On hole 13, Rory McIlroy had a nearly 30-foot birdie opportunity, and the muttering grew louder. The chant went, “We Want Rory.” It was accentuated by the distinctively Canadian sound of slamming hockey boards.
The sixth birdie of the day was rolled in by McIlroy, who then entered “The Rink” hole with his signature spring in his step. He was aware that Saturday needed to be nonstop acceleration.
And after 54 holes of the RBC Canadian Open, he is within two shots of the lead and in a six-way tie for second. He has a history in his sights.
After his amazing 6-under 66 on Saturday, C.T. Pan sits in the lead at 14 under.
If McIlroy wins the Canadian Open again on Sunday, he would become the first golfer to win the tournament three times in its 117-year history and the first PGA TOUR player to do so since Steve Stricker in 2009–2011.
Tiger Woods, who won the old WGC Championship from 2005 to 2007, was the only player on the PGA TOUR to win an event three times in a row on three separate courses.
Nick Taylor was wrapping off a 9-under 63 earlier in the day, breaking the course record, as McIlroy was enjoying his lunch. Mark Hubbard, who will be playing alongside Justin Rose and Rory McIlroy on Saturday, recorded identical 66s, while Tommy Fleetwood earlier fired an 8-under 64. With 54 holes completed, that group has a crew score of 12 under.
McIlroy stated that he was ready to go deep because he was aware of how the course will be playing on Saturday.
“The weather was nicer, a touch warmer, and the golf course played shorter on this particular day. Even with yesterday’s rain, it was still extremely receptive. Therefore, it was excellent for scoring. You should really take advantage of the back nine. But after playing the front nine so brilliantly, it was good to have what I believed was a cushion.” McIlroy said.
Through five holes, McIlroy was 2-under par. He was focused on the 7th par-5 when he smacked his wedge off the flagstick and the ball bounced 50 feet away. A bad break, according to McIlroy. He made a birdie on the eighth hole and then made three more in a row from Nos. 11 to 13.
On the 18th par-5, he had one more chance to make a birdie, but he lipped out and had to settle for par.
It seems strangely reminiscent of McIlroy as the previous two RBC Canadian Opens given how close the standings are expected to be heading into Sunday’s championship round. Through 54 holes in 2019, he and Webb Simpson shared the lead. Additionally, McIlroy, Tony Finau, and Justin Thomas were tied for first place in 2022.
“Sunday could be a really intriguing day because it appears that many guys may be around the lead,” McIlroy said.
In the third round, McIlroy finished second in both Strokes Gained: Off the Tee and Tee to Green, and he was once more inspired by the Toronto crowd’s efforts to force him across the finish line for the third consecutive year.
Despite the enthusiastic supporters, McIlroy is aware that another victory at the RBC Canadian Open will be unique since it will be for him alone this time.
“For the third time, I would dearly love to win the Canadian Open. Never in my life have I won the same competition three times. I thought that last year’s victory wasn’t just for me, but also for a few other reasons. But if I were to cross the finish line this year, it would be just for me.” McIlroy said.
