SOUTHAMPTON, N.Y. — It was a dream, one that hardly even seemed possible, back in the days when Garrett Rank was a member of Golf Canada’s National Men’s Team from 2012-14.

One of his teammates was Mackenzie Hughes and now, four years later, the band will be back together again, this time on one of golf’s biggest stages.

Rank and Hughes have taken different paths to get to this U.S. Open at the demanding, undulating and windswept Shinnecock Hills, but they will be together Thursday morning, along with Australian Aaron Baddeley, at 7:18 a.m. off the 10th tee.

Rank, from Elmira, ON, has been one of the popular stories in the early days of the tournament. Coming off his second full season as a referee in the NHL, he has been a media darling. He was the first player in the media centre on Monday and has done a steady stream of interviews since.

The 30-year-old deserves all the attention he has been getting, from winning a battle with testicular cancer in 2011 to putting together an impressive amateur career to establishing himself as a referee in the best hockey league in the world.

He had a hat trick at the Canadian Mid-Amateur championship, winning it three times in a row and finished runnerup in the 2012 U.S. Mid-Am. Winning the Canadian Mid-Am got him a ticket to three RBC Canadian Opens, making the cut in 2016. (Last year, he played the par-3 seventh hole, made to look like a hockey rink, in a referee’s sweater).

This season, despite being limited to less than a dozen rounds of golf during the winter as he worked 73 regular-season games in the NHL, he qualified for the U.S. Open with a pair of 71s at the Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Course in Atlanta.

Hughes turned pro in 2013 and won the RSM Classic in 2016.

After playing 14 holes with Hughes, from Dundas, ON, and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, BC, on Tuesday, Rank put in a good session on the range with coach Dave Smallwood and was then interviewed live on The Golf Channel.

The whirlwind will ease Thursday morning when he can step onto the tee where there will be a familiar face.

“That was great for me. I couldn’t have got a better group, I don’t think,” Rank said. “I attended Mackenzie’s wedding. We’re great friends. We played on the Canadian national team for three years together, so very comfortable. It will be kind of nice for me, as I’m sure I’ll be really anxious and nervous and just to have that familiar face beside me in battle is huge.

“And then it’s cool, like Aaron Baddeley growing up was a huge name and still is a big name in golf. Secretly, it’s cool. Like I saw all the guys on the range today and I’m just there kind of like a little fan boy, so it’s cool to see those guys and be able to play with them, as well.”

Canada’s Garrett Rank is a popular man this week at the #USOpen ??⛳️? @golfchannel

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Stephen Walkom, the NHL’s director of officiating, said the same qualities that make Rank an up-and coming referee serve him well on the golf course.

“I think he’s going to be really happy when the tournament starts,” Walkom said. “Once the tournament starts, it’s like a hockey game starting. He’s going to feel at peace, I’m sure. In golf, you have to be mentally tough and I think there are similarities with hockey, recovering quickly from a bad shot or a missed call. Garrett’s got a real passion for hockey and for the game of golf.

“On behalf of all the guys (on the officiating staff), we’re all extremely proud of Garrett and all that he’s accomplished qualifying for the U.S. Open. All the guys are going to enjoy it and wish him the best of luck. It’s great for Garrett. He’s going to have the chance to do something he dreamed about as a kid.”

With the spotlight turned on him, Rank has been taking the opportunity to spread the word Canada isn’t just about hockey.

“Yeah, growing up in Canada, you’re kind of born with a pair of skates on your feet, so hockey is probably our number one sport. But golf is getting there,” he said. “I’ve had a great opportunity with Golf Canada for three years on their Canadian Men’s National Team and have represented them in many international competitions. Obviously, I owe a huge debt to them. I wouldn’t be here without the guidance and support their staff has given me.”

Rank said his goal is to make the cut at Shinnecock. He said he had some issues with the wind, which shifted from the east to southwest on Tuesday, and that’s what kept him on the range.

Rank’s coach, David Smallwood, said what Rank has done getting here is remarkable for a guy who has a full-time job.

“You know what? For somebody who spends 72 nights dropping a puck, this is a part-time gig for him. He gets a few opportunities (to play) when he refs some Florida games and some mini-camps with me in Florida. We’d like it to be a couple more, but he’s busy with all the travel and stuff.

