The late great Arnold Palmer once said: Golf is deceptively simple and endlessly complicated and that’s something that resonates with Brooke Rivers. The second year member of Golf Canada’s National Team Program acknowledges golf is a sport that requires a lot of attention to detail – and that suits her just fine because she enjoys being a student of the game.

Hailing from Brampton, Ont., Rivers—who turns 17 on March 17^th—played a number of sports growing up. Besides spending time on the links, she also enjoyed time in the hockey arena, on the soccer field and the softball diamond. But she was drawn to the unique challenges on the golf course.

“Golf is such a big passion for me because there are so many intricate details to the game and there is always something to learn. It is such an exciting sport and it is very rewarding to see results from my hard work”

BROOKE RIVERS

The junior standout understands one of the biggest secrets to success on the golf course is simply to be consistent. However, being able to achieve this consistency regularly in every tournament is the complicated part that requires hard work, dedication, and attention to detail. 

Since shifting her focus solely to the sport, Rivers has accepted the challenge of being the best golfer she could be. And she’s enjoyed some impressive results.

In 2019, she won the NextGen Quebec Championship and the Coca Cola Junior Championship.

In 2020, she claimed the AJGA Visit Tallahassee Junior Championship and followed that up by capturing the prestigious North and South Junior Championship in 2021.

The victory at Pinehurst for the 43rd Girls’ North and South Junior earned her automatic entry into this year’s Women’s North and South Amateur, which will be held in July.

She likes the fact that golf allows her to enjoy the outdoors and meet people from all around the world.  And on the golf course, the talented young Canadian has some specific short term goals she would like to meet.

“Over the next year I would like to improve my game and my scoring average as well as gaining entrance into some elite Women’s events,” she noted.

Rivers says being part of the National Team Program has played an important part in the development of her game. 

“Golf Canada’s National Team Program has provided resources such as personal training and mental coaching which has been very helpful”

Brooke Rivers

“In addition, there has been the added support of coaches coming to tournaments. This has been a big advantage as I was able to gain new ideas to aid in my preparation.”

Rivers currently has her sights set on the next challenge on her golf journey. That involves playing NCAA Division I golf where she plans to continue her learning and development in the classroom and on the golf course.

“Over the next five years, I would like to be placing well at collegiate events,” said Rivers, who recorded an impressive second place showing at the 2020 Ontario Amateur Championship.

The second year National Team Program members says she is motivated by the success of former alum Brooke Henderson as well as others who have gone through the program. 

And with the support of Golf Canada, Rivers is committed and dedicated to challenge of reaching her full potential and being the best golfer she can be.

“It has taken a lot of hard work and dedication to get my game to where it is now and I know that I will have to keep training hard and learning every day to get my game to the next level.”

MURRELS INLET, SC – It was a weekend to remember for Team Canada member Katie Cranston.

Cranston, a native of Oakville, Ont., shot a remarkable 4-under 68 in Sunday’s final round to erase a four-stroke deficit on her way to capturing the girls title at the Dustin Johnson World Junior Championship.

The 17-year-old’s clutch final round at TPC Myrtle Beach was boosted by an ace on the par-3 13th which helped her close out the event at 5 under par (68-75-68). She finished with a four-stroke victory over Bailey Shoemaker (Dade City, Fla.).

Fellow Team Canada member (and Oakville native) Nicole Gal rounded out the top three with a share of third place at 5 over par. Gal won the 2019 Drive, Chip & Putt Championship at Augusta National.

Now in its seventh year, the Dustin Johnson World Junior features 90 of the top international players from around the world.

Click here for full scoring.

Golf Canada is undertaking an integrated and multi-faceted enhancement of its high-performance program to accelerate Canada’s position in the global professional golf landscape. 

The National Sport Federation announced today a strategic framework for its player development program with a stated primary objective to increase the cumulative number of Canadian athletes on the LPGA and PGA TOUR to 30 by 2032. 

The enhancements to Golf Canada’s player-development program are outlined in a detailed update authored by Chief Sport Officer Kevin Blue and will be presented in full at Golf Canada Annual General Meeting on March 2. 

“Canada has made significant progress in the development of world-class golfers in the past decade and is poised to take another step forward,” said Blue. “Over the past year, we undertook an in-depth analysis of global golf, consulted with numerous stakeholders who are involved in Canadian high-performance golf, and created the framework for an updated strategic plan for Canada to develop more world-class golfers.” 

It’s a special day for golf in Canada ⛳️??

