Daniel Svärd takes a two-shot Manitoba Open lead into Sunday
SPRINGFIELD, Man. — Daniel Svärd has the lead, the low round of the day and, with 18 holes remaining, a clear view of the finish line at the Manitoba Open.
The Stockholm, Sweden, golfer fired a 6-under 64 Saturday at Elmhurst Golf & Country Club, moving to 14-under and opening a two-shot advantage over American Adam Duncan heading into Sunday’s final round.
For golf fans in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario, the setting carries a familiar developmental-tour feel. PGA TOUR Americas grew out of the 2024 merger of PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica. Before that change, PGA TOUR Canada was a summertime fixture in Thunder Bay, where the Staal Foundation Open brought rising professionals to Whitewater Golf Club from 2014 through 2018.
Svärd Makes His Move With a Saturday 64
And this was the kind of round that gets everybody’s attention.
Svärd began the day within striking distance and wasted little time putting his name on top of the board. He made seven birdies against a single bogey and turned in 5-under 30, with four birdies arriving during a five-hole stretch from Nos. 4 through 8.
When the final putt dropped, the Northwestern University graduate had signed for 64 — the best round of the day — and reached 14-under through 54 holes.
The timing could hardly be more important.
Svärd is making only his fourth professional start after finishing No. 19 in the 2026 PGA TOUR University Ranking. He entered the Manitoba Open at No. 120 on the PGA TOUR Americas Points List.
A victory is projected to move him to approximately No. 16, putting a top-10 season finish — and the Korn Ferry Tour membership that comes with it — very much into the conversation.
Duncan Keeps the Leader in Sight
Adam Duncan is not going anywhere.
The 23-year-old from Bakersfield, Calif., produced his third straight round of 66, making six birdies against two bogeys and closing with a birdie at No. 18.
That final birdie could prove important.
Duncan heads to Sunday at 12-under, only two behind Svärd, meaning the Manitoba Open is still very much a contest as the final groups head out.
He arrived in Manitoba ranked No. 189 on the Points List and is looking for his first top-five finish in nine starts this season.
Three rounds. Three 66s.
That is consistency, and on Sunday it has earned Duncan a place right beside the tournament leader in the championship picture.
Greaser Four Back After a 68
Austin Greaser, playing alongside Svärd in Saturday’s final group, stayed within range with a 2-under 68.
The Vandalia, Ohio, golfer made five birdies and three bogeys, briefly reaching 11-under after rolling in three consecutive birdies from Nos. 8 through 10.
He finished the afternoon at 10-under, four strokes behind Svärd.
Greaser, the 2021 U.S. Amateur runner-up, will head out in Sunday’s penultimate group seeking his first top-10 finish of the PGA TOUR Americas season.
Manitoba Open Leaderboard After Three Rounds
| Pos. | Player | Score |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Daniel Svärd, Sweden | -14 — 67-65-64 |
| 2 | Adam Duncan, United States | -12 — 66-66-66 |
| 3 | Austin Greaser, United States | -10 — 65-67-68 |
| T4 | Garrett Endicott, United States | -9 — 65-69-67 |
| T4 | Chuan-Tai Lin, Chinese Taipei | -9 — 66-66-69 |
Saturday brought ideal scoring conditions at Elmhurst, with sunshine, a high near 23 C and a northerly wind around 13 km/h. The course is playing to a par 70 at 6,856 yards.
Thunder Bay Has Seen This Path Before
The names are different, but the journey will sound familiar to Thunder Bay golf fans.
For five summers, from 2014 through 2018, the Staal Foundation Open presented by Tbaytel made Whitewater Golf Club a stop on what was then the Mackenzie Tour — PGA TOUR Canada.
The tournament became one of Thunder Bay’s major summer sporting events while raising more than $1 million for local charities before organizers announced the event would not return in 2019.
The players who came through Whitewater were chasing essentially the same dream as the field at Elmhurst this weekend: play well on the developmental circuit, move up the standings and earn a chance at the next level.
Ben Griffin provided one particularly notable example. He won the final Staal Foundation Open in 2018, his first PGA TOUR-sanctioned victory, before eventually reaching the PGA TOUR.
PGA TOUR Americas now carries that pathway forward. The circuit was created by combining PGA TOUR Canada and PGA TOUR Latinoamérica, and its 2026 schedule features 15 tournaments in nine countries. The top 10 players on the final Points List earn Korn Ferry Tour membership for 2027.
For Northwestern Ontario fans who once lined the fairways at Whitewater, the Manitoba Open offers another chance to watch tomorrow’s names before they become familiar ones.
One Round to Go
So here we are.
Svärd at 14-under.
Duncan two back.
Greaser four behind.
And a Sunday afternoon at Elmhurst with a tournament, valuable points and potentially a major step in several young professional careers waiting over the final 18 holes.
Svärd has the lead.
Now comes the hard part: finishing it.
