CALEDON, Ontario — Bud Cauley took the lead with a birdie chip on the par-4 12th and won the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title, eight years after his career nearly ended in a car accident at the Memorial Tournament.

The 36-year-old Cauley won in his 239th tour start — just over two years after he finally returned to the PGA Tour following the accident. He was a passenger in a car when he sustained six broken ribs, a collapsed right lung and fractured left leg.

On Sunday at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley, Cauley closed with a 5-under 65 to get to 17-under 263. He began the round a stroke behind Jackson Suber.

Cauley started his back-nine birdie run with a shot to 4 feet on the 206-yard 11th. He added the hole-out from 93 feet on 12, then made a 13 1/2-footer on 13 and a 15-footer on 15 — both par 4s. After a bogey on the par-4 17th, he parred the par-5 18th.

Matt Fitzpatrick was second to take the FedEx Cup lead. He eagled the 18th in a 64.

Viktor Hovland was third at 14 under after a 65. Suber (70), Jesper Svensson (68), Jimmy Stanger (67) and Brice Garnett (68) were another stroke back.

CALEDON, Ontario — Jackson Suber got up-and-down for birdie on the par-5 18th hole Saturday for a 4-under 66, giving him a one-shot lead over Bud Cauley going into the final round of a wide-open RBC Canadian Open.

It was the first 54-hole lead for Suber, whose best PGA Tour finish came three weeks ago at The CJ Cup Byron Nelson when he tied for fourth, seven shots out of the lead.

Bud Cauley hit his tee shot to inches on the rowdy par-3 14th hole, the start of three straight birdies that carried him to a 66, leaving him in position for his first PGA Tour title.

Missing from the mix was 36-hole leader Ben James, who plunged out of contention with a 78, and Brooks Koepka, who had to deal with a mysterious feeling in his left arm that made it difficult for him to grip the club most of the day.

“I’m struggling to grip the club with my ring finger and pinkie finger, so can’t grip it,” Koepka said after salvaging a 72, leaving him seven shots behind. “My fingers would come loose, it was kind of numb. I don’t know what the deal was but hopefully we’ll figure it out.”

He had treatment on the course and said he had never experienced anything like that.

James, meanwhile, watched a dream pro debut turn sour when he had five straight bogeys on the front nine, didn’t make a birdie until the 15th hole and went from first to a tie for 59th.

Wyndham Clark, who won The CJ Cup Byron Nelson, shot a 63 as the leaders were just getting started. He wound up in a four-way tie for third with Tommy Fleetwood (67), Brice Garnett (67) and Jesper Svensson, who had the lead until a three-putt double bogey on the 17th dropped him to a 68.

Billy Horschel, who has been in a slump all year, shot 64 and was another shot back.

Suber has birdied the two par 5s each of the three rounds.

“I’ve just hit good drives there and I feel like I’ve been in a good spot and iron play seems to be my strength,” Suber said.

Now the big test awaits in various ways. The forecast is for rain and wind. The leaderboard features 17 players within four shots of a leader who has never won on the PGA Tour.

“The conditions are going to be really rough and no matter my start, if I start with an eagle or a bogey, it’s going to be a tough day and it’s not going to be won on the first probably nine to 15 holes,” Suber said. “So just staying patient.”

Suber is coming off a Monday in which he qualified for the U.S. Open for only the second time. Cauley narrowly missed out on his qualifier, but at No. 68 in the world, he now has a chance to move into the top 60 after the Canadian Open and earn a spot at Shinnecock Hills next week.

CALEDON, Ontario — Ben James holed a 25-foot eagle putt to start his round and never let up until he had a 7-under 63 for a one-shot lead in his professional debut at the RBC Canadian Open.

James was an All-American all four years at Virginia and led the PGA Tour University ranking to earn a card through the 2027 season.

“It all kind of came together today. It was just one of those days,” James said. “The putter was good, hitting fairways, had good numbers, and was able to capitalize on a pretty tricky scoring day.”

