In this file photo dated June 25, 2017, Pan Cheng-tsung of Chinese Taipei hits out of a bunker during the final round of the Travelers Championship golf tournament, in Cromwell, Connecticut. (PHOTO / AP)

TORONTO - Pan Cheng-tsung separated himself from the pack during third-round play of the RBC Canadian Open on Saturday as the Chinese Taipei veteran opened up a two-shot lead over a group of six players at Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

On a day when China's Yuan Yechun, the halfway leader, stumbled to a two-over 74 to fall seven strokes back, Pan carded his second straight round of six-under 66 at Canada's national championship. Through 54 holes, he was 14-under 202.

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy (66) was equal second in a group that included Englishmen Justin Rose (66) and Tommy Fleetwood (64) and Americans Mark Hubbard (66), Harry Higgs (67) and Andrew Novak (67).

Pan Cheng-tsung, the bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, put himself in the mix for his second PGA Tour win with a round that included seven birdies and a bogey five at the par-four eighth hole

Nick Taylor was three shots back after the Canadian shot a course record nine-under 63 over the Oakdale composite course made up from the three nine-hole layouts at the Toronto-area club.

Pan, the bronze medallist at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, put himself in the mix for his second PGA Tour win with a round that included seven birdies and a bogey five at the par-four eighth hole.

"It feels great. It's always cool to see my name on the top of the leaderboard. Not just leaderboards, just to be in contention. That's all I want to do before the tournament started. I finished birdie, birdie. That put me in a good spot. But I still got a lot of work to do."

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With rain forecast for Sunday's final round, Pan said course management would be his top priority.

Rory McIlroy will undoubtedly be among those at their best on Sunday. The world No. 3, who will be among the favorites at next week's US Open in Los Angeles, posted a bogey-free round featuring six birdies, including three straight from the par-three 11th hole in his bid to "three-peat"

"I won't do too much to change. But you still have to play aggressive because this course it's a lot of rough. But if you hit it in the fairways you will have a lot of short irons in and you're going to create a lot of birdie opportunities. I wouldn't be surprised if someone shoots eight-under, nine-under, because the PGA Tour guys are really good."

McIlroy will undoubtedly be among those at their best on Sunday. The world No. 3, who will be among the favorites at next week's US Open in Los Angeles, posted a bogey-free round featuring six birdies, including three straight from the par-three 11th hole in his bid to "three-peat".

"I got off to a great start. Three-under through that first nine holes I felt was a really good effort. Kept it going through the first part of the back nine. Then the putter went a little cold on me over those last five holes," said the Ulsterman, a four-time major winner.

"I've never won a tournament three times in a row. I felt like last year the win wasn't just for me it was for a few other things. But this one, this year, if I were able to get over the line, will be solely for me."

Taylor, who started the day seven strokes back of Yuan, briefly held the lead at 11-under on the strength of a bogey-free effort featuring nine birdies during his morning round.

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"To have a course record is really cool. I don't think I have one out here on tour. To do it at the RBC Canadian Open is even more special," said Taylor, a two-time winner on the PGA Tour. "I've got off to great starts the last couple days. The front nine obviously can be very tough. To be four-, five-under the last couple days gets you a lot of momentum going to the back nine where it's very scorable."