Park, Lindberg lead ANA Inspiration as Wie fights vertigo

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OAKVILLE, Ontario – News and observations from the third round of the RBC Canadian Open where Charley Hoffman leads by one over Kevin Chappell. 17 golfers are within five shots of the lead heading into Sunday’s finale at Glen Abbey Golf Club. For more on what unfolded Saturday, click here for the Daily Wrap-Up. Saunders inspired by Arnold Palmer In 1955, Arnold Palmer won his first professional event at the Weston Golf and Country Club, about 25 miles from Glen Abbey Golf Club. On Sunday, his grandson, Sam Saunders, will try for his first PGA TOUR win, and he’s got a strong chance to convert on what will be, coincidently, his 30th birthday. He sits 14-under par through three rounds, and is just three shots back of the lead, sitting in a tie for fourth. Saunders was the benefactor of Brandt Snedeker withdrawing due to injury earlier this week. He was disappointed to see him as fifth alternate as first, but he got in, and it was time to go to work. “It’s a full field, a full (FedExCup) points event, which I need to play in right now. I was really pleased to see that I got in,â€� he explained. “It was normal preparation outside of that. I had a flight booked, and it’s been a fairly normal week.â€� Saunders admitted if he were to win his first TOUR event in Canada, it would be ‘incredible,’ especially on a day at the RBC Canadian Open that is being dedicated to his grandfather. “Just for the simple fact that it would be my first PGA TOUR win, and then you through all that on top of it… it would be amazing,â€� he said. “But there’s no magic. It’s up to me. No one is going to help me except for me.â€� And as far as what he thinks Palmer would tell him if he were still alive? “He would tell me to just go play,â€� said Saunders. “Get it done.â€� Garrigus ties course record On a day that felt like a casual Saturday morning round with a friend, Robert Garrigus tied the course record at Glen Abbey, a 10-under-par 62, to climb into a tie for third at the RBC Canadian Open. Garrigus was paired with James Hahn Saturday (who shot his own 5-under-par 67 but said he got ‘waxed’) and the two friends, who play a lot of golf together in Arizona, were feeding off one another all day. Garrigus, who got disqualified at the John Deere Classic a few weeks ago for signing an incorrect scorecard but notched his first top-10 of the year last week at the Barbasol Championship, used that as motivation. And at 131st on the FedExCup standings, he knows every week is important. “It’s been in the back of my mind ever since I got my TOUR card last year. You want to keep your job. This game is so hard and we work really hard and we fight, we practice and we work out. It’s one of those things where you’re constantly searching for something good, and I found it today,â€� said Garrigus. “I’m going to try and build on that tomorrow, so I’m really excited.â€� The 39-year-old chipped in three times Saturday on his front nine, en route to a 6-under-par 29. He also made eagle on the par-5 16th after stuffing his approach to just three feet. But he said he didn’t have an eye on the course record as his day unfolded. “Everything was working. Even when I missed a shot, I chipped it in… It was a great day, one to remember,â€� he explained. “But I also have one more round to go. So going to stick this one in the memory bank and wipe it clean and go out tomorrow and see what happens.â€� Call of the Day Hoffman thinking about Presidents Cup Although Charley Hoffman will head into Sunday with a one-shot lead, he admitted he’s got the Presidents Cup on his mind, too. At 16th on the Presidents Cup standings, Hoffman needs a big week to make a move and he’s in position to do just that. “I know I’m going to have to play myself on (to the team). I’m going to have to play good and get a win. It’s something I want to do before my career is done,â€� said Hoffman. “I’m going to earn it and I’m going to try, and if I don’t, you’ll know I went down swinging.â€� Hoffman has five top-5 finishes on TOUR so far this year, but hasn’t cracked the winner’s circle this season. He won the 2016 Valero Texas Open for his fourth TOUR win. He made just one bogey during a 7-under-par 65 Saturday, on the par-4 17th, after three-putting. But, it was still a day with more positives than negatives. “I got off to a little slower start than I wanted to. Obviously wanted to get a birdie early in the round but wasn’t able to. Middle of my round got some birdies and hit some great iron shots. You know what, all in all, just hit good shots and good positions to make putts on the greens,â€� said Hoffman. “I was able to capitalize and make a lot of birdies.