Unfortunately Illinois female golfers don’t have the same, more-than-ample, competitive opportunities that their male counterparts enjoy. This June, though, offers the first of the annual highlights for the women’s season in the state.

The Illinois Women’s Amateur will be played for the 83rd time at Forest Hills Country Club in Rockford from June 14-17.

You’ve got to hand it to the Illinois Women’s Golf Association. That not-for-profit organization run by 22 volunteers conducts not only this championship but also the Illinois Junior Girls Championship, which be played for the 37th time at the University of Illinois’ Orange Course in Savoy from Aug. 2-3 and the Illinois Senior Women’s Amateur, which will be played for the 47th time at Champaign Country Club from Sept. 13-15.

There isn’t a whole lot of other playing opportunities for the women and girls. Biggest of them all is the 22nd annual Illinois Women’s Open, to be played at permanent site Mistwood in Romeoville from July 18-20, and the 85th annual Chicago Women’s District Golf Association Championship at Flossmoor Country Club from Aug. 9-11.

In addition to its three tournaments the IWGA has raised $1.1 million over the years to support not only its programs but those at Illinois state schools as well. The IWGA also has its own Hall of Fame, the latest inductee being Marilyn Dechert of Decatur last fall. She was a long-time coach at Millikin College.

The IWGA does the best job of any of the Illinois golf associations in spreading its tournaments around the state. That’s probably because its leadership is largely from away from the Chicago area. President Pam Henning is from Moline, secretary Pat Burgy from Rockford and treasurer Terri Moore from Galesburg.

Henning announced the addition of two new board members for this year, one of which – Monica Coleman of Long Grove – is from the Chicago area. The other new board member is Leslie Frankfort of Rockford.

The last time the Illinois Women’s Amateur was played in the Chicago area was in 2013, when Bing Singhsumalee was the champion at Cantigny in Wheaton. Singhsumalee was the tourney’s youngest champion, winning at 16 years old while she was still attending Waubonsie Valley High School in Naperville. She just completed a very successful freshman year at the University of Illinois, finishing tied for fourth in the Big Ten Conference Championship.

Going back in time, the IWGA was founded in 1933 under the leadership of Mary Wheeler. Its first tournament was the Illinois Women’s Amateur in 1934 at Evanston Golf Club with Dorothy Porter of Springfield the champion.

The tourney format is different from the other big state events. The field – limited to 100, all with a handicap index no higher than 22.0 – will have an 18-hole stroke play qualifying round to kick off the competition. Then the low 80 competitors will be broken down into flights for three days of match play competition. The championship flight gets the top 32 players from the qualifying round.

Over the years the Illinois Women’s Amateur has had some great champions, most notably Lois Drafke of LaGrange who won her first title in 1953 and her last 20 years later. Drafke won the tournament nine times. Shirley Dommers, of Belvidere, was the champion in 1957, 1961, 1968, 1969 and 1974. She’ll be honored at this year’s tournament with a new award for low junior medalist having been created in her name.

As for this year’s field, entries don’t close until June 6 but there is going to be one very notable absentee. Madasyn Pettersen, who lives in Rockford, won’t be there. Burgy, who doubles as tournament chairman for this year’s Illinois Women’s Amateur, said last year’s sensation of Illinois women’s golf will be playing in a big American Junior Golf Assn. event. The Rolex Junior Girls Championship will be played at Country Club of Rochester in New York from June 13-17.

Pettersen will be missed, as she shocked the Illinois Women’s Open with a five-stroke victory last year as a 15-year old and then won an Illinois high school title while playing for Rockford Guilford. She was the youngest-ever IWO champion.

Whether she will defend her IWO crown in July is uncertain, but Pettersen’s victory last year is hard to forget. Despite her youth she birdied the last five holes to shoot a final-round 66 and posted an 8-under-par 208 for the tourney’s 54 holes.

Only one player has wins in both the IWO and Illinois Women’s Amateur. Kerry Postillion, from Burr Ridge, won the Amateur in 1995, 1996, 1999, 2004 and 2007 and the Open in 1996, 1997 and 1999. All her IWO wins came as an amateur and her daughter Samantha contended in more recent playings of the tournament.

As good as Pettersen was in last year’s IWO, she couldn’t have won the 2015 Illinois Women’s Amateur. It was scheduled to be played at Illini Country Club in Springfield but heavy rains led to the tourney’s cancellation. It was only the second time in 82 years that the IWGA had a tournament ended by weather. The first Illinois Women’s Senior Championship, scheduled for 1970 at Pekin Country Club, was also rained out.

