NICHOLASVILLE, Ky. (AP) – Brian Stuard shot an 8-under 64 on Thursday to take a one-stroke lead in the suspended first round of the PGA Tour’s Barbasol Championship.

Play was suspended twice in the afternoon because of rain and lightning, with 30 players unable to finish before dark.

After dropping a stroke on the par-4 18th to finish his opening nine, Stuard birdied five of the next six holes in the morning round at Keene Trace.

“I felt like my iron play was nice today,” Stuard said. “I didn’t think I drove it well, but there’s not a lot of rough so you can kind of attack from anywhere, so that’s what I was able to do.”

Team Canada’s Taylor Pendrith was at 65 with Luke List, Joseph Bramlett, Ryan Armour, Scott Harrington, J.T. Poston, Vaughn Taylor and David Lingmerth.

Patrick Rodgers, Stephen Stallings Jr. and Will Grimmer also were 7 under when darkness stopped play. Rodgers and Stallings had two holes left, and Grimmer three. Play was delayed for a total of 2 hours, 35 minutes in the afternoon.

Stuard won the rain-shortened Zurich Classic of New Orleans in 2016 for his lone PGA Tour title. The 38-year-old Michigan player tied for eighth last week in Illinois in the John Deere Classic.

“It was a good start, but in all honesty, it doesn’t really mean much,” Stuard said. “I need three more good rounds to put myself in contention, I guess. It’s nice to start off well. I need three more, so just got to keep going.”

List birdied the par-4 17th after the second rain delay to join Stuard at 8 under, then drove into the right-side water on the par-4 18th and closed with a bogey.

“Long day,” List said. “There’s birdies to be made on this golf course, so I kind of knew that I had to be aggressive out there and I was fortunate to be able to make some birdies and one eagle. Had a few bogeys, but overall I played well.”

Bramlett eagled the par-5 fifth and eighth holes and also had a double bogey.

“I’ve gotten a little bit more speed this year, which has helped, so the par 5s are a little bit more shorter for me,” Bramlett said. “I had an 8-iron in on one, 7-iron in on the other and I hit some really good iron shots, so gave myself good looks and knocked them in.”

Defending champion Jim Herman opened with a 67. He won in 2019, and the event was canceled last year.

Canada’s David Hearn and Jason Dufner also shot 67.

Wilco Nienaber, the big-hitting South African who received a foreign exemption to play, was 3 under with three holes left.

Canadians Roger Sloan and Michael Gligic were both 3 under when play was suspended, while Nick Taylor fired a 1-under 71.

John Daly had two double bogeys in a 76.

SANDWICH, England – Jordan Spieth rolled in putts like it was 2017. Louis Oosthuizen put those runner-up finishes in the last two majors out of mind and soared to the top of the leaderboard. They gave the British Open a familiar feel on Thursday.

Normalcy returned to the wind-swept links at Royal St. George’s in other ways, too.

The roars and cheers of the biggest golf crowd since the pandemic rumbled around this quirky course off Sandwich Bay, just like pre-COVID times.

For Spieth, that was as welcome as being an Open contender once again.

His 5-under 65 certainly turned back time to four years ago when he lifted the claret jug at Royal Birkdale the last English venue to host the British Open when he was hitting the ball better than he ever has.

Spieth was a shot off the lead held by Oosthuizen, who saved par from a fairway bunker on No. 18 for a 6-under 64. That tied the lowest opening round at Royal St. George’s, previously set by Christy O’Connor Jr. in 1981.

That didn’t look as though it would be the case after the South African opened with seven straight pars. He followed with six birdies in his next nine holes.

“I’ve learnt over the years playing major championships that patience is the key thing,” said Oosthuizen, who hasn’t won one of them since the British Open at St. Andrews in 2010. There have been six runner-up finishes in the majors since then, including in the last two.

Oosthuizen and Spieth were among the morning starters who enjoyed the best of the conditions, notably soft bounces on the most undulating fairways and greens on the Open rotation.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., started early and opened with a strong round of 4-under 66, good for a tie for fourth. His day included three straight birdies on holes 4-6.

Yet many of the world’s best couldn’t take advantage.

Patience already might be wearing thin for U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm, who slapped his thigh in frustration after making a double-bogey at No. 9, where he took two shots to get out of a pot bunker in the fairway. He shot 71, like Bryson DeChambeau, who spent much of his first round up to his knees in deep grass and cursing his driver, saying it “sucks” after being unable to use his power to overwhelm Royal St. George’s.

