David Hearn, trying to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open in 61 years, shot 4-under-par 68 on Saturday and took a two-stroke lead over Bubba Watson and Jason Day of Australia after three rounds at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario.
The 36-year-old Hearn, who has never won on the PGA Tour but lost in a playoff for the second time in the Greenbrier Classic earlier this month, followed his 64 on Friday with another solid round that included five birdies and a single bogey at No. 17.
Hearn, a native of Ontario, is at 15-under 201.
“The ovation on the first tee was something I will remember for a long time,” said Hearn, whose only pro victories came in the 2004 Alberta Classic on what is now the Web.com Tour and the 2004 Times Colonist Open on the Canadian Tour. “It was a lot of fun out there, a really special day.
“It’s a dream to be in the final group tomorrow and I like the way I’m playing. It’s been so long since a Canadian won and everyone wants to win their national championship, but it’s hard to win any tournament on the PGA Tour.
“If I could win tomorrow, it would be the highlight of my career.”
The last Canadian to win the tournament was Pat Fletcher in 1954.
Watson, who finished the second round with two eagles on the last three holes, recorded another eagle with an 18-foot putt on the 13th hole and closed out a 68 with a six-foot birdie putt on the final hole.
“I knew I had to make that putt on the last hole to get into the last group, so that was really big,” said Watson, who is coming off a missed cut in the Open Championship. “I hung in there and made some big putts.
“I’m still in it and have a chance to win, even though someone (Hearn) is playing better than I am right now.”
Day, who tied for fourth in the Open, rallied with six birdies in the last seven holes and wound up at 69 after barely missing an eagle chip on the final hole.
Michael Putnam sank a three-foot birdie putt on the last hole to shoot 68 and was three shots back in a tie for fourth with Brooks Koepka, who birdied four of the last six holes to cap his third straight 68.
Jim Furyk, a two-time Canadian Open champion, parred the first 13 holes before making birdies on four of the last five to close out a 68 and was another stroke behind in a tie for sixth with Camilo Villegas (67) of Colombia, Johnson Wagner (72), Emiliano Grillo (69) of Argentina and Chad Campbell, who had a two-stroke lead after second-round 63 but struggled to a 75.
