ANCASTER, Ontario -- Justin Rose tops the crowded third-round leaderboard in the Canadian Open, after shooting a 5-under 65 in ideal scoring conditions Saturday on the rain-softened Hamilton Golf and Country Club course.

The start of play was delayed 2 hours, 5 minutes because of morning rain that further softened the already soggy greens on the 90-year-old course. Rain briefly fell again just after the last group started play on the cool day.

"You have to be adaptable with your game," Rose said. "You're always adapting."

Rose finished at 11-under 199, a stroke ahead of Bart Bryant (64), Trevor Immelman (66), Sean O'Hair (66) and Jonathan Byrd (67). Steve Lowery (65), U.S. Ryder Cup player Jim Furyk (67) and Brett Quigley (67) follow at 9 under.

Rose, winless in three full seasons on the PGA TOUR, is best known for his dramatic finish as a 17-year-old amateur in the 1998 British Open, when he chipped in for birdie on the final hole to tie for fourth.

"It was an amazing experience. It gave me a feeling of what was possible with my game," said Rose, who turned pro the day after the memorable tournament and then went on to miss the 36-hole cut in his next 21 events.

The 26-year-old Englishman had a breakout year in 2002, winning twice on the European Tour and once each on the South African and Japanese circuits. He tied for fourth Monday in the Deutsche Bank Championship for his best finish of the season.

Rose, who matched the professional course record Thursday with a 63 and was 6 under after a 71 on Friday, birdied the first three holes to take a two-stroke lead. He made a 10-footer on the par-4 first, hit a 158-yard approach shot to 2 feet on No. 2 to take the lead at 8 under and capped the run with a 17-foot putt on No. 3.

"It was a good confidence-building start, for sure," Rose said.

He parred the next six holes before hitting short-iron approaches within 5 feet to set up two more birdies on the par-4 10th and 12th holes.

"That was a really good part of my round to keep me going forward," Rose said.

Immelman had an eagle, four birdies and two bogeys. The 26-year-old South African is the last player to beat Tiger Woods, edging him by two strokes in the Cialis Western Open in early July for his first PGA TOUR title. On the par-5 17th, Immelman cut a 230-yard, 5-wood shot into 5 feet to set up the eagle that moved him to 10 under.

"That eagle on 17 really helped my cause," Immelman said. "I was really struggling on the back nine, especially with my putter."

The 43-year-old Bryant had seven birdies and a bogey to also finish at 10 under. He won the Memorial Tournament and THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola last year after taking the 2004 Valero Texas Open for his first victory in his 187th career start.

Lowery, another older player at 45, got to 9 under with a 25-foot eagle putt on 17.

"It just kind of went up there and fell in," said Lowery, who won the last of his two PGA TOUR titles in 2000.

Kevin Sutherland matched the pro course record with a 63 to finish at 7 under. The 2002 World Golf Championships-Accenture Match Play Championships winner birdied the final two holes Friday -- holing a 20-footer on No. 18 -- to make the cut by a stroke. He had two eagles Saturday, hitting his 245-yard second shot to 4 feet on No. 4 and holing out from a bunker on 17.

Justin Rose posted a bogey-free 65 Saturday. (Badz/PGA TOUR/WireImage)

"It's probably playing about as easy as it's going to play," Sutherland said. "I was able to take advantage of it today."

Divots: Rose and Furyk shot 63s on Thursday to break the pro course mark of 64 set by Tommy Armour in the 1930 tournament. Quigley also had a 63 on Friday. Warren Sye set the overall course record of 62 in the 1991 Ontario Amateur. ... Monday qualifier Victor Ciesielski (69) and Nationwide Tour player David Hearn (71) topped the four Canadian weekend qualifiers at 3 under. Ciesielski is trying to become the first amateur to finish as the low Canadian since Nick Westlock in 1970 at London Hunt. The 21-year-old player from nearby Cambridge will begin classes Monday at the University of Waterloo. ... Vijay Singh, the 2004 winner in a playoff with Canadian star Mike Weir, also was 3 under after a 70. ... Defending champion Mark Calcavecchia shot a 66 to finish at 4 under. ... The players were grouped in threesomes instead of twosomes because of the rain delay.

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