VANCOUVER, July 23 (Reuters) – American Bo Van Pelt used a
record-smashing back nine of six-under-par 29 to hold off
homegrown hope Adam Hadwin and claim a one-shot third round
lead at the Canadian Open on Saturday.

Sputtering along at one-over heading into the turn at the
sun-kissed Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Van Pelt suddenly
found top gear to card a course-record six birdies, including
four in his last five holes, on the way to a five-under 65.

VANCOUVER, July 22 (Reuters) – The Canadian Open leaderboard
took on a retro tinge after veteran American Chad Campbell
climbed into a share of the second round lead on Friday with two
of golf’s elder statesmen lurking one shot back.

Carrying over his superb form from the British Open where he
finished in a tie for fifth, 37-year-old Campbell took advantage
of ideal scoring conditions to card a three-under 67 on an
intriguing day at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club that
featured glimpses into golf’s past and future.

VANCOUVER (Reuters) – American Chad Campbell brought his good form from Europe back to North America, firing a solid three-under-par 67 to grab the early second round lead at the Canadian Open on Friday.

Campbell, who tied for fifth at last week’s British Open, took advantage ideal scoring conditions at the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club by mixing five birdies with a pair of bogeys to reach the midway point at four-under 136, one stroke ahead of compatriot Paul Goydos.

VANCOUVER (Reuters) – Mike Weir’s troubled season took another miserable turn on Friday when the former Masters champion and local favorite pulled out of the Canadian Open with a sore elbow.

Weir, one of Canada’s most popular sporting figures, walked off the Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club after just six holes to questions about his playing future as injuries and poor results continue to mount.

VANCOUVER, July 21 (Reuters) – American Kris Blanks fired a
three-under 67 to set the pace at the Canadian Open on Thursday,
grabbing a first round lead for the second time in three events.

Blanks also found himself perched atop the leaderboard after
the first day at the John Deere Classic two weeks ago and the
Puerto Rico Open last year but so far the 38-year-old journeyman
has been unable to translate his flashy starts into a strong
finish and a first PGA Tour win.

VANCOUVER, July 21 (Reuters) – American Kris Blanks fired a
three-under 67 to set the pace at the Canadian Open on Thursday,
grabbing a first round lead for the second time in three events.

Blanks also found himself perched atop the leaderboard after
the first day at the John Deere Classic two weeks ago and the
Puerto Rico Open last year but so far the 38-year-old journeyman
has been unable to translate his flashy starts into a strong
finish and a first PGA Tour win.

VANCOUVER (Reuters) – World Golf Hall of Famer Ernie Els is not used to being upstaged by his caddie, but with a former National Hockey League player carrying his clubs at the Canadian Open, ‘Big Easy’ must take a back seat.

Els is a former world number one and three-times major winner, but caddie Dan Quinn played for a Stanley Cup and in hockey-mad Canada that trumps a Claret Jug.

VANCOUVER (Reuters) – South African Ernie Els enjoyed a return to form on Thursday by grabbing a share of the early first-round lead at the Canadian Open after missing several cuts in recent months.

Els, whose missed cuts include the U.S. Open and British Open, shot a two-under 68 at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club to join Americans Brett Quigley and Bill Lunde atop a tightly-bunched leaderboard.

VANCOUVER, July 20 (Reuters) – For the first time in
decades the buzz surrounding this week’s Canadian Open is more
about the players teeing it up at Shaughnessy Golf and Country
Club rather than those who skipped the tournament.

Slotted into the schedule directly after the British Open,
the date has made it easy for the game’s top players to ignore
a tournament that was once rated among the most prestigious on
the golf calendar.

TORONTO (Reuters) – After spending much of his career as an anonymous member of the supporting cast, Jose Bautista steps into the spotlight next week as the unlikely headliner of Major League Baseball’s (MLB)glitziest show – the Mid-Summer Classic.

Never heard of Bautista? Until recently few had, but the wider baseball world is sure to know more about the Toronto Blue Jays slugger after Tuesday’s All-Star game in Phoenix where the smooth-swinging Dominican will be the main attraction.