James was at 10-under 130, one shot over a group of five players that included Sam Burns, who played in the final group at the Memorial last week and tied for fourth.

Brooks Koepka had a 68 and was two shots behind, along with Tommy Fleetwood.

James played bogey-free on the Osprey Valley course at TPC Toronto and goes into the weekend having not made a bogey in his last 33 holes. This is his 10th PGA Tour event, including two U.S. Opens, but first one as a pro.

“I wasn’t really thinking about results at all this week. Just worried about getting comfortable, making new friends and having fun, and just seeing where everything kind of falls,” James said. “Obviously, I have some stuff to work on, just trying to see where everything goes. Because this is just the baseline, it’s my first professional debut. Had a great two days, but just trying to get better.”

Burns had a 67 and was at 131 along with Jackson Suber (65), Haotong Li (64), Keith Mitchell (64) and Jesper Svensson (65).

Tommy Fleetwood, who lost in a playoff at the Canadian Open three years ago when Nick Taylor holed that memorable 72-foot eagle putt, had a 65 and joined Koepka in the group two back that included defending champion Ryan Fox (66).

Koepka was slowed at the start of his round when he lost his tee shot on the 13th and had to scramble for double bogey, and then bogeyed the par-3 14th. He also had four birdies and an eagle on the back nine — he started on No. 10 — the latter coming off a 379-yard drive on the par-5 18th.

He was thinking more of the drive that went sideways.

“I would like to have that tee ball back on 13,” Koepka said. “I just stood there for 10 minutes and tried to hit a low fade and then it turned into a high draw. When you stand there and start thinking too long, that was kind of the issue. I would love to have that one back. But other than that, played solid, it was fine. The ball striking hasn’t been phenomenal, but it’s good.”

Eric Cole, who was part of the six-way tie for the lead after 18 holes, started with a triple bogey and his day never got much better. He shot 76 to miss the cut, meaning he will have no chance to play in the U.S. Open next week. Cole came into the week at No. 63 in the world, and the top 60 earn an exemption to Shinnecock Hills.

James made it through 36-hole qualifying in New York to earn a spot in his third straight U.S. Open. His focus now is on the fifth-oldest championship in golf — the Canadian Open dates to 1904 — and his professional debut.

“I’ve never been in this position, so I’m very excited to find out,” James said about the weekend. “One thing I wanted to do I was, like, ‘Let’s try and get in that last group.’ I just want to feel what that feels and just see what happens out there in that situation. Being so young, I’m just excited. I have no expectations. I’m going to play the best I can like I did the last two days.”

A capsule look at 10 players expected to contend at the U.S. Open, to be played June 18-21 at Shinnecock Hills in Southampton, New York:

Scottie Scheffler

Age: 29.

Country: United States.

World ranking: 1.

Worldwide wins: 23.

Majors: Masters (2022, 2024), PGA Championship (2025), British Open (2025).

US Open appearances: 8.

US Open moment: Finishing one shot behind Matt Fitzpatrick in 2022 at The Country Club.

Backspin: Scheffler is winless since The American Express in his first start of the year. A U.S. Open title makes him the seventh player to complete the career Grand Slam.

Xander Schauffele

Age: 32.

Country: United States.

World ranking: 12.

Worldwide wins: 12.

Majors: PGA Championship (2024), British Open (2024).

US Open appearances: 9.

US Open moment: Shooting a 62 in the first round in 2023 at Los Angeles Country Club.

Backspin: Schauffele has never finished worse than a tie for 14th in the U.S. Open. This major is all about toughness and a good attitude, and Schauffele has both.

Jon Rahm

Age: 31.

Country: Spain.

World ranking: 8.

Worldwide wins: 24.

Majors: Masters (2023), U.S. Open (2021).

US Open appearances: 9.

US Open moment: Winning his first major at Torrey Pines in the 2021 U.S. Open.

Backspin: Rahm comes into the U.S. Open off a runner-up finish in the PGA Championship. He is 0 for 12 in the majors since joining LIV, but he thrives on a big stage and those are found only at majors for him.

