Jared du Toit's wonderful week keeps rolling along at RBC Canadian Open

OAKVILLE, Ont. - No matter where he eventually ends up in this tournament, and no matter where he goes after it, Jared du Toit's performance at the 2016 RBC Canadian Open will be remembered for a long time - if not forever.

Even if the 21-year-old product of Kimberley, B.C., double-bogeys his first three holes and falls into the pond at the fourth hole at Glen Abbey on Sunday, he will have accomplished something special.

Despite a shaky start, the amateur who received an exemption into the tournament from Golf Canada will tee off in the final pairing on Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Club at 8-under par, a mere stroke behind PGA veteran Brandt Snedeker and tied with world No. 2 Dustin Johnson.

"It's been a fairy tale so far," an excited du Toit said moments after sinking a 40-foot eagle putt that brought down the house around the 18th green and sparked an impromptu rendition of O Canada. "It probably hasn't set in ... It's an unbelievable feeling."

Asked if he can keep up this improbable run on Sunday, du Toit replied, "I have no idea. I mean, I've been surprising myself all week so if I play good, solid golf and get a good night's sleep and do all the little things right, I like my chances."

To put that into perspective, this 21-year-old Arizona State University student who is playing his first PGA Tour event and is going up against the best in golf likes his chances of winning a tournament no Canadian has claimed since 1954.

And who's to say he doesn't have any? Throughout this tournament the amateur few Canadians had heard of before this week has shown maturity and grit far beyond his years.

In shooting a 2-under-par 70 Saturday, he overcame errant drives and a few poor chips to stare down the field and finish with a flourish.

The question is not so much if he can continue to play like a seasoned pro and putt like a major champion, but whether he can withstand the attention he'll get Sunday. If Saturday was any indication, it could be overwhelming.

"Just the atmosphere, walking to each green, walking to each tee box, 'Go Canada', it's been an unbelievable week of golf so far," he said.

The third round was a red-and-white love-in as the galleries raucously cheered on the guy they called "the young Canadian," mainly because they weren't sure what his name was.

And du Toit, wearing his Golf Canada national team apparel, did his best to return the love.

Wearing a big smile that appeared glued to his face, he high-fived adoring fans at tee boxes and genuinely appeared to be having the time of his life even when he started to fall down the leaderboard.

He also returned it by putting on a phenomenal performance for an amateur playing his first pro tournament. He scrambled, he struggled at times, but he never caved in the way so many young golfers do when the spotlight gets brighter.

After a fantastic finish on Friday - three straight birdies on the last four holes - that brought him to within one stroke of the lead, he struggled out of the gate Saturday.

After hitting his approach shot through the green on the first hole, he needed a clutch putt to save par. An errant drive that landed in tree trouble led to a bogey on No. 3.

But, as he did on Friday, he overcame that disappointment almost instantly by landing his tee shot on the 197-yard par-3 fourth within four feet of the hole for a birdie.

More tree trouble on the fifth hole led to another bogey and he needed a great chip to salvage par on No. 6.
That magic didn't materialize on the par-3 seventh after his tee shot flew the green, hit a tree and landed in a bunker. He was lucky to get out with a bogey.

Things looked like they were unravelling when his tee shot on No. 8 landed well right of the fairway. But his shot from 158 yards out landed five feet from the pin and led to another birdie.

He shook off those woes on the back nine, registering a birdie on 13 before his dramatic eagle on 18.
But despite his troubles, du Toit did what few amateurs can do: he didn't get rattled and continued to bounce back from bad shots.

It hasn't been just a great tournament for du Toit, even though he made enough of an impact that American television learned how to pronounce his name (as opposed to the early references to "doo-toyt."

His performance this week will do wonders for the Canadian golf program that helped produce talented players like him.

"I think it's just a testament that the program continues to evolve and that we're helping young kids to develop their game," said Golf Canada CEO Scott Simmons. "To see a 21-year-old kid doing what he's done is hard to put into words. It's just incredible. And what an experience for him, no matter what happens the rest of the tournament."