That tourney obviously didn’t have a defending champion, and neither will this year’s Illinois Women’s Amateur.

“Mother Nature is our defending champion,’’ said Burgy, who hopes for better luck weather-wise. Entries had topped 50 at the time of this printing and Burgy expected to have 70 by June. She held out hope for a record field.

“Cantigny had the record, with close to 100,’’ she said. “In Rockford we have a beautiful golf course and we’ll get a lot of Chicago people because it’s close to Chicago.’’

Forest Hills, which will be hosting for the first time, was established in 1921. Its course is built on 160 rolling acres and has 59 bunkers, over 1,800 trees and over three acres of ponds. Known for its consistently fine conditioning, it’s been a member of the National Audubon Society for Golf Courses since 1997.

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – This really didn’t make much sense.

Rocco Mediate had failed to break 70 in all 22 of his rounds on the Champions Tour this year – and the 50-and-over circuit is known for yielding much lower scores. Not only that, but Mediate had never won a major title on either the PGA or Champions tours and hadn’t even contended in one since losing a playoff to Tiger Woods in the U.S. Open eight years ago.

Even Mediate conceded that “I haven’t done anything in 2 ½ years.’’

So what happened on Sunday in the 77th Senior PGA Championship at Harbor Shores?

Mediate posted the lowest 72-hole score in the tournament by a full three shots, the old record being set by Sam Snead in 1973. He also became the first champion to lead after every round since Jack Nicklaus – designer of the Harbor Shores course – posted his lone win in the tourney in 1991.

Sunday’s day-low 66 score completed a shocking week in which Mediate tied the tournament record with an opening round 62 on Thursday, set the tournament scoring record for 36 holes and by four shots after a 66 on Friday and tied the 54-hole tourney mark despite a par 71 score on Saturday.

“It’s hard to dream that,’’ admitted Mediate, who started on the PGA Tour 30 years ago and had six wins on that circuit to go with his now 30 on the Champions Tour.

How could this happen?

“I have no idea,’’ said Mediate, never one to be short on words. “I made everything. My short game and putter was stupid this week.’’

Like in stupid great.

Mediate started the final round with a two-stroke lead on playing partner Colin Montgomerie, who was trying to become the third player to win the Senior PGA three straight times. Mediate added a stroke to his lead in the first five holes – a span in which he needed only five putts.

Montgomerie got within one shot twice — after Mediate made bogey at No. 7 and again after No. 10, where Montgomerie made a birdie. The one-shot margin remained for the next three holes. Then Montgomerie missed a five-foot par-saver and Mediate wouldn’t let him get any closer than two shots the rest of the way.

According to Montgomerie the key hole was the par-5 15th, where he missed a 15-footer for eagle and Mediate holed a 12-footer for birdie to keep the margin at two. Mediate added a stroke to his lead by holing a bunker shot for birdie at No. 17. That left Montgomerie shaking his head in frustration.

“I didn’t do anything wrong. All credit to Rocco, but I can hold my head high,’’ said Montgomerie. “Rocco was brilliant.’’

No one could argue that. Though Bernard Langer and Brandt Jobe rallied late, the only real threat to Mediate’s domination was Montgomerie. His 16-under-par 268 total matched the previous tournament scoring record. Langer (67 on Sunday) and Jobe (68) were three shots behind Montgomerie in a tie for third.

John DalCorobbo, the low club professional, started the day in third place but dropped into a tie for seventh after a par-71 finish. DalCorobbo, who was the Illinois PGA Assistants Player of the Year in 1993 before moving to Indiana, performed admirably on the same day his home club, Brickyard Crossing, was taken over by the Indianapolis 500. Several holes on the Brickyard course are inside the speedway and DalCorobbo sported a shirt commemorating the 100th running of the storied auto race.

Brian Brodell, teaching pro at Mistwood in Romeoville and the Illinois PGA Player of the Year in 2015, was DalCorobbo’s caddie.

“The most exciting thing is going home after the 500,’’ said DalCorobbo. “Now the Speedway crew and everyone at the Brickyard Crossing has another celebration coming up. They’ve been celebrating without me for a week so it will be super fun.’’

BENTON HARBOR, Mich. – Rocco Mediate may be one of the more colorful players in professional golf, but – until this week’s 77th Senior PGA Championship – he had gone eight years without contending for a major title.

