St Andrews, Scotland – The road to Royal Portrush will include a stop in Hamilton, Ont.

The R&A announced today that next years RBC Canadian Open will be one of 16 events in 11 countries that will make up The Open Qualifying Series for 2019.

The Emirates Australian Open, which is being played from 15-18 November at The Lakes in Sydney, will be the first opportunity for players to secure their place at Royal Portrush next year. The leading three players, who finish in the top ten and ties and who are not already exempt, will qualify for The Open.

A total of 46 places in The Open are available through the Series, which provides golfers with opportunities to qualify at events around the world on the PGA TOUR, the European Tour, the PGA Tour of Australasia, the Asian Tour, the Korean Tour, the Japan Golf Tour and the Sunshine Tour.

“The race to qualify for The Open at Royal Portrush has well and truly begun and we are eagerly anticipating an exciting series of events as golfers around the world aim to book their place at the Championship,” said Johnnie Cole-Hamilton, Executive Director – Championships at The R&A. “We know that there is real excitement at the prospect of The Open returning to Northern Ireland for the first time in almost 70 years and it will undoubtedly act as an extra incentive for those players who are hopeful of teeing it up at the famous Dunluce links in July.”

The 2019 RBC Canadian Open will take place June 3-9 at Hamilton Golf & Country CLub, offering up three qualifying places into The 148th Open.

Regional Qualifying and Final Qualifying events will take place at venues throughout Great Britain and Ireland.

The Open Qualifying Series (TOQS) will offer the following qualification places in The 148th Open:

NB: Any player who has qualified through The Open Qualifying Series is deemed an exempt player. In the event that that player subsequently fulfils other exemption categories those places in the starting field will be subject to Section F of The Open Entry Form.

LAS VEGAS – Bryson DeChambeau saw signs of greatness last season on the PGA Tour when he won three times against the strongest fields this side of the majors.

He started a new season headed down the same path.

In his only fall start, DeChambeau never shot worse than 66 over four days in Las Vegas, holed an eagle putt from just inside 60 feet on the 16th hole and closed with smart play for pars to win the Shriners Hospitals for Children Open on Sunday by one shot over Patrick Cantlay.

“I was coming out here to try and kick rust off and was able to play some good golf,” DeChambeau said. “I’m happy to get it done.”

The eagle putt took him from a one-shot deficit to a two-shot lead when Cantlay made bogey from a deceptive lie in the bunker ahead of him on the 17th hole. DeChambeau won for the fourth time in his last 12 starts on the PGA Tour and moved to No. 5 in the world ranking.

He had to survive a wild back nine at the TPC Summerlin in which four players had a share of the lead at some point.

What. A. Putt. ?@B_DeChambeau takes the lead with an eagle at 16.#LiveUnderPar pic.twitter.com/R8aIoDRrSr

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) November 4, 2018

Cantlay, trying to become the first player to win back-to-back in Las Vegas in nearly 20 years, made a 15-foot birdie putt on the par-5 16th hole to take a one-shot lead. But from a bunker right of the green on the par-3 17th, Cantlay was fooled by the amount of sand under his ball and flubbed the shot.

DeChambeau wasn’t entirely sure where he stood. He could see Cantlay made the putt on the 16th hole and had to ask if it was for birdie or eagle. DeChambeau easily cleared the water, and his ball went just over the back of the green. He thought he hit it perfectly. Then, he thought he might have hit it too hard. It held its line at the end, and DeChambeau responded with a big uppercut.

“I haven’t given a reaction like that in a while,” he said.

Cantlay birdied the 18th for a 65, but it wasn’t enough when DeChambeau played the final two holes conservatively for pars to finish at 21-under 263.

DeChambeau won for the third straight season, and fifth time overall on the PGA Tour.

The 25-year-old American began his big run with a playoff victory at the Memorial, and then won consecutive FedEx Cup playoff events in New Jersey and Boston. He said he was playing Las Vegas to shake off a little rust, and it turned into another victory.

