Chez Reavie shot a 5-under 65 on Friday to move to 9-under 131 and share the lead with Charl Schwartzel and Sebastian Munoz after two rounds at the St. Jude Classic.

Schwartzel had a 66 while Munoz finished the round with a 67. Stewart Cink – who shared the first-round lead along with Matt Every, Scott Brown and Munoz – was one stroke back after his 68 at the PGA Tour’s final event before the U.S. Open.

Ben Crane, who won this tournament in 2014, was two strokes off the lead after shooting a 65 at the par-70 TPC Southwind course.

Reavie, who started two strokes behind the co-leaders, had three birdies on the front nine and an eagle on the par-5 No. 16, landing his second shot fewer than 15 feet from the flagstick and sinking the putt. The 35-year-old from Arizona State earned his only win on tour at the RBC Canadian Open in 2008.

“There’s no way that I can change my mindset and go out there and try and make pars – I won’t win the golf tournament if I do that,” Reavie said. “I need to just keep doing the same thing I’m doing – attack the holes that suit my eye and make as many birdies as I can.”

Schwartzel, who shot a 65 in the first round, began his round one stroke behind the four first-day leaders along with Matt Jones.

He started on the back nine and birdied four of his first eight holes, going back-to-back on Nos. 16 and 17. On the par-5 16th, he sent his second shot into a greenside bunker but recovered by chipping out of the sand to inside of 5 feet of the flagstick.

The 32-year-old South African then moved into sole possession of the lead with a birdie on the par-4 second – only to give it back with a bogey on the par-3 eighth.

Schwartzel, who finished third at The Masters, is seeking his third career victory on tour – he’s won 12 times internationally – and first since he won the 2016 Valspar Championship near Tampa, Florida.

“If these fairways get firm (over the weekend), you’re really going to have to try to keep it in the fairway,” Schwartzel said. “If you’re missing fairways, with the greens, you’re going to miss a lot of greens, you’re going to struggle. So if you want to move forward and win this golf tournament, I think all parts of your game are going to have to be in top form.”

Munoz, who made a late charge up the leaderboard in the first round, kept himself there with his second strong round, shooting four birdies to offset his first bogey of the tournament, which came on the par-4 18th. He arrived in Memphis having never shot better than 67 in any round on tour, only to match or better that in each of his first two rounds here.

Among those who missed the cut at 1 over: Jason Bohn, Boo Weekley and Jim Furyk were in the cluster of players at 2 over, and Rickie Fowler was at 4 over.

Brantford, Ont., native David Hearn is T28 at 3-under par.

For the full leaderboard click here.

To help celebrate Canada’s 150^th anniversary, Golf Canada and RBC have announced the launch of The Rink – a fan experience taking place during the 2017 RBC Canadian Open that will combine Canada’s most popular past-times, golf and hockey.

During championship week, July 24-30, the par-3 7^th hole at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., will transform into a rink-styled fan experience, complete with hockey boards, a Zamboni, as well as the addition of new rink-side bleachers and viewing decks.

“We’re very excited to bring The Rink to life,” said RBC Canadian Open Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin. “We wanted to create an experience that oozed Canadiana. We know Canadians love hockey, and of course they love golf too. Combining rinks and links was a no-brainer.”

To add to The Rink experience, volunteer marshals on the hole will be outfitted in referee uniforms, while rink boards will outline the hole from tee to green, replacing traditional roping.

Seating for The Rink is adjacent to the Coors Light 19^th Hole Beer Garden. In-seat service and giveaways will be available to ensure fans don’t miss out on the action. A $1,000 donation to Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada will be made for every birdie made on the hole during championship play, Thursday to Sunday.

Global TV will also have their broadcast booth behind the green looking back at the tee, enabling television viewers the opportunity to witness The Rink from the comfort of their own homes.

“The RBC Canadian Open has always been uniquely Canadian,” added Matt McGlynn, vice-president, brand marketing for RBC. “We felt integrating ‘The Rink’ into our Canadian-themed activation would be a perfect extension to the fan experience. We’re proud to support Golf Canada and make this Canadian tribute a reality, hopefully for many years to come.”

There is perhaps no better way to show your Canadian pride than by cheering on homegrown Canadian talent – and Canada’s top golfers are giving fans lots of reasons to cheer. The 2017 edition of the RBC Canadian Open will be a showcase of the incredible Canadian talent on the PGA Tour.

Two Canuck golfers have earned their first PGA TOUR victories this season, with Adam Hadwin winning the Valspar Championship in March and Mackenzie Hughes winning The RSM Classic last November.

