Rory McIlroy’s bid for a 3rd successive Canadian Open title stepped up a gear as he moved right into a tie for second heading into the ultimate spherical in Toronto.
McIlroy’s third spherical 66 leaves him two behind chief CT Pan and in a gaggle of six gamers tied on 12-under-par, which incorporates English duo Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.
They are joined by Americans Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs and Andrew Novak whereas England’s Aaron Rai is a stroke additional again after a 69 left him alongside Canada’s Nick Taylor, who broke the Oakdale Golf & Country Club course file with a 63.
Tyrell Hatton, who was tied second with Rai and Pan at midway after a second spherical 64, slipped six strokes off the tempo with a 72.
Victory on Sunday would make McIlroy the primary participant to win three consecutive Canadian Opens – over the area of 5 years on account of Covid cancellations – and the primary on the PGA Tour since Steve Stricker in 2009-11.
McIlroy fired six birdies in a blemish-free spherical and admitted circumstances have been arrange for low scoring after yesterday’s rain.
“It was prime for scoring,” stated McIlroy, who will chase a second US Open title in Los Angeles subsequent week. “It’s really that back nine you need to take advantage of. But it was nice to sort of have what I felt was a cushion after playing the front nine so well.
“I’ve never won a tournament three times in a row. I felt like last year the win wasn’t just for me, it was for a few other things. But this one, this year, if I were able to get over the line, will be solely for me.”
Last 12 months’s win got here in the midst of LIV Golf’s delivery whereas McIlroy headed into this week’s event having stated he felt like “a sacrificial lamb” in the wake of the merger between the PGA Tour, DP World Tour and the rival Saudi-backed circuit.
“For whatever reason, I seem to play better when there’s a little bit of noise going on in the world of golf,” he stated.
“It’s really nice to get inside the ropes and just concentrate on my job at the end of the day, which is trying to get the ball around the golf course.”
Rose, who received his US Open title 10 years in the past, shot into competition as he birdied 5 straight holes from the twelfth and added one other on the final.
Fleetwood, who remains to be on the lookout for his first win in the US, would have matched the course file if it weren’t for Taylor’s earlier effort.
Pan, from Taiwan, birded the ultimate two holes in a spherical of 66 as he chases a second tour title.
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