Rory McIlroy

Age: 37.

Country: Northern Ireland

World ranking: 2.

Worldwide wins: 42.

Majors: Masters (2025, 2026), PGA Championship (2012, 2014), U.S. Open (2011), British Open (2014).

US Open appearances: 17.

US Open moment: Setting the 72-hole record when he won at Congressional in 2011.

Backspin: McIlroy won the Masters for the second straight year and contended on the back nine of the PGA Championship, making him one of only three players with top 10s in both majors this year.

Justin Rose

Age: 45.

Country: England.

World ranking: 6.

Worldwide wins: 25.

Majors: U.S. Open (2013).

US Open appearances: 20.

US Open moment: Capturing his only major at Merion in the 2013 U.S. Open.

Backspin: Right when it looks as though Rose is slowing down, he wins (Torrey Pines) and contends in the majors. He challenged at the Masters, and tied for 10th in the PGA Championship.

Cameron Young

Age: 29.

Country: United States.

World ranking: 3.

Worldwide wins: 3.

Majors: None.

US Open appearances: 6.

US Open moment: Contending early Sunday at Oakmont and tying for fourth, his best finish in a U.S. Open.

Backspin: Winless in his PGA Tour career at this point a year ago, winning a major is the next step. His improved putting will be key on the greens of Shinnecock Hills.

Brooks Koepka

Age: 36.

Country: United States.

World ranking: 109.

Worldwide wins: 17.

Majors: PGA Championship (2018, 2019, 2023), U.S. Open (2017, 2018).

US Open appearances: 12.

US Open moment: Winning at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 to become the first back-to-back champion in 29 years.

Backspin: Koepka has yet to do anything special in his return from LIV Golf, so the U.S. Open will be a good gauge. He has five finishes in the top 4 at the U.S. Open, including his back-to-back wins.

Bryson DeChambeau

Age: 32.

Country: United States.

World ranking: 30.

Worldwide wins: 15.

Majors: U.S. Open (2020, 2024).

US Open appearances: 11.

US Open moment: Saving par from a long bunker shot in 2024 at Pinehurst No. 2 to beat Rory McIlroy by one shot.

Backspin: A two-time winner on LIV Golf this year, the majors have been another story. He has missed the cut in the Masters and U.S. Open while struggling with accuracy and his bunker play. His only top 10s in the U.S. Open are his two victories.

Tommy Fleetwood

Age: 35.

Country: England.

World ranking: 7.

Worldwide wins: 9.

Majors: None.

US Open appearances: 10.

US Open moment: Becoming the only player to twice shoot 63 in the final round, at Shinnecock Hills in 2018 at Los Angeles Country Club in 2023.

Backspin: Fleetwood is coming off good finishes in signature events at Quail Hollow and Muirfield Village. In between was a missed cut in the PGA Championship. He set the course record on a soft Sunday at Shinnecock Hills in 2018.

Matt Fitzpatrick

Age: 31.

Country: England.

World ranking: 4.

Worldwide wins: 14.

Majors: U.S. Open (2022).

US Open appearances: 11.

US Open moment: Winning in 2022 at The Country Club, the same course where he had won the U.S. Amateur.

Backspin: His victory at Brookline remains his only top 10 in a major. Fitzpatrick has won three times this year, including the team event with brother Alex in New Orleans.

Phil Mickelson has been kicked out of a San Diego golf club over allegations he made unwanted physical contact with a female employee, Golf Digest reported Thursday.

Golf Digest cited multiple sources as saying Mickelson is no longer welcome at The Farms Golf Club in Rancho Santa Fe, California, where the six-time major champion has played and practiced for decades. The unwanted contact was said to have happened earlier this spring.

Mickelson, the chief recruiter in the launching of LIV Golf, has only played once this year because of a serious family health matter that has not been disclosed. He did not play the Masters and PGA Championship, and is no longer exempt for the U.S. Open.

Golf Digest said it verified the identity of The Farms employee and was withholding her name to protect her privacy. It said she declined to participate in the reporting of the story.

