Rory McIlroy made a big move with a third-round 65 but finds himself seven shots behind Ryder Cup teammate Robert MacIntyre heading into the final day of the RBC Canadian Open.
The Holywood star rebounded from Friday’s two-over 72 in style, but while he was three-under after five holes and five-under through the turn, a level par back nine that leaves him tied for 11th at Hamilton Golf and Country Club and needing a big finish to win his third Canadian Open in four starts.
MacIntyre was inspired by some “tough love” from his father and stand-in caddie Dougie after he bogeyed the eighth and ninth to fall three shots behind playing partner Ryan Fox.
Rather than mope, the Scottish left-hander birdied the 10th and recovered by a bogey at the 13th by going birdie, birdie, birdie eagle at his next four holes, racing home in five-under 30 to card a four-under 66 that gave him a four-shot lead over Fox, Ben Griffin and Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes on 14-under-par.
“Honestly, once I turned in five-under, I thought if I could play the back in three (under) and get to 10-under for the day, I thought that would be, I would have a really good chance then,” said McIlroy said, who made two birdies and two bogeys coming home.
“So, a little disappointed not to pick any more up on the back nine, but definitely an improvement on yesterday.”
McIlroy closed with a 61 to win the Canadian Open at Hamilton in 2019, but he has his work cut out to catch MacIntyre, who will be using a tip he got from Ryder Cup partner Justin Rose in Rome to claim his maiden PGA Tour win.
“He’s given me something that I’ll never forget, and tomorrow, I’m going to try and implement it and play my best and the outcome will be the outcome,” MacIntyre said.
As for his remarkable back nine comeback, MacIntyre credited his father for reminding him not to be so hard on himself.
“Yeah, he was having a wee go at me when I was walking from the 10th tee down to the fairway,” the Scot said of his father, a keen shinty player, who received an emergency call to come to Canada to caddie.
“Look, he was a sporting guy; he knows how to win, knows how to lose, he’s been through it all.
“He could see my head going a little bit and he’s like, what have you been working on for the last eight weeks, ten weeks, whatever I’ve been doing when I realised what was the problem. I kind of flipped into that mode and tried to find the positive in everything.”
Having been taught the game by his father, MacIntyre returns to him for advice when things go wrong.
“Don’t get me wrong, when he’s at home and I’m not doing well, he’s messaging me going, what the hell’s happening, what’s this, that, he gives me a bit of advice from afar,” he said.
“I’ve obviously got my swing coach, Simon Shanks, who has done a great job with me, but if in doubt, the video goes back to my dad, you know what I mean?
“He sees things that I’ve done for many years, almost since I was probably ten years old and I could start hitting a golf ball properly. But, we just, yeah, we just, we got on so well and it’s tough love at times.”
Shane Lowry, meanwhile, goes into the final round tied for 36th on two-under after a 68.
In the US Women’s Open at Lancaster Country Club in Pennsylvania, former champion Minjee Lee of Australia, America’s Andrea Lee and Thailand’s Wichanee Meechai are tied for the lead on five-under-par
Three Japanese players are giving chase with Hinao Shibuno two shots behind on three-under, 2021 champion Yuka Saso a shot further back on two-under and Sakura Koiwai one-over.