“I thought I had it in me, but I didn’t know if I could do it,” DeChambeau said. “Last year I saw signs of something great. I didn’t know where it would lead me. But I think it led me in the right direction.”

Not since Jim Furyk in 1998-99 had anyone successfully defended his title in Las Vegas, and Cantlay looked as if he might get it done when he drove the green on the par-4 15th for a two-putt birdie, and then rolled in another good birdie after having to lay up on the 16th. His tee shot into the 17th was a fraction away from catching a slope and feeding toward the hole. Instead, it tumbled into the bunker to set up what appeared to be a relatively simple shot.

“When I dug my left foot in, it didn’t have a bunch of sand, and then obviously when I hit my shot there was more sand under the ball and didn’t anticipate that,” Cantlay said. “It was a tricky one and I hit a poor shot.”

He wasn’t the only player stung by the outcome.

Former U.S. Open champion Lucas Glover had a 4-foot birdie putt on the 15th hole that would have given him a share of the lead with three holes to play. Glover missed the putt, and then missed a 30-inch par putt. One hole later, he was three shots behind.

Glover finished with a triple bogey for a 71 and tied for seventh. He shot 61 on Saturday.

Peter Uihlein, who shared the 54-hole lead with DeChambeau, didn’t make a birdie until the 11th hole, finished bogey-bogey for a 75 and tied for 23rd.

Sam Ryder was one shot behind when his second shot to the par-5 16th bounced off a knob and back into the water. He managed to save par and birdied the last hole with a 15-foot putt for a 62 to finish alone in third.

Rickie Fowler (63), Abraham Ancer (66) and Robert Streb (68) were another shot behind.

DeChambeau won for the fifth time in just his 68th start as a pro on the PGA Tour, dating to his victory in the John Deere Classic in 2017.

Canadian Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., finished tied for 36th at 10 under par.

HAMILTON, Ont.  (Golf Canada) – Golf Canada, in partnership with title sponsor RBC, are pleased to announce that tickets are now available for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, June 3-9 at the historic Hamilton Golf & Country Club.

With a new premier spot on the PGA TOUR schedule in early June, the 2019 RBC Canadian Open promises to be a summer festival celebration to mark the unofficial start of Canada’s golf season.

CLICK HERE to get your tickets for the 2019 RBC Canadian Open

One of Canada’s premier annual sporting events, the RBC Canadian Open features miles of front row seating for golf fans to experience Canada’s lone stop on the PGA TOUR.

General admission tickets, starting at just $25 for early week access, provide access to the grounds to get an up-close look at the stars of the PGA TOUR including defending champion and Team RBC member Dustin Johnson.

Tournament rounds for Thursday, Friday and Saturday are $70; a Sunday final-round ticket is $80; and a weeklong, fully-transferable badge is $160. As well, Tuesday admission for RBC Hall of Fame Day is complimentary with the purchase of a Thursday, Friday, Saturday or Sunday ticket. A specially-priced youth ticket (13-17 years old) is also available while juniors aged 12-and-under gain FREE grounds admission all week long.

In addition to general admission tickets and corporate hospitality products, the RBC Canadian Open also offers a pair of premium ticket products—The 1904 Club and The Trophy Club—for golf fans to experience the 110^th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.

The 1904 Club is located inside the clubhouse at Hamilton Golf and Country Club and offers an air-conditioned experience with ample televisions and indoor views of the 18 green, as well as an outdoor patio with views of the driving range and 1st tee. Tickets for The 1904 Club start at $125.

The Trophy Club is a premium social experience situated in the heart of the action at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. Located behind the 14th green with a view of the 15th tee and fairway, guests will enjoy all-inclusive food and beverage from a raised, covered structure. Well suited for passionate event fans or small businesses looking to host smaller client groups, cost for this upscale ticket experience is $260 per day, with savings available for those purchasing multi-day commitments.