Graham DeLaet is hungry for his first PGA TOUR victory, recently recording his fifth Top 10 of the season – a tie for 10^th at The Memorial.

The deep contingent of Canadian talent continues with the likes of Nick Taylor. The PGA TOUR winner (2014 Sanderson Farms Championship) has three Top-10 finishes this year and would love to notch another win this year at Glen Abbey.

David Hearn nearly tasted victory at the 2015 RBC Canadian Open. With a massive crowd cheering him on as they sang “O Canada,” Hearn held the lead heading into the final round at Glen Abbey. However, he would fall short, finishing third behind electric Australian Jason Day.

Perennial fan favourite and Masters champion Mike Weir will also be teeing-it-up at the RBC Canadian Open ahead of his debut as assistant captain at The Presidents Cup.

Headlining the International golfers already committed to compete are world No. 1 Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, recent THE PLAYERS Championship winner, Si Woo Kim and PGA TOUR rookie sensation Bryson DeChambeau. Team RBC golfers Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer and Brandt Snedeker will also be in the field.

The RBC Canadian Open is more than just 72 holes of world-class golf – it’s one of Canada’s most prolific sporting events, chocked-full of activities for spectators both inside and outside the ropes.

In addition to The Rink and outstanding golf, other fan activities adding to the RBC Canadian Open experience include:

RBC Canadian Open 5K Run – Saturday July 22
Landmark Sport Group in conjunction with Golf Canada will once again be putting on the RBC Canadian Open 5K Golf Run. On Saturday, July 22, 2017 the second annual RBC Canadian Open 5K Running Event will provide participants the opportunity to run or walk along the spectator and cart pathways of Glen Abbey Golf Club. The route begins near the 1st tee of the Championship Course and finishes alongside the iconic and picturesque 18th green. This event is ideal for traditional and non-traditional running audiences. All participants will receive a bib, shirt and finisher’s medal. Registration is $60 and all participants receive a free Anyday ticket to enjoy the championship. www.golfrun.ca

Hall of Fame Induction & Official Opening Ceremony – Tuesday July 25
On Tuesday, July 25 at 10 a.m. our Opening Ceremony will officially kick off the RBC Canadian Open and include the Canadian Hall of Fame induction of amateur golf titan Judy Darling Evans and legendary golf club maker Bob Vokey. The ceremony, which is free to the public, will conclude with a military flyover and the singing of the national anthem.

Kids 17-and-under Get in Free
In their continued commitment to Canadian families, Golf Canada and RBC strive to provide a fan friendly, all encompassing family event with the RBC Canadian Open. In an effort to introduce more juniors to the sport, kids aged 17-and-under get FREE admission to the RBC Canadian Open for the entire week.

Red & White Day – Friday, July 28
The RBC Canadian Open is Canada’s National Championship and to celebrate ‘Our Open’, Friday, July 28 of tournament week will once again be ‘Red & White Day’. Spectators, sponsors, players and attendees are encouraged to wear Canada’s national colours in support of our Canadian golfers in the field.

Canadian Armed Forces Day Presented by Commissionaires– Saturday, July 29
Commissionaires, the largest private employer of veterans in Canada, will host Canadian Armed Forces Day on Saturday July 29, 2017. All current and former members of Canada’s Armed Forces who register at www.commissionaires-cgl.ca will be entitled, along with their immediate famiy, to a “military pass” that will provide access to the tournament grounds and upgraded venues.

Information regarding tickets, free 17-and-under junior passes, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open can be found at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

Former British Open Champion Stewart Cink, Matt Every, Scott Brown, and Sebastian Munoz each shot 6-under 64s on Thursday to share the lead after one round at the St. Jude Classic.

Charl Schwartzel and Matt Jones were each one stroke back at the final tuneup before the U.S. Open.

Two-time U.S. Open champion Retief Goosen and Chez Reavie each shot a 66 on the par-70 TPC Southwind course.

The 33-year-old Every has two wins on the PGA Tour, but none since 2014. He’s only made two cuts this year and hasn’t finished better than a tie for 62nd at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March.

“I haven’t played real well in a couple years, and I’ve been out here for like seven or eight, so I kind of know the drill,” Every said. “Like one round is not that big a deal. It is nice to play well, but yeah, they don’t hand out trophies after the first round.”

Every had four birdies during his round and an eagle on the par-5 16th, sticking his second shot about 10 feet from the flagstick before sinking the putt. He closed his round by making a 30-foot birdie putt on the 18th.