Shane Lowry, the Open winner in 2019, also shot 71 in front of a crowd that has a daily capacity of 32,000 this week. Not since Royal Portrush, where Lowry won, has any golf tournament seen so many spectators through the gates.

With last year’s event canceled because of the pandemic, Lowry could finally be announced at an Open as the reigning champion golfer.

Not so for the majority of the afternoon starters, who encountered more prolonged gusts off the English Channel and slightly drier conditions.

Rory McIlroy birdied the last to salvage a 70 in his bid for his first major title in seven years. Justin Thomas shot 72. Phil Mickelson shot 80, his highest start ever in the British Open, that left him tied for last place.

Benjamin Hebert and Webb Simpson, with rounds of 66 that tied them for fourth place with three others, had the best scores from the afternoon. Former PGA champion Collin Morikawa, in his first links test, and English favorite Tommy Fleetwood were at 67.

Fleetwood would like nothing more than to become the first Englishman with his name on that silver jug since Nick Faldo in 1992.

“It’s been a long time since an Englishman has won the Open, and I would love to be the next one. So we’ll see,” Fleetwood said.

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., opened at 2 under, while Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., and Toronto’s Richard T. Lee were at 5 over.

Brian Harman was tied for second with Spieth after making five birdies in his first eight holes and finishing with a 65. Top-ranked Dustin Johnson hit 14 greens in regulation and said he was pleased with his round of 68 that had him in a tie for 19th.

Spieth had not won since Birkdale until he ended his slump at the Texas Open in April. He looked the happiest of anyone Thursday, saying he liked where his game was at after matching his lowest score at an Open. He also had a 65 on the first day at Birkdale.

And he made reference to that victory while running off four straight birdies starting at No. 5, telling former caddie John Wood part of the U.S. broadcast team that it was just like 2017 the way he was making putts and Wood was watching him. Wood was caddying in the final round at Birkdale for Matt Kuchar, who was second.

It was only Oosthuizen ahead of him. And that was no real shock, considering the South African was tied for the lead in the first and third rounds at last month’s U.S. Open and in the second round at the PGA Championship in May.

The return of the spectators made it feel like a proper Open, especially on the hill overlooking the par-3 6th hole that attracted some of the biggest galleries of a day that started with a blue, cloudless sky.

Just before midday, the group containing Stewart Cink, Lee Westwood and Martin Kaymer all hit tee shots inside 6 feet of the pin. As they walked onto the green, one spectator shouted: “You three should be professionals.”

To which Kaymer’s caddie, Craig Connolly, replied back across the green: “You should be a comedian.”

“I feel like the fans here are very knowledgeable about the sport,” Spieth said, “and they’re also having a great time.”

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) – Luke List has a happy and healthy home life with his newborn son, and he felt pretty good about his golf game Friday in the John Deere Classic.

List ran off seven birdies in an eight-hole stretch in the middle of his round, his only par on a 12-foot birdie chance on the 15th hole, and posted an 8-under 63. That gave him a one-shot lead over Sebastian Munoz going into the weekend at the TPC Deere Run.

List was at 13-under 129.

Munoz played early and shot a 4-under 67, getting all his birdies on the back nine and then finishing with 10 pars.

Former tournament winner Ryan Moore had a chance to catch List until he ran into trouble off the 18th tee and made bogey, giving him a 66 and leaving him among seven players two shots off the lead. That group included Lucas Glover and Chase Seiffert, each with 63.

List is still searching for his first PGA Tour victory, though that wasn’t front and center over the last month. His son, Harrison, was born June 5 and had to return to the hospital because of a respiratory virus that had him intubated for a few days and in intensive care for two weeks.

List, who is No. 117 in the FedEx Cup with the season winding down, stayed home the last two weeks to help with their 2-year-old daughter.

“It was tough, but it’s been amazing to come back,” List said. “Everyone has been asking and praying and thinking about us, so it’s kind of cool. It’s a big family out here, and it’s nice to know that you’ve got everyone’s support when it’s not going great.”

Harrison is home and gaining weight. “Everything is great now,” List said.

The key to his round Friday was simple. While all eight of his birdies were about 10 feet or closer, there’s a reason for that. List missed only one fairway. On two of the par 5s, he had eagle putts from 25 feet and 10 feet.

The scoring was so good, as it often is at the John Deere, that the cut was at 4-under 138.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the top Canadian after a 6-under 65 put him 10 under. Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., (64) was 8 under, followed by David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., (65) at 7 under. Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., (70) was 1 under and missed the weekend cut.

Among those making it to the weekend was Steve Stricker, the 54-year-old Ryder Cup captain and three-time John Deere Classic winner. Stricker wanted to be part of the 50th anniversary of the tournament, so he skipped his title defense at the U.S. Senior Open.