Volunteer opportunities to be a part of the 2019 RBC Canadian Open are also available with a full listing of committee positions here.

New in 2019, with the RBC Canadian Open date change to early June, Golf Canada has introduced a new Student Volunteer Program for students to earn their required volunteer hours during the week of Canada’s National Open Championship.

The tournament’s return to the Harry Colt designed course in 2019 is timed perfectly – marking the 100-year anniversary since the renowned club originally hosted Canada’s National Open Golf Championship.

Hamilton Golf and Country Club previously hosted five Canadian Opens, with the first taking place in 1919 – a championship featured two of the most legendary names in golf – Bobby Jones and Francis Ouimet. J. Douglas Edgar would go on to earn a 16-stroke win – a PGA TOUR record stands to this day as the largest margin of victory.

Other players to have won the Canadian Open at Hamilton Golf and Country Club include Tommy Armour (1930), Bob Tway (2003), Team RBC member Jim Furyk (2006) and Scott Piercy (2012).

The 2019 RBC Canadian Open in early June begins an exciting new chapter for Canada’s National Open Championship. Join us at the historic Hamilton Golf & Country Club to witness great golf, activities for all ages including ‘The Rink’, local food and patio experiences, plus new event features being announced in the coming weeks.

Get your tickets today and be a part of one of Canada’s premier sporting events – www.rbccanadianopen.com/tickets.

Volunteer, sponsorship and corporate hospitality opportunities are also available. For more information on the 2019 RBC Canadian Open, visit us online at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

PONTE VEDRA BEACH, FLORIDA – The PGA TOUR announced today that Aaron Wise has been named the 2018 PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year, as voted by the TOUR’s membership for the 2017-18 season.

PGA TOUR members who played in at least 15 FedExCup events during the 2017-18 season were eligible to vote. The balloting process ended on October 1.

The 22-year-old resident of Las Vegas earned his first PGA TOUR victory at the AT&T Byron Nelson, becoming the second player in history to win on the Mackenzie Tour-PGA TOUR Canada (PGA TOUR-era), Web.com Tour and PGA TOUR, joining Mackenzie Hughes. His win also represented the 500th TOUR win by a Web.com Tour graduate.

“On behalf of the PGA TOUR, our congratulations to Aaron Wise on being voted PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year,” said PGA TOUR Commissioner Jay Monahan. “For Aaron to have won on the PGA TOUR, the Web.com Tour and Mackenzie Tour before the age of 22 is remarkable, and qualifying for the TOUR Championship as a rookie proved there is no stage too big for him.”

One of eight rookies to qualify for the 2018 FedExCup Playoffs, Wise was the only one to advance to the season-ending TOUR Championship, finishing No. 24 in the FedExCup. In the 12 seasons of the FedExCup, 12 rookies have advanced to the TOUR Championship, with 10 subsequently being named Rookie of the Year.

For the season, Wise collected four top-10s in 29 starts, highlighted by his win at the AT&T Byron Nelson and a runner-up at the Wells Fargo Championship. In the FedExCup Playoffs, Wise tied for fifth at THE NORTHERN TRUST and earned two additional top-20s.

The University of Oregon product is the first player from a Pac-12 Conference school to win the PGA TOUR Rookie of the Year award since Tiger Woods in 1996.

Wise was one of three rookie winners in 2017-18, including Austin Cook and Japan’s Satoshi Kodaira.

He was selected for the honour over Cook and Kodaira, as well as Keith Mitchell and Joaquin Niemann.

JACKSON, Miss. – Cameron Champ’s prodigious drives weren’t finding the fairways during much of Sunday’s final round at the Country Club of Jackson. Even so, he wasn’t fazed.

The 23-year-old was ready to prove he’s more than just a big hitter.

Champ birdied five of the last six holes thanks largely to clutch putting, fending off Canadian Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., to win the Sanderson Farms Championship, recovering for his first PGA TOUR victory after giving up a four-shot lead.

