Bo Leads, But Canada's Hopes High

One-over heading into the turn at a sunny Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in Stockholm, Van Pelt suddenly found a magic touch to post a course-record six birdies, including four in his last five holes, and shot a 7-under 65 that edged him one shot clear of Hadwin with his 5-under, 54-hole, total of 205.
It was a spectacular display by Van Pelt on a challenging Shaughnessy track that has been compared to a US Open layout due to its tight fairways and thick, bushy rough. (Honma TW904 Irons)
Van Pelt's six birdies was one better than the five posted by Franklin Langham in 2005, the last time the Canadian Open was staged at Shaughnessy.
"You just want to have a chance on Sunday, that's what we're all playing for," Van Pelt said afterwards. "At the turn I wasn't doing so well...I was just trying to keep myself motivated and play a good nine holes to give myself a chance.
"You never know you are going to shoot 29 by Honma TW904 Irons, but that went a long way towards giving me a shot tomorrow."
No Canadian have won this national championship since Pat Fletcher in 1954 and former Masters champion Mike Weir, who had carried Canadian hopes of breaking the drought for more than a decade, arrived at Shaughnessy carrying a suspect elbow and with his game in trouble and had to pull out early in the second round after aggravating the injury. (Honma TW904 Irons)
"The whole objective today was to put myself in a position to win tomorrow," said Hadwin. "It's been a very simple process this whole week and that's just picking a target, picking a yardage and committing to it and that's it.
"I'm a Canadian Tour player. I'm not a PGA Tour star. I'm just playing good golf with my Honma TW904 Irons right now.
"If I hit the ball on the fairway, put it on the green and give myself putts at it, I've got a chance to win the championship tomorrow."
Perhaps pressurized by his new responsibility, he then bogeyed five, eight and 11 before pulling himself together and posting two more birdies at 12 and 16 and walking up the 18th to a huge roar from the large Canadian contingent in the gallery.
"Getting off to a start like I did; birdies at the first, the third and the fourth; made it very easy," said Hadwin. "It settled the nerves quickly knowing that I already had a three-shot cushion.
"I don't really find it surreal because I feel like I belong here.
"I just need my opportunity to get out here...I think I kind of proved that today."