His play on Friday suggested that was a good move, with six birdies in his round of 66 that left him seven shots behind in the middle of the pack.

“This tournament has meant a lot to me over the years. It’s a special place for me,” Stricker said. “It’s hurt the last few times I haven’t been able to come here. … I wish the two events were at different times. I could have played both of them. But this is the spot for me to be this week.”

One of his birdies was on the par-5 second hole, which he reached in two with an iron. Calling the action was 22-year-old daughter Bobbi Maria Stricker, who plays for Wisconsin.

Also making the cut was Nick Watney, who was hovering close to the line with a bogey on the fifth hole (his 14th of the round) and responded with back-to-back birdies. He shot 66, significant because it ended a nasty patch of 18 consecutive missed cuts.

SILVIS, Ill. (AP) – Sebastian Munoz never knows when the switch will come on and the putts start to fall, but he recognized it happening Thursday in the John Deere Classic.

Munoz was motoring along when he closed with five straight birdies at the TPC Deere Run for an 8-under 63, turning a solid day into a share of the lead with Chesson Hadley.

“I just go blank, to be honest,” Munoz said. “It’s funny because when I make a lot of birdies, I usually play a little more safe and pick my spots. I have like 10-, 12-footers and they start to drop. That’s what I did today. And that’s where we’re at.”

Hadley was on the other side of the course, finishing on the front nine. It wasn’t nearly as spectacular, but he played bogey-free and had back-to-back birdies on three occasions. He was helped by making three of his birdies from 25 feet.

Hank Lebioda, who finished one shot out of the playoff last week in the Rocket Mortgage Classic, was poised to join them. He was 7 under through 12 holes and tied the lead with a tee shot on the 213-yard seventh hole that stopped 20 inches from the cup.

But he missed the fairway to the right on the par-4 ninth, chose to pitch back to the fairway and hit a wedge to 6 feet below the cup. He missed the par putt and had to settle for a 64. Chez Reavie and Camilo Villegas, who played in the morning, also were at 64.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., was the top Canadian after opening with a 4-under 67. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Roger Sloan of Merritt, B.C., fired 1-under 70s, while Michael Gligic Burlington, Ont., was even par.

Scoring was so good in immaculate conditions that nearly half the field broke 70.

Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker, who chose to play in the 50th anniversary of the John Deere Classic instead of defending his title in the U.S. Senior Open, got off to a sluggish start until he rallied with a few birdies on the front nine for a 70.

That will leave the three-time John Deere champion some work to do Friday afternoon to make the cut. But at least Stricker gets a little more sleep for that 54-year-old body.

“I’m not used to getting up at 5 in the morning anymore to play,” Stricker said. “And I kind of played like I was still asleep for a while. Righted the ship a little bit. A little disappointed that I didn’t capitalize on a few more of those coming in.”

The leading player from among the top five at the end of the week earns a trip to the British Open if he’s not already exempt. Munoz is in the field next week at Royal St. George’s. Hadley is not, though with so many low scores, it will take two more days to sort that out.

Cam Davis, a playoff winner in Detroit last week, had to turn down his spot in the British Open. Kevin Na decided to withdraw because of travel requirements in place for family members, and next on the reserve list was Davis.

One problem. The Australian can’t travel overseas. He got married last September, lives with his American-born wife in Seattle and decided to start the process of getting a green card for ease of travel overseas and going home to Australia.

He’s at the stage now where he can’t go overseas until he gets a temporary card. He knew that even before winning the Rocket Mortgage Classic. And he will get by.

The emotions of winning for the first time can take a toll. Davis wasn’t sure if he would continue his good form or run out of gas. Thursday was a little of both. He holed an 8-foot eagle putt on the par-5 second and reached 6 under through 11 holes, only to play 2 over the rest of the way for a respectable 67.

“I’m looking forward to seeing my family and celebrating back in Seattle next week and recharging a little bit because this week is already a bit of a grind to get through,” Davis said. “I’m pretty tired. It’ll be nice to relax.”

DETROIT (AP) – Davis Thompson, in his third PGA Tour event as a professional, is leading the Rocket Mortgage Classic.

He’s not excited about that fact. Yet.

“Sounds good on Sunday,” Thompson said after matching a Detroit Golf Club record with a 9-under 63 to take the early first-round lead. “It’s only Thursday. I know I’ve got a long way to go.”

Brandon Hagy, Tom Lewis and Joaquin Niemann were two shots back. Seamus Power and J.J. Spaun shot 66, putting them another stroke behind the surprising leader.

Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont., shot a 67, putting him four shots back at 5-under. Roger Sloan of Calgary is also at 5-under with three holes left to play in his first round. 

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., is tied for 87th, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin, of Abbotsford, B.C., are both tied for 110th, and David Hearn of Brampton, Ont., is tied for 124th. Hadwin and Hearn still have two holes left to play.

Thompson is in the field as a sponsor exemption after sending an email to tournament officials, asking for a spot. The 22-year-old former University of Georgia star missed the cut last week at the Travelers Championship after tying for 35th in his pro debut at the Palmetto Championship earlier in June.

It is unlikely anyone saw his breakthrough round coming after he was a combined 6-over par in six previous starts – four as an amateur – on the PGA Tour. Thompson did show a flash of promise when he competed in the 2020 U.S. Open as an amateur, opening with a 69 before missing the cut at 7-over 147.

Thompson took advantage of favorable conditions with rain-softened greens and light wind Thursday morning at Detroit Golf Club, missing only one green and needing just 26 putts in his bogey-free round with nine birdies.

Thompson resumed his round after play was suspended due to inclement weather for three-plus hours. He tied the course record shared by Nate Lashley, who won the inaugural event in 2019, and J.T. Poston.

“I’ve played in a few pro events now, so you’ve just got to keep your emotions in check,” Thompson said. “Anything can happen. I know I’m playing well, so I’m just going to have some confidence going into (Friday) and hopefully I can play another good round.”

Players with afternoon tee times had to endure a long wait to begin playing and wind that was 5 to 10 mph stronger than it was in the morning. Twenty-seven players will finish their first round early Saturday morning before playing the second round.

Defending champion Bryson DeChambeau got off to a shaky start, a day after parting ways with caddie Tim Tucker. He replaced him for this week with Cobra-Puma Golf tour operations manager Ben Schomin, who said he was a caddie in competition for the first time.

DeChambeau, No. 6 in the world ranking, is trying to successfully defend a PGA Tour title for the first time. He had a chance two weeks ago to repeat at the U.S. Open, but went from leading the major with nine holes left to faltering and finishing in a tie for 26th.

And now, the big hitter might not make the cut and that would be a blow for him and the Detroit-based company that pays him as part of an endorsement deal.

DeChambeau missed the fairway to the right at Nos. 2 and 3, leading to bogeys. At the par-3, 184-yard ninth hole, he was short off the tee, on his chip and 10-foot putt to put another bogey on his card that dropped him to even-par 36 at the turn.

DeChambeau had nine pars on the back nine, closing with a 72 to leave him nine shots behind Thompson. He declined to be interviewed Thursday night.

Phil Mickelson entered the Rocket Mortgage Classic for the first time in the event’s three-year history and said it will be his last appearance.

Mickelson said he will not come back due to a report by The Detroit News that was published this week. The newspaper obtained federal court records from 2007, detailing how a Michigan-based bookie was accused of cheating Mickelson out of $500,000.

The 51-year-old Mickelson shot a 69, marking the sixth time he has been under par out of 11 rounds since he became the oldest major winner at the PGA Championship in May.

The ticket ballot for The 150th Open has opened today, giving golf fans around the world the opportunity to secure a ticket for the historic Championship.

The 150th Open, taking place from 10-17 July 2022 in St Andrews, is set to be a true celebration of golf and the long history of golf’s original championship, as well as the many great champions who have lifted the iconic Claret Jug.

With record-breaking levels of demand anticipated for the milestone Championship at the Home of Golf, the ballot was introduced to provide the fairest way for golf fans of all generations to obtain tickets.

The ticket ballot will run until Monday, 4 October and give fans plenty of time to register their interest in tickets. A balance of allocations will ensure fans from near and far will be able to attend the celebrations in St Andrews next summer. Fans will find out the results of the ticket ballot by the end of November 2021.

The ticket ballot is available exclusively to members of The One Club, the free-to-join membership programme. Members who have already registered their interest for the ballot can now apply for tickets. Fans can still sign up at any time via www.TheOpen.com and apply for tickets.

Martin Slumbers, Chief Executive of The R&A, said, “We are looking forward to a very special occasion in golf next year with The 150th Open being played at the birthplace of the game in St Andrews. We will be celebrating one of the most prestigious and renowned events in the sporting calendar and will be welcoming some of its greatest champions past and present.