“I’ve kind of been a streaky putter at times, so I’m just trying to slowly grow other parts of my game,” Champ said. “Short game and putting, but mainly putting.”

That hard work on the greens paid off in a big way during a wire-to-wire win. Champ won in his ninth career tour start, closing with a 4-under 68 for a four-stroke victory. He finished at 21-under 267.

The rookie has made a name for himself during his short career by being extremely long off the tee, but it was his putter that saved him on Sunday. He made a 38-foot birdie putt on the par-4 16th that gave him a two-shot lead and saved par on No. 17 with a 15-footer.

“Just to see those putts go in and the confidence it gives me through the rest of my game really helped this week,” Champ said.

Champ played on Sunday with his backup driver after snapping the head of his regular driver during pre-round warmups. He said the switch didn’t have much of an effect, instead attributing his accuracy issues off the tee to adrenaline.

“The front side, there were some nerves,” Champ said. “But on the back side I brought it all together and finished strong. It was awesome.”

Champ began the day four shots ahead, but played the front nine in 1 over to fall into a tie. He cruised through the first six holes at 1 under, but back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 7 and 8 brought him back to the pack.

While Champ was struggling, Conners, a product of the Canadian national team, was surging on a warm day in central Mississippi that saw temperatures climb into the 80s. The 26-year-old Canadian had three birdies on the front nine, and his birdie putt on the par-4 No. 9 had him in serious contention.

 

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Shoutout to Canadian @coreyconners on a solid runner-up finish at the @sanderson_champ ????

A post shared by RBC Canadian Open (@rbccanadianopen) on Oct 28, 2018 at 2:46pm PDT

Champ and Conners then engaged in a tense back-and-forth for much of the back nine before Champ’s run of four straight birdies starting on the 13th.

Even with that impressive stretch, Champ could only push ahead by two shots because Conners birdied two of those four holes as well.

But Conners missed a 7-foot eagle putt on the short par-4 15th that proved costly. He finished with a 68 en route to collecting his best career finish on the PGA TOUR.

Another thrilling run by Canada’s @coreconn with a 2nd place #PGATOUR finish. It’s only a matter of time, CC!

Until next time ???? pic.twitter.com/T3VdDTkT8C

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) October 28, 2018

Carlos Ortiz (64) and Sam Burns (68) were six shots back.

Nick Taylor (69) of Abbotsford, B.C., finished tied for 26th at 8 under. Ben Silverman (71) of Thornhill, Ont., tied for 39th with Adam Svensson (68) of Surrey, B.C.

Champ closed out his victory with one final stunning moment on No. 18. After another long, wayward drive, he punched a 158-yard recovery shot from the left rough that stopped just 7 feet from the hole. No surprise: He made the putt for yet another birdie.

Champ earned $792,000 and 300 FedExCup points, and he’ll be fully exempt on the PGA Tour through the 2020-21 season. The victory does not earn him an invitation to the Masters because the event was held opposite the World Golf Championship in Shanghai, but he’ll have plenty more opportunities to make his way to Augusta National.

SHANGHAI – Xander Schauffele gave the Americans a sweep of the World Golf Championships and quickly put a winless sophomore season behind him.

Schauffele made birdie on his final three holes Sunday, the last one a two-putt birdie from about 30 feet on the par-5 18th hole to beat Tony Finau in a sudden-death playoff and win the HSBC Champions.

“When I was signing my card, I was like, ‘Oh, wow. I actually went birdie-birdie to get in the playoff,” Schauffele said. “I was just in my own world out there.”

He began the tournament by celebrating his 25th birthday. He ended it with one clutch shot after another in the closing stretch at Sheshan International for a 4-under 68, the lowest score of the final round, and his first victory in 13 months.

Schauffele won twice in his first year on the PGA Tour to win rookie of the year. Last season featured high finishes, but only one good chance at winning when he was a runner-up in the British Open at Carnoustie.

