Professional / PGA Tour

No change in top positions at Canadian Open

By Golfweek Staff

Dustin Johnson's 1-under 71 Friday at the RBC Canadian Open kept him in a share of the lead. (Getty Images)

In a game so unpredictable, Friday at the RBC Canadian Open proved quite remarkable.
At the beginning of the second round at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, Dustin Johnson and Luke List shared the lead, with Jon Rahm, Kelly Kraft and Jared du Toit all tied for third one shot back.
Where were they all by round’s end? The exact same place.
Johnson, 32, overcame a disastrous 4-over stretch early with six birdies in nine holes in the middle of his round to post a 1-under 71 and take the early clubhouse lead at 7 under. 
He would later be caught by List, who had his own topsy-turvy day – reaching 8 under after a pair of opening birdies, falling back to 5 under after a trio of back-nine bogeys and then birdies on the closing par-5s boosting him back up to 7 under.
Thus, it was another day where Johnson, the recent U.S. Open and WGC-Bridgestone Invitational champion, finished on top of the leaderboard. But plenty of other great storylines lurk below.
The trio that remained T-3 and one back all fit that bill. Rahm at one point went nine holes without a par Friday, compiling an eagle, four birdies, three bogeys and a double in that stretch, but pars on his other nine holes proved enough stability for the Spaniard to post a 71.
 The 21-year-old two-time Ben Hogan Award winner who finished the 2015-16 college season as Golfweek’s No. 1 is a recent graduate of Arizona State who placed T-3 in his pro debut last month at the Quicken Loans National.
His former teammate du Toit, though, could make a bigger splash this week in these parts. The Canadian amateur reached a share of the lead before a triple bogey at the par-5 second (his 11th) knocked him back.
 Following another bogey, he pieced together three straight birdies and rolled in an 11-footer for par at the last to also come in at 71. 
Du Toit, making his US PGA Tour debut, has put himself in prime position to break one of his country’s most startling droughts – a Canadian hasn’t won the national open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
Meanwhile, Kraft, the 2011 U.S. Amateur champion, has pieced together just one top-30 finish in 16 US PGA Tour events this year, and could be on the verge of something much bigger.
Graham DeLaet, who unfortunately saw his chipping anxiety recur Thursday in the form of yips, dug too much of a hole with an opening 77 and missed the cut at his national open by three shots after following with 72.
Among the biggest movers of the day were Ricky Barnes, Chad Campbell and Kevin Kisner. Barnes posted 4-under 68 to emerge 24 spots higher in a tie for sixth at 5 under, while Campbell and Kisner matched 67s to each jump 45 spots on the leaderboard into a tie for 10th at 4 under.
Defending champion Jason Day, the World No. 1, had a rough Friday. The Aussie made six bogeys and needed a par at the last to stave off a missed cut. 
Fortunately, he rolled in a 26ft birdie putt to post 76 and stay around for the weekend. At 1 over, he starts his final 36 holes only eight back.
Martin Laird (142) made the cut but Matthew Fitzpatrick (147) , Graeme McDowell (151) and Englishman Greg Owen (151) did not.

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