RBC Canadian Open: Rory McIlroy joins tie for 1st with Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar

Alexis Mansanarez

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RBC Canadian Open: Rory McIlroy joins tie for 1st with Webb Simpson, Matt Kuchar image

There are some new faces atop the leaderboard after the third round of the RBC Canadian Open.

Rory McIlroy improved the most out of the three golfers currently tied for first place (13 under) after shooting 6-under 64 on Saturday — an impressive feat in his RBC debut.

McIlroy, who last won at The Players Championship in March, tied Jonathan Byrd for the low round of the day as he was mistake free at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ontario.

“(I) had a chance to work on (my weaknesses) and I needed to work on my wedge play, needed to work a little bit on my driver," he said, via Golfweek.com. "They’ve started to come together and it’s why I’m at where I’m at on the leaderboard.”

McIlroy finished with six birdies, including one on a tap-in putt after a near perfect approach.

"I controlled my ball pretty well today. I drove it well," McIlroy added. "(I) drove it in the fairway for the most part, which you need to do around here. That's something I didn't do last week in the Memorial. Big improvement there.

"And then from there, just keep giving myself chances and picking off the birdies when I can. I did that well today. I stayed patient. Made a couple really good up and downs on the back nine when I needed to. You know, all added up to a great score and gives me a chance to win tomorrow."

Matt Kuchar held on to his first-place standing despite a bustling Moving Day. He finished 1-under 69 after two bogeys. It was the first day of the week Kuchar dropped multiple shots in one round.

McIlroy and Kuchar are joined by Webb Simpson, who is still chasing his first win of the season. Simpson jumped four places up the leaderboard after a mistake-free round of 3-under 67.

Shane Lowry and Canadian Adam Hadwin moved into a tie for fourth place (12 under) with 36-hole co-leader Brandt Snedeker.

Lowry had a birdie-birdie finish on the front nine to help him to a score of 4-under 66 while Hadwin impressed with a chip-in birdie on one of the toughest greens. He finished 3-under 67 on the day.

Henrik Stenson maintained his place in solo seventh (10 under) and Mackenzie Hughes dropped into eighth place (9 under). Erik van Rooyen, Graeme McDowell, Nick Taylor and Byrd all make up a tie for ninth (8 under) to round out the top finishers heading into the final day.

Further down the leaderboard, Dustin Johnson — the reigning RBC Canadian Open champion — had one of his better rounds of the tournament. He overcame two bogeys on the front nine to finish 2-under 68 and in a tie for 17th place (6 under).

The final round will begin 8:25 a.m. ET on Sunday and will be the last round on the PGA Tour until the 2019 U.S. Open, which begins June 13.

 

Alexis Mansanarez