Now he has three victories, the last two at the Tour Championship to end the 2017 season and now a World Golf Championship.

Finau, who started the final round with a three-shot lead in his bid for a second PGA Tour-sanctioned victory, was ahead by one shot until Schauffele made an 18-foot birdie putt on the par-3 17th, only the fourth player to make birdie on that hole Sunday.

Defending champion Justin Rose missed a 10-foot birdie chance on the 17th and went to the final hole two shots behind. Trying to make eagle, he went from the bunker to the rough to over the green and into the water, making a bogey for a 72 to finish four shots behind.

That meant Brooks Koepka, who closed with a 69 and tied for 16th, stayed at No. 1 in the world for at least another week.

Then, it was a battle between the two Americans.

Finau faced a risky shot from his ball sitting high in the rough by going for the green. It narrowly cleared the water, leaving him an eagle putt from about 35 feet that he placed to a few feet from the cup. Schauffele’s second shot into the par-5 18th landed on the putting surface and rolled just over the back as the 25-year-old American said, “Sit!” six times before it settled just off the green.

He ran his eagle putt 3 feet by and made that for birdie. He and Finau finished at 14-under 274.

In the playoff, Schauffele again hit the fairway and hit a 5-iron to the middle of the green. Finau went into the face of the bunker on the left, had no choice but to lay up, and his third shot was 20 feet on the fringe. He missed his birdie putt to extend the playoff.

“Definitely feel like I let one get away,” said Finau, whose only PGA Tour victory was at the Puerto Rico Open two years ago. “Xander played incredible golf today. It was playing tough out there. He posted a number and made birdie on a playoff hole when it counted. Hats off to him. He played nicely today and deserved to win.”

The United States becomes the first country to have four players win the four World Golf Championships. Phil Mickelson won the Mexico Championship, Bubba Watson won the Dell Match Play and Justin Thomas won the Bridgestone Invitational.

The Americans also won all four WGCs in 2013 when Tiger Woods won two of them, Matt Kuchar won the Match Play and Dustin Johnson won in Shanghai. Americans now have won 41 of the 69 events since the World Golf Championships series began in 1999. Woods has won 18 of them.

Rose was trying to join Woods as the only players to successfully defend a WGC title – Woods has done it eight times – and birdied the 13th and 14th holes to pull within one shot of the lead. But he misfired from the fairway on the 15th into a bunker and made bogey, and he couldn’t catch up.

He needed to finish second alone to replace Koepka at No. 1 in the world.

“Tough day for everybody,” Rose said, alluding to only three players shooting in the 60s in the final round. “You just look at the scoreboard. Seems like everyone fell apart. It was a three-horse race all day. It was hard to keep the mistakes off the card completely today.”

He gets another chance to go back to No. 1 when he defends his title in the Turkish Airlines Open next week.

Rose’s third shot to the 18th nicked Schauffele’s ball, sending both balls down the slope and into the water. Schauffele was allowed to replace his ball without penalty, though it was an indication how close his shot was from trickling down the hill and into the water, which would have cost him the tournament.

Schauffele, under strong consideration but left off the Ryder Cup team as a captain’s pick, moved to No. 12 in the world.

Canadian Adam Hadwin (75) tied for 30th.

Kiradech Aphibarnrat (71) and Andrew Putnam (72) tied for fourth. Putnam was making his debut in the World Golf Championships.

JACKSON, Miss. – Cameron Champ shot an 8-under 64 on Saturday to open a four-stroke lead in the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Champ has held at least a share of the lead all three days at Country Club of Jackson, opening with a 65 and shooting a 70 on Friday. Averaging a field-best 306.7 yards of–f the tee, the 23-year-old PGA Tour rookie has hit 44 of 54 greens in regulation. On Saturday, he hit 15 of 18 and had just 25 putts.

