On a breezy Saturday at Glen Abbey Golf Club, four players separated themselves from the field. Dustin Johnson, Byeong Hun An, Kevin Tway, and Whee Kim are tied at the top at 17-under par, four shots clear of the field.
The Leaders
Dustin Johnson was spotted tinkering with a new putter before his round on Saturday, but chose to stick with what worked. And it’s a good thing, as Johnson rode the flat stick to five birdies in his first six holes, grabbing a hold of the lead early in his third round. Johnson faltered in the middle part of his round, making bogies on 10 and 13, but regained the magic he had earlier in the day, making birdies on 14 and 15 before rolling in a 25-foot putt on 15 for eagle. The round of 65 (-7) moves him to 17-under par for the week and in a tie for the lead.
Johnson will be looking to grab his third win of the season on Sunday—his other victories came at the Sentry Tournament of Champions and the FedEx St. Jude Classic. A win for the world No. 1 will also give him his best finish at the RBC Canadian Open—he finished in a tie for second at the event in 2016.
“I felt like I did everything really well, but still left quite a few out there,” said Johnson. “I hit a lot of putts that just didn’t go in, but I’m really pleased with where the game is right now.”
Whee Kim was a beacon of consistency early on Saturday, making five birdies in his first 12 holes to take control of the tournament. Kim would drop a shot on 14, falling one behind Dustin Johnson. But just two holes later, he would take the lead again, rolling in a 30-foot putt on 16 for eagle. A bogey on 17 dropped Kim back into a tie for the lead at 17-under, where he sits heading into the final round.
“I’m not going to change anything,” said Kim. “It’s going to be tough tomorrow again—the wind is going to blow. I just got to be patient, that’s about all I can do for tomorrow.”
With a bogey-free round of 66 (-6), Byeong Hun An hit only 12 of 18 greens on the day, using his soft touch around the greens to keep the momentum going. An will be looking for his first PGA Tour victory on Sunday, which would likely move him inside the top 50 in the Official World Golf Rankings.
“It’s been one of those nice up-and-down days,” said An. “I grinded pretty well up there and I stayed patient.”
It was easy to forget about third round leader Kevin Tway at times on Saturday, as he sat a few shots out of the lead for most of the day. But three birdies in his last four holes propelled him back into a tie for the lead. Tway will also be looking for his first career victory on Sunday, just 15 years after his father, Bob Tway, captured the Canadian Open.
“If I get it in the fairway I’ll have a lot of wedges, so I can attack from there,” said Tway. “I’ve got nothing to lose, so I’m just going to try to make as many birdies as I can.”
The Canadians
Mackenzie Hughes from nearby Dundas, Ont. rocketed out of the gates on Saturday, birdieing his first three holes. A double bogey on 11 threatened to derail his round, but Hughes roared back with five birdies in his final six holes to shoot a third-round 67 (-5). The late push moved Hughes to 11-under par for the tournament and within striking distance going into Sunday.
“I was playing well today and I got a tough break on 11,” said Hughes. “But, unlike maybe yesterday where I was a bit impatient at times, I just told myself I was playing well and had some chances coming in and kind of got hot there.”
During Friday’s round, Hughes chipped in on the 7th hole—nicknamed “The Rink” for the hockey boards that surround the tee—while wearing a Toronto Maple Leafs jersey. Today on 7, Hughes turned his attention the hometown crowd, gifting a Leafs sweater to a young fan.
The top Canadian on the leaderboard, Hughes will be looking to make a move on Sunday in an attempt to end the winless streak for Canadians at the tournament.
“It’s fun,” he said, after finishing his round. “I don’t know how far away the leaders are going to get, and I’m just hoping that I’m still within distance.”
Calgary’s Ryan Yip moved up nearly 50 places in the third round, making eight birdies en route to 66 (-6). Yip got off to a great start, chipping in for birdie on his first hole. He would add four birdies in his last five holes to climb to 10-under par for the tournament.
“I was just trying to make as many birdies as I could, because I know these guys are going to go low out there,” said Yip.
A Web.com Tour member, Yip is making the most of his first RBC Canadian Open start.
Brantford, Ont. native David Hearn climbed the leaderboard on Saturday with a 3-under par 69. Hearn made his lone bogey of the day on 17 but bounced back with a birdie on 18 to move to 7-under for the tournament.