New South Welshman Travis Smyth has stormed into contention in the Canadian Amateur Championship.
Smyth, of Shellharbour, fired a three-under-par 70 at the Royal Ottawa Golf Club in Quebec to charge into a tie for second with one round of the 72-hole stroke play event to run.
If not for a closing bogey on the par-five 18th, the 21-year-old would have pushed his way into tomorrow’s final group in outright second, but he will head out a hole earlier in pursuit of Canadian leader Blaire Bursey, who’s attempting to become the first Newfoundland golfer to win the historic title.
But Smyth, just three back at six under, showed a distinct liking for the Gatineau layout today, peeling off five birdies to show he should be right in the mix tomorrow.
The Australian Amateur runner-up is making a last-ditch bid to qualify for next week’s US Amateur Championship, with that and a berth in next year’s Canadian Open on the line as well as this week’s title.
His New South Wales state teammate Daniel Gale also fired a 69 today to move up to one over in total and tied for 17th.
The only other Aussie to make the cut was another Sydneysider, Killara’s Dale Williamson, who fell from contention with a 73 to sit seven over.
Another Sydney pair Austin Bautista and James Grierson missed the cut, as did Wodonga’s Zach Murray, Perth’s Kiran Day and Melbourne’s Blake Collyer.