“Obviously, today went great,” Champ said. “I executed all the shots that I wanted to … and just kept up with my game plan. Took advantage of the par 5s, made the putts when I needed to. I was just able to give myself a lot of chances.”

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., was second, matching Champ with a 64 to get to 13 under.

“I just tried to keep the pedal down,” Conners said. “I was hitting the ball really well, so I just tried to stay aggressive. I didn’t hit quite as many fairways toward the end, but I was able to still score the ball pretty well.”

Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman (71) of Thornhill, Ont., were tied for 36th at 5 under. Adam Svensson (72) of Surrey, B.C., was tied for 58th.

D.J. Trahan, the 2006 winner when the event was the Southern Farm Bureau Classic, was five strokes back with Shawn Stefani. Trahan shot 67, and Stefani had a 68.

“Unless (Champ) decides to come back to the field, somebody is going to have to run hard to catch him,” Trahan said. “That’s really good golf. I mean, what was he, 9-under to start the day? Yeah, that’s amazing golf right there.”

Norman Xiong, the 19-year-old who was tied with Champ for the second-round lead, had a 76 to drop into a tie for 36th at 5 under.

SHANGHAI – Tony Finau struggled for so much of Saturday in the HSBC Champions that he was hopeful of a strong finish to carry some momentum into the final round.

He got much more than he imagined.

Finau closed with three straight birdies for a 2-under 70 and kept his three-shot lead because of a late collapse by Justin Rose, who played the final two holes in five more shots than Finau required.

“There was no need to panic,” Finau said. “Just play some good golf coming down the stretch, and I was able to do that.”

Finau was at 13-under 203 and led by three over Justin Rose, Masters champion Patrick Reed and Xander Schauffele.

Finau was on the verge of falling three shots behind on the 16th hole after Rose had pitched to within 3 feet for a birdie, and Finau hit wedge that came up well short. He rolled in a 20-foot birdie putt from off the green to stay within two shots, hit a tee shot that rolled to within 18 inches of the cup for a short birdie on the par-3 17th, and then holed a 12-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

Rose wasted a great round with a sloppy finish and had to settle for a 70.

He was two shots ahead going to the 17th when his tee shot went off the side of a hill and into a hazard, leading to double bogey. Then, his 4-iron to the par-5 18th was too far right and tumbled down the hill and into the water. He had a chance to save par until missing a 4-foot putt.

“Three back going into tomorrow, which is not exactly how it looked like it was going to be with a couple holes to play,” Rose said. “There are three guys at 10 under who are all going to be chasing pretty hard, but nothing to lose tomorrow. It’s going to take a good round. I’m playing well, feeling good. Just got to put that last couple holes behind me and come out a little bit angry tomorrow.”

Reed didn’t make a par over the last six holes, with four birdies and two bogeys. He missed a 15-foot eagle chance on the reachable par-4 16th, and then peeled his tee shot to the right down the slope into the hazard on the 17th to make bogey. A short birdie on the 18th gave him a 70.

But the real collapse came from Rose, who had led since a short birdie on the seventh hole and appeared to be in complete control of his game.

And then it was gone.

His double bogey on the 17th hole sent him from a two-shot lead to a one-shot deficit, and then he compounded it with another mistake on the 18th. Rose played the final two holes at Sheshan International in 11 shots compared to Finau’s six.

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., recorded a 2-over 74 to slip to even par through three rounds.

Schauffele rolled in a long birdie putt on the 16th and momentum until his second shot went into the water on the 18th, though he scrambled for par for a 69.

Andrew Putnam, playing in his first World Golf Championship, had a 67 and was five shots behind, along with Tommy Fleetwood (72). Fleetwood was two shots behind until he chopped up the par-5 14th hole, three-putting from 12 feet for a triple bogey.

Rory McIlroy also had an 8 on the 14th hole as he continued a big slide with a 75, leaving him 21 shots behind Finau. It not only was the second triple bogey this week for McIlroy, he has had five scores of 6 or higher on his card this week.

