Dean Wilson, 40, received a sponsor’s exemption to get a spot at the RBC Canadian Open and has put it to good use – shooting his third straight round of 65 to lead by four strokes heading into the final day.
Wilson, whose only win on the PGA Tour came in 2006, has not played regularly this year after finishing 198th on the money list in 2009.

“I’m a little more appreciative of getting in tournaments and playing and being out there and fighting and being in the battle,” Wilson said after his round. “That time away makes you think about what you don’t have.”

Despite not having held a third-round lead at a PGA Tour event, Wilson said he would have no problem sleeping.

“Anytime I have a late tee time it feels good,” he says. “Those ones where I have to tee off at 7 a.m. or something on Thursday or Friday is tough to get some good sleep. But hopefully I’ll be okay tonight.”

Interestingly, Wilson wears clothes by Canadian company Hollas/Second Skin. Two years ago Chez Reavie won at Glen Abbey Golf Club wearing clothes made by upstart Canadian clothing maker Quagmire. Wilson says he hooked up with the brand after it began making the Mike Weir line of clothes. Wilson was Weir’s teammate when the pair were on the golf team at Brigham Young University in Utah. Wilson met Hollas president Dan Keogh when the pair were on the Canadian Tour 15 years ago.
Keogh says Hollas will benefit from the exposure if Wilson can win on Sunday.

“It always means something to be on a winner, and we still have lots to grow in Canada,” he says. “The brand and product continues to get better and more eyeballs on it is always a positive.”

Oshawa’s Jon Mills, a regular on the Nationwide Tour, carded a 4-under 66 at the RBC Canadian Open at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto to move into a tie for 25th place, the same position held by Abbotsford native Adam Hadwin, who shot an even-par third round.

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Mills last played on the PGA Tour in 2008, narrowly missing retaining his card. This year he is currently 26th on the Nationwide Tour money list, just outside the group of plays who will get bumped up to the PGA Tour. He skipped the Canadian Open in 2007 when he was chasing his tour card on the Nationwide Tour, and isn’t sure exactly what his goal is for the final round at the Canadian Open.

“I want to go out there and continue … going to work on the greens,” he says. “But just have fun with it. I when I go out there and have fun on the golf course, it’s when I play my best.”

Fun was the key for Hadwin as well. This is his first PGA Tour event, and a second-round 66 drew a lot of new attention to the long-hitting pro.

“It was awesome,” he said of the fan support. “I tell you I was having so much fun out there. I’ve never had so many people following me.”

As for Hadwin’s goal – just to come back and enjoy the roars of the crowd, which he says sent shivers down his back after making eagle on his ninth hole.

“Hopefully I’ll be able to have that a lot more these next few years,” he said.

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Quotes of the day:

“Oh, we wouldn’t be playing. That’s right because they would be underwater.”

Calgary’s Stephen Ames on the difference between St. George’s Golf and Country Club and last year’s venue, Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville. Play was halted numerous times due to rain last year, but not stopped today at St. George’s despite steady precipitation.


“I talked to my dad for 25 minutes last night. He said he got no work done yesterday and we has just at the computer and like refresh, refresh, refresh – that kind of thing when I wasn’t on the TV.”

Abbotsford’s Adam Hadwin on his father’s reaction to his second round 66.

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The PGA Tour’s ridiculous rule of “made cut, did not finish,” clipped a couple of big names out of the tournament’s final day. Gone are major champions Paul Azinger, who finished his third round 1-over, and Lee Janzen, who finished at even. And perhaps the biggest concern to tournament organizers, John Daly will not play Sunday after finishing at 2-over.

In order to make field sizes smaller and rounds shorter, the PGA Tour instituted a policy – “made cut, did not finish” -  where only the Top 70 players play on Sunday, meaning five golfers, including Daly, will not tee it up for the final round at St. George’s and will receive last-place cheques totalling $9,639.

Filed by Sympatico.ca Golf Columnist Robert Thompson

: 9:36 PM in Golf