With most of the top of the leaderboard stalled out on Moving Day at the 2024 Canadian Open, the door was open for somebody to step through. Enter Robert MacIntyre, who played his last five holes in 5 under to get to 14 under on the week and open up a four-shot lead on playing partner Ryan Fox as well as the rest of the field.
MacIntyre's 66 didn't exactly come out of nowhere -- he was playing in the final pairing after playing the first two days in 10 under -- but it is developing into one of the heartwarming stories of the year. MacIntyre, who has never won on the PGA Tour, has his father, Dougie, caddying for him this week in Canada as he seeks one of the biggest victories of his life.
Father fist pumped son's eagle putt on the 17th hole on Saturday as McIntyre took hold of the lead and the tournament. While there are a number of different interesting storylines going into the finale on Sunday, McIntyre winning with his pops looping has to be near the top of the list. Dougie hasn't carried his son's bag in seven years, but he might be in line for a little extra work if McIntyre is able to finish off his first win on the big tour, he might be in line for a little more work.
Let's take a look at Saturday's third round and what's in store for Sunday.
Leader
1. Robert MacIntyre (-14):The big question is whether MacIntyre's lead is sustainable. Considering the fact that he's currently first in the field in putting and made 166 feet (!) of putts on Saturday, I have some reservations about that. Throw in the fact that, as Trevor Immelman pointed out on the CBS broadcast, this is MacIntyre's first 54-hole lead on the PGA Tour, and Sunday could go a number of different ways. MacIntyre has spoken about his affection for national opens, and he was in the thick of one about this time 11 months ago when Rory McIlroy pipped him at his home Scottish Open with a birdie-birdie finish. It's not Scotland, but Canada would be sweet for the Ryder Cupper, MacIntyre, and a pretty amazing first victory with dad on the bag throughout the week.
Other contenders
T2. Mackenzie Hughes, Ben Griffin, Ryan Fox (-10)
T5. Tommy Fleetwood, Sam Burns, Joel Dahmen, Trace Crow (-9)
There are a number of interesting subplots just beyond the leader of the tournament. Among the two most prominent are Mackenzie Hughes and Tommy Fleetwood. Hughes will try to continue what fellow Canadian Nick Taylor started a year ago when he became the first Canadian to win his national open in 69 years. After that 68-year drought, Hughes would make it two for two if he could somehow chase down MacIntyre on Sunday. He'll also have to maintain a hot putter (Hughes is currently fifth in the field in strokes gained putting) to get it done.
Fleetwood also played a role in last year's Canadian Open as he was the player Taylor beat in a playoff. He's somehow still looking for his first PGA Tour victory and shot the round of the day on Saturday to put himself in contention to get it.
"Just go out tomorrow and continue to try and play great golf," said Fleetwood. "I'm very happy with the work that I'm putting in and starting getting rounds to show, that show the hard work and show how well I've been practicing, in a way, because things are very good. Just continue to do that and hopefully come off the course feeling satisfied in how I played, how I performed, how I felt out there and we'll see where that leads us.
"The ultimate goal is always to finish on the top of the leaderboard and win, so it's always in the back of your mind, but, yeah, just continue to do the right things and see where that leads us."
Rory makes his move
In 2019, Rory McIlroy won this event by six shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson. He's not going to do that this time around, but he at least gave himself a chance on Sunday with a 65 in Round 3 that was highlighted by elite tee to green play and almost no putter to speak of. He almost certainly has another 65 or better in him on Sunday, which likely won't be enough given that MacIntyre is now at 14 under, but has at least made the top of this leaderboard a bit more interesting.
"Yeah, it's incredible. I do, I feel like an honorary Canadian at this point, and the support I get here is amazing," said McIlroy of his experience. I keep saying it, but just a pleasure to play in an atmosphere like that. The crowds are so good, they're so supportive, so enthusiastic, looking forward to one more day of it."
2024 RBC Canadian Open updated odds and picks
- Robert MacIntyre: 10/11
- Mackenzie Hughes: 15/2
- Tommy Fleetwood: 10-1
- Ryan Fox: 10-1
- Ben Griffin: 11-1
- Sam Burns: 12-1
- Rory McIlroy: 18-1
McIlroy shot a 61 in his final round at this course in 2019 when he won. If he does that on Sunday, he could erase that seven-shot deficit. Still, there are a lot of golfers between him and MacIntyre as it stands right now. I actually probably prefer Fleetwood at 10-1. He's seventh from tee to green and hasn't really found a hot putter yet. He's my pick to win on Sunday, and I think the value is there at 10-1.