“Middle of the round got a little away from me, but I saved some shots and I haven’t been doing that lately,” Every said. “Then I played pretty solid the last few holes. So it was just a good day. I was kind of due for one.”

Cink, Brown and Munoz joined him by making afternoon charges up the leaderboard.

Brown, a 34-year-old who finished second at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans and tied for second at the Genesis Open, followed a bogey on the 14th with consecutive birdies, holing a pair of putts from inside of 10 feet to pull even with Every. He missed a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 18 that would have given him sole possession of the lead.

“I’ve been striking it nicely now for a few months and just the putter’s kind of been a little inconsistent,” Brown said. “Hot some days, cold some days. … If I can keep the putter rolling, should be kind of in the mix for the week.”

Cink, a 44-year-old, six-time winner on tour and 2009 British Open winner, birdied three straight holes late in his round, including one from about 10 feet on the par-4 5th. He bogeyed the next hole, then closed his round with a birdie on No. 9 to catch Brown and Every.

“The key to my round today was the key to anyone’s round who plays well here and that is you’ve got to keep the ball in front of you,” Cink said. “Meaning, you don’t have to hit every fairway, but you can’t really be off too much.”

Munoz, a 24-year-old, third-year pro from Colombia who’s chasing his first victory on tour, was bogey-free during the best round of his career. He had six birdies, including two in a row on Nos. 15-16.

Billy Horschel used a fairway wood to putt on his final hole after he broke his putter a hole earlier. After missing a 2-foot putt on No. 8, he flipped his putter in the air and the head snapped off when it struck the ground. According to PGA rules, he wasn’t allowed to use a new putter because it didn’t break during the course of play. He finished with a 72.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Graham DeLaet was the big mover among Canadians vying for spots on the 2017 Presidents Cup International team. DeLaet, a member of the 2013 International Presidents Cup team, tied for 10th at the PGA TOUR’s Memorial Tournament in Dublin, Ohio, last week.

It was the three-time Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada winner’s fifth top-10 of the 2016-17 season but his first since tying for sixth at the RBC Heritage in April.

Adam Hadwin remains the top Canadian in The Presidents Cup standings. Hadwin is 11th, remaining where he was last week after missing the cut at the Memorial.

The top-10 players from the Official World Golf Ranking (OWGR) as of September 4 will make Captain Nick Price’s team. Mackenzie Hughes, at No. 30, is the next-highest Canadian in the standings. From those not qualifying, Price will then have two at-large selections.

The 2017 Presidents Cup will be held September 28-October 1 at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City, N.J. The U.S. defeated the International team by one point at the 2015 Presidents Cup at Royal Melbourne Golf Club.

In history, DeLaet and Mike Weir are the only Canadians who have played in The Presidents Cup. Weir is a five-time participant, with a 13-9-2 record in his 24 matches. In 2007, Royal Montreal Golf Club hosted the biennial event, with the U.S. winning 19.5-14.5.

Canadian Standings through June 4

Golf Canada and RBC today announced Dustin Johnson, Bubba Watson, Si Woo Kim and Bryson DeChambeau have made early commitments to compete at the 2017 RBC Canadian Open from July 21-27 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont.

Johnson, who has been No. 1 on the Official World Golf Rankings since February of 2017, has three PGA TOUR victories this season to lead the FedEx Cup standings.

Bubba Watson last competed at the RBC Canadian Open in 2015, where he finished runner-up to Jason Day.

Si Woo Kim is coming off the biggest win of his career, taking top spot at the 2017 THE PLAYERS Championship to climb to No. 32 in the Official World Golf Ranking and 22^nd on the FedEx Cup Standings.

DeChambeau, a popular player with fans, enjoyed a career-best PGA TOUR finish at the 2017 Puerto Rico Open, where he tied for second with Retief Goosen and Bill Lunde.

Ten members of Team RBC have also committed to compete at Canada’s National Open Championship, including Canada’s Adam Hadwin, Graham DeLaet, Nick Taylor and David Hearn. The Canadians will be joined by teammates Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer and Brandt Snedeker.

In addition, a sponsor exemption has been extended to Jared du Toit of Kimberly, B.C. The Golf Canada Amateur Team member sprung to notoriety thanks to a stellar showing at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, where he finished 9th.