By 2032, we are committed to helping 30 Canadians advance to the PGA and LPGA Tour to accelerate Canada’s position in the global golf landscape. 

➡️ https://t.co/RgKgzVlcpz pic.twitter.com/yZIMsxYCNF

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 23, 2022

Golf Canada’s enhanced investments in player development are financially supported by a group of generous donors who have made initial major gifts totalling $13.5 million through the Golf Canada Foundation. Paul McLean, CEO of Turf Care and former president of Golf Canada and Golf Canada Foundation has made a lead gift of $5 million – the single largest gift ever directed towards Canadian high-performance golf. 

“The achievement of our players on tour is a source of pride for everyone involved in Canadian golf,” said McLean who served as president of Golf Canada in 2015.

“I am thrilled to support the effort to increase the number of Canadians on tour and we look forward to seeing even more Canadian flags on worldwide leaderboards.” 

Paul McLean

Major gifts were also committed by The Kavelman Fonn Foundation, John Francis, Jean Monty, David Kaufman, Steve Lister and Dr. Molly Rundle, and a pair of donors who wished to remain anonymous. These generous donors are part of the Golf Canada Foundation Trustee program, which provides critical philanthropic support for important Canadian golf initiatives such as player development and First Tee. Golf Canada Foundation is continuing to identify Trustees who are interested in supporting the Team Canada player development program and expanding First Tee across Canada. 

The strategic enhancements for the Team Canada player development program were shaped by in-depth feedback from numerous stakeholders in Canadian high-performance golf and a global comparative analysis of other countries’ efficiency success in producing world top-200 players. The analysis considered factors such as participation base, culture, and financial investment into high-performance golf, with particular focus on countries such as Denmark, Sweden, Australia, and England that that are geopolitically and culturally similar to Canada. 

“Canadian performance on the world golf stage continues to advance significantly since the original implementation of the player-development program and this is a transformational moment for Canada to take the next step forward towards the top-levels of global golf,” said Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum.

“Fueled by incredible philanthropic support, stakeholder collaboration, and a systemic enhancement to our player-development system, Canada is well positioned to deepen our talent pool of athletes and become a world-class golfing nation.” 

Laurence Applebaum

One of the first enhancements to occur in 2022 will be the creation of a national infrastructure for identifying and developing the most promising early-stage juniors in Canada (i.e., ages 10-14), with Team Canada Women’s Head Coach Tristan Mullally transitioning to the newly created position of National Talent Identification Director. In this new capacity, Mullally will provide additional resources to the parents and coaches who work with the most promising young juniors in Canada. He will also facilitate the development and implementation of local talent identification camps in every province. 

Mullally will transition into the new role over the coming months and a search will begin immediately for a head coach to oversee the women’s program as well as an additional assistant coach to complete the women’s coaching staff. 

The enhancements to Golf Canada’s High-Performance program build on the support that Canadian athletes have received in their development years from their family, member clubs, personal coaches, university programs and provincial golf associations. In addition to Golf Canada Foundation and the generosity from the major donor Trustee program, Golf Canada’s High-Performance Program and Team Canada are proudly supported by RBC, Canadian Pacific, Audi, Titleist, FootJoy, COBRA PUMA GOLF, Foresight Sports, Heritage Canada, Bear Mountain Resort, Citi Canada (Young Pro) and the Canadian Olympic Committee. 

Golf Canada will continue to seek stakeholder feedback on the systemic enhancements to the player development system over the coming weeks. A formal presentation will be made on March 2 as part of Golf Canada’s Annual Meeting. 

Since starting out in golf, Maddie Szeryk has dreamt of playing the sport at the highest level. After securing LPGA Tour status for 2022 last December in Alabama, the 25-year-old has realized her childhood dream and is ready to take on the world’s best this season.

The long time member of Golf Canada’s National Team Program recalls her humble beginnings when she got started at the age of seven thanks to the encouragement of her dad, Neil Szeryk.

“I remember my dad initially signed me up for lessons at a summer camp and I went out with everyone; and then after I got an individual coach. I really liked the sport and I’ve been doing it ever since,” she reminisced.

Szeryk, whose parents Neil and Karen relocated from London, Ont., shortly after being married – found her passion and a lot of success on the golf course.

“I remember really enjoying being out on the golf course and I also remember winning a lot of local tournaments growing up and so I wanted to work hard as I could to continue getting better,” she recalled.

“Competing on the LPGA Tour has been a dream of mine since I started playing as a little kid, so to achieve that at the LPGA Q-Series was just so surreal,” Szeryk added.

