Markham, ON - Looking to become the second three-time winner this season, Vijay Singh will carry a one-shot lead into the final round of the Canadian Open.
It should be more.
Graffiti Wall reports that Singh shot a three-under 68 in the third round on Saturday, but bogeyed two of his final six holes and three-putted for par on another hole with a chance to pull away from the field.
Instead, Singh only ended the day with the outright lead after Australian Steve Allan made bogey from behind the green at the 18th hole. John Mallinger is also just a shot off the lead.
Singh, the 2004 champion, stood at 12-under 201.
“Thank God I did it today and not tomorrow,” the Fijian said, lamenting a stretch of sub-par golf that included a three-putt par from 80 feet at the 15th and a bogey from the rough at the 16th.
Singh could be at least two shots better. Instead, there are 21 players within five shots of his lead going into a final round at Angus Glen where the greens are stiffening and the leaderboard is bunching up.
Allan flew the green at the 18th and landed behind the cart path, then chipped past the hole and two-putted for a closing bogey to fall out of a tie with Singh.
He finished with a 70 and was tied for second place with Mallinger, who also shot 70. The third round co-leaders stood at 11-under 202 after leading Singh and Tripp Isenhour by a shot overnight.
Hunter Mahan (67) was alone in fourth place at 10-under 203, with defending champion Jim Furyk and Pat Perez sitting another shot further back at 204.
Furyk hasn’t won since he beat Bart Bryant at last year’s Canadian Open, but he has been arguably the steadiest player in the world. He tied for 12th place at the British Open last week, and had three consecutive top-five finishes on U.S. soil before that.
Saturday, Furyk shot a 69 to remain very much in the picture.
Singh has 18 holes remaining with a chance to add to his wins at Mercedes-Benz Championship and Arnold Palmer Invitational. Tiger Woods is the only player with three wins this year.
Saturday, Singh led by a shot around the turn after making a 10-foot birdie putt at No. 9 to shoot a 32 on the front side. Birdies followed at the 11th and 14th, but so did bogeys at the 13th and 16th.
Singh missed a good opportunity to extend his lead at the par-five 15th, where he reached the green in two shots. But he three-putted to settle for par, then made a bogey from the rough at the next to fall into a tie with Allan.
“Not making birdie on 15, then bogeying 16 — those are things that normally I should take advantage of,” said Singh, who is 17-10 on the PGA Tour with the third round lead. “Hopefully tomorrow I can fix all of those problems.”
Singh has 31 career victories, including three majors. Neither player sitting behind him has ever won on the PGA Tour.
Allan, 33, had his best finish of the season last week in Milwaukee, a tie for 13th place that marked his second top-15 in four events. He has two career runner-ups — and will be paired with Singh in the last tee time Sunday after making three birdies and two bogeys in the third round.
“Where else would you rather be than in the final group Sunday?” Allan said. “I’m a bit disappointed that I finished with a bogey, but it was a good day.”
Mallinger earned his tour card by tying for 13th place at Q-school last year, but has had an up-and-down rookie season. He finished third at Pebble Beach and in New Orleans, but has also missed 10 cuts.
“It’s been a long road, but you gotta start somewhere,” he said. “It’s a pretty good feeling being in this position.”