The field also features all three Order of Merit winners from the first three seasons of the Mackenzie Tour – PGA TOUR Canada, including Canadian and 2013 Order of Merit winner Mackenzie Hughes, along with Joel Dahmen (2014) and J.J. Spaun (2015). Other early Canadian player commitments include Ottawa’s Brad Fritsch and Canadian Golf Hall of Fame Honoured Member Mike Weir.

“Our field is coming together and we’re thrilled to welcome some of the best player in the world, a good mix of top international talent and a solid list of Canadians as early commitments for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open,” said Tournament Director Brent McLaughlin.

A Canadian has not won the RBC Canadian Open since Pat Fletcher in 1954. However, Mackenzie Hughes (The RSM Classic) and Adam Hadwin (Valspar Championship) each have PGA TOUR wins this season.

“This will be an exciting year for Canadian golf fans for sure,” added McLaughlin. “We’ve come close in recent years with David Hearn finishing 3_^rd in 2015 and du Toit’s terrific run last year. This may be the year the drought finally comes to an end.”

Team Canada member Hugo Bernard of Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que., won the 2016 Canadian Men’s Amateur Championship to earn an exemption into the RBC Canadian Open, while NHL Referee and Elmira, Ont., native Garrett Rank won his spot by claiming the 2016 Canadian Men’s Mid-Amateur Championship. In mid-May, Matt Hill of Brights Grove, Ont., won the Ontario Regional Qualifier to earn his spot.

Additional player announcements will be made in the coming weeks. Players have until 5 pm ET Friday before tournament week to confirm their participation with the PGA TOUR.

Information regarding tickets, free 17-and-under junior passes, volunteer opportunities and corporate hospitality for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open can be found at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

Jason Dufner never lost sight of the big picture even after losing a big lead. It paid off for him Sunday when he rallied from a four-shot deficit and holed a 30-foot par putt on the 18th to close out a victory in the Memorial.

Dufner lost a five-shot lead in the third round. He started the final round facing a four-shot deficit. And then he played his best golf on the back nine, and kept his composure during two rain delays, to close with a 4-under 68 and win by three shots.

“Yesterday was not my best day,” Dufner said of his 77. “But I had to get over it quick. It’s a 72-hole tournament, there’s a lot of things that can happen out there. I knew I was still in the mix.”

Dufner finished at 13-under 275 for his fifth PGA Tour victory, and he joined tournament host Jack Nicklaus as the only Ohio-born winners of the Memorial.

The only two Ohio-born players to win @MemorialGolf?@JasonDufner and @jacknicklaus. pic.twitter.com/clpNDpZnCj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 5, 2017

Not since Nick Faldo in the 1989 has anyone shot 77 in the third round and still won on the PGA Tour.

Rickie Fowler, in prime position to force a playoff on the 18th hole by making birdie, instead made bogey after Dufner ended it with his big par putt. Fowler shot 70 and tied for second with Anirban Lahiri, who closed with a 65.

Justin Thomas missed consecutive short birdie putts that stopped any momentum he had. Matt Kuchar fell back with three bogeys on the back nine. They finished another shot behind. Daniel Summerhays, who began the final round with a three-shot lead, began the back nine with two straight bogeys, and he finished with a double bogey for a 78 to tie for 10th.

Dufner set the 36-hole scoring record at Muirfield Village. No one would have been surprised Friday afternoon that he would be shaking hands with Nicklaus at the end of the tournament.

But what a ride in between.

Dufner got back into the mix quickly when Summerhays lost his three-shot lead after four holes. Over the next five hours – with 2 1/2 hours’ worth of rain delays – four players had at least a share of the lead and seven players were in the hunt.

Dufner had one stretch on the front nine of bogey-birdie-bogey-birdie-bogey. He played the front nine in even par, and then he came to life. Not only did he hit every green until the 18th on the back nine, all but one of his birdie chances came from 12 feet or closer.

He stuffed his approach on No. 10 to 4 feet and holed a 10-foot birdie putt on the par-3 12th. After missing a pair of birdie chances in the 12-foot range on the next holes, he hit the par-5 15th in two and two-putted for birdie from 40 feet to take the lead.

Fowler fell back when he missed the 14th green long and took bogey, and then hit his fairway metal into the gallery on the 15th and failed to make birdie. Dufner gave himself a cushion on the 17th with his best drive of the day and a wedge to 3 feet.

A birdie on No. 17 gives @JasonDufner a two shot lead heading to the 18th. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/YIuNpmKBOk

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 4, 2017

He made it more exciting than he preferred on the 18th by driving into thick rough just short of the bunker, and hacking out into more rough.