With the top 45 plus ties earning LPGA Tour membership and playing status for 2022, Szeryk shot a 68 in the eighth and final round of the LPGA Q-Series to finish in a tie for 35th spot.

It should give Szeryk and her supporters a lot of confidence in knowing that when it mattered most she was calm and cool as a cucumber. The talented young Canadian birdied her last two holes to finish inside the top 45 by one stroke – finishing five under for the eight day qualifying tournament which was held in Alabama.

Szeryk says the achievement last December was a very meaningful one – not only for herself but those that have been in her corner through the ups and downs.

“Everyone was so happy and excited. My parents both cried because we all put in so many sacrifices for this dream. To finally have it come true is amazing; and knowing all that hard work paid off,” she said.  “We went out for dinner when I got back home and I got to celebrate with friends – so it was really special.”

The long time National Team member also received a heartfelt message from her Golf Canada head coach Tristan Mullally after the thrilling finish at the LPGA Q-Series.

“Gutsy Performance from @mszeryk who barely missed a couple of years ago through @roadtolpga top 10 and has patiently been working away. Class on and off the course and couldn’t be happier for her. #faith #dragonheart,” he Tweeted.

The former University of Texas A&M All-American is quick to credit the support from Golf Canada for playing a key important role in her success.

“They have been a huge part in terms of getting me to this point.  I was on the amateur team all through college and had a lot of great experiences. During my time with the National Team Program, I got to play in high level events and had a chance to test my game against the best amateurs in the world. I also got to play in a number of LPGA events, including the CP Women’s Open,” said Szeryk.

“The coaching and support has played a big role in getting me to where I am. Golf Canada has been awesome in support of my journey.”

The 25-year-old will be joining Canadians Maude-Aimée Leblanc and Brooke Henderson this season on the LPGA Tour.  She is also excited to be entering her rookie season with a few of her good friends.

Maddie Szeryk has earned her LPGA Tour card for 2022, joining Brooke Henderson and Maude-Aimee Leblanc as Canadians with full status next year. (@Mkor1980)https://t.co/x0awXFzQBa

— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) December 12, 2021

“Dewi Weber, Sophia Schubert, and Haylee Harford are close friends that I played with on the Symetra Tour – now the Epson Tour – and it’s great that we will all be rookies on the LPGA Tour this year,” she said.

Szeryk plans to start her season at the beginning of March on the Epson Tour and play her first LPGA Tour event in late March or early April. And she’s been working hard in preparation for the season ahead.

“On average I’ve been putting in about five or six hours of practise on the golf course each day. But it’s really about quality over quantity in terms of the work. I’ve been doing my best to be prepared physically and mentally.”

Having realized her childhood dream through the LPGA Q-Series in December, Szeryk was asked about her thoughts and goals heading into her first season playing against the best of the best.

“I’m really excited. I got to play a few LPGA events before so I kind of know the atmosphere. It’s really cool to be playing as an LPGA member this season and luckily I have a few friends that will be rookies also to share the experience,” she replied.

“I’m going to try to have good finishes and have good results; but also just try to stay in the present and enjoy every week and have fun out there.”

At first Étienne Papineau didn’t know if he should go up to Jordan Spieth and Justin Thomas to ask for a photograph. Hopefully it wasn’t going to be his only time sharing a locker room with some of golf’s superstars, he thought, but he worked up the courage, picked their brains a bit, and got the selfies. 

Add it to the list of pinch-me moments for the Golf Canada National Team member who made his PGA Tour debut last week at the WM Phoenix Open. 

“At first I didn’t know if I should,” said Papineau with a laugh, “but they were actually super nice.”

Both Thomas and Spieth congratulated Papineau on making his Tour debut and asked how things had gone so far. 

It had been a nice stretch of golf for Papineau to that point, so he had much to celebrate. He shot 59 at another course in Arizona just two weeks prior and earned his way into the WM Phoenix Open field through the Monday Qualifier – his first-ever Monday effort for a tournament that wasn’t the RBC Canadian Open.  

You earned it @EtiennePapineau ?? https://t.co/fEopMxwmVC

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 10, 2022

Papineau would go on to shoot 73-73 and miss the cut at 4-over. But he said he’ll take a ton of great learnings away from the week as he starts to put together a 2022 campaign. 

“I was a little disappointed with missing the cut and overall not playing better around the green. But from tee to green, it was a really good week,” he said. “I gave myself a lot of great opportunities on the greens but unfortunately I wasn’t able to capitalize on them. 