â€� Hoffman will be Sunday’s final pairing with Kevin Chappell, who sits at 16-under par through three rounds and is also playing with the Presidents Cup on his mind, as he sits 11th on the standings. A win would lock up a spot for Chappell, who won earlier this year at the Valero Texas Open. Canadians struggle in round three It wasn’t the day either Mackenzie Hughes or Graham DeLaet had in mind when they teed it up to rambunctious Canadian crowds early Saturday, as both Hughes and DeLaet lost ground in the third round. Hughes shot matching 37’s to shoot a 2-over-par 74 and now sits tied for 55th. DeLaet, meanwhile, shot a 1-over-par 73, and sits tied for 41st. In all likelihood, the curse of Canadians not being able to win the RBC Canadian Open on home soil will continue for another year. “Frustrated. Disappointed. Those are the words that come to mind right away,â€� Hughes said of his round. “It sucks to play poorly anywhere you play but especially here where I want to do well so badly. But that’s golf and it happens, and you know, go out there tomorrow and try to shoot a low one.â€� DeLaet echoed his countryman’s statement on how disappointed he was to play poorly in front of the Canadian crowds. “You want to play well here. Maybe I was trying a little bit too hard,â€� admitted DeLaet. “It was still fun. The crowds were awesome and I’ve still got tomorrow.â€� Poulter impressed by fans Paired with Canadian Graham DeLaet, Ian Poulter admitted he was surprised at how excited the fans were for him on Saturday. “I’ve had a great reception since I’ve been here. They seem to like me, and what I’ve done in the Ryder Cup for some reason,â€� said Poulter with a laugh. “I like coming to Canada, I’ve only been a few times but each time I’ve had a great time.â€� Poulter said he was happy to be able to play with DeLaet, although DeLaet didn’t have the kind of day Poulter did. The Englishman fired a 4-under-par 68 and sits tied for 15th. “The crowds are a little smaller than The Open Championship, even though I played with homeboy Graham. But I was quite happy going out playing with him. It’s good to have the crowd there. It’s good to obviously play in front of a decent group of people. It was fun,â€� said Poulter. “My first Canadian Open, I’m happy… I’m enjoying it. It’s been a good week.â€� Poulter sits 77th on the FedExCup points standings and has made his last six cuts in a row, including the RBC Canadian Open. His best finish of the year was a tie for second at THE PLAYERS Championship in May. He admitted there were a few shots he ‘left behind’ on Saturday, including not making birdies on No’s 16 and 18, the two par fives coming in, but he said he’s looking forward to another opportunity to go low Sunday.   Shot of the Day Best of Social Media

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On paper, John McLaren knows that he and his boss, Paul Casey, probably couldn’t be more different. “Paul is very creative and artsy and left brain,â€� the veteran caddie explains. “I studied math and chemistry and geology so I’m the analytical type.â€� Together, though, the two disparate halves have come together and made a whole. A player who is focused on returning to the kind of form that once allowed him to reach No. 3 in the world. A player who ended a nine-year PGA TOUR victory drought last year at the Valspar Championship. That win — which came in Casey’s 151st start since that victory at the 2009 Shell Houston Open – wasn’t easy, either. He started the final round tied for 11th and fired a 65 that included a career-low 21 putts. He then had to anxiously wait about 90 minutes to see if his score would hold up. “It was really one of the highlights of my career in caddying,â€� McLaren says. “I was delighted for him and for myself and for (instructor) Peter Kostis, as well.â€� Since the two teamed up in January of 2016, Casey has finished in the top 30 of the FedExCup each year. In addition to last year’s victory at the Copperhead Course, Casey has 22 more top-10 finishes, including six top-threes, two of which have come in just seven starts this season. McLaren says the right- and left-brain configuration may be the key to the duo’s success. “It kind of covers one,â€� he says. “Paul is quite a volatile character. I’m a very logical, very calm person. I suppose. So that combination, I guess it could backfire, but between us it seems to fit nicely.â€� McLaren says mutual respect is also key in their partnership. “When I look at the long term, Phil Mickelson with Bones; Phil thought as much of Jim as Jim did of Phil,â€� he says. “And I know Paul and I — we’ve got each other’s back equally.â€� McLaren, who is known for the colorful socks he wears – in fact, his alter ego, Johnny Long Socks, even has its own Instagram account, started his life in golf as a pro, playing on the Sunshine Tour in South Africa, as well as in Australia, during the early 1990s with limited success. A friend asked McLaren to caddy for him one summer. After their second stint together, this time for a year, McLaren says he “lost my desire to play.