RBC Canadian Open: Bo Van Pelt Shoots to the Lead in a Wide Open Championship

After Round 1 there were 20 or so players under par at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open.

After Round 2 there were 12 players under par.

Now, heading into the final round on Sunday at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club, there are 11 players under par.

The big story this week has not been Canadian Mike Weir having to withdrawal with an injury.

It has been the tough rough the players have had to deal with all week long.

Then, in a weird twist I have never seen before, the groundskeepers were instructed to shave the rough down an inch between rounds two and three.

It's a move that I am sure has players that missed the cut wondering, how come I did not get that advantage?

Nonetheless, the players making it under the four-over par cut line went on to play Round 3 today in near perfect weather in Vancouver.

Canada's favorite son this week, Adam Hadwin, no doubt is one of the bigger news stories coming out of the Canadian Open this week.

Can BC native Adam Hadwin win his country's national championship?

The British Columbia native is currently in solo second at four-under par and will be in the final pairing in his country's national championship.

Hadwin fired a two-under par round of 68 today to move up three spots heading into Sunday in his native province.

"The whole objective today was to put myself in a position to win tomorrow," Hadwin said in an interview with Sympatico.ca Sports.

"It's been a very simple process this whole week. This golf course is so difficult once you get off line, you can't play from trees and rough. That was our focus going into today."

Hadwin will be in the final pairing with American Bo Van Pelt.

BVP, as he is called amongst his peers, fired a very impressive third round five-under 65 today.

That catapulted him up 18 positions and into the lead heading into Sunday.

The most impressive portion of his round was the 29 he shot on the back nine. Six birdies and zero bogeys to finish off his incredible round.

"I was hitting the ball really well on the front and not scoring," Van Pelt said in the same interview. "I played really solid on the back nine and I didn't miss a fairway. I was just able to convert some putts."

The pair will be fighting off the likes of first-round leader Kris Blanks and Andres Romero, who are both at three-under.

Also, a group of four players at two-under which include Sean O'Hair, John Daly, Aron Price and Geoff Ogilvy.

With the way the course is really penalizing the players with off-line shots into the rough, it also rewarding guys with good shots in the fairway.

With 15 guys within five shots of the lead, Sunday will be a test of who makes too many mistakes and who can pounce on that chance and capitalize when they do.