Mediate, despite having a solid career, has never won one of golf’s big ones. In his last great chance Tiger Woods – playing on a broken leg – beat him in a memorable playoff at the 2008 U.S. Open.

“That was the whole ball of wax,’’ recalled Mediate, who referred to that experience this week as “insane fun.’’

Well, Mediate is finally back in contention again. He has led after each of the first three rounds at Harbor Shores and takes a two-stroke lead over Scotland’s Colin Montgomerie into Sunday’s final round on the Jack Nicklaus-designed course. If Mediate wins the title he’ll be the first wire-to-wire winner since Nicklaus in 1991 but holding off Montgomerie won’t be easy.

They’ll play together in the final 18 holes, and Montgomerie should feel much more comfortable in the pressure-packed situation. He’s going for the first three-peat in the Senior PGA since Hale Irwin dominated in 1996-98.

Irwin is one of only two players, in fact, to win the second of this year’s five majors on the Champions Tour three straight times. Eddie Williams, then playing out of Chicago’s Bryn Mawr Country Club, did it with wins in 1942, 1944 and 1945. The tourney wasn’t played during some of the World War II years.

This Senior PGA – the third played at Harbor Shores since 2012 with four more to come in 2018, 2020, 2022 and 2024 – is by far the closest of any of the pro tour majors played near Chicago this year but there isn’t much of a local connection. Locally-based Champions Tour members Jeff Sluman and Chip Beck didn’t survive the 36-hole cut.

That leaves club pro John DalCorobbo as the only Chicago connection left – and his is a faint one. DalCorobbo had once been an assistant pro at Edgewood Valley, in LaGrange, and his caddie this week is Brian Brodell, the teaching pro at Mistwood in Romeoville who was the Illinois PGA Player of the Year in 2015.

DalCorobbo’s an interesting story, though. He’s alone in third place going into the final round on a day when his home course is at the center of the sporting world. DalCorobbo works at Brickyard Crossing, which has three holes located inside the Indianapolis Motor Speedway – site of Sunday’s Indianapolis 500.

All those tidbits aside, this tournament is Mediate’s to lose and his wife Jessica reminded him of that after his 14-under-par 62-66 start here.

“My wife said, `you have to own this and picture yourself with the trophy,’ and she has a point,’’ said Mediate. “I want to try to keep going and see what I can do.’’

Mediate, 53, has six PGA Tour wins and two Champion Tour victories on his resume. He saw his four-shot lead at the start of the day cut in half on Saturday as he was only able to match par of 71 in a round hampered by blustery winds.

“I’m happy with the way I felt and ecstatic with the shots I hit in these wind conditions,’’ said Mediate. “I felt like I was 25, the way I was moving the golf club. I can’t wait for tomorrow. Colin and I are buddies, and I’ll have my hands full, but it’ll be fun.’’

Very few players in Illinois PGA tournaments walk their rounds. Kyle Bauer, the 11-year head pro at the Glen View club, is one who does. He doesn’t think it puts him at a competitive disadvantage, and Thursday he proved it.

Bauer captured the 65th playing of the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes in Kildeer and his win came on a day when all the players had an unusually difficult physical test. Weather hampered the four-day event throughout, which meant the last three rounds all were played on Thursday. None of the eight players still alive on the final day had ever played three matches in one day.

“At my club I’ve never played in a golf cart,’’ said Bauer, “so I’m used to walking. I’m not sure if anybody else walks, but it’s not that big a deal. I’m used to it, but I’m sure I’ll be tired tomorrow.’’

Walking what turned out to be 45 holes in a 10-hour span wasn’t the only factor when the title was on the line. Bauer went up against long-hitting Medinah teaching pro Travis Johns, the tourney’s 2010 champion and a two-time IPGA Player of the year. Bauer played from behind on every par-4 and par-5 hole as Johns was generally 50 yards further off the tee.

Again, no insurmountable problem as Bauer worked his way to a 4 and 3 victory.

“I usually hit my drives in the fairway,’’ Bauer said. “The golf course was playing extremely long (because of the soggy conditions), and my mindset was to not give any holes away.’’

Johns won the first two holes with conceded birdie putts and Bauer needed to sink a five-foot par-saver to halve No. 3.

“At that point I was hoping to not lose 10 an 8,’’ he said. Then Johns gave him a boost, hitting his tee shot out of bounds left on the par-5 fourth.