Ticket prices for The 150th Open will be £95 for an adult on Championship Days and will range from £20 to £50 on practice days. The R&A is fully committed to encouraging more children and young people to attend The Open and free tickets will be available to children through the successful and long-running Kids go Free programme, while half-price youth tickets are available for 16-24 year-olds. In order to give as many people as possible the chance to attend the Championship, weekly tickets are being discontinued.

Hospitality for the Championship has been on sale since last year, with 90% of packages already sold. The remaining Origins Hospitality, incorporating a range of fully inclusive experiences, is available to purchase now and is the only way fans can guarantee their place at the Championship. Visit www.TheOpen.com/hospitality2022 for further information.

Last month, The R&A launched the new 150th commemorative brand which will be displayed across a campaign of content and activations that will run throughout the next year until the conclusion of next year’s Championship at St Andrews.

The focus of the campaign is the remarkable journey of The Open and its enduring impact on players, fans and the sport of golf itself since it was first staged back in 1860, emphasising the campaign’s central message that ‘everything has led to this’ as we count down to what promises to be a truly unforgettable occasion.

For more information on The 150th Open or to sign up to The One Club and enter the ticket ballot, visit www.TheOpen.com.

If you were to create your perfect golfer from tee to green using only Canadian golfers, whose driving abilities would you take? Whose putting skills? Whose silky-smooth swing? Let’s break down what the ultimate golfer might look like when comprised of some of Canada’s very best.

Driving

When it comes to hitting off the tee, it’s not hard to find a few names. One that comes to mind is Taylor Pendrith. Pendrith is currently one of the heaviest hitters on the Korn Ferry Tour circuit. For the 2020-2021 season, his average driving distance is 319.9 yards. Currently ranked fourth in driving distance on the Korn Ferry Tour, he is just over 4 yards off the first-place number. Back in September of 2020, Pendrith made his major debut at the U.S. Open where he finished third in average driving distance among some of the best in the world.

A decade ago, Graham DeLaet was making similar impact on the PGA Tour. In his first season back in 2010, DeLaet ranked sixth in driving distance with a 305.7-yard average. Between 2012 and 2017, DeLaet routinely ranked inside the top 40 in the same statistic. In 2013, DeLaet had the fourth longest drive on the PGA Tour that season, hitting one drive 420 yards.

If we’re talking about driving excellence, Brooke Henderson’s name must be there. For the past five seasons, Henderson has ranked inside the top 25 on the LPGA Tour for driving distance. Last season, she matched her career high ranking of eighth, with an average driving distance of 266.784 yards. However, she doesn’t just bomb the ball – there’s something to be said about her accuracy as well – Henderson ranked 35th for driving accuracy last season. Currently, Henderson is ranked sixth for average driving distance at 278.654 yards.

One of the best Canadians to ever play the game, Stan Leonard won three times on the PGA Tour and eight PGA of Canada Championships.  At one point in the 1940’s, Leonard’s tee shots were already averaging 275-280 yards, according to a 1948 Maclean’s article.

Irons

On the LPGA Tour, Dawn Coe-Jones had enviable irons. Between 1992 and 2000, she almost routinely finished inside of the top 25 for greens in regulation percentage, and for the two seasons where she was outside, she was still in the top 60 on the LPGA Tour.

Over on the PGA Tour, Stephen Ames’s approach shots were also enviable. Between 2004 and 2008, Ames consistently finished inside the top 50 on the PGA Tour when it came to strokes gained: approaching the green. In 2004, he also finished 24th for greens in regulation.While on the PGA Tour Champions, between 2015 and 2019, Ames consistently finished inside the top 35 in greens in regulation. At his most recent win at the Principal Charity Classic on the Champions Tour on June 6, Ames led the field in greens in regulation with 87.04 per cent – nearly four per cent clear of Fred Couples in second.

Before Ames, there was Dave Barr. Between 1987 and 1994, Barr was consistently in the top 15 for greens in regulation percentage on the PGA Tour. In 1988, he ranked second with a 73.63 per cent average, and in both 1989 and 1992 he finished third.

One of Canada’s best current golfers, Alena Sharp has been playing on the LPGA Tour since the mid-2000’s and was a member of Team Canada at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Over the course of her career, Sharp’s greens in regulation percentage have been impressive. Between 2007 and 2011, Sharp finished inside the top 50 on the LPGA in greens in regulation, and between 2007 and last season, she’s only ranked outside of the top 65 at the end of the season three times. She’s currently ranked 48th in the category this season.

Short Game

It wouldn’t be a list comprising of some of Canada’s best golfers if Mike Weir weren’t on it. Currently on the PGA Tour Champions, Weir has the best sand save percentage out of anyone with 67.44 and is ranked at 15th in scrambling at 61.70 per cent. Between 2005 and 2014, while playing on the PGA Tour, Weir was ranked in the top five of sand save percentage four times. Twice, Weir had the best strokes gained: around the green number on the PGA Tour – in 2005 with .521 average strokes gained, and again five years later with .559 average strokes gained.

