Wyndham Clark leads the Canadian Open after the first round of play, shooting a seven-under 63 in Toronto on Thursday.

Amid an awkward atmosphere around the course with LIV Golf's commencement outside London on Thursday and suspension for players part of the rebel tour, Clark was able to hold his lead against the afternoon wave of players.

After securing a berth at next weekend's U.S. Open in a qualifier on Monday, the 28-year-old carried some confidence into the opening day at St. George's Golf and Country Club, starting with five birdies on the opening nine.

He went bogey-free on the closing nine holes, scoring birdies on the par-four fourth and seventh holes.

Scottie Scheffler leads the Charles Schwab Challenge by two strokes coming into the final round, shooting a two-under 68 in Saturday's third round.

The world number one sits at 11-under coming into the final 18 holes at Colonial, after facing tricky conditions with intense heat and heavy wind gusts.

After posting bogey-free rounds on Thursday and Friday, Scheffler almost made it three rounds in a row but three-putted the par-four 17th for bogey.

He bounced right back with a long birdie putt on the 18th to close out the round on two-under, leading Brendon Todd and Scott Stallings on nine-under.

After missing the cut last weekend at the US PGA Championship, his first cut since his season start in October, the Masters champion could win his fifth PGA Tour title on Sunday.

Those five wins would come from a phenomenal 10 starts, after taking out the Phoenix Open at TPC Scottsdale in February, and would emulate Tom Watson's 1980 feat of five wins before the start of June.

Harold Varner III is in the running for his maiden PGA Tour victory, sitting a further stroke back from Todd and Stallings on eight-under after three rounds, also shooting a two-under 68 on Saturday.

John Huh, Cam Davis, Chris Kirk and Patrick Reed share a four-way tie for fourth on seven-under.

Also shooting a third-round score of 68 was Mito Pereira, finishing strong with three birdies over the closing five holes, including a long 15-metre putt to secure a birdie on the 18th.

Pereira is coming off his dramatic collapse on the final hole at the PGA Championship last weekend, missing the playoff between Justin Thomas and Will Zalatoris.

Both Thomas and Zalatoris have gone on from that performance at Southern Hills to miss the cut this weekend in Fort Worth.

Patrick Cantlay and Xander Schauffele were in imperious form at the Zurich Classic of New Orleans on Thursday, shooting a 13-under 59 to lead after the opening day.

The reigning FedEx Cup and Olympic champions paired up to produce a tournament record, since the Zurich Classic shifted to a team format in 2017.

While the effort won't officially be added to the list of sub-60 rounds in the PGA Tour record books, the Presidents and Ryder Cup teammates were clearly comfortable in Thursday's best-ball format.

Thursday was the first of two four-ball sessions at TPC Louisiana this weekend, and the duo went seven under over the front nine, including an eagle from Cantlay on the par-five second hole.

Three birdies each from Cantlay and Schauffele on the back nine saw them close a scintillating opening round on 13-under for the day.

As is the case with best-ball format, though, the sub-60 score has not translated into a commanding lead after the opening day, against what is a packed field.

Matthew NeSmith and Taylor Moore are a solitary stroke back after 18 holes, while three teams are locked at 11 under – Aaron Rai and David Lipsky, Tommy Gainey and Robert Garrigus, and the pairing of Doc Redman and Sam Ryder.

Sam Burns and Billy Horschel are a further stroke back at 10 under, along with the team of Bubba Watson and Harold Varner III.

Recent Masters champion Scottie Scheffler and partner Ryan Palmer shot a seven-under 64, but with 10 of the world's top 20 golfers in the field, Cantlay and Schauffele will not be short on competition heading into Friday's alternate format.

Cantlay and Schauffele are comfortable in the alternate format also, though, holding a 4-0 record from the 2019 Presidents Cup and 2021 Ryder Cup.

Harold Varner III is in position to claim his maiden PGA Tour victory, shooting an eight-under 63 on Saturday to take a one-shot lead at the RBC Heritage.

Varner matched Cameron Young's opening-round score at Harbour Town with a bogey-free round, to move to 11-under for the tournament coming into the final day.

After a disappointing finish on Friday, going four-over on the final four holes, the 31-year-old responded strongly with four birdies in the opening six holes.

Varner will need to be just as focused on the final day, with quality opponents in striking distance.