“It’s not the best situation to be able to come out here and compete with the best players in the world, but he’s a helluva an athlete, a helluva player and a helluva guy. When you have talent, you have talent. Is he as sharp mentally? Does he not question stuff because he’s a little rusty or not? He’s had three or four tournaments in the spring. He’s had some playing time. He just hasn’t had the range time.

“It’s a whirlwind,” Smallwood said as Rank headed off to talk to The Golf Channel. “We were planning on being out of here by now just relaxing at the house. It hasn’t worked out that way, so we’re going to do some chipping, some putting, some media. It’s a busy week.

“It’s a bucket list thing and we’re just all so excited about his opportunity this week.”

Adam Hadwin’s work on his all-around game has resulted in a steady PGA Tour season, but he hopes it pays bigger dividends at a U.S. Open course known to reward versatile golfers.

The native of Abbotsford, B.C., will tee off at his fourth career U.S. Open when the major tournament kicks off Thursday at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club, a storied and notoriously tricky course.

“I like tradition and tournaments where par means something,” Hadwin told The Canadian Press in a recent interview. “My game suits that pretty well, which should go hand-in-hand with the U.S. Open.

“I’m really of the mindset that it doesn’t matter what the golf course is, I can adapt my game to fit anything.”

Hadwin, Canada’s highest-ranked male golfer, has enjoyed a successful if unspectacular season. He has three top-10 finishes and hasn’t missed a cut so far.

He arrived at Shinnecock Hills Golf Club on Sunday, a day earlier than usual for a tournament week, to check out the course for the first time.

Shinnecock, established in the 1891, is hosting its fifth U.S. Open. The course on Long Island in New York has implemented larger greens and wider fairways since 2004, the last time it played host.

Jeff Hall, managing director of rules and Open Championships for the United States Golf Association, said the last three U.S. Open champions at Shinnecock _ Raymond Floyd (1986), Corey Pavin (1995) and Retief Goosen (2004) _ knew how to play the game in a variety of ways.

“If it required knocking the ball down they’d do it. Move it left? move it right? they could do it. It really is a complete examination,” he said. “I don’t think it punishes a long player or favours a long player, you just need to be able to play a lot of shots.”

That could favour Hadwin, who took last week off to work on basics like set-up, alignment, ball position and posture.

The 30-year-old feels his well-rounded game is taking shape just in time for the second major tournament of the season.

“I feel like I’m hitting it well. I’m hitting the ball both ways and I’m seeing different shots,” he said. “It gives me a lot of confidence moving forward that I’m continually doing the right things and I’ve just got to keep at it.”

NO RANK AMATEUR

Garrett Rank, a full-time NHL referee who played only four rounds of golf during the hockey season, was co-medallist at his qualifying site in Georgia and will play his first U.S. Open this week.

Rank, of Elmira, Ont., worked 73 games during the regular season and three playoff games in his second NHL season.

But his golf resume is just as impressive.

He is a three-time Canadian Mid-Amateur Champion and represented Canada at the Pan-Am Games in 2015.

He said U.S. Open-style golf fits his game because he enjoys shooting around par, hitting long irons into greens, and playing steady.

“If it was a tournament where I had to shoot super low, I would probably be a little more uncomfortable,” he said.

Rank was diagnosed with testicular cancer in his early 20s, but since has received a clean bill of health.

“2018 has been pretty cool,” he said. “Playing with the best players in hockey on the ice, and now obviously I’ll play with the best golfers in the world at the U.S. Open. It’s a pretty cool life I’m living right now and I’m very thankful for that.”

HOPEFUL HUGHES

It’s been a year of learning Mackenzie Hughes, but the native of Dundas, Ont., he said he’s hopeful his performance at the U.S. Open qualifier will be a springboard for success.

Hughes shot 10-under par over a 36-hole qualifier in Tennessee to finish tied for second. This will be his second U.S. Open after also qualifying in 2013.

The 27-year-old and his wife, Jenna, welcomed their first child last fall and Hughes has been trying to balance fatherhood with the demanding schedule of professional golf.

