American Brandt Snedeker tied an RBC Canadian Open record by shooting 10-under 60 in the second round on Friday, giving him the lead after the morning wave at Hamilton Golf and Country Club.
Snedeker was at 11-under after two rounds, three shots up on a group that included Canadians Mackenzie Hughes and Ben Silverman.
“I drove the ball fantastic. I think I missed two fairways today,” said Snedeker, one of several golfers who noted that the greens were exceptionally slow. “When you do that around here you set yourself you for success.”
Snedeker and Sweden’s Carl Pettersson are now the only players to shoot 60 at the event. Pettersson did it at St. George’s Golf and Country Club in Toronto at 2010 en route to a victory
Greg Norman also had a round of 10-under 62 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., in 1986.
Silverman, from Thornhill, Ont., rocketed up the leaderboard with a 61. His day was highlighted by two eagles and a closing 13-foot birdie putt on No. 9.
“We could just ignore Sneds and say it was the greatest Canadian Open round ever,” said Silverman, with a laugh.
Hughes, a native of nearby Dundas, Ont., shot a 4-under 66 for the second day in a row. He drained an eight-foot birdie putt on No. 18 to finish his bogey-free second round at Canada’s lone PGA Tour event.
“Not much leaderboard watching because I can’t really do anything at this point,” said Hughes. “My fingers can’t knock people up and down, so I’ll just hang out.”
Henrik Stenson of Sweden and Graeme McDowell of Northern Ireland were also at 8 under.
Five Canadians — Hughes, Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., Drew Nesbitt of Shanty Bay, Ont., and David Hearn of Brantford, Ont. — entered Friday’s round within three shots of first-round leader Keegan Bradley.
No Canadian has won the national open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
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