Reigning FedEx Cup champion Patrick Cantlay and Erik van Rooyen sit a shot back after 54 holes at 10-under, along with 2019 British Open winner Shane Lowry, fresh off his third-placed finish at the Masters.

Like Varner, Lowry also shot a one-over 72 on Friday and coupled his four birdies on the front nine with bogeys on the third and sixth hole, before finishing strong.

Birdies on the 10th and 11th holes put the Irishman on track and following another birdie on the par-five 15th, he closed his round out with another in front of the iconic lighthouse on the 18th.

The eased conditions allowed the 35-year-old to attack the pin, on the way to shooting his lowest score at Harbour Town.

Former RBC Heritage winner Matt Kuchar, Hudson Swafford, Sepp Straka and Aaron Wise were all a further stroke back, tied at nine-under.

Billy Horschel and Jordan Speith are also among the stacked chasing pack, on eight-under heading into the final day.

Shane Lowry made the biggest noise at TPC Sawgrass, even though Anirban Lahiri leads The Players Championship after the close of play on Sunday.

The Irishman hit a hole-in-one on the notorious par-three island green 17th hole, using a pitching wedge and getting the ball past the pin, before rolling back and dropping in.

The 2019 Open Championship winner came into the third round at one-under par, and bogeyed the par-five 11th before birdieing the 14th and 16th in a chaotic back nine.

After holing from the tee on the 17th, Lowry celebrated wildly with playing partner and Ryder Cup teammate Ian Poulter, proceeding to throw his ball into the crowd.

It was a stark contrast to the norm on the 17th, made even more treacherous with a stiff headwind, with Brooks Keopka and Collin Morikawa among those to put shots into the water.

On another weather-interrupted day, Lahiri leads the pack, managing to finish 11 holes on nine-under par overall as darkness descended on Sawgrass. The world number 322 bogeyed the first hole of the back nine, but steadied to birdie the par-five 11th.

Stormy weather in the Florida region has wreaked havoc on scheduling and bad light eventually stopped play on Sunday. The third round will finish on Monday, with all players at least managing to finish nine holes.

Tom Hoge and Harold Varner III are currently one shot back from Lahiri on eight-under par. Hoge bounced back from a bogey on the sixth, birdieing on the par-five ninth hole to close out his Sunday.

Sebastian Munoz, Paul Casey and Sam Burns are tied at seven-under overall, with Francesco Molinary, Daniel Berger, Camero Smith and Doug Ghim one further stroke back. at six-under overall.

With the second round finishing early on Sunday, Rory McIlroy only just managed to make the cut at two-over par. Driving into the water on the 16th, pars on the final two holes saved him, as two balls into the water from Scott Piercy on the 17th and missed the cut.

Having also just made the cut after 36 holes, FedExCup leader Scottie Scheffler is at one-over par, birdieing the par-five 16th to finish nine holes for the third round.

Harold Varner III staged a remarkable late recovery in Sunday's final round at the Saudi International to land his second professional win.

There have been plenty of eyes on the Asian Tour event this week following proposals for a lucrative Saudi Arabian 'super league' – and those watching were treated to a dramatic finish.

Varner, whose only prior success came at the Australian PGA Championship in December 2016, had held a one-shot lead through three rounds and saw potential challengers fade on Sunday.

Tommy Fleetwood had been two back, but five bogeys on the back nine made for a three-over 73 and a share of eighth.

He was joined there by defending champion Dustin Johnson, a two-time winner, who was never really in contention over the final 18 holes as he battled to an even-par 70.

Varner was not entirely convincing himself, however. Twelve pars and a birdie through 13 holes kept the 31-year-old in control, only for a serious wobble to open the door to a surging Bubba Watson.

Watson had turned in 30 before also finding some difficulties on the back nine, but Varner's double-bogey at 14 was followed by a bogey at 16.

Two-time Masters champion Watson produced a clutch birdie-eagle finish to claim a two-stroke clubhouse lead, while Varner had two to play.

However, in a stunning response, Varner matched Watson, moving back to within one with a birdie and then sinking an improbable long eagle putt at the par-five 18th to win outright.

As the 99th-ranked outsider jumped for joy in the arms of his caddy, Watson dashed down to congratulate his rival.

PGA Tour rookie Sahith Theegala birdied his first three holes and maintained his impressive form to lead the field after the opening round of the Sanderson Farms Classic. 

The 23-year-old Californian looked right at home in Mississippi, turning in a bogey-free round for an eight-under-par 64 at the Country Club of Jackson. 

