Sputtering along at 1-over heading into the turn at the sun-kissed Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, Van Pelt suddenly found top gear to card a course-record six birdies, including four in his last five holes, on the way to a 5-under 65.
It was a spectacular display by Van Pelt on a challenging Shaughnessy track that has been compared to a US Open layout due to its tight fairways and jungle-like rough.
Van Pelt’s six birdies bettered the previous best of five carded by Franklin Langham in his five-under 30 in 2005, the last time the Canadian Open was staged at Shaughnessy.
“You just want to have a chance on Sunday, that’s what we’re all playing for,” Van Pelt told reporters. “At the turn I wasn’t doing so well…I was just trying to keep myself motivated and have a good nine holes to give myself a chance.”
While the Stars and Stripes hangs at the top of the leaderboard, the Canadian flag was waved all day as Hadwin, a 23-year-old who earns his living on the Canadian Tour, continued his unlikely bid to become the first homegrown winner of the national championship in 57 years.
Hadwin, who grew up just an hour from Vancouver, turned in another nerveless effort, shooting a 68 to lie one stroke adrift on four-under 206 heading into Sunday’s final round.
Argentina’s Andres Romero (67) and American Kris Blanks (69) were level at three under while Sean O’Hair (66), Australians Geoff Ogilvy (70) and Aron Price (69) and big-hitting American John Daly (67) were three off the pace.
No Canadian has won the national championship since Pat Fletcher in 1954 and few predicted the long drought could end in Vancouver this week.
Mike Weir, who had carried Canadian hopes for a homegrown winner for over a decade, arrived at Shaughnessy with his game in shambles and pulled out early in the second round on Friday after re-aggravating an elbow injury.
However, Hadwin immediately stepped in to pick up the baton as he moved into contention.
“The whole objective today was to put myself in a position to win tomorrow,” said Hadwin. “It’s been a very simple process this whole week and that’s just picking a target, picking a yardage and committing to it and that’s it.”
Hadwin began the day two shots behind overnight leader Chad Campbell but birdied three of his opening four holes to take charge at the top and send a buzz across Shaughnessy.
He gave all that back, though, with bogeys at five, eight and 11 before regaining control of his round with birdies at 12 and 16 to end his day with a rousing standing ovation from the home crowd as he marched onto the 18th green.
Noren wins Nordea Masters
In Stockholm, Alexander Noren of Sweden relied on his huge overnight lead to clinch the Nordea Masters title on Sunday, finishing seven shots clear despite a disappointing 5-over 77 in the final round.
Noren entered the day with an 11-shot lead after a course-record 63 on Saturday, and was never threatened despite some shaky play. The Swede started and finished his round with a birdie but had five bogeys and a double-bogey in between.
That meant little, however, as most other players also struggled in tough conditions at the Bro Hof Slott course. Richard Finch, who finished second, was the only player to break par in the final round with a 69.
Niklas Lemke of Sweden was third, another three shots behind after a 73.
Spieth earns 2nd US Junior Amateur Championship
In Bremerton, Washington, Jordan Spieth of Dallas closed out his junior golf career in dominating fashion Saturday, winning the 64th annual US Junior Amateur Championship in a 6-and-5 runaway at Gold Mountain Golf Club.
After beating Chelso Barrett, 16, of Keene, New Hampshire, Spieth enters the USGA record book as only the second player to win this title multiple times.
Tiger Woods won it three times, from 1991 to 1993.
“That’s really cool,” said Spieth, who also won this title in 2009. “Anytime you can be compared to any of Tiger’s golf accomplishments is very special.” Spieth, who turns 18 Wednesday and graduates out of the junior ranks, was beaten in the second round last year.
“He won three in a row,” Spieth said of Woods. “I’m glad I got two of them. Now that I can’t play this one anymore I’m going to go after the Amateurs he won.” Spieth, who will attend Texas in the fall, is set to play in the Western Amateur in two weeks, and then at the US Amateur next month, an event Woods also won three times in a row.
Spieth rallied at the end of the first 18 holes to take a 3-up lead at the break of the 36-hole final on Saturday at the 7,133-yard Olympic Course at Gold Mountain. Spieth won the 15th hole with a birdie and then took the 17th hole when Barrett had a three-putt.
Barrett’s birdie on the 19th hole closed the gap to 2 down, but then Spieth, consistently 20 to 30 yards longer off the tee, had birdies on three of the next seven holes to go 6 up and gain control.
