Jared du Toit, a member of the Glencoe Golf & Country Club, was two under par on Saturday bring his score to eight under par for the tournament at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario.
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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. I’ve never kind of been in this kind of pressure, this atmosphere before. A victor earlier this season at Torrey Pines and someone with his name already etched on this tournament’s trophy, he’s among the game’s more likeable players and a fan favourite wherever he goes.
“I’m just there to give him some confidence and slow him down when I need to”, said Burke shortly after du Toit’s third round finished.
As the Arizona State University senior prepares for the biggest round on the biggest stage of his young career, he remains focused on the task, but is unsure of his preparations.
“Tonight, I’m going to do exactly the same thing I did the previous night”, Jimenez said. He found his caddie-local teaching pro Sean Burke-through a friend, and had no experience at Glen Abbey. The Spaniard eagled 16 and birdied 18 in a 72.
Rahm had a 15-foot eagle putt on No. 18, and he misread it. He then confidently rolled in a putt for eagle to finish the round at 2-under par, and 8-under for the tournament.
Expectations were, quite naturally, low for du Toit coming into the Open and he performed so much better than even he believed he could. “Every tee box, every green, everyone was clapping, hollering ‘Go Canada.’ It was truly unbelievable”.
Then, in succession, Martin Laird, Dustin Johnson and Brandt Snedeker, the third-round leader, all failed to catch Vegas.
Johnson, who has five straight top-10 showings, including wins at the U.S. Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational, birdied the final hole for a 71. “I’m here having fun and trying to go and play golf”. I mean, I can’t imagine the nerves this kid has to be playing as great of golf as he has.
Canadian amateur Jared du Toit, Jon Rahm and Kelly Kraft are a stroke behind the leading pair on six under. He played with du Toit at ASU, and though he’s only two shots behind, Rahm’s cheering for his former teammate. “But I’m looking forward to it”.
“I really don’t know what happened the first four holes”. I wouldn’t mind if he beats me here. “Super surprised when I saw that nobody got to 12”.
On Sunday, du Toit will be in position to end both droughts.
“Tomorrow, I feel like I’m playing pretty well, swinging the ball well”, Johnson said. “I don’t know what to tell you right now”. He won a year ago at Sunningdale. I was five back starting [Sunday] and won by one. “He’s smart and he’s got all the tools to be a successful player”.
Their ilk, meanwhile, has been a boon to the memory of an otherwise obscure player, Pat Fletcher, the last Canadian to win his national championship.
“Win or lose, I’m happy with the way this week’s gone”, he concluded.
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Although it was a solid performance for du Toit, he tumbled down the leaderboard as the PGA Tour’s professionals finally found their rhythm on a hard, firm course that had frustrated most players all week.
