 PGA Tour season, but as of last Thursday, DeLaet is back – albeit a little older and a little more prepared for what’s to come.

The actual swinging of a golf club doesn’t cause him soreness, DeLaet said, but the pain comes from being on his feet for so long and getting stiff. Although he missed the cut last week (75-72) he said there were some good signs.

“I hit some really, really good shots last week. I was pretty happy with how I played for the most part. I was pretty tight with the putter but I think it was extra pressure, feeling those nerves again. I had two bad holes but other than that I feel like I played pretty decent,” DeLaet said by phone in Houston.

“I know the course wasn’t playing all that difficult but it’s still good to get some birdies under your belt. All in all I was pretty happy with how things went despite shooting 5-over on a pretty easy golf course.”

Another thing that’s changed is the time DeLaet will have to spend away from his twins, Roscoe and Lyla.

While DeLaet was busy rehabbing and preparing for a return to professional golf, he said the best part of the last two years was how much quality time he got to spend with his kids, who turn four in November.

Last week was the first time DeLaet was away from them for a lengthy amount of time but the whole family, including wife Ruby, will be joining him this week in Houston.

DeLaet says it’s been an adjustment for his kids to know their dad is back at work.

“If I say I’m going to the golf course, Roscoe is always like, ‘I want to go, I want to go’ but if I’m going out there to practice or play he times out pretty quickly. So I’ve started to say ‘I’m going to work’ and I don’t know if they quite understand how I make a living, but they are kind of starting to get the grasp I play a golf a lot,” said DeLaet with a laugh.

Besides watching his kids start to grow up, there have been plenty of reasons to smile at home.

DeLaet’s friends from Arizona Chez Reavie and Max Homa both won on the PGA Tour this summer, and Kevin Chappell – another longtime pal who just returned from the same back surgery as DeLaet – shot a 59 at A Military Tribute at The Greenbrier in his first tournament back on Tour in September.

“That was pretty cool,” said DeLaet. “I have a soft spot for stories like that because I’ve been through it twice and it’s hard when you come back, but he made it look pretty easy.”

DeLaet is quick to point out the success of his countrymen as well, including Adam Hadwin (who has notched two top-5 finishes in a row to start his 2019-20 PGA Tour campaign and moved well inside the top-50 in the world ranking), who DeLaet feels should be on Ernie Els’ Presidents Cup radar.

“I would be surprised if Ernie (Els) didn’t give him a shot to play down there in Melbourne. I think he deserves it,” said DeLaet. “He’s got some experience underneath him. There are some new faces on that team so I think some of that experience is going to be helpful. He’s playing great, which has been good to see.”

And while DeLaet has been preparing himself for a big return on the golf course, he’s kept fairly busy off the golf course with his ongoing charitable efforts.

DeLaet has just been named a National Ambassador for Big Brothers Big Sisters Canada, his ‘Graham Slam’ event had its sixth edition in September (it’s raised more than $1.5 million for various charities), and he’s been nominated for the Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame People’s Choice Award – recognizing those who are a champion of their sport and a champion for their community.

“The game of golf has given me so much and I have the platform where we can try to make a difference,” said DeLaet. “It’s kind of a no-brainer for myself and Ruby.”

But DeLaet, who at one time was inside the top-35 in the Official World Golf Ranking, knows that despite all the support from friends and family and the impact he’s had away from golf over the last few years, it’s time to get back down to business.

He admits it would have been nice to dip his toes into playing a Korn Ferry Tour event – he was scheduled to in the summertime but tweaked his back just enough early in the week that he did not tee it up Thursday – but he’s feeling happy and as healthy as possible right now.

DeLaet saw Canadian physiotherapist Dr. Craig Davies in Las Vegas last week – Davies works with a handful of PGA Tour players – and DeLaet said Davies was “pleasantly surprised” with where he was physically.

A good sign, DeLaet said, as he will likely tee it up twice more this fall.

“Just hearing that from a guy who knows my body really well, it gives you a little bit of extra confidence with what you’re doing,” said DeLaet. “I feel like I’m on a pretty good path.”

LAS VEGAS – Kevin Na finally won a sudden-death playoff on the PGA Tour when he least expected it.

Staked to a three-shot lead to start the back nine at the TPC Summerlin, Na never imagined it would come down to that.

But he made triple bogey without hitting into a hazard on No. 10. He went at the flag and found the water on the par-5 16th for a bogey to lose the lead for the first time all day.

Right when he looked to be out of chances, Na saved himself with a 25-foot par putt on the 17th, a 10-foot birdie to extend the playoff, and he won the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open when Patrick Cantlay made the worst -mistake – the last one.

“Came down way too close,” Na said.

