Thomas Hay of Langley, B.C., fired a two-under 69 on day three of Canadian Tour Q-School and shares the lead with Michael Gligic of Burlington, Ont.
A former Canadian Tour member, Gligic matched the round of the tournament, with a six-under 65 to join Hay at 10-under-par for the tournament.
Gligic, a past Hidden Lake club champion, took advantage of his home course knowledge en route to posting seven birdies and one bogey. The 21-year-old is not new to going low, having set the course record in the second round of the Seaforth Country Classic at 10-under-par 60.
“I got off to a good start with birdies at one and three,” said Gligic, who leads the Great Lakes Tour money list.
“Those are tough holes, so any time you can start that way, it helps the confidence,” added Gligic, who tied for third in 2009 when the Canadian Tour Q-School was played at Hidden Lake.
Hay, 21, posted his third consecutive round in the 60s. The Drury College graduate, who led after two rounds, posted four birdies to go along with two bogeys.
“Today was a little less consistent then the previous two rounds, but all in all, I am happy with my position,” said Hay. “My short game really helped me out, so that was a big confidence booster.”
Joining Gligic and Hay in the final group on Thursday will be Ryan Corbin of Rockwood, Ont. Corbin matched Gligic’s 65 to move up the leaderboard and into a good position to get his exempt Canadian Tour card. Coincidently Corbin and Gligic happen to be good friends.
David Byrne of Essex, Ont., posted his third consecutive sub-70 round with a 68 that puts him at eight-under for the tournament. He will be joined on Thursday by Nathan Leonhardt of Richmond, B.C. and Kyle Stough of Silver Springs, Md.
A minimum of 14 Canadian Tour cards will be available at the conclusion of the Fall Qualifying School. The top seven players after four rounds will earn exempt cards, while the following seven players plus ties will receive non-exempt cards for 2012.
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