“I struggled all week off that tee,’’ said Johns, who hit two balls in the water right at No. 4 in his earlier matches. He felt shaky putting was more responsible for his loss in the title match, though. Bauer wasn’t so sure.

He won No. 4 with only a bogey and then took No. 5 when Johns three-putted to get the match to all square.

“That settled me down. I was 2-under the rest of the day,’’ said Bauer. “That’s what this tournament is all about –not giving away holes.’’

Bauer took the lead for good with a 15-foot birdie putt on the eighth hole. He made Johns dormie with with a 15-foot birdie putt on No. 14 and closed him out with a par on the next hole after Johns found his third shot on the par-5 buried in a green-side bunker.

Despite the busy week in the first major tournament of the Chicago season Bauer may not be done yet. He’s in Monday’s local qualifying round for the U.S. Open at Exmoor in Highland Park.

PALM HARBOR, Florida – The Copperhead, one of the most popular courses on the PGA Tour, is taking on all golfers again – and this is a big, big deal.

Copperhead, a Larry Packard design that opened in 1972, has hosted a professional golf tournament for the past 25 years. It was big news when a restoration of Packard’s original design was announced after Jordan Spieth won last year’s Valspar Championship in a playoff.

The restoration took about six months., during which the course was closed. The members of Innisbrook Resort got a slight head start on playing the course ahead of Tuesday’s formal re-opening hosted by owner Sheila Johnson and featuring PGA Tour player George McNeill and Gary Koch, the PGA Tour veteran and NBC golf analyst.

Also joining in the ceremonial press conference was Prem Devadas, president of Salamander Hotels & Resorts; Bobby Barnes, Innisbrook’s director of golf; and Steve Wenzloff, vice president of design services and player liason for the PGA Tour.

Roger Packard, son of Larry and a golf course architect of note as well, was also on hand. His father was an Innisbrook resident until his death last year at age 101. The work done on his premier course was not a renovation, Johnson stressing that it “respects and protects the vision of Larry Packard and his signature design.’’

Koch, a Florida native who has played Copperhead over an estimated 40 years and also done some work in golf architecture, called it the “grand dame of Florida golf courses….This is an exciting day for a lot of people.’’

“It’s a glorious, glorious day,’’ said Johnson, who brought the resort in 2007. Johnson, who has deep roots in the Chicago area and is a University of Illinois alum, founded Salamander in 2005 and the company’s portfolio includes two other Florida golf destinations — Reunion Resort, in Orlando, and Hammock Beach, in Palm Coast — plus the equestrian-inspired Salamander Resort & Spa in Middleburg, Va.; and the soon-to-open Henderson Beach Resort in Destin, FL.

Innisbrook, with four courses all designed by Packard, is special given Johnson’s executive committee role with the U.S. Golf Assn.

“The Copperhead is the jewel in the crown of Innisbrook,’’ she said. “The resort has undergone a renaissance. We’ve touched every inch of this property. This project is the latest of numerous improvements Salamander has made to Innisbrook to cement its reputation as one of America’s top golf destinations.’’

She also stressed the importance of the course’s new irrigation system, which now includes 500 new sprinkler heads and will save 11 million goals of water per year – enough to fill 1,100 Olympic-sized swimming pools. She said that’s in keeping with the USGA’s efforts to cope with the closing of 130 courses in recent years.

“The USGA is on a mission,’’ said Johnson. “We’re on a mission to keep golf courses open.’’

McNeill, runner-up in the PGA Tour stop at Copperhead in 2008, called the course “magnificent’’ and “one of the toughest we play all year.’’

In the restoration all the tee boxes were rebuilt and laser leveled, and some were expanded to account for the addition of 15 new forward tees. The putting and chipping practices areas were also enhanced but the course’s maximum yardage remains at 7,340 yards for the tour pros who will return in March.

The Ladies PGA confirmed a new site for next year’s UL International Crown on Tuesday. It’ll be played July 21-24 at Merit Club in Libertyville.

Merit Club hasn’t been the site of a significant competition since it hosted the U.S. Women’s Open in 2000, a major event that was won by Australian Karrie Webb.

“Everyone at the Merit Club is excited for this opportunity,’’ said general manager Don Pieper in a statement released by the LPGA. “We can’t wait to showcase the world’s best golfers.’’