He’s made only five cuts in 14 events this year, but is encouraged by his result in the qualifier and is eager to tee it up at another major.

“I’m excited to play, and I know I’m good enough to play well in it,” he said. “It’s one of those things where now that I’m in I’m going to try to treat it like any other event, prepare, and play well.”

WAITING GAME

Toronto’s Mark Hoffman and Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., will await their fate this week as both finished as first alternate at their qualifiers.

Conners, who notched his best ever PGA Tour finish at the Fort Worth Invitational in May, lost in a three-man playoff for two spots at Springfield Country Club in Ohio.

He qualified for the 2017 U.S. Open at the same site, but went on to miss the cut.

Hoffman lost in a two-man playoff for one spot at Canoe Brook Country Club in New York. He’s returning from an ankle injury after tearing two ligaments in March, and says the 36-hole qualifier was the first time he’s walked that much in months.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Dustin Johnson emphatically reclaimed the No. 1 ranking Sunday, holing out for eagle from 170 yards on the final hole for a six-stroke victory in the St. Jude Classic.

“What a cool way to end the day,” Johnson said.

Johnson shot a 4-under 66 for his second PGA Tour victory this year and 18th of his career to take back the No. 1 ranking he held for 64 straight weeks before dropping down a month ago . He won the event for the second time, finishing with the eagle, three birdies and a bogey for a 19-under 261 total.

Andrew Putnam started the final round with a share of the lead for the first time in his career. He shot 72 and finished at 13 under.

Preparing for the U.S. Open, Johnson took the lead to himself with a par on No. 1, while Putnam double-bogeyed, and cruised to the $1.18 million winner’s check. Johnson turned in the lowest score under par by a winner here since David Toms won at 20 under in 2003, and that was before the course was redesigned with par dropped from 71 to 70 after the 2004 tournament.

Johnson, who won the U.S. Open in 2016, heads to Shinnecock Hills after stringing together four straight rounds in the 60s. He went 67, 63 and 65 before wrapping up a final round that felt almost like a practice round with the only question remaining how low Johnson would go.

At least until his dramatic walk-off eagle. Johnson was in the intermediate rough to the right of the fairway, and the ball bounced twice before rolling into the cup to bring fans to their feet.

J.B. Holmes (67) was at 9 under. Stewart Cink (72) and Richy Werenski (71) tied at 8 under. Brandt Snedeker (70) and Retief Goosen (66) tied four others at 7 under.

Phil Mickelson had a 65 and was at 6 under.

Putnam, a two-time winner on the Web.com Tour, had only one bogey through his first three rounds. He pushed his opening tee shot into the right rough and his approach in the rough left of the green. He wound up three-putting for double bogey. Johnson rolled in a 4-footer for par and a two-stroke lead at 15 under on a sizzling day with the temperature feeling like 99.

Johnson worked on keeping the ball in the fairway, hitting 3-wood off the tee on the first of the course’s two par 5s. Even with the 3-wood, Johnson had the second-longest drive of the day, hitting 333 yards on the 554-yard hole.

Even when Johnson three-putt No. 5 to drop to 15 under, Putnam also bogeyed protecting Johnson’s lead at three strokes. Putnam pulled within two strokes with a birdie on No. 7, rolling a putt 11 feet after Johnson parred the hole.

Johnson hit an iron 307 yards off the tee at No. 10 . After hitting iron off the tee at No. 12 and going left of the cart path, Johnson saved par with a 16-foot putt to protect his two-stroke lead. Then Johnson hit a drive 359 yards on the par-4 No. 13, leaving him 95 yards to the pin. Johnson then hit his approach to 3 feet for his second birdie to go 16 under.

He previewed his dramatic finish on the par-5 16th. Johnson’s tee shot found the trees right of the fairway, and he threaded a shot through a couple trees to just off the green. He chipped to 5 feet and birdied for a four-stroke lead.

Canada’s Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, BC had his best day of the weekend finishing 30th in a 66-round. Ben Silverman (75) of Thornhill, Ont. and Corey Conners (76) of Listowel, Ont., finished 67th and 68th, respectively.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. –  Andrew Putnam matched the best round of his short PGA Tour career with a 6-under 64 and tied Dustin Johnson atop the St. Jude Classic on Saturday.

