Dustin Johnson moves close to the lead and retains favouritism

Sky Sports Golf, 7pm Saturday

Kevin Tway moved to the top of the Canadian Open leaderboard at the halfway stage, but world number one Dustin Johnson retained favouritism.

Tway, who was a 125-1 chance on tournament-eve, followed a 66 with a 65 to reach 13 under par through 36 holes at Glen Abbey, but Johnson, 7-1 ante-post and market-leader ever since, kept close order with a 66 of his own.

Johnson was nine under par through 12 holes of round two, with three par-fives to play, so will have been disappointed to have walked off the course having improved his score to just ten under. A share of sixth place, though, with a three-shot weekend deficit on Tway, makes the two-time Glen Abbey runner-up a best-price 9-4 jolly.

Johnson and super-talented Chilean teenager Joaquin Niemann are on the same score and both seem likely to contend going into the Sunday back-nine. A win-only bet on Johnson and an each-way investment on Niemann at 12-1 with the firms going a quarter the odds the first four (Coral, Hills, Ladbrokes) could be a sensible tactic for in-running outright punters.

Third-round twoball punters are pointed towards Hudson Swafford, who is a class above playing partner Rob Oppenheim (4.55pm), while the massively in-form Joel Dahmen – 23rd, fifth, second and 15th in his last four starts – can account for Steve Stricker (3.55pm). Starting six shots off the pace, veteran Stricker could quickly lose interest if he gets tailed off.

Twoballs recommendations
H Swafford
2pts 19-20 bet365

J Dahmen
2pts 6-5 general

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