Jared du Toit has a chance to make history at the RBC Canadian Open
23 Jul 2016
by AmateurGolf.com Staff
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Jared du Toit
(Golfweek Photo)
OAKVILLE, Ontario (July 23, 2016) -- The last Canadian
to win the RBC Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in
1954. Tomorrow an amateur by the name of Jared du
Toit will have a chance to end the 61 year draught. With
three rounds in the books at Glen Abbey Golf Course du
Toit is 8-under and tied for second place with Dustin
Johnson, just one-stroke behind leader Brandt
Snedeker.
If you dig a little deeper the drought for a Canadian
golfer in their national championship goes even further.
Fletcher was an English born Canadian, so one must go
all the way back to the 1908 and 1914 winner Carl
Keffer who is the only Canadian born winner in the
tournaments history. Du Toit, a senior at Arizona State
is from Kimberley, British Columbia.
"It feels good (to have that opportunity) and
hopefully I can keep going," du Toit said to CBS' Peter
Kostis following his round.
For much of the day du Toit didn't have all that
much going on with two birdies and three bogeys on the
front nine to turn in 1-over 36 and fall to 5-under. Du
Toit's first birdie of the day came on the par-3 3rd after
his tee shot came to rest four-feet from the cup.
The Arizona State product started the homeward
nine with three straight pars before getting back to
even-par for the day with a seven-foot birdie putt on
the 13th. Du Toit would remain there until he electrified
the Canadian crowd on the par-5 18th.
It could have been adrenaline, but the Canadian
star blasted his drive 364 yards, leaving himself 145
yards to the green. From there du Toit knocked his
approach to 40-feet and set up the highlight moment of
the day, an 18th hole eagle that sent the hometown
crowd into a frenzy and vaulted du Toit into the final
group on Sunday.
"I have no idea (how I will handle the situation
tomorrow) I have never been there, but yeah I am
looking forward to it," du Toit said during his CBS post
round interview. "I have never been in this kind of
pressure, this kind of atmosphere before so I am just
here having fun."
In Sunday's final round du Toit will tee off at 1:35
p.m. local time and play alongside 2013 RBC Canadian
Open winner Brandt Snedeker. Du Toit is seeking to
become the first amateur to win a PGA Tour event since
Phil Mickelson in 1991 at the Northern Telecom Open.
Amateur Garrett Rank also made the cut and he is
4-over and tied for 71st. Rank is the top-ranked mid-
amateur and two-time Canadian Mid-Amateur winner.
-The PGA Tour contributed to his story