With two wins on the PGA Tour, Nick Taylor is one of Canada’s best current male golfers. In 2017, Taylor was ranked 58th in strokes gained: around the green, 33rd in scrambling, and 16th in scrambling from the rough. In 2018, Taylor was ranked inside the top 30 in scrambling and sand save percentage, and just last season, he ranked 21st in scrambling from the fringe.

With four wins on the LPGA Tour, Lorie Kane is one of the best Canadians to play the game. Between 1997 and 2005, Kane had some of the best greens in regulation statistics on the LPGA Tour – never failing to fall outside of the top 25, including sixth in 2001. Accompanying that, between 1997 and 2011, Kane also had some incredible sand saves statistics, finishing inside the top 25 six times and in 2011 she was ranked second with a 63.33 percentage.

Putting

Sandra Post is one of the most legendary golfers to come from Canada. Post was the first Canadian to play on the LPGA Tour, and won eight times. In an article from Maclean’s from 1968, Post herself says that putting is the best part of her game.

On the PGA Tour, Mackenzie Hughes’s putting is top-notch. In 2020, Hughes finished eighth in strokes gained: putting with a .681 average and had the ninth best overall putting average at 1.566. In 2019, Hughes sunk the longest putt of the season when his putt from 85’8” out found the hole. The year before that, he had the 16th longest successful putt, and in 2020 he held the 20th spot. He’s currently ranked third in avoiding three-putts with only 19 occurrences in 70 rounds of golf.

Adam Hadwin is another name that comes to mind when talking about putting. Back in 2016, Hadwin had one of the hottest putters on the PGA Tour. He ranked 11th in strokes gained: putting, fifth in putting average, 25th in one-putt percentage, and 12th in three-putt avoidance. In 2017, he ranked 26th in strokes gained: putting, and 11th in one-putt percentage.

Accuracy

Moe Norman is a legend in the golf universe. Known for his incredible golf swing, Norman had enviable accuracy that is still talked about today – nearly 70 years after playing in his first PGA Tour event.

George Knudson is another golf legend, and he achieved an incredible eight wins on the PGA Tour. And, like Norman, Knudson was known for having an incredible swing – playing a huge role in his accuracy.

Currently, Corey Conners is one of the best Canadian golfers on the PGA Tour and a big part of his success is due to is his accuracy. In 2020, Conners placed 20th in driving accuracy percentage and sixth in greens in regulation percentage. In 2019, he ranked 42nd in driving accuracy percentage and first for greens in regulation percentage. That season, when he did miss, it wasn’t by much – he ranked fourth in distance from the edge of the fairway with an average of 19’8”. Currently, he’s ranked 10th in greens in regulation, with 69.71 per cent.

With two wins on the LPGA Tour, Gail Graham is one of Canada’s best. Winning in 1995 and 1997 – Graham’s driving accuracy was consistently enviable. Between 1992 and 1997, Graham routinely ranked inside the top 60 on the LPGA Tour in driving accuracy. In 1996, she even ranked 21st.

So, who would you choose to create your ultimate Canadian golfer?

Carlsbad, CA – This week at the PGA Tour’s Travelers Championship, Titleist takes another step forward in the design, technology and performance of its next generation T-Series irons and U-Series utility iron. Following a rigorous two-year development process, the new Titleist T100, T100-S and U505 utility iron are now available to PGA Tour players to use in competition, with the first opportunity available Thursday in Cromwell, Conn. The new T200 irons are expected join the family on tour in the coming weeks.

Based on initial tour player testing and feedback, the new iron lineup is poised to continue Titleist’s run as the most played iron on the PGA Tour for each of the last seven years and 16 of the last 17 seasons.  Titleist has captured the iron count at every PGA Tour event this season, averaging more than 28% of all sets in play each week. The T100 irons are the most played single model with more than 10% of all sets in play this season.

Gathering feedback from the game’s best players through every stage of the R&D process, and then earning their validation under the pressure of competition over the coming weeks and month across the worldwide professional tours, are critical elements in the development of all high-performance Titleist golf equipment. 

Titleist Golf Club R&D representatives are on site to work with players as they test the new products, determine the model that best fits their game, and gather additional feedback.

Stay tuned to Titleist.ca and Titleist’s social channels for updates as this process continues over the coming weeks across the worldwide professional tours.