He put his third shot to just over 30 feet on the 18th. Fowler, who pulled his wedge left of the green, had Dufner go first to make sure Fowler would have needed to hole the birdie chip to have a chance. Dufner ended the suspense with a putt and a rare show of emotion, slamming down his fist.

Suddenly, he can start thinking about reaching the Tour Championship and possibly playing in the Presidents Cup.

“I’m pumped to be in the mix again,” Dufner said. “It’s been a good year so far, but this has made it nice.”

Fowler lost a chance to win, and so did Thomas, who already has three victories this year. Thomas saved par on the 12th to stay within one shot of the lead, but then he missed from 4 feet on the 13th and 8 feet on the 14th, two birdie chances that could have tied him with Dufner.

And after a big drive on the par-5 15th, Thomas sent his iron well right and was lucky to still be in play. He made par, then dropped a shot on the next hole and his chances were over.

The two rain delays softened the course slightly and ended what would have been a rare week of perfect weather at Muirfield Village. It still finished with a champion everyone would have expected two days ago – just not the way Dufner got there.

Weyburn, SK. native Graham DeLaet was the top Canadian finishing T10. DeLaet fired a final round 68 (-4) to jump 17 spots up the leaderboard.

For the full results click here.

Daniel Summerhays managed to walk a relatively straight and narrow path at the Memorial, and it took him to an unlikely position going into the final round.

He started with a five-shot deficit.

He ended with a three-shot lead.

All because the guy next to him Saturday, Jason Dufner, lost his way.

Summerhays dropped only one shot and rarely was out of position on his way to a 4-under 68. More than his solid round was the collapse by Dufner. One day after he set the 36-hole scoring record, Dufner shot a 77 and was four shots behind.

He made four straight bogeys on the front nine and lost his five-shot lead in five holes. He hit two balls in the water on the back nine. He missed the putts he had been making for two days.

“Today was pretty pathetic on all accounts, so have to play better tomorrow,” he said.

At least he was still in the game, along with plenty of company.

Summerhays was at 13-under 203. Matt Kuchar, who won the Memorial four years ago, ran off three straight birdies on the back nine and shot a 67. That put him in the final group with Summerhays as Kuchar tries to end three years and 82 starts without a victory on the PGA Tour.

“I’m excited to have another chance here,” Kuchar said. “It looked like after 36 holes that none of us were going to have a chance at it.”

Graham DeLaet (73) of Weyburn, Sask., was the low Canadian at 3 under. Nick Taylor (71) of Abbotsford, B.C., is even.

Bubba Watson overcame a heckler on the 18th hole with one last birdie for a 68. He was four shots behind along with Justin Thomas (69) and Dufner. Rickie Fowler (72) salvaged an up-and-down day and was five behind.

.@BubbaWatson‘s back nine:

?
?
?
?
Par
?
Bogey
Par
?

What a finish!#QuickHits pic.twitter.com/OMFXp0fEYB

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 3, 2017

Watson turned and acknowledged the heckled after his birdie putt.

“Obviously, not a Bubba Watson fan,” he said. “It started about 50 yards short of the green. He kept going. I’m taking a guess, he wasn’t drinking water like I was all day. But it’s one of those things.”

This is a rare chance for Watson, the two-time Masters champion who hasn’t been a factor all year. He has gone 14 months without finishing in the top 10 at a PGA Tour event with a full field.

But even for Watson, it all started with Dufner’s bad day.

Dufner missed the second green to the left from the rough and made bogey. He missed a 6-foot par putt on the third, then hit into the right bunker on the par-3 4th and made another bogey. And then he three-putted the par-5 fifth for a fourth straight bogey.

Dufner was still tied for the lead when his wedge on the par-5 11th spun back down the green and into the water, leading to double bogey. It was a three-shot swing when Summerhays made birdie, and Dufner never caught up.

He had said his breathing exercises over putting didn’t mean he would always have good days, and this was a bad one. Dufner had a pair of three-putts, and he twice missed birdie putts from 6 feet. He capped off his day by pulling his tee shot into the water and making another bogey.

“The tournament is not over,” Dufner said. “It will be over tomorrow.”

Summerhays wasn’t thinking about cutting into the lead when he started. He wasn’t thinking much about anything except the shot at hand, and he kept hitting good ones in the midst of Dufner’s streak of bogeys.

“A train wreck can happen at any moment,” Summerhays said. “And that’s why it’s such a great golf course because it does test everything. Legitimately from the first hole to the 18th hole, there’s a double bogey somewhere in there.”