The club, founded by Bert Getz, was only eight years old when it landed the prestigious U.S. Women’s Open. Chicago architect Bob Lohman and Ed Oldfield Sr., Merit Club’s first head professional, worked together on the original course design and Oldfield’s involvement was a big reason the club landed that event so early in his history.

Oldfield, who had a long career at Glen View Club before going to the Merit Club, was the swing instructor for many LPGA players, most notably Betsy King. He parted ways with the Merit Club shortly after Webb won her title but the club’s reputation as a quality venue continued even without the return of a big-time tournament. Among its most notable members was former Bulls’ great Michael Jordan.

This year Jim Billiter, one of Merit Club’s assistant professionals, made a major impact on the Chicago tournament scene with victories in both the Illinois PGA Match Play Championship at Kemper Lakes and the Illinois PGA Championship at Medinah’s No. 1 course.

Merit Club has only eight months to get ready for one of the LPGA’s biggest events. The International Crown brings together the top four players from eight qualifying countries for a team competition that was first held in 2014 at Cave’s Valley in the Washington D.C. area. Spain won that event.

The second staging of the biennial competition was to be on the same dates that Merit Club will host, but at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove. Disagreements between the LPGA and Jerry Rich, the owner of Rich Harvest and a long-time supporter of women’s golf, led to the two parties mutually agreeing to part company earlier this month. Neither the LPGA nor Rich has discussed the specific reasons for the split.

Rich had been a leader in the creation of the Crown and had hoped to regularly host it at Rich Harvest. The Sugar Grove layout hosted a most successful Solheim Cup battle between the U.S. and Europe in 2009, which led to the creation of the International Crown. When that event was announced at the PGA Merchandise Show in Florida in January, 2012, Rich Harvest was immediately named the second host site, and Rich and his staff had been working diligently to prepare for it.

Eventually the LPGA decided to take the third International Crown event to Korea in 2018 and – after the break with Rich – opted to keep it in the Chicago area for 2016. Several other clubs were under consideration before the LPGA decided on Merit Club. It could mean the return of Webb to the course where she won her title 16 years earlier. She played for Australia in the first International Crown and figures to be playing for the Aussies again in July.

“We were flattered by the many suitors with championship resumes who came forward,’’ said LPGA commissioner Mike Whan in the organization’s announcement. “Merit Club has a wonderful history and prestige, and will offer a spectacular backdrop to see which country will take home the Crown.’’

Next July’s team event, which will start with two pro-ams before the team battle begins, triggers a three-year run of big-time women’s golf in the Chicago area. The PGA of America has announced that its KPMG Women’s PGA Championship will be played at Olympia Fields in 2017 and Kemper Lakes in 2018.

The biggest event on Chicago’s golf calendar for 2016 is off. At least the UL International Crown won’t be held as planned at Rich Harvest Farms in Sugar Grove.

According to a surprise announcement by the Ladies Professional Golf Assn., the LPGA and Rich Harvest Farms owner Jerry Rich “mutually agreed’’ that the event won’t go on as scheduled next July 21-24. Rich could not be reached for comment and no reason was given for the decision.

The LPGA announcement said the Florida-based organized organization is in the process of “finalizing a new venue’’ for the 2016 Crown.

Rich played a major role in the creation of the unique global team competition, the first finals of which were played at Cave’s Valley near Baltimore in 2014. The event, which involves top players from the top five women’s golf nations, is to be held every two years and the 2018 staging will be played in Korea.

Whether it will return to Rich Harvest after that is uncertain. According to the LPGA “both parties remain open to future LPGA opportunities at Rich Harvest Farms.’’

Rich Harvest hosted the 2009 Solheim Cup matches, pitting the women’s teams from the U.S. and Europe. It was a rousing success, and Rich initiated discussions about a different style team event with LPGA commissioner Mike Whan immediately afterwards.

When the Crown was unveiled both the Cave’s Valley site for 2014 and Rich Harvest were announced as host venues. Rich has called the Crown “my legacy.’’

Rich Harvest has been Chicago’s most active tournament course thanks to Rich’s involvement. This season the private venue hosted both the Palmer Cup matches, between college stars from the U.S. and Europe, and the Western Amateur championship.

Ivanhoe Club will host the Rust-Oleum Championship — a full field event on the PGA Tour’s satellite circuit – from June 6-12 in 2016. The event was played at Lakewood Country Club’s West course in suburban Cleveland the last two years.

