Hoffman takes 1-shot lead at Canadian Open
OAKVILLE, Ontario — Charley Hoffman birdied the final hole for a 7-under 65 on Saturday at Glen Abbey to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the RBC Canadian Open.
The 40-year-old Hoffman had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch that ended on No. 15, bogeyed the par-4 17th and rebounded with the two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th.
“When you’re playing good, I always say golf is fairly easy,” Hoffman said. “It’s been a fun run the last month or two months, actually all year, and it’s not very stressful, which is good. When you’re trying to make cuts, that’s when golf is hard. … Have my family out for the next five weeks. They are off for summer break. It’s been fun to hang out and go over to Europe with them and Canada. It’s been a good, fun summer vacation.”
Hoffman had a 17-under 199 total. He won the Texas Open last year for his fourth PGA Tour title.
“Anything can happen in the last four or five holes,” Hoffman said. “Guys can make eagles, birdies, bogeys. Anything can happen. Obviously, want to get off to a good start on the front nine and play the back nine the way I need to and see how it goes.”
Kevin Chappell was second. He bogeyed the 18th, hitting his third shot into the water.
Robert Garrigus matched the course record with a 62 to join Gary Woodland at 15 under. Garrigus had two eagles and six birdies to tie the Glen Abbey mark set by Leonard Thompson in 1981 and matched by Andy Bean in
1983, Greg Norman in 1986 and John Merrick in 2013.
“Kind of started off with that eagle on 2,” Garrigus said. “Missed the green short, like a
30-footer up the hill, through the rough — through the first cut and rolled on to the green and went in.
“Next hole, I stuffed it in there. I chipped in on the par 3 and stuffed it on the other par 3 and made it and I chipped in on 8, and I’m just thinking, ‘Oh, my gosh, what is going on right now. I’m not going to think about anything. I’m just going to keep going.’”
Garrigus finished before Hoffman started play.
“When you look at the board before I even tee off, someone shoots 62, you know the birdies are out there,” Hoffman said. “Perfect day here in Toronto to make some birdies and have some fun in front of the fans here.”
Woodland followed his second-round 63 with a 68.
Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas had a 67 to join Sam Saunders (67), Andres Gonzales
(66), Tony Finau (66), Ryan Ruffels (68) and Brandon Hagy (69) at 14 under. Saunders is Arnold Palmer’s grandson.
Second-round leader Martin Flores had a 72 to drop into a tie for 16th at 12 under.
Top-ranked Dustin Johnson also was 12 under after a 68.
“I feel like the game’s starting to come back in good form,” Johnson said. “Other than a drive here and there, it was a really good day.”
Vijay Singh, at 54 the oldest player in the field, shot a 71 that left him 11 under. He won the
2004 tournament at Glen Abbey, beating Canadian Mike Weir in a playoff.
Matt Kuchar shot a 70, leaving him tied for 41st at 7 under. Coming off a second-place finish in the British Open, he fought dizzy spells in the first round Thursday.
Graham DeLaet and Mackenzie Hughes, the only Canadians to make the cut, dropped out of contention. DeLaet (73) was 7 under, and Hughes (74) was 6 under.
“It’s disappointing for sure,” DeLaet said. “You want to play well here. Maybe I was trying a little bit too hard. It was still fun. The crowds were awesome and I’ve still got tomorrow.”
Ladies Scottish Open
IRVINE, Scotland — Hall of Famer Karrie Webb and Sei Young Kim topped the Ladies Scottish Open leaderboard Saturday after another rainy, cold and windy day at Dundonald Links.
Kim birdied the par-4 17th and par-5 18th in strong wind and rain for a 3-under 69, and Webb birdied the 17th en route to a 70. They were at 6-under 210. Second-round leader Cristie Kerr was third at 4 under after a 73.
Kim had eight straight pars in the difficult conditions before the closing flurry. The South Korean player won the Lorena Ochoa Match Play in Mexico in May for her sixth LPGA Tour title.
Webb birdied three of the first seven holes and dropped strokes on 13 and 15 before rallying with the birdie on 17. The 42-year-old Australian won the last of her 41 LPGA Tour titles in 2014 at the Founders Cup in Phoenix.
The Ricoh Women’s British Open is next week at Kingsbarns.
Senior British Open
BRIDGEND, Wales — Bernhard Langer shot a bogey-free
6-under 65 on Saturday at Royal Porthcawl to take a four-stroke lead in the Senior British Open.
The 59-year-old German star is in position for his fifth victory in the last 10 major championships. He had a 5-under 208 total. Corey Pavin was second, also shooting 65 in some afternoon rain and wind gusting to 20 mph.
Langer has a record nine senior major titles, winning the Regions Tradition and Senior PGA Championship in consecutive weeks in May. He won by
13 strokes the last time the tournament was held on the south Wales course, finishing at 18 under in 2014, and also won the 2010 event at Carnoustie.
Peter Lonard (67) was third at even par, and Miguel Angel Jimenez (65), Steve Flesch (71) and Billy Mayfair (71) were 1 over.