CALEDON, Ont. — Sudarshan Yellamaraju being around the lead at a PGA Tour event may be a new thing but it’s not something shocking.
“I've always thought I could be in contention in tournaments, for sure,” the Canadian said. “That's what I've been working for, that's why I've been dreaming of doing, but it's just a matter of doing it, of course.”
Yellamaraju did it for a little Saturday afternoon at the RBC Canadian Open — holding the lead alone late before making back-to-back bogeys on Nos. 16 and 17. He added a two-putt birdie on his closing hole of the day to come into the house with a 5-under 65, his third straight round in the 60s at the North Course at TPC Toronto.
Yellamaraju will head into Sunday’s finale just three shots back of the lead held by Jackson Suber, with Bud Cauley just a shot further back at 12 under. And four golfers at 11 under including Tommy Fleetwood — who, of course, lost in a playoff to Nick Taylor in 2023 — and Wyndham Clark, whose 7-under 63 was the round of the day and who has gone 1-3 in his last two PGA Tour starts.
Including Yellamaraju, there are 10 golfers within three of the lead after 54 holes at TPC Toronto.
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Yellamaraju had another very solid day off the tee but had his best day, by far, with the putter in the third round. As he wrapped up, he was 13th in strokes gained: putting, a stat he was 117th in after Thursday’s opener. He made a couple of long ones, he said, but also missed a few chances as well — he knew Saturday’s round could have been really good.
Still, the PGA Tour rookie has stayed steady through three days, and he’s been rewarded with a great spot on the leaderboard.
“Everything was pretty good. I definitely made some more putts today than I did yesterday. Yesterday I hit it really good. Today it was maybe not as good as yesterday, but the putts were pretty good and that's why the score was good,” Yellamaraju said.
It’s been a very solid rookie campaign for Yellamaraju, who started his PGA Tour season with a tie for 13th at the Sony Open. He then notched back-to-back top-10 finishes at the The Players Championship and the Texas Children’s Houston Open. His tie for fifth at The Players was the best result at The Players by a PGA Tour rookie in almost a decade-and-a-half (David Lingmerth finished tied for second in 2013) and Yellamaraju’s first career top-10 result on the PGA Tour. It is also the best result by a Canadian at The Players since Stephen Ames’ win in 2006.
He now has recorded six top-20 finishes and is Canada’s top-ranked golfer in the FedExCup standings at No. 48.
Yellamaraju has also become quite a fan favourite this week since he grew up in Mississauga (his family immigrated from India when he was just a boy and he spent a little time in Winnipeg before coming to Ontario). He was serenaded with ‘O Canada’ on No. 14 — The Rink hole this week — and there were even calls of ‘’Sauga City!’ and ‘One of us!’ through the balance of the afternoon.
“I was just trying to focus as much as I could, like I always do. But I was definitely hearing it out there and it felt good, for sure,” he said.
Yellamaraju leads the Canadian contingent at TPC Toronto heading into Sunday’s finale which is set to be a rainy grind. Tee times have already been moved up by tournament organizers in hopes of skirting some serious storms that are set to blow through the Greater Toronto Area.
“It will be a different golf course and a different challenge,” said Fleetwood. “You just have to be ready for whatever the golf course is going to bring and whatever challenge that is.
“I think we just have to be ready for what is to come tomorrow and know that you're going to go out there for 18 holes, and 18 holes in a battle, really.”
Matt Anderson, who was one of the first-round leaders, sits at 8 under.
Meanwhile, Adam Hadwin sits at 7 under and is a prime spot to record his best finish on the PGA Tour this season. He’s tied with amateur Justin Matthews — who counts TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley his home course and has already locked up the Gary Cowan medal as the low amateur as he was the only Canadian non-pro to make the cut — and Taylor Pendrith.
In all, there were 10 Canadians to find the weekend at the Canadian Open, the most since 1969.
The Canadian crew is topped by Yellamaraju, though, who is just one great day away from notching his best-ever PGA Tour finish at a place he’s awfully familiar with, as his pro journey beginning at this particular golf course in 2022 when he Monday qualified for the Osprey Valley Open on the then-PGA Tour Canada.
“It would be pretty cool if I can (do) something tomorrow where this is kind of pretty much where it all started,” Yellamaraju said. “I’m focusing on trying to play the best I can and if it ends up being the result I want, then that’s good.”
