Van Pelt leads by one in Vancouver
Bo Van Pelt carded a third-round 65 on Saturday at the RBC Canadian Open and leads by one over local favorite Adam Hadwin. Van Pelt finished his round in style by posting back-to-back birdies.Bo Van Pelt
Bo Van Pelt shot the low round of the day, a 5-under 65, to take the third-round lead at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open. He sits at five-under-par for the Tournament with a one shot lead over Canadian Adam Hadwin.
Van Pelt’s back nine six-under 29 sets a new nine hole scoring record at Shaugnessy Golf & Country Club. Franklin Langham held the previous record of 30 during the 2005 RBC Canadian Open.
This is the fourth time Van Pelt has held at least a share of the 54-hole lead, most recently at the 2009 Shell Houston Open where he finished T19.
Van Pelt has made 14 of 20 cuts so far in 2011 with his best finish coming at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial, where he finished third.
The 2009 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee champion is currently 40th in the FedExCup standings, a win tomorrow would move him to 12th in the standings. The top 30 players through the first three rounds of the Playoffs for the FedExCup earn their way into the Tour Championship by Coca-Cola.
Van Pelt’s 5-under 205 total through 54 holes at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open ties the lowest 54-hole score to lead on the PGA Tour this season. The previous lowest 54-hole lead came at the British Open (-5/Darren Clarke) and the HP Byron Nelson Championship (-5/Ryan Palmer). Both players had a one-stroke lead entering the final round.
Adam Hadwin
23-year-old Adam Hadwin shot a third round 68 to move one shot behind 54-hole leader, Bo Van Pelt. He’s looking to become just the fifth Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open, the third oldest championship in golf.
A list of Canadian’s who have won their National open:
Karl Keffer (1909, ’14)
Albert Murray (1908, ’13)
Charles Murray (1906, ’11)
Pat Fletcher (1954)
Hadwin is making just his third start on the PGA Tour. He has taken advantage of all three starts, finishing 37th (top Canadian) in last year’s RBC Canadian Open and T39 at the 2011 U.S. Open.
A win tomorrow would earn Hadwin the opportunity to become a PGA Tour member and earn a two year exemption (through 2013) on the PGA Tour. A top-ten finish this week earns him a spot in next week’s Greenbrier Classic in West Virginia.
Hadwin is ranked T1 in Greens In Regulation % through the first three rounds.
The Abbotsford native won the 2011 Pacific Colombia Tour Championship earlier this year on the Canadian Tour, his second win on the circuit.
Andres Romero
The Tucuman, Argentina native is looking for his second win on the PGA Tour (2008 Zurich Classic of New Orleans).
This is Romero’s first start at the RBC Canadian Open, he won the 2008 Zurich Classic of New Orleans in his first start of the event coming from one shot back to earn his first win on Tour. He’s seeking to become the 18th player to win the RBC Canadian Open in his first attempt.
Romero sits at 108th in the FedExCup standings, the top 125 players in the standings earn their way into the first leg of the Playoffs for the FedExCup.
Kris Blanks
First round leader, Kris Blanks shot a 1-under 69 on Saturday to move to a T3.
Blanks is making his 23rd start of the season this week. He’s made 11 cuts and three top-25s with a best finish of T10 at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.
Blanks is currently 116th in the FedExCup standings.
Blanks is playing in his second RBC Canadian Open. He missed the cut in 2009 with rounds of 75-69.
Sean O’Hair
The three-time PGA Tour winner is looking for his first win since the 2009 Wells Fargo Championship.
The 29-year old faces a three shot deficit going into the final round, his three PGA Tour victories have all been come from behind wins. The largest deficit he’s overcome was five shots at the 2005 John Deere Classic.
O’Hair is currently 147th in the FedExCup standings. A win tomorrow would move him just inside the top 125 in the standings to qualify for The Barclays.
O’Hair is making his 18th start of the season. He’s made seven cuts with three top-25 finishes. His best showing so far came at the Crowne Plaza Invitational where he finished T16.
Since joining the Tour in 2005, O’Hair has never had less than six top-25 finishes a year.
Miscellaneous Stats
There have been zero bogey-free rounds through 54-holes. The fewest bogey-free rounds in a single Tournament on Tour this season were three at the British Open in the first round (Webb Simpson/66, Larrazabal Pablo/68 and Miguel Angel Jimenez/66).
There were six past champions in the field, three made the cut: Nathan Green (2009), Chez Reavie (2008), and Jim Furyk (2007/2006).
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