Jordan Spieth knows the feeling. He was right in the mix until catching a downhill like in the bunker left of the par-3 eighth. He tried to play a perfect shot and barely got it out, then chipped down to 5 feet and missed the putt, making double bogey. Spieth started the back nine with two straight birdies only to follow with two straight bogeys. It added to a 71, and he was six shots behind.

The biggest surprise this week at Muirfield Village has been the weather _ sunshine for three straight days, which has made the course fast and opened up more possibilities of little mistakes turning into big numbers.

Storms have been in the forecast for Sunday, though not early enough for the PGA Tour to move up the tee times. Another dry day, and anything can happen.

The last three winners of the Memorial had never won on the PGA Tour, and Summerhays fits that mould. The 33-year-old from Utah is in his seventh year.

“I really don’t have any goals tomorrow besides give all my efforts into each shot,” Summerhays said. “And I feel like I did that today.”

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jason Dufner wanted to put together more than just a few good rounds this week at the Memorial.

The first two put him in the record book.

Dufner holed out from 176 yards on the 18th hole for an eagle, and then added three more birdies on the front nine at Muirfield Village for another 7-under 65, giving him the 36-hole scoring record at the Memorial and a five-shot lead going into the weekend.

He was at 14-under 130, one shot better than the record previously held by Rickie Fowler (2010) and Scott Hoch (1987). Neither wound up winning the tournament.

Daniel Summerhays made bogey on his last hole and shot 69 to finish five shots behind Dufner. Fowler (66) was another shot behind.

Jordan Spieth was one shot out of the lead after the opening round. He already was eight shots back when he teed off, and all he managed was a 72. Spieth and Justin Thomas (71) were tied for fourth and eight shots behind.

“Duf is obviously in full control of the ball tee to green, and you’ve got to be making some putts, too,” Spieth said. “He had two fantastic days. He’s a major champion and a multiple PGA Tour winner, he’s going to be a tough guy to chase down. But again, playing with the lead on this golf course I imagine is going to be difficult.”

Dustin Johnson, the world’s No. 1 player, won’t have to chase him. Coming off a 78 _ and his first round without a birdie in nearly four years _ Johnson couldn’t get anything going and shot 74 to miss the cut by five shots.

“I hate missing cuts,” Johnson said.

At least he had time on his side. Johnson was headed up to Wisconsin for the weekend to see Erin Hills for the first time. His fiancee, Paulina Gretzky, is expecting their second child next week before he returns for his title defence in the U.S. Open.

Zach Johnson dug deep to make the cut on the number with four birdies on his last five holes. So did Tony Finau, who birdied his last three. They all have a long way to go to get to Dufner.

Grahaem DeLaet is the top Canadian, in 13th. The Weyburn, Sask., native shot a 67 and is 4 under. Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., is 1 over while Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is 2 over. Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., both missed the cut.

The shot that got the most attention was Dufner’s 6-iron that he holed on No. 18 for his eagle. With a back left pin, the shot fit what he was trying to do, and he said the bonus was that it found the bottom of the cup.

The key to his great play was his putting, something Dufner rarely says. When asked about it at Kapalua to start the year, Dufner said: “I’ve been putting bad for 17 years. It’s tough to change.”

He managed with the help of a friend who sent him some research from a doctor who works with snipers in the Marines, and how they focus primarily on their breathing and their heartbeats. Dufner found his worst trait in putting was not having a consistent routine and getting too fast, almost as if he wanted to get it over with quickly.

“I think the one thing that also helps is it gives me something to think about other than my stroke or holing this putt or the situation I’m in,” Dufner said. “Subconsciously, I’m just putting. But I’m more focused on my breathing and I’m at with that.”

He said the goal presumably is to keep his heartbeat low, a real challenge for a guy who barely has a pulse in the first place.

“I’ve never had anybody measure it,” he said. “But I know that there’s been times with my putting that the thought process and my actions have felt like they’ve been sped up and too quick. And I’m trying to slow down and focus on that breathing. It’s been working. I’ve been using it all year. This is the first time I’ve said anything about it. Some days I’m better with it than others. You think it would be pretty easy to be consistent with that, but some days it’s not.”

Fowler started the tournament with a triple bogey on his second hole and he was 3 over through four holes when he turned it around Thursday for a 70. He was back out Friday morning and shot 66 and walked off the course the closest player to Dufner, even if it wasn’t very close.

Fowler and Dufner lived under the same roof during the winter months when Dufner came down to south Florida play some golf. They are good friends with personalities as different as hard rock and easy listening.

