Dakota Dunes Casino Open
July 5-8, 2012
Dakota Dunes Casino Open (36-36) Par 72
Purse: $150,000
Winner's share: $24,000

Weather
28 degrees celsius, wind 5 km/h

Third Round Leaderboard (bold denotes Canadian) 

Jose de Jesus Rodriguez, Mexico - 67-67-66 (-16)
Derek Gillespie, Oshawa, ON - 67-72-62 (-15)
James Allenby, Surrey, BC - 69-67-65 (-15)
Matt Hill, Sarnia, ON - 67-68-66 (-15)
Joel Dahmen, Clarksville, WA - 71-66-65 (-14)
Will Strickler, Dallas, TX - 69-70-64 (-13)
Nathan Stamey, Bluffton, SC - 67-70-66 (-13)
Wes Homan, Cincinnati, OH - 71-65-66 (-13)
five players tied at -12

(July 7, 2012 - Saskatoon, SK) - For the second straight day at Dakota Dunes Golf Links the wind was not a factor and players took advantage. Derek Gillespie of Oshawa, ON was the story of the day shooting 10-under 62  and moving to 15 under for the tournament just one shot back of leader Jose de Jesus Rodriguez of Mexico.

Rodriguez carded a bogey-free round of six-under 66 for a 16-under par total after three rounds. The 2011 Order of Merit winner is looking for his third Canadian Tour victory.

"I played well again today and now my focus is on winning," said Rodriguez. "I like this course very much and it looks like tomorrow will be the same weather so we have to shoot low again."

Matt Hill of Sarnia, ON, who played in the final group with Rodriguez, is also at 15-under with Gillespie and Langley, BC native James Allenby. The former NCAA Individual champion also posted a bogey free round of 6-under 66.

"I feel really good about my game right now," added Hill who lost in a playoff last week at the Syncrude Boreal Open presented by AECON. "My game is getting better and better and my coach Ralph Bauer has really helped me with getting the most out of my practice sessions," added Hill who began working with Bauer as an amateur and since he turned professional in 2009.

Gillespie, who is making a case for himself as the AGNICO Eagle Most Improved Canadian player award, posted the best round of the tournament today with a 10-under 62. So far this season Gillespie has finishes of fourth, T-15 and T-38.

"I have a lot of trust in my game right now," confessed Gillespie who is playing the season on a medical exemption after suffering near fatal injuries in a car accident in April of 2011. "I've put a lot of work into my game over the course of the last year and it's great to see it paying off for me," added Gillespie who is a two-time winner on the Canadian Tour but has not won since 2003.

Rounding out the ties in second place is Allenby who coincidently was named the 2010 most improved Canadian award. Allenby is quietly having a solid season with three of three cuts made with his best showing coming at the Times Colonist Island Savings Open where he finished tied for 16th.

If not for Allenby's final round scoring average of 73.0 we might have seen the 27-year old closer to the winners circle in Fort McMurray and Edmonton. Interestingly, Allenby, Rodrigeuz and Hill have posted just two bogeys for the week in Saskatoon.

Other notable rounds on moving day at Dakota Dunes came from 2011 36-hole leader Joel Dahmen who shot seven-under on day three to sit -14 and in fifth spot alone. 2011 PGA TOUR member Will Strickler posted an eight-under par 64 to move into a tie for sixth sport along with Nathan Stamey and Wes Homan.

Adam Hadwin who is making his season debut in the province where he was born struggled on day three posting a 1-under 71 falling to a tie for 38th spot.

The final round of the Dakota Dunes Casino Open will begin at 7:30 local time with the final group of the day (Rodriguez/Gillespie) teeing off at 12:00 noon.