HALIFAX, N.S. — Playing his last 42 holes without a bogey at Oakfield Golf & Country Club, Lorens Chan finished Saturday the way he entered it—with a one-stroke lead at the HFX Pro-Am presented by Steele Jaguar.
“I played fine today,” said Chan, who has four top-10 finishes this season in six starts. “I couldn’t really take advantage of the par-5s today, but I saw I was a bit behind mid-round, and I made a few birdies on the back nine to keep myself ahead.”
Chan, who entered the tournament with the second-best scoring average on the Mackenzie Tour, at 67.5, will attempt to fend off a slew of six players within three strokes of his lead, including two-time 2019 winner Jake Knapp and Canadian Taylor Pendrith, fresh off a runner-up finish at the Osprey Valley Open.
“(It’ll take) a lot of birdies, probably,” said the 25-year old Chan. “It’s a bunched leaderboard, so you can’t afford many mistakes. You have to go out and make as many birdies as you can.
“Dru (Love) proved it Thursday that 59 is almost out there, he shot 60,” Chan added, “so I don’t think people five or six back are out of it, and we might end up chasing.”
Speaking of birdies, only Paul Barjon’s 122 tops Chan’s 112 on the Mackenzie Tour this season; making the UCLA alum’s eight consecutive pars to open the third round surprising.
“There were some birdie opportunities on the front. On No. 1, I hit one bad shot and one bad chip to take myself out of a good birdie chance,” said Chan. “I hit a lot of good putts that didn’t go in, and on the back I hit a few more that did.”
A win would project Chan, who, in six attempts, hasn’t fired a final round over 68 this season, to move from the sixth spot on the Order of Merit into third.
Folding into a two-way tie for second, one stroke back, are Hayden Shieh and Stoney Crouch, each having their best outings this season, coming into the tournament 87th and 138th, respectively, on the Order of Merit.
Looking for his second consecutive Canada Life Canadian Player of the Week Award, Taylor Pendrith shot a third-round 68 and is two strokes back.
Full scoring can be found here.