Rory McIlroy hopes to pick up 3rd victory at 2024 RBC Canadian Open after making Day 3 surge - "I feel like an honorary Canadian at this point"

On Saturday, June 1, Rory McIlroy fired a 5-under 65 in the third round of the RBC Canadian Open. He made a 19-spot surge and was tied for 11 after 54 holes.

After shooting 72 in the second round of the RBC Canadian Open, McIlroy needed a lot of recovery in the remaining rounds. He started Saturday's play on fire with an eagle and four birdies to finish the front nine at 5-under. He remained at 5-under after two birdies and two bogeys on the back nine.

During the post-round interview, the two-time RBC Canadian Open champion was overwhelmed by the fans' support at Hamilton.

"Yeah, it's incredible," he said. "I do, I feel like an honorary Canadian at this point, and the support I get here is amazing. "I keep saying it, but just a pleasure to play in an atmosphere like that. The crowds are so good, they're so supportive, so enthusiastic, looking forward to one more day of it."

Reflecting on his round, Rory McIlroy said he got off to a fast start but wished he had scored two or three strokes better to keep himself in contention.

"Honestly, once I turned in 5-under I thought if I could play the back in 3 and get to 10-under for the day I thought that would be, I would have a really good chance then. So, a little disappointed not to pick any more up on the back nine, but definitely an improvement on today," he added.

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When will Rory McIlroy tee off at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday?

Rory McIlroy is paired with Tom Kim for the final round of the RBC Canadian Open. The duo will tee off on Sunday, June 2, at 1:30 pm ET. McIlroy and Kim are currently aggregated at 7-under and are seven strokes behind leader Robert MacIntyre.

MacIntyre shot 66 in the third round of the RBC Canadian Open to take the four-stroke solo lead after 54 holes. Mackenzie Hughes, Ryan Fox, and Ben Griffin are tied for third at 10-under. Fox was leading after two rounds but carded an even-par 70 on Saturday. Griffin and Hughes made a jump after shooting 3-under 67. Tommy Fleetwood fired a 6-under 64 to tie with Sam Burns, Trace Crowe, and Joel Dahmen at 9-under.

The final round of the RBC Canadian Open will begin on Sunday, June 2 at 8:25 am ET with Erik Barnes teeing off from the first hole. Akshay Bhatia and Kevin Tway will be the first duo to begin their round on Sunday at 8:30 am ET.