Mother Nature provided sun and warmth in Round 3 of the Bayview Place Island Savings Open presented by the sa国际传媒 in Victoria on Saturday.
But a pair of Mackenzie Tour-PGA Tour sa国际传媒 players turned the heat up even further at Uplands Golf Club.
Adam Svensson, of Vancouver, and William Kropp, of Edmond, Oklahoma, both fired 8-under-par 62s 鈥� one shot shy of the course record 鈥� to grab a share of the lead at 11-under 199 heading into today鈥檚 final round.
The two caught Surrey native Albin Choi, who struggled to an even-par 70 after starting the day with a three-shot lead.
鈥淚 was talking to my caddy Austin [Friday] night who said we have to play pretty aggressive. We knew Albin was going to keep going low,鈥� said Svensson, referring to caddy Austin Hughes. 鈥淲e hit a lot of drivers out there.
鈥淲e had three chances for eagle and made one so we played aggressive. My golf swing felt trustworthy today. I stayed committed to my shots and played my normal golf,鈥� added Svensson, who was a runner-up in a five-man playoff last week at the P.C. Financial Open in Vancouver.
Svensson finished with an eagle (on hole 13, where he drove the green) and six birdies in his round at Uplands.
鈥淗is clutch factor kicks in Saturday to Sunday,鈥� caddy Hughes said of Svensson. 鈥淗e gets into a rhythm and he gets on. The thing that separates him from the others is his mental ability to get it done when it matters. He never gets antsy.鈥�
Kropp recorded eight birdies on the day as players took advantage of watering that made the greens receptive. He made birdies on four of his last six holes.
鈥淓verything was going pretty well. I kind of made some putts in the middle of the round to save par, a couple of 10-footers. That really helps,鈥� said Kropp, who also shot 62 at Dakota Dunes in Saskatoon last year. He is also known for defeating Angel Cabrera at his hometown in Cordoba, Argentina, on the PGA Latinoamerica tour.
鈥淚t鈥檚 kind of how you draw it up when you come to the course,鈥� Kropp said of his 62. 鈥淯sually, it doesn鈥檛 happen, but it seemed to happen today so I was pretty happy.鈥�
The day became a struggle for Choi as he made bogey on the ninth, 10th and 12th holes before making birdie on 13. He gave it back with a bogey on 18.
Eugene Wong, who sat second to start Saturday, also shot even par 70 playing with Choi. Wong slipped to eighth.
Victoria鈥檚 Cory Renfrew caught fire on the back nine 鈥� after a bogey on 10 鈥� with birdies on holes 11, 13, 14 and 15. His third straight 67 leaves him in a tie for fifth with Americans J.J. Spaun and Jason Millard, one back of John Ellis in fourth.
鈥淚鈥檓 happy. I didn鈥檛 start too well today, a little shaky, but I kept grinding and gave myself chances and made a few coming in,鈥� said Renfrew, who is donating $5 for every birdie and $10 for every eagle he makes this weekend to the Children's Health Foundation of Vancouver Island.
SUNDAY HONOURS: The tournament will honour Kenny Yip today by placing his framed picture at the first tee of the final round.
The longtime volunteer at the Bayview Place Island Savings Open died last summer. 鈥淜enny was a volunteer extraordinaire. Anything to do with Victoria, he was a part of,鈥� said tournament volunteer co-ordinator Bill Big Canoe, who came up with the idea. Volunteers 鈥� one of whom is Yip鈥檚 wife, Maureen 鈥� are expected to wear black ribbons.
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