Cantlay, who gave up a one-shot lead by hitting 9-iron into the water on the par-3 17th, three-putted from 45 feet on No. 18 on the second extra hole for bogey. Na rolled in his 4-foot par putt to win in Las Vegas for the second time.

“I’ve been in this situation before where I lost the lead and I failed many times,” said Na, who closed with a 1-under 70. “I’ve lost three playoffs. This is my first playoff win. I kept telling myself, ‘This is the playoff I’m going to win.’ It felt great to win.”

It was a bitter finish for Cantlay, who won his first PGA Tour event in Las Vegas in 2017 in a playoff, but had to settle for a runner-up finish the second straight year.

“It leaves a sour taste in my mouth,” he said. “That’s two years in a row here. I played well. I’ll take that momentum the rest of the year.”

Cantlay took his first lead with a two-putt birdie on the 16th, only for his 9-iron to come up short and just far enough to the left that rolled down into the water. He still looked as though he would head to the final hole until Na made his 25-foot par putt.

“I’m a fighter,” Na said. “The putt on 17, I was doing everything I could to make that putt.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., finished in a tie for fourth place. Nick Taylor, also from Abbotsford, tied for 29th.

Na won for the third time in the last 15 months, and third in as many seasons on the PGA Tour. He joined Jim Furyk as the only multiple winners in Las Vegas.

Even after his bogey on the 17th, Cantlay was poised to win in regulation when he hit the longest drive of the final round – 345 yards – and had only 113 yards left. But he could get no closer than 25 feet, and his putt hung on the right edge of the putt.

Cantlay, trying to win for the third time when facing a deficit of at least three shots, closed with a 68.

They finished at 23-under 261.

On the first extra hole, Na hit wedge to just inside 10 feet. Cantlay was just outside 10 feet – on the same line as his 25-foot birdie chance in regulation – and made it. Na poured his in, walking toward the hole before the ball dropped.

Cantlay came up well short on his approach to the 18th on the second playoff hole – his third time playing it in less than an hour – and his birdie putt came up well short.

Na set a record by making 559 feet of putts over four rounds, the most since the PGA Tour developed its ShotLink system of measuring every shot of every player. And he won with a 4-foot par.

Pat Perez closed with a 68 to finish alone in third, his best finish since he won in Malaysia two years ago.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau shot 63 and tied for fourth with Hadwin (63) and Brian Stuard (67).

LAS VEGAS – Canada’s Nick Taylor had to scramble for par on his opening two holes Thursday, and then he couldn’t miss in the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open.

Taylor, of Abbotsford, B.C., ran off a six-hole stretch at 6-under par, including a drive on the 314-yard 14th hole at the TPC Summerlin that stopped 5 feet away for eagle. He birdied all the par 5s, kept bogeys off his card and opened with an 8-under 63 for a two-shot lead among early starters.

Phil Mickelson, who missed the cut last week at the Safeway Open in his season debut, had a 65 for his lowest round since late February.

Taylor faced ideal conditions and the easier side at Summerlin to start his round, and he found himself having to get up-and-down to save par with 5-foot putts.

“The first two holes, I actually hit pretty good drives. Had a little bit of mud on it, so the ball just kind of took off oddly,” Taylor said. “Was able to make two good par saves, and from there was able to hit a bunch of greens, make some putts.”

The 15th hole was a bonus. On the three par 5s, he was either on in two shots or just off the green.

“That always makes the round pretty easy,” Taylor said.

Mickelson, Brian Day and Sam Ryder were at 65. Adam Scott, who spent a year at UNLV as a teenager, was among those at 66.

Mickelson is playing Las Vegas for the first time since 2005, and he didn’t start his season well when he chopped up the par 5s at Silverado – making a 9 on one of the easier holes – to miss the cut.

Lefty wasn’t worried. Take out his play on the par 5s, and he felt his game was fine. He showed that Thursday, and finished his round with a 60-foot eagle attempt that had a chance to go in before leaving a short putt for his final birdie.

The 65 was his best score since a second-round 65 in the Mexico Championship.
With the fairways running tight and fast, Mickelson said he relied on a low cut to keep it in play and give himself chances.

“They’re not going very far, but they’re in play,” he said. “My iron play right now is really good, so I just want to give myself chances with my irons.”

He said he needed only a “subtle fix” from how he played the par 5s at the Safeway Open and it was easy.
Brooks Koepka, who had stem cell treatment on his left knee on Aug. 25 after the FedEx Cup ended, began his season by needing two birdies over the last four holes just to break par. He opened with a 70.

Tony Finau was at 68 after spending the last two weeks on the European Tour and flying eight time zones away to Las Vegas.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau and Patrick Cantlay, who won the previous year, were among those playing the afternoon. Both are among the top 10 in the world ranking, giving Las Vegas its strongest field in more than 15 years.

Koepka is the first No. 1 player in Las Vegas since Greg Norman in 1988.

