It was a one-two Island race atop the leaderboard after the third round Thursday of the 2016 sa国际传媒 Men鈥檚 Amateur Championship, which perhaps fittingly, is being hosted on the Island by Pheasant Glen Golf Resort in Qualicum.
Nolan Thoroughgood, a 15-year-old from Royal Colwood, has seemly come out of nowhere and leads by one shot at 7-under par over Zach Anderson of Nanaimo, who is heading into his junior season in the Pac-12 with the Washington State Cougars. Two shots back of Anderson in third place is Chris Crisologo of Richmond, with Samuel Su of Surrey alone in fourth place at 3-under. Jake DuVall of Uplands is another shot back in a two-way tie for fifth after a 2-over 73 on Thursday.
Thoroughgood joined the junior program at Royal Colwood when he was 11.
鈥淲e live right beside the course, so he went over every day that summer,鈥� said dad Garth Thoroughgood, who is caddying for his son this week.
鈥淗e鈥檇 leave the house at 9 a.m. and we wouldn鈥檛 see him until nine at night. He just fell in love with the game. He gave up hockey two years later and said he is just going to focus on golf.鈥�
The Royal Bay Secondary student, heading into Grade 11, shot a two-under par-70 Thursday to take his one-shot lead into today鈥檚 final round.
鈥淚 am going to be nervous,鈥� he admitted, in a statement.
鈥淏ut I know my game is good right now. I just have to trust myself and hit my lines.鈥�
Thoroughgood came to Pheasant Glen after what he described as a disappointing tie for 14th at last week鈥檚 sa国际传媒 junior boys championship at Arbutus Ridge in Cobble Hill.
鈥淭hat was my first sa国际传媒 junior and this is my first sa国际传媒 amateur,鈥� Thoroughgood said. 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 expect to be in this position.鈥�
The 20-year-old Anderson shot a one-under 71 Thursday with a strong long game but not as good on the short game.
鈥淚 hit it really well,鈥� he said.
鈥淚 probably only missed two or three fairways. The first two days I was automatic from eight feet and in. But today nothing dropped.鈥�
Like many others in the field, Anderson had never heard of Thoroughgood before this week: 鈥淚 didn鈥檛 know who he was before today and he just showed up and is hitting it awesome.鈥�
The final group tees off at 9:40 a.m. this morning.
