CALEDON, Ontario — Matteo Manassero and Ryan Fox each shot 6-under-par 64 on Saturday to share the third-round lead in the RBC Canadian Open, the final event before the U.S. Open next week at Oakmont.
Manassero rebounded from a three-putt bogey on the par-4 17th with a birdie on the par-5 18th — hitting an 80-yard third shot to 2 feet — to get to 14-under 196 on the North Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
“I missed the short one on 17, and I did miss a couple more short ones today,” Manassero said. “I try to think of them just like a shot really, like a driver, like a 6-iron, whatever. It’s just a shot. So I don’t want it to get in my head, and I don’t want that to ruin anything or my attitude going towards the next shots.”
Trying to win for the first time on the PGA Tour, the 32-year-old Italian player has eight international victories.
“I try to get a good attitude, a good thought process, talk well to myself. Very basic things,” Manassero said. “I’ve matured a lot, and I have a better perspective towards, for example, a day like tomorrow.”
Fox also birdied the 18th. The 38-year-old player from New Zealand won the Myrtle Beach Classic last month in a playoff for his first PGA Tour title.
“To be honest, everything went pretty right,” Fox said. “I drove it great. I think if you do that round here, you give yourself lots of chances. Had a lot of good wedge shots, holed a few putts early. Just played really solid kind of stress-free golf for the most part.”
Lee Hodges, Kevin Yu and Matt McCarty were a stroke back. Hodges and Yu shot 63, and McCarty had a 64.
Canadian Mackenzie Hughes (64) was 12 under with Jake Knapp (66) and Andrew Putnam (68).
“I’ve been putting the ball in play quite a bit, driving it pretty nice,” Hughes said. “I feel like that’s taken some pressure off the putter and the short game. It’s a big key around here. You start driving it well, you can attack and be aggressive.”
Canadian Nick Taylor, the 2023 winner at Oakville, eagled the 18th for a 69 to get to 10 under. Countrymen Adam Hadwin (65) and Taylor Pendrith (67) also were 10 under.
Masters champion Rory McIlroy missed the cut Friday, following an opening 71 with a 78.