SAN DIEGO (AP) – Two career-changing putts for Jon Rahm brought two trophies Sunday.

He cradled his 3-month-old son, Kepa, as he walked off the 18th green at Torrey Pines on Father’s Day. And then he collected the silver U.S. Open trophy after a performance filled with passion and absent of blunders that wiped out everyone else.

Rahm made a bending 25-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole to catch Louis Oosthuizen. He buried another curling, left-to-right birdie putt from 18 feet on the final hole for a 4-under 67 and a one-shot victory.

The 26-year-old Rahm became the first Spaniard to win the U.S. Open, finally getting the major prize to go along with his enormous talent. His victory also returned him to No. 1 in the world.

On a back nine filled with double bogeys by so many contenders and a shocking meltdown by defending champion Bryson DeChambeau, Oosthuizen was the last to fall.

Trailing by one shot, Oosthuizen drove into the canyon left of the 17th fairway for a bogey that left him two shots behind, and then he missed the fairway on the par-5 18th that kept him from going for the green for a look at eagle to force a playoff.

He settled for a birdie and a 71. It was his second straight runner-up in a major, and his sixth silver medal since he won the British Open in 2010 at St. Andrews.

“Look, it’s frustrating. It’s disappointing,” Oosthuizen said .“I’m playing good golf, but winning a major championship is not just going to happen. You need to go out and play good golf. I played good today, but I didn’t play good enough.”

Only two weeks ago, Rahm was on the cusp of another big win. He had a six-shot lead at the Memorial after 54 holes, only to be notified as he walked off the 18th green at Muirfield Village that he had a positive COVID-19 test and had to withdraw.

Worse yet, his parents had flown in from Spain to see their new grandson, and Rahm was in self-isolation and couldn’t be there for a special moment.

Sunday made up for it. His parents were at Torrey Pines to witness a world-class performance capped off by one of the great finishes in U.S. Open history.

“It had to happen in a beautiful setting like this,” Rahm said. “Three generations of Rahms on this green. One of them doesn’t know what’s going on.”

For so much of the back nine, it was utter chaos with blunders that can define a U.S. Open.

DeChambeau, trying to become only the fourth player since World War II to win back-to-back in the U.S. Open, took the lead with an 8-iron that stopped inches away from a hole-in-one on the par-3 eighth. He had gone 30 consecutive holes without a bogey.

And then his lack of accuracy off the tee cost him. A bogey on No. 11. A bogey from deep rough on No. 12. And then on the par-5 13th, DeChambeau went from deep rough to deep rough to bunker, blasting out of the sand over the green next to a beer box, making double bogey.

He took a quadruple-bogey 8 on the 17th hole with a shot in the canyon and a shank. He shot 44 on the back nine for a 77.

“I didn’t get off the rails at all. It’s golf,” DeChambeau said. “I’ve had plenty of times where I hit it way worse than today and I won. It’s just one of those things where I didn’t have the right breaks happen at the right time.”

Mackenzie Hughes, one shot behind going to the back nine, had his tee shot on the par-3 11th bounce off a cart path and get stuck in a tree, leading to a double bogey that ended his chances. Hughes finished off the weekend T15 and made history as the first Canadian since Mike Weir in 2003 to be in the final group on Sunday at a major.

Former PGA champion Collin Morikawa chopped his way down the 13th for double bogey that took him from one shot behind to out of the mix.

Rory McIlroy wasn’t immune, either. With a chance to end his seven-year drought in the majors, McIlroy made a careless three-putt for bogey on the 11th when he was one shot behind, and then caught a bad lie in the bunker that led to double bogey on No. 12.

Of the contenders, Rahm was the only player who didn’t drop a shot on the back nine.

Harris English finished with two birdies for a 68 to finish at 3-under 281, giving him third place.

Brooks Koepka got within one shot of the lead it was so close that 10 players were separated by one shot during one point in the final round until he made a pair of bogeys coming in for a 69. He tied for fourth with Morikawa (70) and Guido Migliozzi, who shot 68 in his major debut.

Rahm becomes the second player this year to capture his first major, joining with Hideki Matsuyama at the Masters.

What a perfect time, a first-time dad winning on Father’s Day, two weeks after a chance to win was taken away by COVID-19.

What a perfect place La Jolla, which reminds him of his home in the Basque region of Spain, the site of his first PGA Tour victory, where he proposed to his wife.

“I didn’t know what it was going to be, but I knew we were coming to a special place. Rahm continued,“I just felt like the stars were aligning, and I knew my best golf was to come.”

