Finau, McIlroy share lead after Round 3 of Canadian Open
Tony Finau and Rory McIlroy both took full advantage of moving day, shooting rounds of 62 and 65, respectively, to share the lead after Saturday's third round of the Canadian Open.
Finau and McIlroy are tied at 11-under, while Justin Thomas, Alex Smalley, Wyndham Clark, and Sam Burns are two strokes back at 9-under.
Nick Taylor is the low Canadian after 54 holes at 5-under. He's in a tie for 15th, while World No. 31 Corey Conners, from Listowel, Ontario, is at 4-under.
Conners has only made the cut at the Canadian Open once before, finishing 80th in 2016 at Glen Abbey Golf Club. Taylor's best finish at the tournament was a tie for 27th in 2019 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Finau's 8-under 62 - which included seven birdies, an eagle, and just one bogey - matched the lowest round of his career. It was also the low round of the day.
The 32-year-old is looking for his third career PGA TOUR win.
"I didn't finish the way I wanted to yesterday, and I think all it did was kind of light a fire in my belly to get after it today," Finau said, according to ASAP Sports. "That's pretty much what I did. I made some birdies and I just played really clean golf."
The co-leader after 54 holes, McIlroy, is looking to become the first European to successfully defend his title at the Canadian Open since 1920, according to Twenty First Group's Justin Ray.
The 33-year-old won the Canadian Open in 2019 after a final-round 61 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club. A win Sunday would also mark his 21st on the TOUR.
Thomas, who won his second major a few weeks ago at the PGA Championship, shot the second-lowest round of the day with a 7-under 63.
Tee times for Sunday's final round at St. George's have been moved up due to the weather forecast. As a result, players will be in threesomes rather than pairings.
That means Finau, McIlroy, and Thomas - who've combined for 37 TOUR wins and six majors - will be in the final group together.
The star-studded group - all inside the world's top 20 - will tee off at 12:51 p.m. ET on Sunday.