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Kimberley native Jared du Toit chases title at B.C. Amateur

du Toit holds four-stroke lead after 54 holes; championship round set for Friday at Fairview Mountain Golf Club
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Wednesday was a rough day for East Kootenay representatives at the 113th B.C. Amateur Golf Championship in Oliver

Kimberley native Jared du Toit is in the driver's seat at the 113th B.C. Amateur Golf Championship, holding a four-stroke lead heading into the final round.

du Toit fired a third-round 69 on Thursday afternoon at Fairview Mountain Golf Club in Oliver, pushing his total score to 11-under par after 54 holes.

The third-round score set du Toit, the third-ranked men's amateur golfer in Canada, four strokes ahead of second-place Stuart Macdonald.

Macdonald, of Vancouver's Point Grey Golf and Country Club, pencilled in a third-round score of 74. He entered the third round with a one-stroke lead over du Toit, but now finds himself four shots back heading into the final day of competition.

After opening the front nine with a one-over 36, du Toit found his groove on the back nine, striking five birdies onto the scorecard en route to a four-under 32.

du Toit was the only competitor to break 70 on Thursday afternoon.

Average scoring in each of the first two rounds was more than a full stroke better than it was during third-round action.

Golfers averaged 76.19 strokes on opening day and pretty much maintained that during second round action, with an average score of 76.16. After the cut following round two, the remaining competitors registered an average score of 77.63 Thursday afternoon.

The only other East Kootenay linkster to make the cut and advance to the third round of play was du Toit's younger brother Russell, also of Kimberley.

Russell du Toit finished his third round by registering a score of 79, leaving him in a  five-way tie for 62nd.

The top 25 golfers (and ties) from the 113th B.C. Amateur Championship will advance to the Canadian Men's Amateur Championship, set to be played at the Weston Golf and Country Club and Lambton Golf and Country Club in Toronto, beginning Aug. 10.

A total of 158 golfers were in action through the first 36 holes at Fairview Mountain Golf Club. The cutline was established at seven-over par (151) on Wednesday afternoon with 79 golfers advancing to the final 36 holes of competition.

Missing the cut was a group of East Kootenay locals, including: Scott Merriam (Cranbrook), Karson O'Keefe (Creston), Bryan Smithson (Creston), Justin Sawley (Kimberley) and Jacob Bowes (Kimberley).

The final round of play is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. (Mountain) on Friday morning.

Russell du Toit is scheduled to tee off at 9:50 a.m. (Mountain), with brother Jared playing in the final group at 10:40 a.m. (Mountain).

Designed by renowned Canadian golf course architect Les Furber, Fairview Mountain Golf Club stands 7,025 yards in length.