A spokesperson for Mickelson told Golf Digest, “Any misunderstanding has been cleared up. Phil continues to attend to a family health matter and is uncertain when he will be able to return to professional golf.”

Digest cited sources in reporting Mickelson approached the woman in the clubhouse and made nonconsensual and inappropriate physical contact with her. The woman rejected his advances and reported it to her supervisors.

Officials at The Farms reviewed and investigated, Golf Digest reported, and then confronted Mickelson on the course. Mickelson, 55, was told to leave the premises.

The Farms said in a statement to Golf Digest, “Following a staff member report of member misconduct, the club provided immediate and ongoing support to the staff member, conducted a thorough independent investigation of the incident and took decisive action. This individual is no longer a member of The Farms Golf Club.”

“To protect the safety and privacy of our staff and member, we are unable to speak further on the matter.”

Golf Digest cited multiple sources in confirming the member was Mickelson.

The Farms, located about 10 miles from Torrey Pines, is a private club where several top players are members such as Annika Sorenstam and Xander Schauffele, both of whom have primary residences in Florida.

The development adds to what has become a dark chapter for Mickelson, who is married with three children and was once one of the most beloved public figures in golf for his bold and creative game, and for the time he spent after rounds signing autographs.

Mickelson was a relief defendant in an insider trading scheme in 2016 in which he was not criminally charged but agreed to repay nearly $1 million he made in a single trade. Noted gambler Billy Walters was involved in that case and sentenced to five years in prison.

Walters wrote an autobiography in 2023 in which he claims Mickelson has wagered more than $1 billion over the last 30 years, including one day in 2011 in which Mickelson was said to have placed 43 bets on Major League Baseball that resulted in $143,500 in losses.

Mickelson became the oldest major champion in golf history when he won the 2021 PGA Championship. A year later, he was a central figure in helping to launch Saudi-funded LIV Golf. He lost major sponsorships when he was quoted in early 2022 as calling the Saudis “scary mother (expletives)” and that he was only thinking of joining the league to gain leverage over the PGA Tour.

The Public Investment Fund of Saudi Arabia is ending its financial support of LIV after this year.

Two players going into their senior year of high school are playing in the U.S. Open, along with another teenager who is headed off to college.

The field for Shinnecock Hills includes T.K. Kim, a 35-year-old who was born in South Korea, raised on Maui, played college golf at Boise State and will get ready for his first U.S. Open by playing two Oklahoma mini-tour events in Muskogee and Duncan.

Billy Horschel has 10 worldwide wins and more than $42.5 million in career PGA Tour earnings, not including his $10 million bonus from winning the FedEx Cup. His path to Shinnecock Hills was no different from 17-year-old Miles Russell or Arni Sveinsson, who will make history as the first player from Iceland in the U.S. Open.

This is what makes the U.S. Open stand out from the other four majors. It gets called the toughest test in golf — sometimes too tough — but it prides itself on being the most “open” of any Open.

David Fay, who spent 21 years as the USGA executive director, once said, “It’s not the best field in golf. It never pretended to be. It’s the most democratic championship.”

Fay might raise his eyebrows when he looks at the numbers now.

By the time the USGA was done handing out exemptions this year — based on performance at the PGA Tour, European tour and LIV Golf — only 62 spots were available in final qualifying. That included just 43 spots, which still tries to sell itself as the “Longest Day in Golf” even with the shrinking numbers.

Ten years ago, the 156-man field at Oakmont included 80 players who had to earn their way there through 36-hole qualifiers. Twenty-seven of them first had to get through 18-hole local qualifiers, a list that included 19-year-old Sam Burns.

For this year at Shinnecock Hills, the qualifiers stand at a mere 62 players.

That number figures to go up because the USGA has set aside seven spots for players who potentially can qualify through the top 60 in the world ranking after this week (Memorial winner J.T. Poston is a lock).

Even so, it’s not close to the U.S Open ideal of a 50-50 split. That had been the sweet spot for years until the USGA responded to the changing landscape in golf and went away from its roots by trying to get all the right players.