“We got to spend a decent amount of time together and that was fun,” Fowler said. “He’s one of a kind. He’s one of the best guys I know out here. … Because he’s fairly quiet on the course, you don’t get to really see who he is as a person. He’s one of the funniest guys out here, too. But fan-wise you wouldn’t really see that. The way he carries himself is pretty chill and mellow.”

He very quietly took only 130 shots over two days.

Dufner, who grew up in northern Ohio, missed the cut the first two times he played Muirfield Village. He skipped the next three chances at the Memorial, but didn’t have a choice in 2013 when he won the PGA Championship and earned a spot in the Presidents Cup that was held on the course Jack Nicklaus built.

Dufner spent that week asking his teammates how they played the course. Dufner posted a 3-1 record that week, and when he returned to the Memorial in 2014, he was at par or better over his next six rounds. He still doesn’t have a top 10, but he has figured something out.

For the full leaderboard click here.

Jason Dufner putted for birdie on every hole until the last one at the Memorial, a game so under control it looked as simple as breathing.

Even with a bogey on the final hole, Dufner had a 7-under 65 for his best score Thursday at Muirfield Village, giving him a tie for the lead with David Lingmerth. They were one shot ahead of Jordan Spieth, whose short game is starting to return with the U.S. Open around the corner.

Lingmerth, whose first PGA Tour victory came at the Memorial two years ago, also bogeyed his last hole on an ideal day for scoring.

Starting quickly at the Memorial is nothing new for Dufner lately. He opened with a 66-67 two years ago before fading on the weekend. Last year, he opened with a 68.

“I can put a couple of rounds together here,” Dufner said. “But I’m looking for more than that this week. Hopefully, we can keep it going for four.”

Dustin Johnson and Jason Day want to make sure they get to play for rounds.

Johnson three-putted after putting his tee shot into the water on the par-3 16th and made triple bogey. He three-putted from 4 feet on the sixth hole and made double bogey. And he didn’t make a single birdie in his round of 78.

It was the first time in nearly four years – since the Bridgestone Invitational in 2013 – that Johnson failed to make a birdie.

Day, who has yet to crack the top 25 at the club where he holds a membership, made bogeys on both par 5s on the back nine and was headed for a big score until he birdied his last two holes for a 75.

Nick Taylor (69) of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian, tied for ninth at 3-under par. Graham DeLaet of Weyburn, Sask., was 1-over 73 in a tie for 48th, David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was 2-over 74 to tie for 63rd, Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., was 4-over 76 to enter a group at 82nd and Adam Hadwin, also from Abbotsford, was 6-over 78 to join a group at 109th.

Dufner nearly hitting every green in regulation is not surprising with his efficient swing. He recalls hitting 17 in a row in a round at Muirfield Village a few years ago until the 18th hole, and it got him again Thursday. He even went for a slightly longer club, a 7-iron instead of an 8-iron, but the contact wasn’t pure and he came up short in a bunker. He blasted out 12 feet by the hole and missed his par putt.

“I’m OK,” Dufner said. “I’ll get over it.”

Calm as ever, Dufner was mostly pleased with taking the stress out of his putting by not having any tough par putts. He attributes that to hard work, which is mainly working on his breathing.

A bad day of breathing is short and quick. He prefers a slow, rhythmic breath and a process of counting to two on the exhale and pulling the trigger. He said it was similar to snipers who focus mainly on the heartbeat and breathing.

“It’s been working,” he said. “It’s been working all year. Some days I do it better than others. Today, I was really focused on it.”

Lingmerth, a playoff winner over Justin Rose in 2015, got his name on the board quickly with four straight birdies on the front nine to turn in 31, and then he hit a 3-wood to 6 feet on the par-5 15th for an eagle. He had only two pars on the back nine.

“Obviously, having won here it brings back good memories,” Lingmerth said. “And the other years I’ve played here, I’ve always loved it. I haven’t really contended all the way until Sunday those other years, but I’ve always felt good about this place. I feel confident out here. I roll the ball really well on the greens.”

Daniel Summerhays joined Spieth at 66, while Justin Thomas and Lucas Glover were at 67.

Phil Mickelson, playing the second of four straight weeks through the U.S. Open, had a relatively calm day in his round of 70. Rickie Fowler had anything but a calm day. He was 3 over through four holes, answered with four birdies over his next five holes, then traded birdies and bogeys on the back nine until finishing with one last birdie for a round of 70 that featured just six pars.

