OAKVILLE, July 27, 2013 (AFP) - Mahan, who led the $5.6 million PGA Tour event by two strokes after Friday's second round, was on the practice range prepping for his weather-delayed third-round start when he received word that his wife, Kandi, had gone into labor. He departed right away for Dallas
"Kandi and I are thrilled about this addition to the Mahan family and we look forward to returning to the Canadian Open in the coming years," Mahan said in a statement released after he had already left Glen Abbey.
In his absence, Snedeker stepped up with a bogey-free round that gave him a 14-under par total of 202 and a one-stroke lead over Sweden's David Lingmerth.
Lingmerth recovered from an opening bogey to post a seven-under 65, capped by an eagle at the par-five 18th.
Americans Matt Kuchar (64) and Jason Bohn (66) were tied for third on 204, while a group of five players on 205 included Dustin Johnson -- who climbed up the leaderboard with a 63 -- and John Merrick, who followed up a course record-equalling 62 on Friday with a 72 thanks to an eagle at the last.
England's Greg Owen (67) and Americans Kyle Stanley (66) and Charley Hoffman (67) were also in the group on 205.
Snedeker, who won at Pebble Beach in February but has battled to regain his form after a rib injury that followed, didn't know Mahan had pulled out until he reached the seventh tee, when he noticed Mahan's name had disappeared from the leaderboard.
"That just kind of left the tournament wide open," said Snedeker, the reigning FedEx Cup champion who had already birdied four of the first six holes thanks in large part to solid putting on the course's rain-softened greens.
He arrived at the par-five 18th needing a birdie to match the course record of 62 -- most recently equalled by Merrick a day before.
A tee shot into the left rough ended his record bid, but a par was enough for the lead.
"I had a couple of good chances coming down the stretch," Snedeker said. "I just kind of had a couple of loose drives. Eighteen -- you hate to miss that fairway because it's such a beautiful par-five today.
"All in all, I can't complain too much," added the affable Tennesseean. "I hit a bunch of great shots and the bad ones I got away with."
Snedeker said his solid showing on the weekend of the British Open last week had carried forward.
"At the British Open I felt really, really good about everything I did," he said. "It kind of built over to this week."
The same had appeared to be true for Mahan, who played in the final group at Muirfield last Sunday and finished ninth.
But Snedeker, a father himself, didn't blame Mahan for abandoning the tournament.
"I wish them the best," he said of the Mahans. "I know they're probably both a little distraught that he's not here, but this is the best part of their lives ... The next 72 hours is going to be so much fun for them."
Johnson, who had played alongside Mahan in the first two rounds, agreed.
"It's a good thing he is going," Johnson said. "You never want to see someone withdraw but there is a really good reason."
Leading third-round scores on Saturday in the US PGA Tour $5.6 million Canadian Open (USA unless noted, a-denotes amateur, par-72)
202 - Brandt Snedeker 70-69-63
203 - David Lingmerth (SWE) 67-71-65
204 - Matt Kuchar 66-74-64, Jason Bohn 70-68-66
205 - Dustin Johnson 75-67-63, Kyle Stanley 68-71-66, Greg Owen (ENG) 70-68-67, Charley Hoffman 69-69-67, John Merrick 71-62-72
206 - Mark Wilson 70-69-67, Roberto Castro 69-70-67, James Hahn 69-68-69, Patrick Reed 68-68-70
207 - Trevor Immelman (RSA) 68-73-66, Fabian Gomez (ARG) 72-68-67, William McGirt 71-69-67, Jeff Maggert 72-67-68, Alistair Presnell (AUS) 72-67-68, Jim Furyk 72-67-68, Bubba Watson 68-67-72
208 - Vijay Singh (FIJ) 69-73-66, Greg Chalmers (AUS) 73-68-67, Chris Kirk 68-69-71
209 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 73-70-66, Chad Campbell 71-72-66, Matt Every 71-71-67, Chez Reavie 68-73-68, Jason Kokrak 72-68-69, Hideki Matsuyama (JPN) 69-69-71 209, James Driscoll 69-69-71, Aaron Baddeley (AUS) 68-68-73