Brooks Koepka, in his debut at No. 1 in the world, had a 71 and was 14 shots behind.

Finau’s only victory was in 2016 at the Puerto Rico Open, an event held opposite the Match Play in Texas. He had a three-shot lead going into the weekend, which was gone when he missed a short par putt on the fifth hole and failed to convert a 5-foot birdie putt on No. 7 as Rose was making his move.

The 29-year-old American took only four putts over the last four holes, starting with a tough up-and-down from a bunker behind the 15th green that barely reached the fringe and trickled down to about 4 feet.

By the end of the round, everything was going his way. Not only did he hit a flawless tee shot into short range on the 17th, he got away with a poor tee shot into a bunker on the 18th and a shot that left him a lot farther from the green than he wanted. No matter. He made the putt and was on the verge of getting a victory to go with his consistent play this year.

“I’m looking forward to tomorrow,” Finau said. “I’ve got a world-class field chasing after me. This is the position you want to be in and I’ll be looking to close out my first tournament in this position, which is exciting for me. … I’m going to have fun no matter the outcome and hopefully make a lot of birdies and have those guys have to do something special tomorrow to beat me.”

JACKSON, Miss. – Norman Xiong’s ability to make the hard shots on another damp, chilly day made the rest of his second round much easier Friday at the Sanderson Farms Championship.

Now the 19-year-old is not only playing on the weekend for the first time on the PGA Tour, he’s in contention.

Xiong shot a 5-under 67 for a share of the lead at the Country Club of Jackson in just his seventh career start. He’s even with Cameron Champ, who settled for a 70 after finishing with back-to-back bogeys.

For Xiong – who is in the field because of a sponsor’s exemption – two straight solid days on the course have helped him build confidence. He and Champ were 9 under for the tournament.

“I guess it finally proves that I belong out here, or hopefully one day eventually can be out here permanently,” Xiong said.

Shawn Stefani and Jonathan Byrd were one shot back, each shooting their second straight 68. Hudson Swafford (68), Seth Reeves (70), Scott Stallings (67), D.J. Trahan (70) and Chad Ramey (70) were two shots back.

Corey Conners (68) of Listowel, Ont., was the low Canadian, sitting in a tie for 15th at 5 under. Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman (65) of Thornhill, Ont., were tied for 31st at 4 under. Adam Svensson (71) of Surrey, B.C., was tied for 50th at 2 under.

David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., both missed the cut.

Xiong started his second round on the back nine and made eagle on No. 11 after hitting a 55-foot putt from the fringe. He followed that encouraging start with two chip-ins for birdie on No. 16 and then No. 6.

“They really kind of take off the pressure on a day like this when it’s windy and the pins are not as accessible,” Xiong said. “You can play safe off those good breaks.”

If Xiong were able to win on Sunday, he’d be the second-youngest winner on tour since 1932. He’d be one day older than Jordan Spieth when he won at the John Deere Classic in 2013.

Xiong was born in Guam and moved to southern California when he was a boy. He played in college at Oregon for two years before turning professional over the summer.

The 23-year-old Champ wasn’t quite as sharp as he was on Thursday, when he shot a 65. He looked as if he was still going to keep his lead and was two shots ahead of Xiong before the disappointing ending.

He started his round on the back nine and managed to stay out of serious trouble until the final two holes. He missed a 7-foot par putt on No. 8 and then couldn’t get up and down on No. 9 and settled for another bogey.

“Today was a struggle ball-striking wise off the tee,” Champ said. “I couldn’t find the fairways. Something was a little off. But I just kept plugging away at it.

“Obviously, my finish wasn’t as good, but I’ll take a 2-under today with the way I was hitting it.”

SHANGHAI – Tony Finau has enjoyed such a good year that he wasn’t about to let one bad break get him down Friday in the HSBC Champions.