In position to reclaim the No. 1 ranking with a victory, Johnson had a 65 to match Putnam at 15-under 195.

A two-time winner on the Web.com Tour, Putnam birdied No. 18.

Putnam was bogey-free playing a group ahead. Now he will play in the last group on the final day for the first time on the PGA Tour with Johnson.

Stewart Cink, who had a hole-in-one on No. 8, matched his low round of the year with a 64 to get to 10 under.

Canadians Corey Conners and Ben Silverman also made the cut and head into the final round at 1-over-par 211.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Dustin Johnson wants to sharpen his game for the U.S. Open. Moving back to No. 1 in the world would just be a nice bonus because the only way he can do that before Shinnecock Hills is by winning the St. Jude Classic.

Johnson knows what he wants.

“I just want to win,” Johnson said.

Johnson shot 7-under 63 for his lowest round this year and grabbed a one-stroke lead Friday after 36 holes at the St. Jude Classic. He had four of his seven birdies and an eagle on his back nine for a 29 and finished with a 10-under 130 total.

Ryan Blaum and Andrew Putnam each shot 64 and were tied second, and C.T. Pan (65) and Wesley Bryan (66) followed at 8 under.

Brandt Snedeker shot his best round this year with a 62 that was one stroke off the course record. He was at 7 under.

Irishman Seamus Power, who came in with a one-stroke lead, shot a 69 to reach 6 under. Defending U.S. Open champ Brooks Koepka (69) was at 5 under, and Phil Mickelson (70) was at 4 under.

Two-time defending champ Daniel Berger (71-141) missed the cut.

Johnson spent 64 weeks atop the world ranking until Justin Thomas made the cut at the Players Championship in May and grabbed the top spot to himself. Johnson said the course and not playing only four times in April and May combined prompted his decision to play here before going to Shinnecock Hills.

“Just wanted to play, stay sharp,” Johnson said. “I like this golf course, and I feel like I play it well and wanted to be on top of my game going into next week, too.”

Johnson also had a 63 in the second round of the World Golf Championships-HSBC last October to kick off this season. He won the Tournament of Champions in January and followed with a tie for second at Pebble Beach in February. He has three top 10s and tied for eighth last week at Memorial.

A winner here in 2012, Johnson is back here looking for 18th career title while tuning up for the U.S. Open he won in 2016. He hit everything well from a 3-wood that went 316 yards off the tee to his irons to putter.

“I feel like I’m playing really well,” Johnson said. “I’m swinging the club very well. I know if I can drive it in the fairway that I’m going to give myself a good look for birdie. I felt I did that pretty much all day today and hit a lot of great shots in there and had a lot of really good looks at birdies.”

At 3 under, Johnson opened with a 6-foot birdie putt on No. 10 only to bogey Nos. 12 and 13 after hitting into the rough. He bounced right back by rolling in a 21-foot birdie putt on the par-3 No. 14. He holed out from the right front bunker for birdie on the par-5 No. 16.

His round really clicked into gear after making the turn.

Johnson holed out a sand wedge from 111 yards on the par-4 No. 1 for eagle and nearly holed out again on No. 2 from 114 yards, tapping in from 9 inches for birdie. He two-putted from 29 feet on the par-5 No. 3 and drained a 16-footer for birdie on No. 6. Johnson saved par with a 7-footer after chipping out of the bunker on No. 8.

And Johnson became the first to hit 10 under after hitting his second shot 159 yards on No. 9 to 6 feet for a final birdie .

Snedeker, who lives in Nashville, Tennessee, hadn’t played this event three hours away from his home in five years and none of his eight PGA Tour victories have been at the TPC Southwind. Snedeker turned in a bogey-free round with eight birdies needing only 22 putts.

“It obviously went pretty well,” said Snedeker, the 2012 FedExCup champ. “It’s one of those days you like to have. You don’t have them very often out here where the hole looks like it’s the size of a beach ball and can’t miss a putt.”

