What a story this is turning out to be.
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As well as he played, though, Snedeker wasn’t Saturday’s biggest victor.
Du Toit enters the final round tied for second with world No. 2 Dustin Johnson, just a shot back of leader Brandt Snedeker.
Brandt Snedeker will take a one-shot lead into the final day of the Canadian Open after carding a round of 66 on Saturday.
But an eagle was likely to get him into the final group and send the crowd into a frenzy over their countryman.
On Sunday, du Toit will be in position to end both droughts.
The 38-year-old has some work to do if he’s to come out on top Sunday, but Wheatcroft played his way into contention in the third round.
After all, too much history is on the line.
A Canadian hasn’t won the national golf championship since 1954, when Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf Club.
There have been close calls in recent years with Mike Weir losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004 and David Hearn’s third-place showing last summer.
– David Hearn. Last year, he took a two-stroke lead into the final round and was serenaded with a chorus of “O Canada” on the first tee.
How insane would it be if du Toit, in his first PGA Tour start no less, was the one to bust the streak?
The last amateur to win a PGA Tour event, incidentally, was Mickelson’s brother Phil, in 1991.
The back nine was not as straightforward for Snedeker, who bogeyed twice, though he did pick up a shot at the 16th before closing out the day with an eagle to be clear at nine under overall. He had five straight birdies on Nos. A couple of bogeys on the back nine cooled him off, but a birdie at the par-5 16th followed by an easy eagle (378-yard drive, 118-yard wedge to 7 feet, made putt) pushed him to 9 under and the clubhouse lead. He ended up with a respectable 71 for the third round. The 35-year-old American won the Farmers Insurance Open in February at Torrey Pines for his eighth PGA Tour title. On Friday, du Toit rebounded from a triple bogey and bogey with three straight birdies. Those two will be chased by Johnson, the second-ranked and arguably hottest player in the world following wins at the U.S. Open and WGC-Bridgestone.
Germany’s Alex Cejka, however, holed a birdie putt on the 18th even longer than Du Toit’s two-shot gain there to move alongside Wheatcroft.
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Spain’s Jon Rahm, who was teammates with du Toit at Arizona State University, had stayed to watch his long-time friend finish his round and started jumping up and down and shouting.
