Calcavecchia's Bell lead shortened
Mark Calcavecchia nearly squandered all of what was a seemingly comfortable lead on Saturday in the third round of the $5.5m (€4.4m) Bell Canadian Open.
After consecutive rounds in the 60s, Calcavecchia entered the day with a five-shot lead. He talked on Friday of being extremely relaxed despite having not won since capturing the Phoenix Open in 2001.
However, Calcavecchia is now feeling the pressure following a two-over-par 72 that moved him to six-under 204, just one shot in front of Craig Barlow and Jesper Parnevik of Sweden.
On the challenging Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club course, Calcavecchia failed to card a birdie while collecting a pair of bogeys. The 24-year PGA Tour veteran had 11 birdies in the first two rounds.
“The good news about making no birdies today is it can’t possibly happen two days in a row,” Calcavecchia said. “Maybe I’m saving them all up tomorrow. Maybe I’ll bust out with six or seven of them tomorrow and that will be the end of the story. I guarantee you, I’ll make some birdies tomorrow.”
Calcavecchia did make a seven-foot par putt at par-four 18th.
“It never crossed my mind that that was actually to keep the lead by one,” Calcavecchia said. “I just told myself,: 'Just trust your read and hit a good putt like you’ve been doing and maybe you’ll make one.'”
Calcavecchia entered the tournament struggling, having finished 70th and 42nd in his last two events.
Barlow played his way into contention by signing for a 65.
“It was obviously a good day,” said Barlow, whose best career finishes were a pair of thirds. “I started off terrible.
"Ironically, bogeyed the first hole, which is a tough hole, bogeyed the second hole, which is an easy hole, was hitting it everywhere, settled down a little bit and made a couple of solid pars.”
Defending champion Vijay Singh also is lurking following a 68 that moved him to three-under 207.
“I made two mistakes coming in and that cost me two shots,” Singh said. “It was a good way to finish, making a putt on the last hole. I had good chances on 17 and 16. The game plan tomorrow is go out there, hit a lot of fairways and hang in there and see if I can make a lot of birdies coming in.”
Singh, who won this event last year in a three-hole playoff over Mike Weir, is competing in his first event since suffering back spasms while playing table tennis with his son. Weir failed to make the cut.
Stephen Ames carries Canada’s best hope. He carded a 64 – the round of the day - to move within three shots of the lead.
“I don’t think I have to worry about winning the fans over at this stage,” Ames said. “For me right now, the opportunity of being a Canadian and having an opportunity of winning the Canadian Open or any other PGA Tour event would be a great feat at this stage right now.
"If it happens to be the Canadian Open, yeah, I’ll take it, obviously.”
Also in contention is 21-year-old Ryan Moore, who turned professional earlier this year and tied for 13th at The Masters, the first major of the season. Moore signed for a 67 and is alone in fourth, two shots from the lead.
“I am really excited. It’s fun just being right there,” Moore said. “My goal always going into any tournament is to give myself a chance to win going into the final round.”
The tournament’s move west this year marks the first time since 1966 that Canada’s national open has not been contested in either the eastern provinces of Ontario or Quebec. Last year’s event was held at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario.
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