His countrymen Nick Watney and Harold Varner III were one stroke back after shooting 65, while Roger Sloan, Kurt Kitayama and Kim Si-woo were at 66. 

Fresh off his Ryder Cup disappointment, defending tournament champion Sergio Garcia was six strokes back after shooting 70 in a round that featured two birdies and 16 pars. 

Among other former major winners in the field, Keegan Bradley shot 72 and Zach Johnson 73 in the opening round. 

The story of the day, though, was Theegala, who hit 11 of 14 fairways and 17 of 18 greens in regulation.

After earning his 2021-22 PGA Tour card with a strong finish in the Korn Ferry Tour Finals last month, Theegala described his round Thursday as "stress-free". 

"I don't think I've had a lot of time to think about all this stuff, so it just feels like I'm kind of just on a roll and I'm not really thinking about big situations or stuff like that, just feels like I'm playing golf," he said. "So that's helped a little bit,not having expectations, kind of just being on a free roll the whole time."

His inexperience on Tour may bode well for Theegala this week. Six of the last seven Sanderson Farms champions have been first-time winners, with Garcia the exception. 

Stewart Cink cruised to a four-stroke victory as he clinched his third RBC Heritage crown on Sunday.

Winner of the PGA Tour tournament in 2000 and 2004, Cink completed the treble after carding a one-under-par 70 in the final round.

Cink had two birdies and a bogey to finish 19 under, ahead of countryman Harold Varner III (66) and Argentina's Emiliano Grillo (68).

It capped a memorable week for Cink at Habour Town, where the American set the lowest 36- and 54-hole score at the RBC Heritage of 126 and 195 respectively, en route to glory.

"I don't even know if I have the words," Cink said after having his son Reagan as his caddie.

Cink became the seventh player to go 21 years or longer between his first and most recent victory at the same event on Tour.

With the triumph, Cink also became the fourth player (fifth instance) aged 47 or older to win multiple times in a season on Tour since 1960, joining Sam Snead, Julius Boros and Kenny Price (twice), after taking out the Safeway Open.

Aged 47 years, 10 months and 28 days, Cink is also the second oldest RBC Heritage champion following Hale Irwin (48 years, 10 months and 14 days in 1994).

Webb Simpson, who was the defending champion, finished tied for ninth and eight shots off the pace following a final-round 70, while world number one Dustin Johnson (66) was a stroke further back.

"I just feel like I made way too many mistakes," said Johnson, who missed the Masters cut. "Around here, you make mistakes, they penalise you pretty big."

Cameron Smith carded a nine-under-par 62 to set the early pace by one stroke after the first round of the RBC Heritage.

Australian golfer Smith turned in a bogey-free round at Harbour Town on Thursday for the lowest score of his PGA Tour career.

The 2020 Masters runner-up birdied three of the last four holes, just missing an eagle at the last when his approach shot missed the hole by inches. 

Smith finished with nine birdies in the opening round, tying his career record for most birdies in a single round on Tour.

"Everything just came together," Smith told reporters. "It was a great day on the green. I was hitting my irons really good. I had lots of good looks, and I just took advantage of them."

Smith's score matched the lowest opening round in tournament history, joining Davis Love III in 2002 and Peter Lonard three years later. 

The 27-year-old has two career PGA Tour titles, the most recent in January 2020 at the Sony Open in Hawaii. 

"I just feel really comfortable," Smith said. "Mentally I feel very free out there. I feel like I can hit the shot that I need to hit and going ahead and trying to execute it. I just feel like every shot I'm hitting, I'm putting 100 per cent into it, and on a day like today, it's really rewarding."

Two-time champion Stewart Cink started early and was the clubhouse leader with a 63 before Smith's torrid closing stretch left him second on the leaderboard. 

Cink's score on Thursday was the American veteran's best in 75 career rounds at Harbour Town. 

"A round like this doesn't show you there is more out there," Cink said. "A round like this shows you what you're doing is already dead on, and why change anything?"

Matt Wallace and Collin Morikawa are three shots back at six under, followed by Charles Howell III, Billy Horschel and Harold Varner III – who are a stroke further adrift.

Masters runner-up Will Zalatoris shot a three-under-par 68, while world number one Dustin Johnson ended the day eight shots off the pace.

Defending champion Webb Simpson opened his bid for back-to-back titles with a first-round 71, leaving him tied for 67th. 

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