Shane Bertsch was the champion of last year’s Rust-Oleum Championship, which offered a $600,000 prize fund and paid $108,000 to the champion. Next year’s event will have the full 156-player field and be contested over 72 holes. The prize fund hasn’t been announced.

The Web.com Tour has been a developmental circuit for the PGA Tour since its founding in 1990. It was initially called the Ben Hogan Tour and later was known via its Nike, Buy.com and Nationwide sponsorships.

The circuit had an annual stop in the Chicago area from 2002 to 2008, the tournament being known as the LaSalle Bank Open from 2002 to 2007 and the Bank of America Open in 2008.

Kemper Lakes, in Kildeer, hosted the first of those tournaments with Marco Dawson winning the title in 2002. Then the event moved to The Glen Club, in Glenview. The champions there were Andre Stolz, Brendan Jones, Chris Couch, Jason Dufner, John Riegger and Kris Blanks. Dufner went on to win a major title, the PGA Championship in 2013.

Ivanhoe was a logical new location for the Rust-Oleum Championship since its chief executive officer, Tom Reed, is a member of the club. Rust-Oleum took over sponsorship of the tournament last year after it was played as the Cleveland Open in 2014.

The Web.com Tour had a long history in Cleveland. The circuit’s Greater Cleveland Open ran from 1990-2001 and the Legend Financial Group Classic was played there from 2005-07.

During its run in Cleveland the tourney was notable for two developments. In 2007 it was the site of Jason Day’s first professional victory when the Australian was just 18 years old. Day blossomed this year, when he won the PGA Championship in August and last month’s BMW Championship at Conway Farms in Lake Forest — a victory that catapulted him to No. 1 in the World Golf Rankings.

The 2014 event in Cleveland also was notable, in that it produced the longest playoff in Web.com Tour history – 11 holes — before Steven Aker won the title.

As has been the case in all four rounds of the BMW Championship, Sunday was Jason Day’s day. He led the $8.25 million championship wire to wire, but his victory – Day’s fourth in his last six starts – had more meaning.

Not only did Day stay atop the FedEx Cup Playoff standings, he also took over the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings. Day went into the third tournament in the four-event series ranked No. 3 behind Rory McIlroy and Jordan Spieth. Now Day is the third Australian to be ranked No. 1, following Greg Norman and Adam Scott.

The 19th player to achieve the coveted No. 1 ranking, Day opened the BMW Championship with a 61-63 start at Conway Farms in Lake Forest and nursed the lead through the weekend rounds in 69-69.

“This is all quite shocking,’’ said Day after achieving his `life-long dream.’ “Yesterday and today were the toughest rounds of my life, and the last two days were very emotional. It was hard to sleep at night.’’

Starting the final round with a six-stroke lead, Day took a conservative approach and that helped Daniel Berger, a 22-year old PGA Tour rookie, get within four shots with five holes left. That really didn’t create much suspense, but Day ended whatever there might have been with a 10-foot birdie putt from the fringe of the No. 16 green.

“This whole summer has been a whirlwind,’’ said Day. “It’s surreal right now, just to think about it. There was that belief in there somewhere that all the hard work was for a good reason, just to prepare myself for moments like this.’’

That birdie at No. 16 opened a five-shot lead and Day finished his business with a par and birdie, giving him a 22-under-par 262 for the 72 holes. Berger finished second, six shots back, and moved from 46th to ninth place in the FedEx standings. Only the top 30 qualified for next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta, so the strong finish got Berger there.

“It was unbelievable,’’ said Berger. “Thousands and thousands of people, and I got into two marquee groups with Jason (Saturday) and Rory (Sunday). It was just a lot of fun.’’

While Day stayed clear of trouble, the other 68 players (Jim Furyk withdrew during the first round with a wrist injury) either wangled for a top-five spot in the playoff standings or for one of the other 29 spots available at Atlanta. The top five – still Day, Spieth, Rickie Fowler, Henrik Stenson and Bubba Watson – could win the $10 million playoff bonus by winning at Atlanta regardless how the others perform there.

“That’s the ultimate goal throughout the playoffs, to be in the top five, to have a chance to win there and win it all,’’ said Fowler.

In addition to being assured another big payday, all 30 Atlanta qualifiers are assured spots in the Masters, U.S. Open, British Open and PGA Championship next year. Nine from the BMW field made it to Atlanta for the first time including Harris English, who missed by a stroke the last two years and finished at No. 30 this time.