“Overall, it was awesome, though. Playing that event as well, with all the fans, it was definitely a really huge first PGA Tour event.”

That particular PGA Tour event happens to be the rowdiest of any on the schedule, with upwards of a quarter-million fans on site through the week. Spectators on TPC Scottsdale’s par-3 16th (some 17,000 on Friday and Saturday) bared witness to two holes-in-one on the weekend and showered the green with beer. 

Papineau nearly made a birdie on 16 in the first round – once he hit the green with his tee shot the crowd went nuts and he lifted his arms in the air to get them hyped up even more – but he three-putted No.16 in his second round. 

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“I got booed a lot, but I just laughed,” he said. “It was still awesome. It was not the right place to make a three putt, but even though I got booed, it was fun.”

The native of St-Jean-Sur-Richelieu, Que. admitted he was trying to navigate some serious nerves prior to teeing off Thursday. He was warming up on the driving range prior to his opening round and he said he had his caddie – fellow Golf Canada team member Chris Crisologo – try to calm him down.

Double dragon ?

Chris Crisologo on the bag this week for Étienne Papineau after he Monday qualified for the @wmphoenixopen pic.twitter.com/GsM1AdYHaz

— Golf Canada (@GolfCanada) February 11, 2022

“But once I stepped on the tee and they announced my name it was time to play. I was a little nervous then, but a great feeling,” said Papineau.

“It didn’t take long before I came back into my zone, into my routine. After the first tee shot everything settled in a little bit and I was able to get into my normal routine and just play golf.” 

Papineau played the first two rounds with Sahith Theegala, who was in the field on a Sponsor Exemption. Theegala would end up playing in the penultimate group on Sunday and finished just one shot out of a playoff (the tournament was eventually won by Scottie Scheffler). Papineau said the second round, with Theegala leading, lots of people were out following them. The crowd was “going nuts” as Theegala climbed the leaderboard. 

Despite the missed cut, Papineau stuck around TPC Scottsdale for the weekend and actually cheered for Theegala on Sunday in person. Papineau walked around the course and popped his head back into the locker room on Saturday before spending all of Sunday with his dad and three friends in a hospitality area near the 17th green – with tickets courtesy the PGA Tour. 

As far as what’s next for Papineau, he said he’d be returning to Montreal for two weeks to see his family and girlfriend. Papineau’s sister just gave birth to a daughter, he said, so he’s especially excited to see his new niece. Afterwards he plans to return to the U.S. to prepare for PGA Tour Canada Q-School in March and is keen to parlay his WM Phoenix Open appearance into a few Sponsor Exemptions on PGA Tour Latinoamerica, where he has conditional status. “It’s kind of back to normal,” said Papineau, “but hopefully I’ll keep playing some good golf like the last month and keep things rolling.”

That was a hell of a week at the @WMPhoenixOpen . Thank you for the support and let's keep it rolling. ???‍♂️??? pic.twitter.com/494NG2R5yX

— Etienne Papineau (@EtiennePapineau) February 15, 2022

Noah Steele, 24, announced today that he has selected One Eleven Management Group for representation.

Steele, a National Team Program member and a 3-time NCAA tournament champion at Sam Houston State, begins his professional career after a summer to remember in 2021. That included a victory as an amateur on PGA Tour Canada against a field of professionals.

“I’m really excited to get my professional golf journey underway and thrilled to work with Jeff Dykeman and One Eleven Management Group in doing so,” said Steele, a Kingston, Ont., native. “Jeff’s reputation in the golf industry is fantastic and it was clear after a number of conversations that this would be a great match for both of us.”

In 2021, the Kingston, ON. native finished tied for fifth at the Canadian Amateur Championship before making an impressive run on PGA Tour Canada with a win, a runner-up and one additional top 10 on his way to finishing third on the points list. That secured him 2022 membership on the Canadian circuit. His victory at the 2021 Osprey Valley Open was especially impressive as he finished at 23-under par to win by six strokes at TPC Toronto.

Super excited to announce that @NoahATSteele – one of Canada's elite professional golf prospects – will be our newest client at @oneelevenmg

The winner of the 2021 @OspreyOpen on @PGATOURCanada and an absolute class act as well.