Canadians: Ben Silverman sits T40 while Corey Conners and Nick Taylor sit T58.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. – Canadian Mackenzie Hughes got the strong start he was looking for. The 27-year-old notched a 4-under 66 in Thursday’s opening round to sit in a 11-way tie for second, one stroke off the pace.

Hughes posted five birdies against one bogey at TPC Southwind and will go off in his second round at 7:50 a.m. local time. The Dundas, Ont., native will play in next week’s U.S. Open, alongside fellow countryman Garrett Rank of Elmira, Ont.

Phil Mickelson also opened the event on a positive note. Steve Stricker is having too much fun to just stick to the senior circuit.

Mickelson and Stricker shot 4-under 66 on Thursday in the St. Jude Classic, leaving them in an 11-player tie for second – a stroke behind Seamus Power of Ireland. Mickelson matched his best opening round in relation to par this season.

“Oh, it was a great start for me,” Mickelson said. “I ended up finishing off the round. I had a nice little stretch there in the middle where I went birdie, eagle, and I was able to finish it off with some pars after some poor tee shots.

“It’s a good start. It’s not like you’re trying to win the tournament on Thursday. But it’s nice not to put myself too far behind so I’m playing catch-up. So another good round tomorrow will put me right in it for the weekend.”

Power birdied his final hole for the lead over Mickelson, Stricker, U.S. Open champion Brooks Koepka and others. He went to No. 18 tied with seven others atop the leaderboard and took the lead himself with his second birdie over his final three holes.

The 51-year-old Stricker had a long day Monday qualifying nearby for the U.S. Open. He played only six holes Tuesday and a nine-hole pro-am Wednesday to rest up. He turned in a bogey-free round Thursday and capped his day chipping in from 34 feet for his fourth birdie. He has two top-25 finishes in seven tournaments on the PGA Tour this season, and Stricker said he wants to show he can finish off an event.

“I still feel like I should play out here. I belong out here. I’m trying to stick with that,” said Stricker, a two-time winner this year on the PGA Tour Champions.

Koepka is preparing for his U.S. Open title defence next week at Shinnecock Hills.

Second-ranked Dustin Johnson was at 67 with Retief Goosen, Scott Stallings and seven others.

Two-time defending champ Daniel Berger bogeyed three of his first five holes and finished with five bogeys and five birdies for a 70.

Mickelson won in March in Mexico for his 43rd career victory, and he has tied for second at the TPC Southwind twice with a tie for third since 2013. He is looking for his first win here while tuning up his game for the U.S. Open. He matched the 4-under par 68 he opened with at the Houston Open in April with three birdies, an eagle and one bogey.

This tournament at TPC Southwind will become a World Golf Championship event in 2019, and Mickelson said this course is tough for anyone to shoot really low. That makes limiting mistakes crucial.

“If you don’t make any, you don’t lose too much ground and you can make it up quick,” Mickelson said. “It’s just a course that’s hard to go really low on. That’s something I’ve picked up on this golf course over the years. There’s a lot more big numbers on this course than you think. Water comes into play. There’s just some challenges. So I ended up eliminating the big numbers and fortunate enough to salvage par on No. 9 and 12 in today’s round.”

Johnson hit into the water for a double-bogey on No. 9. A winner here in 2012, Johnson also had the shot of the day on the par-4 No. 12. With his ball near the water, Johnson took off his right shoe and rolled up his pant leg before stepping into the water. He chipped in from 40 feet.

“It wasn’t a very easy shot, and I actually didn’t hit it very well,” Johnson said. “I just got lucky and it went in the hole.”

Koepka got to 5 under with a string of four straight birdies but his second bogey cost him a share of the lead.

“I didn’t play well at all to be honest with you,” Koepka said. “We hit some pretty poor shots. We were kind of all over the place, but hope to figure this out for the rest of this week.”

Power played in college across the state at East Tennessee State, the 31-year-old Irishman came into this event ranked No. 345 in the world. Teeing off in the morning and starting on No. 1, Power birdied two of his first three holes before dropping a stroke with a bogey on No. 4. He bounced right back with a birdie, and his sixth birdie came after hitting his approach from 128 yards to 3 feet to match his low round of the year.

