Canada’s top-ranked amateur and sponsor invite Jared du Toit tossed up a 1-under-par 36-35=71 in today’s second round of the RBC Canadian Open to post 6-under 138, one stroke back of 36-hole co-leaders Dustin Johnson and Luke List in a three-way T3.
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“I really don’t know what happened the first four holes”, Johnson said. “That was definitely very helpful”, Johnson said. “The conditions were tough”. The wind was blowing pretty hard. “I feel like I’m swinging really well”. I just made one bad swing on 14, just didn’t quite commit to the shot I was hitting.
The seventh hole also frustrated several players, with a water hazard and several bunkers surrounding the green, forcing golfers to loft the ball above a tree line and then get victimized by the wind.
This is rather unexpected from du Toit, who is ranked 60th in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. With my length, I tried to get it in play off the tee and have a smart iron into the par 5s. The conditions are really tough right now. “And then they get really nervous, because nobody wants to hit anybody”.
He had similar struggles in his last few starts but managed to grind out the good score regardless, highlighted by a chip-in eagle on his 11th hole.
List birdied all four of the par-fives in a round completed with seven consecutive pars.
“It’s the first time I’ve had to sign autographs after a round, so that was awesome”, said a smiling du Toit.
List showed a great deal of mental toughness by overcoming three bogeys over a four-hole stretch to keep pace with Johnson, which suggests he may have the mettle to hang tough against an elite player over the weekend.
“I’m playing out of my mind and I still can’t beat him”, du Toit joked.
Kraft, a 28-year-old from Denton, Texas, who is 470th in the world, got off to a sizzling start and was 6-under after just nine holes.
“I’ve just been really happy and I’m really pleased with the response I’ve got from my friends and my peers”.
A day that started with a tea at a local Tim Hortons might well end with something a little stronger, and du Toit will have plenty of time to reflect on his circumstance as he heads out in one of the final groups of the day.
Brandt Snedeker, the 2013 victor at Glen Abbey, had a 68 to match Brendon de Jonge, Steve Wheatcroft and Cameron Tringale.
World number one Jason Day, the defending champion, also had trouble following up his opening 69 as he stumbled to a four-over 76 that left him eight strokes back.
“If you miss the fairway, you’re pretty much done, there’s no chance of keeping it on the green”, Day said. My mentality is just trying to get it up there as far as I can. Rank made an eagle putt from the rough edge of the green on 18 to finish at 3 under.
But that didn’t stop Rahm from pondering what it would have been like to play with du Toit on the big stage.
“It’s so cool, it’s a great feeling”, said Rahm of being on the leaderboard with his college friend. “We’re going to go out there and play good golf again, and hopefully we get on the good side of it”.
Mike Weir had a 78. Not since Doug Sanders in 1956 has an amateur won the Canadian Open.
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England-born Canadian Pat Fletcher is the last Canadian to win the title, back in 1954 in Vancouver.