The eagle putts looked familiar for a Saturday at Torrey Pines in June, even with Tiger Woods nowhere in sight.

Mackenzie Hughes watched his 60-foot eagle putt from the back of the green to the front on the par-5 13th slide into the cup. Louis Oosthuizen could only hope his 50-foot eagle putt on the 18th found the center of the cup, and it kissed off the pin and disappeared.

Woods made eagle putts from one end of the green to the other on the 13th and 18th holes in 2008 that set the stage for a Sunday filled with anticipation.Suddenly, this U.S. Open has that familiar feel.

A major that for two days had the sleepy, chill vibe of San Diego now has an urgency for Oosthuizen and Rory McIlroy trying to end long droughts, hope for newcomers like Hughes and Russell Henley, a half-dozen other possibilities that include Bryson DeChambeau and Jon Rahm.

“It’s a golf course where anything can happen,” said Oosthuizen, in the mix at a major for the second straight time. “It’s just a tough, old-fashioned golf course. You’re going to have nerves. You’re going to feel it. It’s about how you’re going to handle it.”

Hughes added a final birdie for a 3-under 68 and was the first to get to 5-under 208.

Oosthuizen made a 30-foot birdie putt on the 16th and ended his round of 70 with the 50-foot eagle on the 18th to join him.

They were tied with Russell Henley, who had a two-shot lead early on the back nine and appeared to be hanging on for dear life at the end. He went from the bunker to the rough to the bunker on the easiest hole at Torrey Pines and had to make an 8-foot par putt for a 71.

McIlroy (67) and DeChambeau (68) were two shots behind.

McIlroy has gone seven years without a major, a drought accentuated by rarely even having decent chances. DeChambeau can get the last laugh in his beef with Brooks Koepka by joining him as a back-to-back U.S. Open champion.

“I thought like two 68s over the weekend from where I was after Friday was going to have a good chance,” said McIlroy, who started the third round six shots behind. “I’ve done the first part of that job. Now it’s up to me tomorrow to go out and try to play a similar round of golf.”

Woods is recovering from his February car crash that badly injured his legs and is not back at Torrey Pines. In his absence, the broadcast used every opportunity to relive memories of his two eagles that gave him the 54-hole lead.

It took two players to do that this time, but it was equally spectacular.

“The charge that goes through your body when the ball goes in the hole and the crowd erupts is why we play. It gives me goosebumps now thinking about it.” And he’ll have plenty of nerves Sunday playing in the final group with Oosthuizen, who has had five runner-up finishes in the majors — two in playoffs — since winning the 2010 British Open at St. Andrews.

Henley holed a bunker shot on the par-3 11th for birdie for a two-shot lead and made a great par save from the cabbage behind he 12th green. But he showed signs of cracking over the last hour, dropping shots on the 15th and having to escape with par on No. 18.

Thirteen players remained under par going into the final round. Eight players were separated by three shots on a tough course that might not be as accessible as it was Saturday, when all three par 5s were set up to be reachable in two.

McIlroy did his best work to save bogey. He ran off three birdies in four holes to start the back nine, only to pull his tee shot into a ravine. He took a penalty drop instead of going into the ravine — a smart decision considering television showed a large rattlesnake in the area — and limited the damage to a bogey.

A birdie on the 18th for a 67, matching the low score of the week, gave him a chance to win a major for the first time since the 2014 PGA Championship.

“This is the only tournament in the world where you fist-pump a bogey,” McIlroy said. “Only losing one there was a big deal, and getting it up-and-down out of the bunker on 16 and making that birdie on 18 just to get that shot back that I lost, really big.”DeChambeau played it big, too, going with driver just about everywhere and missing some fairways by such a wide margin that he had good lies in fan-trampled grass.

It led to his first time in 67 rounds at the majors without a bogey on his card, and his 68 gave him a chance to join Koepka and Curtis Strange as the only back-to-back Open winners in the last 50 years.

“You’ve got to be really patient out here at these majors,” DeChambeau said. “It’s something that is not easy to do. I feel like I’m starting to understand major championship golf and how to play it and how to go about managing my game, my attitude and just my patience level. If I can continue to do that tomorrow, I think I’ll have a good chance.”

Koepka, meanwhile, was among those who lost a good opportunity. He shot 71 and was only five shots behind, but with 13 players ahead of him.

Jon Rahm, slowed by a double bogey on No. 14 and not nearly enough birdies, had a 72 and was in the group at 2-under 211 along with Scottie Scheffler (70) and Matthew Wolff (73).

Dustin Johnson shot a 68 and was among those at 1-under 212, four behind and very much in the game in this major and on this golf course.