â€� So, he decided to concentrate on caddying, working for, among others Scott Dunlap and Duffy Waldorf. Prior to signing on with Casey, McLaren caddied for Luke Donald for six years, during which time the Englishman was ranked as high as No. 1 in the world. But the relationship reached a low point in 2015, and McLauren decided to leave Donald. “I think we’d probably run our course,â€� he says. Once people found out that McLaren was available, he began to get feelers from various players. McLaren had several tryouts, so to speak, the first with Francesco Molinari, who offered him the job — starting immediately. At that point, though, McLaren had already agreed to caddy for Kevin Chappell for two weeks and another for Casey. “I just said I’m a man of my word and I won’t do that without at least fulfilling them,â€� McLaren told Molinari. “So, I couldn’t join him straightaway.â€� Chappell offered McLaren a job, as well. But he still had to fulfill the commitment to Casey, so the two got together at the 2015 Hero World Challenge and finished fifth. Again, another job offer — but McLaren didn’t accept until the two sat down in London for a heart-to-heart. “My interview with Paul was goal-orientated really,â€� said the left brain of the duo. “I said why haven’t you achieved what I think you should have done? What are your goals, getting them all out and they were reasonably lofty.” “And then I was, I was like, oh, they’re fantastic, but what have you done to even consider making them come true?â€� The more the two talked, the more the analytical McLaren was interested. He’s a big proponent of David Alred’s performance-based coaching style, working with him when he caddied for Luke Donald, and McLaren felt like he could help Casey. He made suggestions, and the pro was all in. “Paul’s ball-striking is just naturally so impressive,â€� McLaren says. “So, when you’ve got that in a player, you look at all the other things and just see the other things as great opportunities, you know.” “When you come from a player like Luke, he was as good a pitcher and chipper and putter as you’ll ever see. You think, well, if I can blend some of that to a great hitter, I’m going to have a great player.â€� The on-course results speak for themselves. Casey ranks 16th in the FedExCup with a runner-up finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am – where he and his partner, Don Colleran, EVP and CSO of FedEx won the team title – and third at the World Golf Championships-Mexico Championship. Off the golf course, the two men have found a variety of common interests. For one, both are wine aficionados: McLaren saying he learned a lot from Waldorf in that regard. “The ability of someone to grow fruit and turn it into wine, I think is amazing,â€� he says. Casey and McLaren also share a love of cycling. In fact, two years ago when McLaren turned 50, Casey took his caddy on a Tour de France-type of trip, complete with a team of riders, into the Dolomites, a mountain range in northeast Italy. The ride lasted a week and covered about 500 kilometers, or more than 300 miles. That wasn’t the biggest challenge, though. “It was more the ups and downs to be honest,â€� McLaren says. “We did about, I want to say, 35,000 feet of climbing during the week.â€� Carrying a 50-pound golf bag over four or five miles each day now must seem like a breeze. 18 things on Paul Casey Few people know a PGA TOUR pro better than his caddie. So here are 18 things John McLaren thinks you don’t know about his boss, Paul Casey. 1. Paul met his wife Polly at charity function during the 2011 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix. They were set up by Formula One legend Eddie Jordan. 2. He loves fast, exotic cars and he is an extremely proficient driver with many hours on the track. 3. Paul used to bite his fingernails until he saw himself in an interview on TV and he’s never done it since. 4. He’s an avid cyclist, enjoying both mountain and road biking. 5. He went to Hampton Wick Boys School, which is near Hampton Court Palace, one of the homes of Henry VIII. 6. He has a passion for watches. 7. He has two kids named Lex and Astaria. Lex is 4 and he’s just starting to get interested in golf. 8. Paul loves coffee. He even travels with his own coffee machine. When he’s at home, he grinds his own coffee beans and measures it all out meticulously. He’s actually going for a barista course pretty soon. He just loves it. 9. He has a brother who lives in New York and works in finance. 10. Paul went to Arizona State University where he won three Pac-12 titles in a row. 11. He won back-to-back English Amateur titles, too. 12. He has 17 professional victories around the world, including two on the PGA TOUR.   13. He was a supporter of the Wimbledon football club. But his dad used to dress him up in Tottenham Hotspur football club colors, which really incensed Paul. 14. Paul’s favorite meal is chicken tikka masala. 15. He has a couple of nicknames. One is Space Man – that goes back to his English days with Justin Rose. I think he used to call him Spacey Casey. The other is Popeye because of his forearms. 16. He prefers mountains to beaches. 17. Peter Kostis, the CBS announcer, is and has been his only instructor.   18. Paul has been to the moon — all you have to do is ask Bryson DeChambeau.

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