The only player the U.S. Open probably missed out on over the years was Justin Rose in 2010 when he won the Memorial and moved to No. 33 in the world, two weeks after the cutoff for what was then top 50. The next year, the USGA added a second deadline the week before the Open so that wouldn’t happen again.

But over the past few years, the USGA felt it should recognize LIV Golf by adding two spots — a leading player from last year (Joaquin Niemann) and this year (Lucas Herbert). Nothing would have kept either one from trying to qualify.

It has added five leading players from the FedEx Cup this year (Sudarshan Yellamaraju among them), two players from the Race to Dubai in 2025 (Laurie Canter and Adrien Saddier) and one this year (Jayden Schaper). There’s still a 36-hole qualifier in London that offered seven spots.

The U.S. Junior Amateur winner began getting an exemption in 2018, the NCAA champion in 2023. There’s now a place for the top player on the Korn Ferry Tour last year.

Each addition gets the U.S. Open further away from its roots.

All of them are quality players, and all of them certainly earned the right to be there based on performance, the key word when golf throws out “meritocracy.” All of them could have qualified, just like four-time All-American Ben James and PGA Tour player Keith Mitchell.

“Today is such an important day for us,” John Bodenhamer, the USGA’s chief championships officer, said as the qualifying at 10 sites across the continent were winding down. “Openness and qualifying and earning your way into our national championship is part of our DNA.”

It still is. But it’s not as evident as it used to be. This should get the attention of the USGA, if it hasn’t already.

There’s no need to go down the path of the British Open from just over a decade go when it established the “Open Qualifying Series” at tournaments around the world.

It has been effective in identifying a good field through performance, but it’s not the same as proving it over 36 holes. Players show up at tournaments to win — a place in the British Open often is a consolation prize (Poston managed to get both at Muirfield Village ).

Now the British Open offers 20 qualifying spots at four venues, plus something called a “Last Chance Qualifier” to be held over 18 holes on Monday of The Open at Royal Birkdale.

The U.S. Open still has a right to boast of being the most open of Open championships around the world. It would do well not to get too far away from that. There’s really no risk of missing out on a player whom the golfing public wouldn’t know was missing.

There would be more opportunity to see Russell and Giuseppe Puebla, Nos. 1 and 2 in the American junior ranking, be among three amateurs who qualified in Florida; to see Andrew Putnam at No. 84 in the world earn the final spot in a nine-hole playoff in Oregon over Spencer Tibbits, who has no world ranking.

Vaughn Harber, an Ohio State sophomore, went 5 under over his last five holes to get into a playoff and advance to his first U.S. Open. There were other stories like him. The U.S. Open needs more moments like that, not fewer. It’s part of its DNA.

DETROIT — The next Rocket Classic will be the last.

“After nearly 13 years as a PGA Tour title sponsor, including eight years in Detroit, 2026 will mark the final Rocket Classic,” tournament director Mark Hollis announced. “We are incredibly proud of what this tournament has meant to the city, from creating unforgettable moments for fans to raising more than $10 million for local organizations.”

Aldrich Potgieter will be the defending champion on July 30 when the final tournament begins at Detroit Golf Club. Cam Davis is a two-time Rocket Classic champion and Bryson DeChambeau is among the previous winners at the tournament.

Rocket Mortgage drew the world’s top golf circuit back to Michigan in 2019, replacing the Quicken Loans National that had been run by the Tiger Woods Foundation in the Washington, D.C., area.

It gave the state a PGA Tour stop for the first time since Woods won the 2009 Buick Open at Warwick Hills, but the Detroit-based mortgage company doesn’t seem to be interested in being part of the next era of golf.

The PGA Tour is moving to a new model for 2028 at the earliest with two tracks of tournaments, including one with elevated events that will have larger purses for the better players. The Rocket Classic has never been able to attract a star-filled field to the Motor City as it has moved around on the calendar, often squeezed between majors or after the majors and before the FedEx Cup playoffs.