“I played here last year and it kind of suits my eye, so I kind of feel good going out,” said Power, who tied for 27th here in 2017.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is 2 under while Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., opened with 70s. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., shot a 2-over 72.

Team Canada alumni Garret Rank and Mackenzie Hughes both qualified for the U.S Open on Monday at their respective sectional qualifiers over the weekend.

The Stanley Cup final may be in full swing, but NHL referee Garrett Rank has his sights set on another major sporting event. The 30-year old amateur golfer from Elmira, Ont., earned a spot in the U.S Open on Monday by finishing tied for first at a regional qualifying tournament.

Rank shot 2-under over the 36-hole event to earn one of the three spots available at Ansley Golf Club’s Settindown Creek Course near Roswell, Ga.

Meanwhile, Dundas, Ont., talent Mackenzie Hughes also played his way into the U.S. Open after finishing tied for second at 10-under at his qualifying site, the Ridgeway Country Club in Memphis. This will be his second U.S. Open after playing in 2013.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Bryson DeChambeau finally got it right on his third try at the 18th hole and won the Memorial in a playoff on Sunday.

DeChambeau three-putted for bogey on the 18th for a 1-under 71 to get into a three-way playoff at Muirfield Village. He missed the green from the fairway on the 18th on the first extra hole and had to scramble for par. On his third try, he hit his approach to 12 feet behind the hole and made it for birdie to beat Byeong Hun An and win for the second time on the PGA Tour.

“I can’t believe I did it,” DeChambeau said.

Kyle Stanley ran off four straight birdies toward the end of his round until his final tee shot caromed off a tree and across the fairway into deep rough. He made bogey for a 70 and still got into a playoff, but he was eliminated on the first extra hole when his approach from deep rough and the ball well above his feet squirted to the right , leading to a bogey.

An closed with a 69.

Tiger Woods was never a serious factor. Starting five shots behind, Woods pulled to within three shots with a two-putt birdie on the par-5 fifth hole. But his chances effectively ended when he missed a 3-foot par putt on No. 10, and he put his tee shot into a backyard for the second time this week. He closed with a 72 and ended one of his best ball-striking weeks in a six-way tie for 23rd.

Woods was second-to-last in the key putting statistic among the 73 players who went all four rounds.

“If I just putt normally, I probably would be right there with those guys and up there in the last couple of groups,” Wood said. “If I just keep building on this, with how I’m hitting it right now, I’m in good shape for two weeks from now.”

The next stop for Woods is the U.S. Open at Shinnecock Hills.

Patrick Cantlay also had a chance on Sunday, leading by two shots going to the back nine. But he didn’t make a birdie over his last 10 holes, and he fell back when he went bunker-to-bunker on the 17th and made bogey to fall two strokes behind. Cantlay narrowly missed a 25-foot birdie putt on the final hole, shot 71 and finished fourth. Peter Uihlein (66) was alone in fifth.

Joaquin Niemann, the 19-year-old from Chile, birdied the 18th hole to tie for sixth. That was enough for him to earn special temporary membership on the PGA Tour, meaning he can get unlimited sponsor exemptions.

Justin Thomas shot 68 and tied for eighth in his debut at No. 1 in the world. He will keep that ranking going into the U.S. Open.

Woods was finishing when a long final round took shape over the last few holes.

Cantlay’s lead evaporated quickly. DeChambeau pulled within one shot with a birdie on the par-5 11, and he took the lead with a two-shot swing on the next hole with a birdie as Cantlay made bogey from the bunker. Stanley hit into the water and made double bogey and looked to be done.

Except that he wasn’t.

Stanley ran off four straight birdies, the last one from 30 feet to tie DeChambeau for the lead. And then one bad break nearly ended it for Stanley.

His tee shot was close to ideal until it caught a tree limb and caromed across the fairway, and only the ankle-deep rough kept it from going in the creek. He walked toward the tree and couldn’t believe where the marshals told him it was. He did well to advance it 100 yards down the fairway, and he missed a 15-foot par putt.

DeChambeau failed to take advantage, however, three-putting from 55 feet to fall into the three-way playoff.