Full release – https://t.co/fzMq0Jxvlw pic.twitter.com/MWn88JgUOF

— Jeff Dykeman (@jeffdykeman) January 6, 2022

“We are thrilled to start working with Noah, who on top of being exceptionally talented is also a total class act,” said Jeff Dykeman, CEO of One Eleven Management Group. “Noah is extremely dedicated to the process of achieving his goal of winning on the PGA Tour. We feel very privileged to be working with him and will do whatever we can to help and support him on this journey.”

Steele also earned conditional status on PGA Tour Latinoamerica for the 2022 season and hopes to play a full slate of events starting in February before returning home to play a full schedule on PGA Tour Canada. In addition, he will try to qualify for June’s RBC Canadian Open on the PGA Tour.

Golf Canada congratulates Noah on this next step in his career.

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the group of 46 junior and amateur athletes selected as part of the Team Canada player development program for 2022. Professional players who will be part of Team Canada in 2022 will be determined and announced in January.

The announcement marks a significant roster increase, adding 17 additional male and female athletes to the previous year’s Team Canada amateur and junior squads. The larger program size will increase the number of top developing players who receive nationally supervised coaching and support and will grow the pool of future high-potential Canadian professional golfers. 

The athlete roster expansion reflects a restructuring to accommodate the growing talent pool in Canadian golf and is financially supported by contributions from Golf Canada Foundation’s network of Trustees, Golf Canada corporate partners, and a slight reallocation of Golf Canada resources. Golf Canada will also expand its group of Team Canada coaches to effectively support the larger roster of athletes. 

“This is an exciting period for Canadian golf, and we are intensifying the National Team Player Development Program,” said Kevin Blue, chief sport officer with Golf Canada. “We are in the process of additional analysis and strategic planning, and we look forward to further system enhancements in 2022 with the goal of helping more Canadian players reach the LPGA and PGA TOUR.” 

Team Canada’s 2022 National Amateur Squad consists of 21 athletes, including eight women and 13 men. The Junior Squad totals 25 athletes including 12 female and 13 male U19 athletes ages 14-18. 

The athletes representing Team Canada have all achieved impressive results at regional, provincial, national, and international competitions, including NCAA tournament wins and victories at prestigious amateur and junior competitions. The athletes have also benefited in their development from support though their respective provincial golf associations, personal coaches, home golf clubs and families. 

“Supporting the Team Canada program and the next generation of Canadian golf talent is a major priority of the Foundation and our Trustee donors,” said Martin Barnard, Golf Canada Foundation CEO. “Together with program partners we are proud to provide a network of support for the continued growth of Canadian golf at the highest levels.”Athletes named to the Team Canada Amateur Squad who are expected to turn professional in 2022 will continue to receive support from Golf Canada during their transition. 

Click here to view the full roster.

National Junior Squad

The National Junior Squad features 25 athletes (12 women and 13 men).

In September, Golf Canada hosted a selection camp at TPC Toronto in Caledon, Ont., for additional training and performance opportunities for junior golfers in contention for the National Junior Squad. In partnership with the Provincial Golf Associations and personal coaches, all golfers participated in a series of testing modules followed by a 54-hole competition.

National Junior Squad players will be supported with coaching from the Golf Canada national coaching staff and by experts in the areas of mental performance, physiotherapy, biomechanics, and nutrition.

From March through early May, some Junior Squad members will practice out of Golf Canada’s National Training Centre at Bear Mountain—the fifth year that the program has provided spring training for athletes during the second semester of their school year.

Click here to view the full roster.

Team Canada Coaching Staff Announced 

Golf Canada is pleased to announce the 2022 Team Canada coaching staff that will support both the National Amateur and Junior Squads.

For the amateur squads, Derek Ingram of Winnipeg, Man., returns as men’s head coach with support from new assistant coaches Benoit Lemieux of Montréal, Qué., and  Louis Melanson from Moncton, N.B. On the women’s side, Tristan Mullally of Dundas, Ont., returns as head coach, supported by assistant coach Salimah Mussani of Vancouver as well as an additional women’s assistant coach to be named in the coming weeks.

On the junior side, Robert Ratcliffe of Comox, B.C., will lead the Junior Squads, supported by assistant coach Jennifer Greggain, of Langford, B.C.

Athletes will also access Team Canada’s sport science team, which includes physiotherapists Greg Redman and Andrea Kosa, psychologist Dr. Adrienne Leslie-Toogood, and strength and conditioning coach Bryan Katz. Junior athletes will also receive supplemental support from the Canadian Sport Institute Pacific in the areas of mental performance and nutrition.

