Doeden Tied for 2nd in Paradise Canyon

LETHBRIDGE, Alberta (Canada) -- Justin Doeden played the last seven holes at Paradise Canyon Resort in 3 under par on Saturday, but the former University of Minnesota star was outkicked to the finish line by Alex Chiarella. As a result, he will enter Sunday's final round of the Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open in a tie for second place, two strokes behind Chiarella.

Chiarella, a 25-year-old who played college golf at San Diego, was 5 under for his last six holes, beginning with an eagle at the 518-yard, par-5 13th. He followed that with two pars, and then birdied the 16th (475 yards, par 4), 17th (217, par 3) and 18th (558, par 5) for a 65 and a 54-hole total of 196 (minus 17). 

You could argue that Chiarella's success in Lethbridge came out of the blue. Before this, he had missed the cut in all three of the tournaments he's played on this year's Mackenzie (Canadian) Tour. But Chiarella suggested on Saturday that he hadn't really been playing all that badly.

"It's golf," he said with a shrug. "My game actually hasn't felt that bad. I just haven't been able to put anything together, and putts haven't been falling. I was missing my lines by just a little bit and hitting loose tee shots, but I cleaned it up  this week, and it feels good."

Doeden, 24, who won the last tournament he played in as an amateur -- the 2017 Kruegel Invitational at Mankato Golf Club (for the second straight year) -- also made an eagle at the 13th hole, which got him to 15 under for the tournament and put him in a tie for the lead with Travis Trace. Doeden then bogeyed the 436-yard, par-4 15th hole, before getting the lost stroke back with a birdie at the 18th. That gave him a 68 and an aggregate of 198. Trace parred each of the last four holes on his way to a 70 and his share of second at 198. 

Andrew Yun is another stroke behind (199) in fourth, after a 63. 

Doeden has made more birdies -- 21 -- than anyone else in the field through three rounds. He also has the one eagle, and eight bogeys. He was bogey-free in a second-round 62 (nine birdied), but has made four bogeys in each of his other two rounds. Chiarella has 18 birdies, two eagles and five bogeys thus far. 

Andrew McCain, the reigning and two-time Minnesota State Open champion, shot 68 on Saturday, but he's 10 shots behind Chiarella and in a tie for 31st at 206.

McCain began the week at No. 27 on the Mackenzie Tour money list, with $3,936 in three events. Doeden was tied for 84th place on the list with $1,140, having made the cut once in three previous events. 

This is Doeden's second year as a regular in Canada. He ended up 66th on the money list last year, with $9,465 in 11 events. 

Under the category of "What Are the Odds?" Doeden and McCain are tied for No. 2066 in the Official World Golf Rankings. 


MACKENZIE (CANADIAN) TOUR

Lethbridge Paradise Canyon Open

At Paradise Canyon Resort

Par 71

Lethbridge, Alberta

Third-round results 

1. Alex Chiarella            64-67-65--196

T2. Justin Doeden       68-62-68--198

T2. Travis Trace            63-65-70--198

4. Andrew Yun              66-70-63--199

T5. Theo Humphrey     70-66-64--200

T5. Hayden Buckley     64-71-65--200

T5. Lorens Chan          64-67-69--200

T31. Andrew McCain  67-71-68--206

Missed cut (138)

Derek Chang                 71-69--140