CALEDON, Ontario – China’s Yi Cao surged into sole possession of the lead Friday at the Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates, firing a bogey-free 7-under 64 on the Heathlands Course at TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley. The 34-year-old enters the third round with a two-shot lead at 16-under overall, ahead of Cristian DiMarco and first-round co-leaders David Perkins and Drew Goodman.

Cao, who’s making just his second PGA TOUR Americas start of the season, has seen limited action in 2025 after finishing No. 94 on last year’s Korn Ferry Tour Points List, earning only conditional status. With few opportunities due to his low priority ranking, he’s made just three starts on the Korn Ferry Tour and missed the cut in both of his PGA TOUR appearances this season.

Still, Cao’s strong play in North America is far from unfamiliar. He finished No. 5 in the 2023 Fortinet Cup standings on PGA TOUR Canada, highlighted by a win at the CRMC Championship and a runner-up at the Fortinet Cup Championship, which helped secure his Korn Ferry Tour status.

With a win this week, Cao is projected to jump from No. 175 to No. 12 in the Fortinet Cup standings. A top 10 finish in the season-long race would guarantee a return to the Korn Ferry Tour in 2026 and earn him an exemption into Final Stage of PGA TOUR Q-School presented by Korn Ferry.

Third-round tee times of the Osprey Valley Open presented by Votorantim Cimentos – CBM Aggregates are set to begin at 7:20 a.m. ET and run through 1:00 p.m. on Saturday off the No. 1 tee in twosomes.

Charting the leader

About Yi Cao (1st/-16)

Competition notes  

Course setup: Par 71 / 6,983 yards; R2 average: 69.351

Weather: Mostly cloudy with a high of 22 (72). Wind from the north at 5-15 km/h with gusts up to 23 km/h.