“What you are going to see is an elevation of tournaments,” Brian Rolapp, the new CEO at the PGA Tour, said. “I think what we have found as we’ve talked to sponsors both for Track 1 and Track 2, there’s a lot of demand for both. And the price points will be different.

“The bigger events, not everyone can afford and may not be sort of consistent with their business goals. That’s great. There’s other price points too for it, and I think there’s plenty of demand for both Track 1 and Track 2 in that regard because there’s definitely people who want to invest different amounts in these events.”

Miles Russell was among two 17-year-olds who earned a spot in the U.S. Open on Monday. Still to be determined was whether Russell brings his caddie from the 36-hole qualifier — the son of three-time champion Tiger Woods — to Shinnecock Hills next week.

Russell, the No. 10 amateur in the world, survived a bogey on the first playoff hole and grabbed the fourth and final spot from the Florida qualifier. Charlie Woods is one of his close friends who has the same commercial agent and is following Russell to Florida State.

“It kept it so light,” Russell said. “It’s the first time I’ve had a buddy on the bag. I really like it, not talking much golf, just having a good time.”

Russell smiled when asked if he would have Woods at Shinnecock Hills, saying only, “We’ll see what he’s doing. To be determined.”

The medalist from the Florida qualifier was Giuseppe Puebla, who ranks second behind Russell in the American Junior Golf Association ranking.

They were among 715 players at 10 sites from coast-to-coast and into Canada, all of them vying for 43 spots available for the 126th U.S. Open.

Previous qualifiers were held in England, Japan and Dallas.

Vaughn Harber, who just finished his sophomore year at Ohio State, played his final five holes at The Lakes in 5-under par — including an eagle — and then advanced in the 4-for-3 playoff in one of the two Ohio qualifiers. Jackson Van Paris birdied his last two holes to qualify without extra holes.

That qualifier also produced the first player from Iceland to play in the U.S. Open, Arni Sveinsson, who plays for LSU.

In the other Ohio qualifier, Billy Horschel found a happy note in an otherwise tough season when he was among five who made it through. Tony Finau missed out by two shots and will not be at the U.S. Open for the first time since 2017.

Here’s how the other qualifiers looked (a-amateur):

Ohio-Springfield

QUALIFIERS: Neal Shipley, Zac Blair, Dylan Wu, Billy Horschel, Nick Hardy.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Brandt Snedeker, Tony Finau, Cam Davis.

DIVOTS: Shipley, who finished his college career at nearby Ohio State, has missed the cut in nine of his 12 starts in his rookie year on the PGA Tour. ... Snedeker was the first alternate.

Florida

QUALIFIERS: a-Giuseppe Puebla, Ben Silverman, a-Ryder Cowan, a-Miles Russell.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Matt Kuchar, Matthieu Pavon, Christiaan Bezuidenhout, Luke Clanton, Luke Poulter.

NOTEWORTHY: Three of the four qualifiers are amateurs. ... Kuchar hasn’t played in any major since the 2024 U.S. Open.

Canada

QUALIFIERS: Emiliano Grillo, Alejandro Tosti, Marcelo Rozo, William Mouw, John Parry, Max McGreevy.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Max Homa, Matt Wallace, Garrick Higgo, Seamus Power.

NOTEWORTHY: The final three spots were determined by an eight-man playoff. ... Homa missed out in a playoff for the second straight year in U.S. Open qualifying.

Maryland

QUALIFIERS: Jackson Suber, Ben Kohles, a-Logan Reilly, Jake Sollon.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Blades Brown, Michael Thorbjornsen, Karl Vilips.

NOTEWORTHY: Sollon earned the final spot in a playoff over Bryan Lee. He was scheduled to leave for Bogota, Colombia, for a PGA Tour Americas event. ... Kohles was coming off a victory Sunday on the Korn Ferry Tour.

Ohio-Columbus

QUALIFIERS: Davis Thompson, J.B. Holmes, a-Vaughn Harber, a-Arni Sveinsson.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Lucas Glover, Jhonattan Vegas, Bud Cauley, Austin Eckroat, Denny McCarthy, Erik van Rooyen.

