Toronto: Wyndham Clark finished with an unlikely par save on Friday to take a one-stroke lead at the RBC Canadian Open over reigning champion Rory McIlroy and four other men.

Clark got up-and-down from around 50 feet from a semi-plugged lay on the downhill section in a greenside bunker on the par-4 18th after eagling Nos. 15 and 16 on windy days at St. George's. After an even-par 70, he was seven under par.

"I didn't stand a chance," Clark admitted. "And I'd want to say I was attempting to do what I did, and I was trying to kick a very little further out to the right, and somehow it just popped up to the left and fell in the rough and trickled down to four feet when I came into the ball." It was without a doubt the finest save of the year. "It was very fantastic."

McIlroy was tied for second place with Matt Fitzpatrick (70), Alex Smalley (67), Keith Mitchell (67), and Jim Knous (68). (67). Because of the COVID-19 epidemic, which cancelled golf's fourth-oldest competition the previous two years, McIlroy would have to wait three years to protect his 2019 title.

"It's going to be difficult," McIlroy added. "I believe the only thing this golf course requires to feel more major-like is a little more length." That, I believe, is the only thing missing. The rough is harsh, the greens are complex, the wind is blowing, and the course is drying out a little. Suddenly, you've got a challenging golf course."

Fitzpatrick finished with a bogey-birdie.

He makes the putts I needed on the last three holes. It's all unfortunate. Yeah, it was a dreadful finish with the putter."

Clark made a birdie on the par-14th to get to 9 but then bogeyed the next two holes. He drove into the right fairway bunker on the par-5 15th and saved bogey with a 10-footer. He missed a seven 1/2-foot par effort on the par-3 16th after playing short and right into a bunker.

"To tell you the truth, I played extremely well," Clark remarked. "It was a challenge out there." It was windy, and some pin placements were difficult. As you've seen, these greens are pretty tricky, and you'll find yourself in some tight positions where you'll need to be defensive even from 10 or 15 feet away.

"It was just a bad ending," Fitzpatrick explained. "I just couldn't seem to get the hole to close."

Clark started with a 63 on Thursday after rallying in a 36-hole U.S. Open qualifying on Monday to earn a spot in the field at The Country Club outside of Boston next week.

Scottie Scheffler, the Masters' winner, was 4 under after a 67.

The top Canadians were Aaron Cockerill and Nick Taylor, who tied for 21st place at two-under. Cockerill recorded a 68 on his PGA Tour debut. Taylor received a score of 70.

"I'm in a good position coming into the weekend for my first PGA Tour tournament," Cockerill said. "Kind of where I want to be, and we'll see what happens tomorrow if we can toss a low one on the board."