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A new chapter could be added to an already-historic week on the PGA Tour should any one of the likely conclusions to the 2023 Canadian Open come to fruition. Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy heads into the final round at 12 under alongside Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Harry Higgs, Andrew Novak and Mark Hubbard at Oakdale Golf & Country Club and in hot pursuit of 54-hole leader C.T. Pan at 14 under.
McIlroy eyes his third straight victory at the Canadian Open on a third different golf course spanning five years. He would join Tiger Woods, Steve Stricker and Stuart Appleby as the most recent players to successfully go back-to-back-to-back at a singular event. McIlroy got the better of big names like Justin Thomas, Tony Finau and Sam Burns en route to victory a season ago, and will need to not only leapfrog Pan but potentially an entire country this time around.
"I would love to win the Canadian Open for the third time," said McIlroy. "I've never won a tournament three times in a row. I felt like last year the win wasn't just for me it was for a few other things. But this one, this year, if I were able to get over the line, will be solely for me."
Canadians Nick Taylor and Corey Conners have the weight of a nation on their shoulders as they both enter the final round with an opportunity to break a seven-decade drought at their national open. While the pressure from their fellow Canadians will be felt, they will also have their support. Blowing wind in their sails through the first 54 holes, the local faithful hope to aid either Taylor from 11 under or Conners from 10 under into the winner's circle.
The leader
1. C.T. Pan (-14)
This is Pan's first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, but don't expect him to waver. Emerging from the seven-man playoff to win the bronze medal at the Olympic Games, Pan has proven capable even among the most congested of leaderboards. He will be paired with Fleetwood on Sunday which could prove beneficial as he avoids the elephant in the room (McIlroy) and instead gets one of the nicest guys on the Tour who is in search of his first title.
Other contenders
T2. Rory McIlroy, Tommy Fleetwood, Justin Rose, Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs, Andrew Novak (-12)
T8. Nick Taylor, Aaron Rai (-11)
10. Corey Conners (-10)
The leaderboard has been tight all week, and it will continue to hold that composition with 18 holes to play. Six players find themselves in a share of second place with the headliner being McIlroy along with European Ryder Cup teammates Fleetwood and Rose. McIlroy goes for his 24th career victory, which would put him in a tie for 26th all time alongside Gary Player and Dustin Johnson. After sharing the 54-hole lead last week at the Memorial, the 34-year-old looks to make amends immediately. In order to do so, he will need to strike his irons in a similar manner to Round 3 where he gained more than 1.5 strokes on approach.
"For whatever reason I seem to play better when there's a little bit of noise going in the world of golf," said McIlroy. "Yeah, it is. It's really nice to get inside the ropes and just concentrate on my job at the end of the day, which is trying to get the ball around the golf course. So, yeah, it's been a nice reprieve with everything else going on and happy to be playing well."
The Canadians are coming! The Canadians are coming!
Taylor has outdueled Phil Mickelson, looked Scottie Scheffler and Jon Rahm in the eyes earlier this year in Phoenix, but nothing will compare to what he will face tomorrow. Aiming to break a seven-decade drought of Canadians failing to win their national open, Taylor utilized a record-setting 63 on Saturday to play himself back into contention. He will not be the only Canadian to vie for history as Conners has continued his strong start to the summer. Already a winner this season, Conners' combination of accurate driving and precision iron play has giving him a great chance to notch the biggest win of his career.
"I don't think I'm afraid of the moment, per se," said Taylor. "When I get in that chance, I feel like I just keep my head down, let my game keep doing what it's doing the last two days. Like I said, I've struck it really nice, and the putts have been going in. So tomorrow I got to do the same thing. It's going to be probably a big stage. I don't expect to be leading probably by the end of the day, but I think I'll have a chance going into tomorrow. So, it's easy to get wrapped up in it, but I think the fans will try to carry us through."
The Rink is rockin'
The par-3 14th at Oakdale Golf & Country Club has been rockin' all week long, and the rowdiness trickled into the weekend. With hockey boards surrounding the tee box, players are engulfed by chants and cheers and the occasional rendition of the Canadian national anthem. Rose compared it to a Ryder Cup atmosphere, and while I won't go that far, it is still awesome to see the Great White North get up for its national open.
"On 13 it was loud," said Hubbard. "They were cheering for the group ahead. And then they were chanting, 'We want Rory!' while he was making his 30-foot bomb. It was so loud. We got up there, and then I watched Rory hit and it went dead silent. And I'm like, 'I don't want that.' That like sounds way more nerve wracking than everybody just yelling. So I was like, 'Keep it going, I don't want the silence and the voices in my head. Let's amp it up.'"
2023 Canadian Open updated odds and picks
Odds via Caesars Sportsbook
- Rory McIlroy: 3-1
- C.T. Pan: 18/5
- Justin Rose: 5-1
- Tommy Fleetwood: 11/2
- Mark Hubbard: 10-1
- Andrew Novak: 14-1
- Harry Higgs: 18-1
- Nick Taylor: 18-1
- Aaron Rai: 20-1
- Corey Conners: 25-1
Pan may not blink, but the three Europeans on his tail will be knocking on the door all day. I like that Fleetwood will be in the final group with Pan, so let's take a leap of faith with Fairway Jesus. He striped the ball off the tee on Saturday to lead the field in strokes gained off the tee and has been wielding the putter with confidence all week. Fleetwood has yet to have a great round with the irons. If that comes tomorrow, he will have a great chance to raise his first trophy on the PGA Tour.
