Brooks Koepka goes on late birdie run and shares Canadian Open lead with 5 players

CALEDON, Ontario (AP) — Brooks Koepka finally saw some putts go in and they fell in bunches at the end Thursday as he made four birdies on the last five holes for a 6-under 64 to share the lead with five other players in the RBC Canadian Open.

Koepka, who opened with a 63 in his previous start at The CJ CUP Byron Nelson, has yet to seriously contend since returning from years on the LIV Golf circuit.

Emiliano Grillo, Sahith Theegala, Eric Cole, Sam Burns and Matthew Anderson of Canada also opened with a 64 on the Osprey course at TPC Toronto. All but Cole and Anderson, who has missed his last five cuts on the Korn Ferry Tour, are in the U.S. Open next week.

Cole took a big step in getting to Shinnecock Hills. He is No. 63 in the world, and the top 60 after this week are exempt.

Koepka, whose second U.S. Open title was at Shinnecock Hills in 2018, holed a 20-foot birdie putt on the 14th hole to get his big run started. It ended with a 10-foot birdie putt on the 17th and a wedge to 5 feet for birdie on the 18th.

“I don’t think the ball striking was as good as it’s been as of late ... but it was nice to see the putter finally heat up,” Koepka said. “It was just a culmination of kind of freeing the mind.”

It wasn't just bunched at the top. Twelve players were at 65 at the TPC Toronto. Among those at 65 was Tony Finau, who missed out on U.S. Open qualifying at the start of the week, and Adam Svensson of Canada.

Svensson made news for the wrong reasons during U.S. Open qualifying. He was in a playoff that ended with three players going for one spot. Once Max McGreevy made birdie, Svensson picked up his ball marker, unaware there was still a playoff to determine first and second alternate.

He became the second alternate, which is likely to cost him a spot at Shinnecock because seven positions have yet to be filled.

“Nothing but my fault,” Svensson said. “They just 3-for-1. And once he made that, I just picked it up.”

The scoring average was 68.5, and 97 players from the 147-man field broke par.

Burn had a chance at the outright lead when he found the fairway on par-5 18th hole and had an iron into the green. His 18-foot eagle putt missed and he joined the group at 64.

Burns was in a playoff last year when he closed with a 62, but he ended up missing a short putt against Ryan Fox.

“I think it’s nice to have some good memories maybe before the tournament starts, but when you tee it up, you have to be able to execute and hit the shots that the golf course requires,” Burn said.

He took only positives from that round, particularly starting the final round so far back. And it carried over to the following week when Burns led the U.S. Open until having to play in wet conditions late on Sunday which affected some of his shots.

Burns also is coming off a close call at the Memorial last week, so his game is tidy.

Koepka started out his year hopeful of doing well enough to get into signature events. There is one left, and he still hasn't played one.

“I’ve played great this year. Like I said, it’s just the putting that’s held me back, trying to be mechanical,” Koepka said. “But it was nice today to at least turn the brain off and go from there.”

AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

Erik Van Rooyen, left, of South Africa, and Emiliano Grillo, right, of Argentina, play 'Rock, Paper, Scissors' on the 16th green during the first round of the Canadian Open golf tournament in Caledon, Ontario, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Frank Gunn/The Canadian Press via AP)

Sahith Theegala hits his tee shot on the eighth hole during the first round of the Canadian Open golf tournament in Caledon, Ontario, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

American Brooks Koepka hits his tee shot on the second hole during the Canadian Open in Caledon, Ontario, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

American Brooks Koepka hits his tee shot on the second hole during the Canadian Open in Caledon, Ontario, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Nathan Denette/The Canadian Press via AP)

OTTAWA, Ontario (AP) — A Toronto police officer was shot and killed Thursday by a suspect in the investigation into a shooting attack that damaged the facade of the U.S. Consulate in the Canadian city in March, police said.

Police officer Marc Pinizotto, who was 43 and had been on the force for 18 years, died of his wounds in a hospital, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said at a news conference. He said one suspect was in custody at a hospital in critical condition.

Nicholas Bennett, 19, of Toronto, will be charged with first degree murder. Another individual, Zara Jabbi, 19, remains outstanding. He is wanted in connection with the March shooting at the U.S. Consulate.

“I urge you to turn yourself in,” Demkiw said in reference to Jabbi.

Canadian police had said in March that two individuals emerged from a white Honda RV SUV at around 4:30 a.m. and fired multiple shots at the U.S. consulate building before fleeing. The shooting damaged the outside of the building but did not cause any injuries.

The consulate attack in March followed heightened tensions over the war launched by the U.S. and Israel against Iran in late February, and it had followed gunfire attacks on two Toronto-area synagogues the previous weekend.

The investigation that led to Pinizotto's death "concerned a number of shootings, including the shooting at the United States consulate on University Avenue. There were several search warrants executed this morning,” Demkiw said.

Toronto Mayor Olivia Chow said she’s known the mother of the deceased officer for the 20 years.

“Their grief is shared across this city,” Chow said.

The officer was shot in the early morning in an apartment unit, said Monica Hudon of Ontario's Special Investigations Unit, which investigates incidents involving police officers where there has been a death. The suspect shot first, Hudon said.

A police officer pauses as he stands for the arrival of a procession with the body of Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty, at the Chief Coroner's office, in Toronto, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Police salute during a procession with the body of Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty, at the Chief Coroner's office in Toronto, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP)

A police officer wipes away a tear after a procession with the body of Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty, at the Chief Coroner's office in Toronto, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Police stand by for the arrival of a procession with the body of Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty, at the Chief Coroner's office in Toronto, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Police salute during a procession with the body of Toronto Police Const. Marc Pinizzotto, who was killed in the line of duty, at the Chief Coroner's office in Toronto, Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Sammy Kogan/The Canadian Press via AP)

Investigators work the scene where a Toronto Police officer was shot in Toronto on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP)

Investigators work the scene where a Toronto Police officer was shot in Toronto on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP)

Investigators work the scene where a Toronto Police officer was shot in Toronto on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP)

Investigators work the scene where a Toronto Police officer was shot in Toronto on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP)

Investigators work the scene where a Toronto Police officer was shot in Toronto on Thursday, June 11, 2026. (Arlyn McAdorey/The Canadian Press via AP)