NOTEWORTHY: Sam Udovich bogeyed his last two holes and was the odd man out in a 4-for-3 playoff. He will be the first alternate. ... What used to be the main qualifier for PGA Tour players only had a 51-man field.

North Carolina

QUALIFIERS: a-Jackson Ormond, Carl Yuan, Jackson Van Paris, Brandon Wu, Cole Hammer.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Aaron Wise, Ryo Ishikawa, Bill Haas, Troy Merritt.

NOTEWORTHY: Ormond, an 18-year-old who will play at Florida next year, birdied five of his last seven holes for a 63 to go from outside the number to be the medalist. ... Haas, the son of Jay Haas, had his son caddying for him.

New York

QUALIFIERS: Kevin Roy, Max Greyserman, Ben James, James Nicholas.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Matt Jones.

NOTEWORTHY: James makes his pro debut this week in the Canadian Open. He finished atop the PGA Tour University ranking. ... Roy makes his U.S. Open debut in his native New York.

Georgia

QUALIFIERS: Chris Kirk, Jake Peacock, Keith Mitchell, Robbie Higgins, a-Chase Kyes.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Aldrich Potgieter, Stephan Jaeger, Jason Dufner, Patton Kizzire.

NOTEWORTHY: Kyes birdied the last hole in near darkness to avoid a 3-for-1 playoff for the final spot. ... Potgieter can still get in the U.S. Open if he wins the Canadian Open this week, which would give him two PGA Tour victories since the last U.S. Open.

California

QUALIFIERS: Taylor Montgomery, a-Eric Lee, a-Matthew Robles, a-Marek Fleming.

NOTABLE PLAYERS MISSING: Geoff Ogilvy, Michael Block, Stewart Hagestad.

NOTEWORTHY: Matthew Robles birdied his last two holes. ... Thayer Plewe was one shot out of the lead when he took double bogey on the 16th, bogey on the 17th and missed a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole.

The LA Olympics may be two years away, but qualifying in one highlight individual sport — golf — begins this week.

The 60-player women's golf field will be determined by world rankings come June 5, 2028. The 60-man field will be filled through world rankings on June 19, 2028.

Since world rankings are determined through a two-year rolling window of results, this week's worldwide women's tournaments will be the first taking place in the Olympic qualification window. The men's qualifying window starts after next week's U.S. Open.

Though this week's LPGA tournament is a team event without ranking points, other international tournaments on tap do offer ranking points that will determine the (very, very) early leaders in Olympic qualifying.

Rankings put more weight on the most recent and most prestigious tournaments, so playing well in early 2028 and in the majors will be critical for Olympic qualifying.

As with the last three Olympic golf events, the 2028 fields will include the top four women and top four men per country if they are all ranked in the top 15 in the world. Once past the top 15, a nation can have a maximum of two women and two men.

Competition for the U.S. spots is expected to be fierce. There are currently six American women in the top 32 in the world.

If the Olympic field was named today, the automatic American qualifiers would be Tokyo Olympic gold medalist Nelly Korda (No. 1 in the world), and Lauren Coughlin (No. 14) with Angel Yin missing out by one spot at No. 16. Major champions Lilia Vu, Allisen Corpuz and Jennifer Kupcho also wouldn't make it.

On the men's side, the current top Americans are Scottie Scheffler (No. 1, Paris Olympic gold medalist), Cameron Young (No. 3), Russell Henley (No. 5) and J.J. Spaun (No. 9). Collin Morikawa (No. 10) and Xander Schauffele (No. 12, the Tokyo Olympic gold medalist) are among those who wouldn't qualify if the field was chosen today.

The Olympic golf gold medalists since the sport's return are Inbee Park, Korda and Lydia Ko for the women and Justin Rose, Schauffele and Scheffler for the men.

A new wrinkle for LA28 is the debut of a mixed-gender team event that will feature players who are already qualified individually. The field will be 16 nations with one woman and one man per team.