Spieth missed the cut at The Players Championship and at his hometown event in the AT&T Byron Nelson, and he was on the verge of going home early at Colonial until turning it around. He wound up finishing one back of Kevin Kisner, and Spieth brought his form to Ohio.

He needed a little help along the way, mostly the pin getting in the way of a tough bunker shot on the par-3 12th. It dropped for a birdie. He ended his back nine with a pair of bogeys, then finished in style with four birdies over his last five holes.

“I felt like I scored the way I played today,” Spieth said. “I got an awesome break on my third hole today, No. 12. I didn’t have much of a chance to stop the bunker shot unless it hit the pin and it dunked. That saved me a couple of shots. I figured it could be a good day when your off shots you’re making birdie on.”

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Kevin Kisner birdied the first three holes on the back nine to take the lead and held on to win at Colonial despite a Sunday charge by defending champion Jordan Spieth.

Kisner shot a 4-under 66 to finish at 10-under 270, including a clutch par save on the 18th hole after a wayward tee shot and an approach that was off the back side of the green and well below the hole. He finished a stroke ahead of Spieth, Sean O’Hair and Jon Rahm.

Spieth shot a bogey-free 65, and was standing on a chair to see over the crowd at the 18th green when Kisner putted up the mound to 5 feet of the cup and then made the winning putt. That came right after Rahm’s 10-foot birdie chance skirted just to the left of the hole.

.@K_Kisner with a clutch par on 18!

He's your new clubhouse leader. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/WDZxagMUoj

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 28, 2017

The 33-year-old Kisner got his second PGA Tour victory in 148 starts since his debut in 2011, and a check for just more than $1.2 million. He was a runner-up twice this year, and six times over past three seasons.

Kisner had a three-stroke lead at the turn on the final day of the Arnold Palmer Invitational in March before finishing a stroke behind Marc Leishman. Kisner made a nearly 95-foot chip-in for eagle to get him and fellow Aiken, South Carolina, resident Scott Brown into playoff at the Zurich Classic’s new team format before losing on the fourth playoff hole to duo of Australia’s Cameron Smith and Jonas Blixt of Sweden.

After a 14-foot birdie at the 420-yard 15th hole at Hogan’s Alley, Kisner had a two-stroke lead. That at the same hole where Spieth, playing two groups ahead of him, punctuated an 11-foot birdie putt with a fist pump.

Picture perfect from @jordanspieth.

One back. #QuickHits pic.twitter.com/BgEKBY4r7E

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 28, 2017

But about the same time Kisner made a bogey at the par-3 16th, Spieth was hitting his drive way right at the 18th hole and went on to save par after a chip to 5 feet. Kisner hit a similar drive, and also saved par.

Spieth, who had missed consecutive cuts at The Players Championship and the AT&T Byron Nelson, was trying to become the only player other than Ben Hogan to win consecutive Colonials. Hogan won five times, including the first two in 1946 and 1947, along with consecutive wins again in 1952 and 1953.

O’Hair and Rahm, who the last two years won the Ben Hogan Award as the nation’s top college player, both shot 66.

Adam Hadwin (70) of Abbotsford, B.C., was the low Canadian at 4 over. Graham DeLaet (71) of Weyburn, Sask., was 5 over, Abbotsford’s Nick Taylor (71) was 6 over and David Hearn (73) of Brantford, Ont., was 10 over.

There were several near misses for Spieth, who started the day five strokes behind 54-hole leader Webb Simpson.

Spieth had birdies on the first two holes before a nearly 20-footer lipped out at the 453-yard No. 3 hole. He also just missed a 12-footer at No. 9, and a 25-footer at the 446-yard 12th hole rolled over the left edge of the cup.

Simpson, the 2012 U.S. Open winner, was the 54-hole leader by two strokes, but started the final round with an unusual bogey at the par-5 first hole. His only birdie came at No. 9, and he bogeyed the 18th when he drove into the left rough after Kisner had already posted his final putt. Simpson had a 71 to finish fifth at 8 under.

Congratulations to @K_Kisner!

He is your new @DeanDelucaInv champion! pic.twitter.com/upOt2GnVqq

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) May 28, 2017

Steve Stricker, the 2009 Colonial winner who turned 50 this year, shot a 63 to move from a tie for 32nd to a tie for seventh for 6 under. He had eight birdies his first 14 holes Sunday, on track to challenge the Colonial course record of 61 and maybe even a 59, before a bogey and three closing pars.

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