Canadian Graham DeLaet made his first PGA appearance in nearly two years because of a back injury.

The 37-year-old native of Weyburn, Sask., shot a 4-over 75. DeLaet had a triple bogey on No. 3 and was 7 over though 11 before rallying with three consecutive birdies from Nos. 13-15.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., carded a one-under 70.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., had afternoon tee times.

NAPA, Calif. – Cameron Champ made a 3-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole for a one-stroke victory over Adam Hadwin on Sunday in the Safeway Open, finishing off an emotional week with his grandfather battling cancer.

Three strokes ahead entering the round, Champ had five birdies and overcame a bogey on No. 17 to hold off Hadwin for his second PGA Tour victory. Champ closed with a 3-under 69 to finish at 17-under 271 at Silverado Resort.

Champ raised both arms then shared a long embrace with his caddie before breaking into tears as he hugged his father on the green. Champ’s grandfather, Mack, is fighting stomach cancer and is in hospice in Sacramento. Mack introduced Champ to golf at a young age.

Hadwin birdied the final three holes for a 67 to tie Champ at 16 under, then watched from nearby as Champ nearly chipped in for eagle on the par-5 18th before making the short birdie putt.

Fellow Canadian Nick Taylor (Abbotsford, B.C.), who was paired with Hadwin, finished at 11 under par in a tie for 10th. Countrymen Corey Conners (Listowel, Ont.) and Roger Sloan (Merritt, B.C.) closed at 10 under par.

Marc Leishman (65) was third at 14 under. Justin Thomas (69), Charles Howell III (68) and Zac Blair (68) were 13 under.

Champ missed every fairway on the front nine but made several big second shots to stay in front. None was more impressive than after he drove into the far left rough on the par-5 fifth, pitched up and over a tall tree and onto the green 17 feet away and two-putted for birdie.

Champ bogeyed No. 8, but rebounded with a birdie on No. 9. He had a short chip-in for par on No. 11 after chunking his approach shot.

Champ’s only other tour victory came last October in Mississippi at the Sanderson Farms Championship. He hadn’t finished higher than sixth since, missing the cut 12 times.

NAPA, Calif. – Even as he bolted to the top of the leaderboard at the Safeway Open, Cameron Champ’s mind was elsewhere.

Champ’s grandfather, Mack, is in hospice battling stomach cancer and the family has been commuting back and forth between the tournament and his hometown of Sacramento, about 65 miles northeast of Silverado Resort.

“It’s been a pretty emotional week,” Champ said Saturday after shooting a bogey-free 5-under 67 in windy conditions to take a three-shot lead into the final round. “He just made me realize there’s a lot more to life than golf. His thing is he likes to say ‘focus’ a lot. Me and my dad always laugh about it. like, ‘OK Pops.”’

Champ has certainly looked focused this week. He opened with a 67 on Thursday, had two bogeys and a six birdies for a 68 on Friday, then moved into the lead with steady iron play and strong putting. Champ narrowly missed a sixth birdie on No. 17 after nearly driving the green. He had a 14-under 202 total despite playing the four par 5s without a birdie.

“I’m certainly happy with the position I’m in,” Champ said. “I know if I can get in the fairways on those (par 5s) and kind of do what I did today, it will be a good day.”

Champ didn’t make the trip to visit his grandfather following Friday night’s round and was uncertain of his plans after taking the lead.

Closing out Sunday with his second PGA Tour victory would provide Champ and his family a much-needed lift.

“It would be mind-blowing, honestly,” Champ said. “I’m going to continue doing what I’m ding. Whether I shoot 80 tomorrow or whether I shoot 65, I really don’t care. I’m just going to focus on putting my best round together, and whatever that’s going to be tomorrow, it’s going to be.”

Canadians Adam Hadwin (67) and Nick Taylor (70) were 11 under, and Chez Reavie (69), Collin Morikawa (70), Justin Thomas (71) and Nick Watney (72) followed at 10 under.

Hadwin and Taylor are paired in the second-last grouping on Sunday, teeing off at 1:50 p.m. ET

Munoz, the Sanderson Farms Championship winner last week in Mississippi, got back into the mix with six birdies. That followed an uneven second round when the 26-year-old Colombian had a double bogey and an eagle.

“I’m just playing a little more fun, a little more loose and having fun,” Munoz said.

Second-round leader Bryson DeChambeau was 8 under after a 76. DeChambeau bogeyed Nos. 3 and 10, double-bogeyed No. 13 then ran into big trouble after hitting his second shot on No. 18 over the grandstands around the green and into a patch of reeds.

Following a lengthy discussion with course officials and a delay of at least 20 minutes, DeChambeau took a drop and flopped a shot back over the grandstands onto the green 10 feet from the pin. He two-putted for par.