On the first extra hole, DeChambeau was the only player in the fairway and missed the green to the right. He had at least chipped close enough to make par, and An joined him with a nifty chip from behind the green and straight down the slope, the ball grazing the edge of the cup.

Stanley was eliminated, but not without one last try. After his ball squirted out some 30 yards, he was still in deep rough and came up short, and his pitch for par hit the cup and hopped a few feet by.

An nearly got away with his mistake on the second playoff hole, which he pulled into the gallery. He hit a flop shot to a few feet and was certain to get par when DeChambeau ended it with his birdie putt.

DUBLIN, Ohio — Bryson DeChambeau finished off a 6-under 66 with birdies on two of the toughest holes, giving him a one-shot lead going into a final round at a Memorial that features Tiger Woods in the mix at Muirfield Village for the first time in six years.

Woods was in total control of his shots for the second straight day, only to miss short putts down the stretch that spoiled his run. He was briefly tied for the lead Saturday until three-putt bogeys on the 16th and 18th holes, and he had to settle for a 68. He was five shots behind.

Woods wasn’t alone in missing short putts.

Walking off the course with his first 54-hole lead, DeChambeau couldn’t but help but think of the two that got away. He missed a 3-foot birdie putt on the ninth hole, and then missed a birdie putt from 4 feet on the par-5 15th.

With the course soft and vulnerable to low scores, it was tough to leave shots on the course.

“Just keep thinking about those two 3-footers I missed,” said DeChambeau, who was at 14-under 202. “I played great, obviously. Ecstatic about where I am.”

DeChambeau wasn’t even sure where he was when he finished because so many players worked their way up and down the leaderboard over the final two hours. He wound up with a one-shot lead over Kyle Stanley, who bogeyed the 18th hole from the bunker for a 70; Patrick Cantlay, who drove into the creek left of the 18th fairway for a bogey and a 66; and Joaquin Niemann, the 19-year-old from Chile who atoned for one big mistake on the 15th hole with a birdie on the 18th for a 70.

Cantlay made two eagles, including a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth. DeChambeau rolled in a 20-foot birdie on the par-3 16th, the third-toughest at Muirfield Village in the third round, and he hit 9-iron to 5 feet on the toughest hole , the 18th.

Six players had at least a share of the lead at some point.

Byeong Hun An played bogey-free for a 69 and was two shots behind, while Justin Rose dropped two shots over the last three holes for a 69 and was four back.

Woods played the last five holes of the front nine in 5 under, starting with his second eagle of the week. And then he stalled, just like he did on Friday. He didn’t make another birdie until the par-5 15th, when his sharp-breaking 15-footer dropped to give him a tie for the lead.

That didn’t last long. Woods ran his 45-foot birdie putt about 7 feet by on the par-3 16th and missed it coming back, and then closed by missing a 3-foot par putt.

“I know I shot 68 today, but again, that’s probably the highest score I could have possibly shot,” Woods said. “I played really, really well. I played beautifully, actually. Had total control of what I was doing out there and just didn’t finish it off.”

He won the Memorial for the fifth time in 2012, finished 20 shots behind the following year and then injuries took over. He finished in last place in 2015, the last time he was at Muirfield Village.

This year has produced the kind of golf Ohio fans are used to seeing. And the weather is about par for Muirfield Village, with more thunderstorms expected Sunday. The final round will be threesomes teeing off earlier than usual to account for the forecast.

“The weather is going to be a little iffy,” Woods said. “But I’m in a position where if I shoot another good round like I had the last two days, I’ve got a chance.”

Rory McIlroy, remarkably, has reason to feel the same way.

McIlroy nearly missed the cut, surviving on the number after two days. He played bogey-free for a 64 and wound up just six shots behind. Just like Woods and DeChambeau, he had a few regrets on the greens. McIlroy missed three birdie chances inside 8 feet.

Rose has a chance to reach No. 1 in the world with a runner-up finish, depending on what Justin Thomas does Sunday. Thomas shot a 68 with three bogeys and was seven off the lead.

Along with making his second ace of the season, Cantlay blistered a 4-iron as far as he can hit it on the par-5 15th, the ball landing just short of the green and stopping 4 feet away.

