Winnipeg’s Nick Taylor fires course-record 63 to move atop Canadian Open leaderboard

Winnipeg native Nick Taylor fired a course-record 63 in the third round of the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday afternoon, vaulting him to the top of the leaderboard at 11-under.

Coming into the third round, Taylor was tied for 47th at 2-under before hitting nine birdies to finish at 9-under, 63 for the day, which set a course record at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. Tyrrell Hatton held the previous mark at 8-under, which he set on Friday.

“I just said earlier it’s kind of a continuation of yesterday,” Taylor said after his round. “I drove it really nice yesterday. Did that again today. Just started making putts. I feel like I’ve been putting really nice this year. … I made a couple actually the end of first day when I was struggling to kind of see the ball finally go in the hole. I’ve got off to great starts the last couple days.

“The front nine obviously can be very tough. And to be 4-, 5-under the last couple days gets you a lot of momentum going to the back nine where it’s very scoreable. So driving it well, keeping it out of the rough as much as I can and making putts is always a good recipe around here.”

Unreal day for @NTaylorGolf59 ????

After breaking the current course record, he holds a two stroke lead @RBCCanadianOpen. pic.twitter.com/b2qiCkBQQt

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 10, 2023

When asked what was different from his opening round, Taylor responded: “My wife gave me a talking to Thursday night,” he said. “I was just kind of getting in my own way. I probably had a very poor attitude when I was hitting shots maybe weren’t ending up like I wanted to. So, I knew my game was there, but a little kick in the butt didn’t hurt.”

Oakdale actually has 27 holes on its property and is using a composite course for the PGA Tour event.

A Canadian has not won on home soil since Pat Fletcher did so in 1954 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club. A few other Canadians hope to end the drought ahead of the final round in Toronto.

Corey Conners finished the second round with a 3-under 69 to sit tied for second at 8-under. The Listowel, Ont., native now sits three shots back after Taylor’s dominant performance, with a later tee time.

Other Canadians in the hunt include Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Roger Sloan (70) of Merritt, B.C., who were tied for 17th at 5-under.

Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, playing in his first-ever Canadian Open and only his second PGA Tour event, rocketed up the leaderboard with a 6-under round on Friday.

—With files from the Canadian Press