Golf at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics

Everything to know about golf at the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, including event guide, venue and daily schedule.

Nelly Korda already had established herself as the best in women’s golf without argument.

She has beaten all but nine players in eight tournaments this year. Only once has she not played in the final group on Sunday. All she was lacking was the biggest championship on her calendar. The U.S. Women’s Open is what inspired her from the time she first played in it at age 14.

“That’s where my dream started,” she said.

The pressure was never greater than at century-old Riviera Country Club when Korda had to chip and putt and grind to win the major she wanted more than all the others.

Korda is the first player since Inbee Park in 2013 to capture the first two legs of the calendar Grand Slam, and there are signs this could be the start of something special.

Park played with masterful control and sublime putting. She didn’t overwhelm with style points. She won with remarkable efficiency.

Korda is more reminiscent of the previous player in pursuit of a Grand Slam, Annika Sorenstam in 2005, who won the first two majors by a combined 11 shots. Sorenstam was halfway home to a Grand Slam and miles ahead of everyone else.

Right now, no one is close to Korda.

The next major is the Women’s PGA Championship at Hazeltine National outside Minneapolis. It’s a big ballpark, perfectly suited for the 27-year-old American star whose swing is the envy of most every golfer, male or female.

The last time the Women’s PGA was at Hazeltine was in 2019. Korda was in her third year on the LPGA Tour with three career wins. She finished three shots behind.

Korda won her first major this year at the Chevron Championship in Houston, another big course, with a dominance not seen at an LPGA major in 35 years. She led the final 57 holes and was ahead by eight shots at one point on the weekend. She probably could have won by any margin if she didn’t aim for the fat of the greens with victory in hand.

Equally impressive was the nail-biter at Riviera, where there was a four-way tie for the lead at various points in the final round.

Korda pulled ahead with a 9-foot birdie putt on the 17th hole.

“That putt is the reason why I’m here,” she said with the Women’s Trophy at her side.

It won’t be remembered as much as the short par putt for the one-shot victory over Gaby Lopez and Charley Hull. It was just inside 3 feet, though it traveled even farther because of the 10 inches the golf ball swirled around the 13-inch circumference of the cup before it disappeared.

She felt pressure, nerves, slight embarrassment and pure joy. On the packed hillside overlooking the 18th green there was a brief moment of panic that gave way to pandemonium. All those emotions took place in a 10-second window Korda never will forget.

“I don’t know if a weight has been lifted off of my shoulders, but I just think I’m just extremely proud of my fight this week and the dream of that little girl that you kind of get to check that off your bucket list,” she said.

That it happened at Riviera, the storied course off Sunset Boulevard, adds to the allure.

A Hollywood finish? Sure. But this was more about big-time players winning on big-time courses. It was the first time Riviera has hosted the Women’s Open, giving Korda and other players a preview of the course that will host the 2028 Olympics.

Korda managed to keep it together when her swing, which felt so pure in the practice rounds, deserted her in an opening round of 73 that left her seven shots behind. It wasn’t as bad as the 10 she made on her third hole of the 2024 Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club. This time, she had a fighting chance and fought to the finish.

She saved par 24 out of the 30 times she missed the green. She birdied the final three holes to share the 54-hole lead and get into the final group (again). She never had the lead until that birdie putt on the 17th hole of the final round.

Key to the resurgence was returning to what Korda refers to as her bubble. She won seven times in 2024 and felt the weight of outside expectations when she put together similar statistic in 2025 without a single victory. Now she is back to her bubble, accepting that mistakes will happen, not concerned with much more than the next shot.

She is leaving herself written messages on her bathroom mirror.

“I wrote one today and I said, ‘Whatever happens, happens; just give it a 100%.’ And that’s what I did,” Korda said.

Another message came from Tiger Woods, whom Korda met for the first time at the PNC Championship in 2021. They have stayed in touch, and Korda said he sent her a text ahead of the final round at Riviera that said, “Finish it off.”

That she did. And there is a feeling she might be just getting started.