Niemann also made an eagle with a 50-foot putt on the par-5 seventh hole. It was his bid for another eagle that cost him. Going for the green at No. 15, the teenager flared it out to the right and it caught the corner of a creek, leading to bogey.

He still was in good shape to win in just his fifth start on the PGA Tour.

DUBLIN, Ohio – Joaquin Niemann could figure out where Tiger Woods was on the golf course from the mass of people following him a few groups ahead, and he had a pretty good idea what he was doing from all the noise, at least before Woods put a putter in his hands.

“There was so many people,” Niemann said.

The few that stuck behind for the 19-year-old Chilean saw another good show.

In his fifth start as a pro, Niemann finished with two birdies over his last three hole s for a 4-under 68 and a share of the lead with Kyle Stanley, who had a 66. He finished with an 8-foot birdie on the 18th hole.

Woods made Muirfield Village sound like a rock concert until storms arrived. He holed out with a sand wedge from 97 yards for eagle on the par-5 11th hole, and then his tee shot on the par-3 12th struck the flag waving in the wind and settled 6 feet behind the hole.

And then he sat out a weather delay that lasted just under 90 minutes, and he missed four putts under 7 feet the rest of the way.

“It could have been easily a nice little 62 or 63,” Woods said. “I turned it into a 67.”

And he was six shots behind with nearly two dozen players in front of him.

Stanley, who won the Quicken Loans National last summer, was atop the leaderboard for much of the day and was starting to pull away until a poor tee shot at No. 6 led to bogey. He finished with a par save from just off the ninth green and reached 11-under 133.

On the other side of the course was Niemann, the No. 1 amateur in the world and Latin American Amateur champion who wanted to play the Masters before turning pro. He looks his age when his braces shine every time he smiles. He plays beyond his years.

Already with a pair of top 10s on the PGA Tour, Niemann now finds himself in the last group going into the weekend at the tournament Jack Nicklaus built, and he doesn’t appear to be the least bit nervous about being there.

“It feels really nice to be on top of the leaderboard,” he said. “It does feel really nice for tomorrow.”

Byeong Hun An had a 67 and was two shots behind.

Among those three off the lead were Hideki Matsuyama (71), who earned his first PGA Tour title at the Memorial three years ago, and Jason Day, a former world No. 1 who is a member at Muirfield Village and has never come close to winning. Perhaps this is the year. Day had never been within five shots of the lead going into the weekend at the Memorial, and he’s not sure why.

“I think I just (stunk) on it for a long time,” Day said. “I don’t think there was anything, any reason why. I just didn’t really play well. But I’m hopeful I can change that because I feel different this year.

“I want to play well in front of my family,” he said. “Family and friends come out and I want them to be yelling in the crowd when I’m in contention.”

Henrik Stenson and Justin Rose each had a 66 and were in the group at 7-under 137, while Dustin Johnson was among those at 138, even though he has played the par 5s in just 1 under for the week.

Johnson and Rose each have a chance to get to No. 1 in the world. Justin Thomas, in his debut at No. 1, overcame a pair of early bogeys for a 69 and was at 3 under.

Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., was tied for 69th at even par. Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., missed the cut after shooting a 73.

Woods was another shot behind, and it looked as though he was about to post his lowest score of the year. He made the turn in 33 with a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 9, and then he made a solid escape from the rough and trees on No. 11 before holing out for eagle.

He missed birdie chances of 6 feet, 4 feet and 7 feet, and then missed from 3 feet for par on the 17th that left him exasperated.

And hopeful.

“I missed a lot of short putts, which is something I don’t normally do, which is just frustrating,” he said. “I’ve got to clean that up come this weekend and hopefully, I can get it going. Hopefully I can play well like this on the weekend and I’ve got a great chance of winning this tournament.”

At least he has a chance.

Rory McIlroy made bogeys on both par 5s on the front nine as he tried to finish strong. He had to settle for a 70 and made the cut on the number. That was still better than Jordan Spieth, who finished bogey-bogey for a 72 and missed the cut by three shots.

Since his closing 64 at the Masters, Spieth has finished at least 12 shots behind the winner in his three tournaments and missed the cut in his final event before heading to Shinnecock Hills for the U.S. Open.