Golf Canada – Snedeker claims lead with a 6-under 66; Team Canada’s du Toit shoots 70 for a share of second with Dustin Johnson

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Brandt Snedeker conquered the dense heat and gusty winds at Glen Abby Golf Club Saturday to card a 6-under 66 and take the lead at the RBC Canadian Open. Heading into the final round, Golf Canada National Amateur Squad member Jared du Toit holds a share of second with Dustin Johnson, one shot off the lead at the 107th playing of Canada’s National Open Championship.

du Toit tallied three bogeys and a pair of birdies across the front nine, but the resilient 21-year-old went on to finish bogey-free across his final nine holes, collecting a birdie on No. 13 and an eagle on No. 18. The crowd roared in approval and an impromptu performance of O Canada accompanied the Kimberley, B.C., native as he stepped off the course.

“Unbelievable, can’t say anything else but that word,” reflected du Toit when asked about the cheering crowd and his remarkable day. “It’s truly been a dream so far and seeing that putt go in was just a great cherry on top to the round.”

As the Arizona State University senior prepares for the biggest round on the biggest stage of his young career, he remains focused on the task, but is unsure of his preparations.

“I have no idea,” du Toit responded when asked about his ability to maintain patience and perspective tomorrow. “I’ve never been there, but I’m looking forward to it. I’ve never kind of been in this kind of pressure, this atmosphere before. I’m here having fun and trying to go and play golf. It hasn’t set in so far, but loving every minute of it.”

du Toit is one stroke back of 54-hole leader and Tennessee native Brandt Snedeker, who carded five straight birdies across holes two to six en route to a 66 which vaulted him into contention; an eagle on No. 18 securing him sole possession of the lead. Snedeker looks forward to the experience of playing with the Canadian amateur in the final pairing.

“I think I’m going to be the most hated man in Canada tomorrow, but it’s going to be a lot of fun trying to figure it out. He’s great. For a 21-year-old kid to be playing golf here is awesome, let alone to do it in your National Open. I mean, I can’t imagine the nerves this kid has to be playing as great of golf as he has.

“I’m looking forward to meeting him. I’m looking forward to playing with him and I’m going to do everything I can to help him have a great day tomorrow. I want him to have a great experience tomorrow and really enjoy it.”

Snedeker feels a connection to the country and the course where he claimed victory at the 2013 RBC Canadian Open.

“I’ve been in this situation before here, winning three years before here and so I’m excited to be back,” he said. “This is as close to home – kind of a home away from here. My caddie is from here and RBC has been one of my sponsors for a long time. I feel like I’ve got some friends and family rooting me on tomorrow.”

Tied alongside du Toit is U.S. Open champion and World No. 2 Dustin Johnson. The 36-hole co-leader notched four birdies and finished with a 71 for a second straight day.

“Tomorrow, I feel like I’m playing pretty well, swinging the ball well,” Johnson said. “Got a lot of confidence in my golf swing right now. So just need to go out and make some birdies early and put some numbers on the board.”

Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., is T44 at even-par following a 2-over performance. Amateur Garrett Rank from Elmira, Ont., is tied for 71st, while fellow Ontarian Corey Conners of Listowel is 78th.

Tee times for the final round can be found here.

CANADIANS AT THE 2016 RBC CANADIAN OPEN

• T2 – Jared du Toit (a) – Calgary – 67-71-70, -8
• T44 – Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford, B.C. – 72-70-74, E
• T71 – Garrett Rank (a) – Elmira, Ont. – 69-75-76, 4
• 78 – Corey Conners – Listowel, Ont. – 75-71-76, 6

DID NOT ADVANCE

• MC – Adam Cornelson – Langley, B.C. – 75-73, 4
• MC – Nick Taylor – Abbotsford, B.C. – 75-74, 5
• MC – Graham DeLaet – Weyburn, Sask. – 77-72, 5
• MC – David Hearn – Brantford, Ont. – 74-75, 5
• MC – Brad Fritsch – Manotick, Ont. – 77-74, 7
• MC – Branson Ferrier – Barrie, Ont. – 78-74, 8
• MC – Mike Weir – Brights Grove, Ont. – 78-75, 9
• MC – Blair Hamilton (a) – Burlington, Ont. – 77-79, 12
• MC – Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-St-Hilaire, Que. – 81-76, 13
• MC – Dave Levesque – Montréal – 85-75, 16

(a) – Denotes amateur

Sleeping on the Lead Campaign
PGA Tour players who win a Tour event after holding the 54-hole lead – a feat referred to as ‘sleeping on the lead’ – will receive the new TEMPUR-Breeze bed from Tempur-Pedic. One fan who has entered the Sleeping on the Lead Sweepstakes at tempurpedicgolf.com and one military member from the PGA Tour’s Birdies for the Brave® program will also each win a new TEMPUR-Breeze bed. This program will run until the TOUR Championship which concludes on September 25.

INTERVIEW VIDEO, AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS FOR SATURDAY, JULY 23
Interview video, audio and transcripts for the following players from Saturday, July 23 are available here. Please note that the videos are unedited, uncut and in broadcast-quality.

• Brandt Snedeker
• Dustin Johnson
• Jared du Toit
• Matt Kuchar
• Adam Hadwin
• Garrett Rank
• Steve Wheatcroft
• Jason Day
• Alex Cejka
• Cameron Tringale
• Martin Laird

2016 MEDIA GUIDE AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE BOOK:
In advance of next week’s championship, media can also download the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Media Guide for complete stats, records and historical information. Media can also download the 2016 RBC Canadian Open Player Performance Book which details individual player statistics from 1904-2015.

TELEVISION COVERAGE:
Sunday July 24
Golf Channel 1:00 pm – 2:00 pm
Global TV Pre-Game Show 2:00 pm – 3:00 pm
CBS & Global 3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

TICKETS:
Grounds tickets for all days of the 2016 RBC Canadian Open, as well as a limited number of premium ticket packages are still available. A full list of ticket packages and pricing is available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com. Golf Canada and RBC are also pleased to offer FREE admission to juniors 17-and-under – click here to download a FREE Junior Pass.

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ABOUT THE 2016 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Part of the FedExCup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $5.9 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 18-24, 2016 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also leaving a significant impact in the event’s host community. The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada as the event’s official charity partner. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Shaw, BMW Group Canada, Molson Canadian 67, ZTE, WestJet, TaylorMade adidas Golf, Boston Pizza, Ballantine’s, Santa Carolina Wines, Toronto Star, Coca-Cola, CHIN Radio TV International, Metrolinx and the Government of Canada. For tickets or tournament information, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com or call 1-800-571-6736.

RBC GOLF
RBC proudly supports golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGA TOUR and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Jason Day, Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Brandt Snedeker, Nick Taylor and Mike Weir. As the title sponsor of both the RBC Heritage and the RBC Canadian Open, RBC also supports emerging Canadian golfers through Golf Canada’s grassroots developmental programming, the Canadian Amateur Golf Championships and the high performance national team. RBC is one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies and among the largest banks in the world, as measured by market capitalization. For more information, visit www.rbc.com/golf.

GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing close to 305,000 golfers at more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.

For more information:

Dan Pino
Director, Corporate Communications
Golf Canada
(t) 1-800-263-0009 x 406
(c) 416-434-5525
(e) dpino@golfcanada.ca