Taiwan’s Pan Cheng-tsung opened and closed with back-to-back birdies to take a two-stroke lead after Saturday’s third round of the US PGA Tour Canadian Open.
Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy and England’s Justin Rose and Tommy Fleetwood went on the hunt, but it was Pan, trying to end a four-year PGA winning drought, who shot a par 66 from six under to lead after 54 holes at Oakdale on 14-under 202.
Pan capped his second straight 66 with birdie putts just outside 10 feet at 17 and the par-5 18th.
“It put me in a good position, but I still have a lot of work to do,” Pan said. “I won’t do much to change.
“But you still have to play aggressive because this course is very tough, but if you hit it into the fairway you’ll have a lot of short irons and create a lot of birdie opportunities.”
A second-place pack included world number three McIlroy, 2013 US Open champion Rose and Fleetwood, a two-time major finalist chasing his first US PGA win, plus Americans Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs and Andrew Novak.
McIlroy fired a bogey-free 66, including three birdies on the front nine and three in a row on the back nine on a putt just inside 17 feet at the par-3 11th, a tap-in after reaching the green in two at the par-5 12 and a 30-foot putt at 13.
“The key to this golf course is getting off to a good start,” McIlroy said. “I was able to do it and I kept going until the middle of the inning.
“The putter got cold over those last five holes. I feel like I could have gotten a few more shots out of the round, but overall I’m really happy with the way I’ve played. cheek.”
McIlroy played only nine holes on an unfamiliar layout before the first round.
“Sometimes ignorance is bliss on the golf course and not knowing where the problem is and not remembering where not to miss it,” he said.
Fleetwood shot an impressive 64, capping his own three-game birdie streak with a 20-foot putt at the par-3 ninth. He then hit five of the final seven holes, including a 14-footer on the 15th and back-to-back birdies on the 12 and 13 and 17 and 18.
“You have a good ride and you just have to go out and enjoy those days when they come,” Fleetwood said. “I rode really well, got into position all day and managed to convert, which is a nice feeling.”
Rose birdied six of the last seven holes shooting 66, including five in a row from 12 plus a tap-in after driving the green to the par-5 18th.
“It was a lot of fun on the back nine,” Rose said.
– Taylor shoots the record 63 –
Canadian Nick Taylor, hoping to be the first Canadian to win the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954, shot a bogey-free course record 63 to share eighth place with England’s Aaron Rai on 205.
“I’m going to try to win a golf tournament,” Taylor said. “Adding the extra pressure, if you want to call it, of being a Canadian and winning the Canadian Open would be on top of that. But I think I’m ready for now, so we’ll see.”
Among Taylor’s nine birdie putts were a 35-footer at third, a 15-footer at par-5 seventh and a 25-footer at 13th.
Chinese rookie Carl Yuan, who was leading after 36 holes, shot a 74 to fall back to a 16th-of-209 share.
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