Ingram, Mullally, Ratcliffe, Greggain, Mussani, Lemieux and Melanson are all PGA of Canada members.

Brittany Marchand announced today that she will be stepping away from professional golf. The 29 year-old announced the decision to retire following the conclusion of the 2021 Symetra Tour season which wrapped up on Oct. 10.

“The last 6 years have been the most amazing experience,” said Marchand via her social media channels. “The ups, the downs, the grind, the adventures, the people, the pure joy and the sadness… I wouldn’t trade any of it! I am leaving professional golf today a stronger person than when I started and I’m leaving with my head high. I’m proud of what I have accomplished and I feel joy thinking about the new adventures that life has in store for me.”

In 2021, Marchand competed in 18 Symetra Tour events with a season-best finish of T3 at the Carolina Golf Classic in Greensboro, N.C. During her career on the Symetra Tour, the Orangeville, Ont. native would earn nine top 10 finishes including a victory at the 2017 PHC Classic.

In 2017 she finished T32 at the 2017 LPGA Final Qualifying Tournament to earn Priority List Category 17 status for the 2018 season. She spent two years on the LPGA Tour where she competed at the CP Women’s Open three times (2017, 2018, 2019) with her best finish being T30 in 2017.

As a member of Team Canada for eight years total, Marchand joined the Development Squad in 2011, competed as a member of the Amateur Squad from 2015 – 2017, and joined the Young Pro Squad from 2018 – 2021.

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She’s amassed more than $148K in career earnings since 2016 and currently ranks No. 772 on the Rolex Women’s World Golf Rankings.

Marchand played collegiate golf at North Carolina State University where she was a three-time All-ACC selection, WGCA All-American in 2014, and continues to own the school record for most career wins with three. While competing in NCAA golf, she also completed a degree in chemical engineering to continue pursuing her passions for both golf and science.  

Marchand credits her grandfather in sparking her interest in the game when he joined her to Brampton Golf and Country Club at age seven and taught her how to play. During her career she’s been able to pay it forward by acting as an ambassador for multiple youth-in-sport programs, including Golf Canada’s Golf in Schools program.

Golf Canada wishes Brittany all the best in her future endeavors.

Click here for more information on Brittany Marchand’s career highlights.

Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes and Corey Conners are tied for 17th after three rounds at the Olympic men’s golf tournament, seven shots behind the leader heading into Sunday’s final round.

Hughes, from Dundas, Ont., carded a 65.

“I know I’m still well on the outside looking in, but I do have a chance and you always have a chance until the last shot, I guess, so I’m going to give it all I have tomorrow and we’ll see what happens.”

– MACKENZIE HUGHES

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., had a 66 to climb up the leaderboard.

“Fairly pleased with the third round. I could have got a lot more out of the round.
I feel like I played well and gave myself a lot of good
chances.”

– COREY CONNERS

American Xander Schauffele maintained the one-stroke lead he held at the beginning of the day, though now the closest pursuer is Japan’s own golf hero, Hideki Matsuyama, who replaced Mexico’s Carlos Ortiz as Schauffele’s closest pursuer at Kasumigaseki Country Club.

Both Canadians slipped down the leaderboard during the second round of the men’s Olympic golf tournament in Japan on Friday.

Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., shot a 1-over 72 and dropped into a tie for 39th at 1-under.

“There’s lots of positives to it, but yeah, I walk away disappointed, I’m further away than I started and I know I have a huge hill to climb this weekend. But I did a lot of good stuff today, I just probably had four, five swings I would like to have back. I haven’t been myself on the greens, haven’t made much and putter’s gone a little cold. So if I can get that heated up and kind of bottle up some of those good swings, you never know. And that’s why we’re going to play four rounds and I’ll give it my all for the next two days and we’ll see what happens.”

Mackenzie Hughes

Corey Conners of Listowel, Ont., is tied for 34th overall at 2-under par thru 16 holes.

Due to lightning, the second round was suspended at 11:57 a.m. and resumed at 2:21 p.m., a delay of 2 hours, 24 minutes. Another thunderstorm forced the second round to be suspended for the day at 5:20 p.m. with 16 players left to complete round two. Play will resume at 7:45 a.m. Saturday morning with round three scheduled to start at 9:03 a.m. off split tees.

American Xander Schauffele leads at 11-under par with rounds of 68-63. Schauffele’s father, Stefan, is French/German and grew up in Germany as an Olympic decathlete hopeful before a car crash with a drunk driver caused loss of vision in his left eye, ending his Olympic dream at age 20