“It’s awesome,’’ said English, who needed a 15-foot birdie putt on the last hole to survive. “It’s a goal starting each year to make it because you get in all the majors, and that makes your schedule easier.’’

The other qualifiers included Zach Johnson, winner of the 2013 BMW Championship at Conway Farms and owner of Sunday’s best score. Johnson finished with five straight birdies and posted a 64 to finish in a tie for 13th place.

Those who missed a trip to Atlanta from the BMW field included Billy Horschel, last year’s BMW and FedEx Cup champion; Hunter Mahan, the only golfer to have qualified for all of the previous FedEx tournaments; Phil Mickelson, Ian Poulter and Keegan Bradley.

They’ll miss the season-ending climax to another PGA Tour season — 30 players competing over 72 holes for another $8.25 plus the big bonus.

“It’s all for this setting, for Atlanta,’’ said Spieth. “There are a lot of exciting players in the mix, and that’s going to create quite a finish next week. The top 10 in the world are all on their game, and that’s what you want for the Tour Championship.’’

It would have been asking a lot for Jason Day to keep scoring the way he had been during the first two days of the BMW Championship.

After all, the 27-year old Australian led by four strokes after shooting a course record 10-under-par 61 in Round 1 at Conway Farms in Lake Forest and his margin was five after a 63 in Round 2. Day matched the all-time PGA Tour scoring record for 36 holes and a continuation of that pace would have made him the first player to break 250 for 72 holes and he was also in position to claim the record for strokes under par in a 72-hole event – presently 31-under by Ernie Els in the 2003 Mercedes Championships on a par-73 course.

Well, talk about more record-setting subsided after Saturday’s round, when Day made four bogeys and showed he’s human after all. But his lead – now up to six strokes — still looks safe entering Sunday’s final round of the third event of the FedEx Cup’s four-tournament series. He cooled off to a 69 on Saturday and is at 20-under 203 for 54 holes. His six-stroke advantage is the biggest 54-hole lead of the season on the PGA Tour.

“It feels like I shot 80 compared to the first two days,’’ said Day, “but I’m not unhappy with the score. The first two rounds were great, but this was the more important one to get through, and I’m happy to have extended the lead.’’

If he hangs on to it Sunday he’ll pass Jordan Spieth and Rory McIlroy and claim the No. 1 spot in the World Golf Rankings. That, said Day, “is a life-long dream.’’

Even though another night of heavy rain – four inches pelted the course in a 48-hour span — further softened the course and resulted in the lift, clean and place rule put into place for the second straight day, the birdies didn’t come as easily for Day or anyone else. A change in wind direction caused that.

“There were tough pin locations with a northerly wind,’’ said Day. “It was the most difficult round we had this week.’’

Day first got to 20 under par after a spectacular approach over a tree to two feet at No. 12. That widened his lead to eight strokes over Rickie Fowler and Scott Piercy, but Day’s next tee shot sailed out of bounds and he scrambled to make bogey – his third of the round after making only two in the first two rounds.

By then Fowler had posted his 66 – the low round of the day — but didn’t envision much hope of catching Day. Fowler is tied for fifth, seven strokes off the lead. Piercy, who will be Day’s playing partner on Sunday, and Daniel Berger, who played with Day on Saturday, are tied for second. Unlike previous rounds, players will go off in twosomes off only the No. 1 tee in the final round. First tee time is 7:15 a.m., and Day and Piercy go off last at 12:40 p.m.

Day concluded his round with a 20-foot birdie putt, which he hopes will provide good momentum going into the final 18.

“I’ll be trying to extend the lead. That’s the mindset,’’ he said.

Others weren’t thinking the same way. Just staying in the top five or even the top 30 in the FedEx standings is important. Those in the top five after the BMW Championship are assured of winning the $10 million bonus if they can win next week’s Tour Championship in Atlanta. And, only the top 30 of the 70 starters at Conway Farms will qualify for that last playoff event.

“Conditions were a little tougher, and I was able to move up the board,’’ said Fowler after Saturday’s round. “You’ve got to look at Jason as an outsider. You don’t have to worry about him. There’s another tournament going on, and he’s in control of whatever he’s doing. If he happens to come back, then we may have a chance.’’

“The tournament is in Jason’s hands right now,’’ said McIlroy, who moved into solo fourth – seven back — after posting a 67. “It’s up to us that are behind him to get off to fast start, and he needs to come back to the field a little bit.’’