Finau had just built a three-shot lead as Patrick Reed began to stumble when Finau hit an approach from the rough on the 11th hole toward the green at Sheshan International. The ball landed on a sprinkler , shot high in the air and rolled over the back and into the hazard. It led to a double bogey and cut his lead to one shot.

Finau didn’t flinch, however.

He had a pair of birdies on the par 5s, laid up on the reachable par-4 16th and made birdie, and wound up with a 5-under 67. That put him at 11-under 133, three shots clear of Reed (72), Tommy Fleetwood (68) and defending champion Justin Rose (67).

“That was about as bad a break as I’ve ever had, to kick all the way over the green into the hazard,” Finau said. “One thing I’ve learned in this game, you take the good with the bad and keep moving forward. I knew I was playing well still and still at the top of the leaderboard. Just keep plugging along and try to get that back and I was able to do that.”

Canadian Adam Hadwin made noise in the second round, climbing 28 spots on the strength of a 4-under 68. The Abbotsford, B.C., product shares 21st place through 36 holes.

Reed opened with a pair of quick birdies in a swirling wind that came out of the opposite direction of the first round. He made his first bogey of the tournament on the fifth hole of the second round by missing a 4-foot putt after a smart chip shot from deep rough. Then, he hit into the water on No. 6 and had to scramble to make bogey. He also hit into the water on the par-5 eighth, but his short game allowed him to save par.

The Masters champion looked certain to drop another shot on the par-5 18th when his tee shot bounded off the side of a hill and into the water. Reed took his penalty drop, and then tried to hit a slice over two portions of the water. He blasted his hybrid on to about 12 feet for a two-putt birdie and a 72.

“I figured I just hit the shot I needed – a big, huge slice,” Reed said. “Why not start in toward the grandstands to the left?”

Rose won last year by rallying from eight shots behind on the final day, so a three-shot deficit shouldn’t look all that daunting. He plodded his way around the course and kept bogeys off his card. He missed a 15-foot eagle attempt on the last hole.

Finau hasn’t won since the 2016 Puerto Rico Open, an opposite-field event that was held the same week as the Match Play. But it’s been a big year for him. He has 10 finishes the top 10, and his consistency led to him making his first Ryder Cup.

Finau got a good break at Le Golf National. In his opening fourballs match with Brooks Koepka, the U.S. team looked to be in big trouble until Finau’s tee shot on the 16th hole hit off the railroad ties framing the green and settled 3 feet away, crucial to winning the match.

Fleetwood birdied the 18th hole to join Reed and Rose at 8-under 136. Xander Schauffele was another shot behind after a 71, while Patrick Cantlay wasted a good birdie chance on the final hole and had to settle for 68. He was five behind.

Rose has a chance to return to No. 1 with a victory, and it doesn’t look as though Brooks Koepka can put up much of a fight. Koepka, in his debut at No. 1, was frequently stretching his back and at times walking with an uncomfortable gait. He also missed several short putts and shot 74, leaving him 13 shots back.

Dustin Johnson faded after a quick start and shot 73. He was 14 shots behind. Rory McIlroy was even worse. It took him 15 shots to play the two par 5s on the front nine, taking a triple bogey on No. 2 and a double bogey on the par-5 eighth hole.

Finau kept motoring along, as he has been doing the last few months. This was Finau’s 19th round in the 60s over his last 21 starts in PGA Tour events. He had 11 top 10s last season.

“Outside of that tough break, I played really nicely,” Finau said. “I was happy just to make a few birdies coming down the stretch. It’s hard to swallow when you feel like you hit a good shot and you have a bad break like that. So I was able to just hang in there and make a few birdies at the end, which is nice.”

Finau has gone 63 starts on the PGA Tour without winning, though he is making progress toward adding to his victory total.

“Tony is great, and he’s due a win, to be fair,” Fleetwood said. “He’s done everything else this year, so I wouldn’t put it past him or hold it against him if he did get the win. But there’s a long ways to go.”