Homan takes lead

Wes Homan says he doesn’t plan to change his approach on Sunday, despite carrying a two-shot lead into the final round of the Staal Foundation Open.

Homan, who hit the pin on the par 5 seventh hole, narrowly missing a double-eagle, fired a four-under 68 on Saturday, and sits with a 54-hole total of 200, taking sole possession of top spot from playing partner Greg Eason.

Eason was two shots worse on Saturday after a round of 70.

“I just left one there on 18, but it was pretty solid. I hit some good shots, made some birdies and I had one bad club choice and made a bogey, but I feel I bounced back pretty well from that. So it was nice,” Homan said.

The lone golfer to score in the 60s all three days, Homan said the wind and a couple sneaky pins made Whitewater Golf Club tough test. His 68 wasn’t the low round of the day, that belonged to Australian Matthew Smith, who carded a six-under 66.

“It was nice to get a number,” he said.

The Cincinnati-born Homan took advantage of the par 5s on the front nine, birdying the third and scoring the eagle on the seventh.
It was a remarkable shot, he said.

“I had 255 to the flag and 233 to the front and I switched clubs right at the end again,” he said. “I’ve been hitting this hybrid that I’ve had for four years now, but I’ve really done some damage with it this week. It looked really good in the air and saw it dink off the pin. Who knows, maybe it will go in tomorrow.”

The lone blemish on his card came on the par 5 12th, but he rebounded in a hurrying, dropping birdies on 14 and 16 to maintain his advantage on Eason.

The Englishman was steady, if not unspectacular at the start of his round, rolling off six straight pars before birdying the seventh – only to give the stroke back a hole later.

Eason, looking for his first PGA Tour Canada win, said it was tough going out there.

“It wasn’t easy. It was a completely different course than it was the first two days … The greens were definitely firmer and definitely two or three shots harder, I think.”

Eason said he won’t do anything differently on Sunday and isn’t worried about where he sits on the leaderboard.

“To be honest I’m not going to focus on that. I’m just going to play my game and if it’s good enough, it’s good enough. And if it’s not, it’s not. I’ll just take it one shot at a time and try to manage the ball well.”

Jeffrey Corr made the most of moving day, scoring a five-under 67 to move into solo third place at -11. Smith and American Drew Evans are tied for fourth, two shots further back.

Victoria’s Cory Renfrew, who also had a 67, is the top Canadian, with a three day 208 score, eight under par. Canadian Michael Gligic is one shot back at 209.

Vermilion Bay’s Jordan Krantz had an even par 72 and is tied for 2nd at four-under 212.

Homan, Eason and Jeffrey Corr will tee off at 1:39 p.m., about nine minutes later than scheduled because of a Sunday morning fog delay.