Bo-dacious back nine

Van Pelt fires 29, takes one-shot lead on Canadian Hadwin

By: Terry Bell Posted: 1:00 AM CDT Sunday, Jul. 24, 2011

VANCOUVER -- On a day that pretty much belonged to hometown hero Adam Hadwin, Saturday afternoon at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open also found room to offer up another remarkable storyline...

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VANCOUVER -- On a day that pretty much belonged to hometown hero Adam Hadwin, Saturday afternoon at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open also found room to offer up another remarkable storyline...

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VANCOUVER — On a day that pretty much belonged to hometown hero Adam Hadwin, Saturday afternoon at the 2011 RBC Canadian Open also found room to offer up another remarkable storyline…

Call it the ‘Bo Show.’

While Abbotsford, B.C.’s Hadwin was calmly working a huge crowd of followers into a frenzy with a 2-under par round of 68 that left him with a 54-hole total of 206, Bo Van Pelt, a 36-year-old PGA Tour veteran from Tulsa, Oklahoma, was performing his own bit of magic. All he did was fire a 6-under 29 on Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club’s back nine to finish with a round of 5-under par 65 for a tournament-leading score of 205.

Postmedia PNG
Mark van Manen / postmedia news
Adam Hadwin of B.C. hung tough with a 68 and will play in the last pairing today. — Postmedia PNG Mark van Manen / postmedia news Adam Hadwin of B.C. hung tough with a 68 and will play in the last pairing today.

The two will play together today. Hadwin, only 23, will be trying to become the first Canadian to win the national championship since Pat Fletcher pulled it off in 1954 over at Point Grey, a mere stone’s throw from here. Van Pelt and a pack of PGA players will be trying to block his way.

“The whole objective today… was to put myself in a position to win (Sunday),” said Hadwin, who was low Canadian at the 2010 Canadian Open at Toronto’s St. George’s.

That one got him a tie for 37th. Today could see a much, much higher finish by a guy who’s still playing on the Canadian Tour and got into this tournament on a sponsor’s exemption.

“It’s been a very simple process this whole week and that’s just picking a target, picking a yardage and committing to it,” he continued. “And that’s it.”

Perhaps. But if it’s that easy to win, why has no Canuck done it on the old home sod in more than a decade?

Hadwin was asked if his lack of experience at this level might actually be a help, that with such little expectation surrounding him there shouldn’t a great deal of pressure.

He said such suggestions are reasonable. He admitted he’s no PGA star and said he’s just playing good golf at this particular moment.

But Van Pelt’s not really a PGA star either. He’s won just once on the PGA Tour since turning pro 1998, capturing the U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee in 2009. He tied for eighth at this year’s Masters and placed third at the Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial.

But on Shaughnessy’s back nine Saturday he looked like a reincarnation of Bobby Jones.

He started this tournament with a 68 on Thursday and slipped to 72 on Friday to make the cut by four shots. But he was lights out superb after making the turn Saturday.

He played his front nine at 1-over before putting on his hard hat and going to work, firing birdies at Nos. 10, 12, 14, 15, 17 and 18. He’s a confident guy heading into today.

“Yesterday I got off to a bad start and I was 3-over through four holes,” Van Pelt said. “I played the last 14 at 1-under and it could have been a couple better than that. I hit the ball well. For basically 36 holes I’ve driven the ball well and hit some good iron shots. I think that helped.

CP
Jonathan Hayward / the canadian press
American Bo Van Pelt blistered the back nine at Shaughnessy for a 29, en route to a Saturday 65. — CP Jonathan Hayward / the canadian press American Bo Van Pelt blistered the back nine at Shaughnessy for a 29, en route to a Saturday 65.

“Your incoming nine gives you a good feeling about going into (Sunday). At least it gives you something to base off of that hopefully you can go back to and use that for (Sunday).”

Van Pelt will be in an interesting situation today, with the crowd no doubt cheering for Hadwin to become the next Fletcher.

“You know, I guess it wouldn’t be my first away game,” Van Pelt said. “I remember the first time I played with Phil Mickelson after he won Augusta (The Masters) for the first time at Colonial.

“Somebody asked me how I was and I said now I know what it feels like to play an away football game. Obviously, the crowd was excited for him (Mickelson), which they should be. So I was nervous. Everybody wants a Canadian to win and good for him to come and play as well as he has. I’m sure he’s going to play well (Sunday).”

Van Pelt isn’t the only hurdle for Hadwin.

Argentina’s Andres Romero shot a 67 Saturday and is two shots back of Van Pelt at 207. First-round leader Kris Blanks, a Jupiter, Florida, veteran, shot a 69 Saturday and is also at 207. John Daly is among a group of four at 208 after a 67.

— Postmedia News