Scotland’s MacIntyre wins RBC Canadian Open for 1st PGA Tour victory
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Robert MacIntyre, with father Dougie at his side as his caddie, held on to win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.
Four strokes ahead entering the final round at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, MacIntyre shot a 2-under 68 to beat playing partner Ben Griffin by a stroke. On the par-4 18th, the 27-year-old Scottish left-hander two-putted for par from 12 feet, holing out from 1 1/2 feet.
“Goose bumps. It’s incredible,” MacIntyre said. “It’s a dream of mine to play golf for a living. It’s been a dream of mine to win on the PGA Tour. … I just can’t believe I done it with my dad on the bag. The guy’s taught me the way I play golf.”
MacIntyre finished at 16-under 264 for the breakthrough victory in his 45th career PGA Tour start. The former McNeese State player was a member of Europe’s winning 2023 Ryder Cup team and has two European tour victories, the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown and 2022 Italian Open.
WATCH: Robert MacIntyre captures Canadian Open:
With his father on the 18th green, Robert MacIntyre hits a clinching putt to capture the title in Hamilton, Ont. MacIntyre shot -16 to capture his first PGA Tour victory.
“I was in a dog fight there,” MacIntyre said. “Obviously, Ben made it difficult coming in the stretch. He played well. It’s just incredible to do this with my dad on the bag and have my girlfriend here and I’m sure there’s a party going on back home in Oban.”
Griffin had a 65. He parred the 18th after birdieing the previous three holes.
“I fought hard,” Griffin said. “It felt like there was a lid on the cup for most of the day for me. I hit so many pretty good putts, I wouldn’t say like striped putts, but pretty good putts and just kept burning edges. A couple bad putts, but stayed patient.”
Victor Perez of France was third at 14 under after his second straight 64.
Two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy also shot 64 to tie for fourth with Tom Kim (64) at 13 under. McIlroy won in 2019 the last time the tournament was in Hamilton and again in 2022 at St. George’s in Toronto.
“Three really good rounds of golf, one not so good one,” McIlroy said. “Felt a little out of sorts on Friday. Did a good range session and sort of rectified it.”
Corey Conners was the top Canadian, shooting a 65 to reach 12 under.
“Definitely something to be proud of,” Conners said. “Yeah, obviously disappointing to not win the big trophy, but, yeah, it’s a cool honour.
WATCH: Corey Conners nearly holes it from over 70 yards:
Conners came inches from an eagle approach shot while Mike Weir reacted on camera in the broadcast booth to the near-make. He finished sixth with a score of -12 to win the Rivermead Cup trophy as the top Canadian.
Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, tied for second entering the day, was another shot back after a 70. He started the day tied for second, four shots back and birdied three of his first four holes.
But the final 10 holes were tough on Hughes, with three bogeys dropping him back down as MacIntyre found his rhythm and surged to his first PGA Tour victory.
“Pretty gutted,” said Hughes, pausing to collect himself. “Yeah, I wanted this one pretty badly.
“I don’t know. This one will sting for awhile. I obviously got off to the start I needed to get off to but I just didn’t.”
Last year at Oakdale in Toronto, Nick Taylor made a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole of a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood to become the first Canadian to win the event since 1954.
Taylor Pendrith (69) of Richmond Hill, Ont., tied for 21st at 7 under. He is projected to move three spots up to 30th on the FedEx Cup standings, making him the highest ranked Canadian on the PGA Tour.
“A good step in the right direction,” said Pendrith, who went to Kent State University with Hughes and Conners. “I felt like I did a lot of good things, I putted awesome today, saved me a lot.”
Ben Silverman (68) of Thornhill, Ont., tied for 35th, Adam Svensson (70) of Surrey, B.C., tied for 51st. Myles Creighton (70) of Digby, N.S., tied for 57th. Edmonton’s Will Bateman (74) tied for 62nd, and David Hearn (76) of Brantford, Ont., finished 69th in his 20th Canadian Open appearance.
WATCH: Fan carries player’s clubs after caddie injured at RBC Canadian Open:
PGA Tour player C.T. Pan’s caddie Mike “Fluff” Cowan fell and was injured on the third hole at Sunday’s RBC Canadian Open. The legendary caddie was replaced by a fan who was attending the final round of play.
Pan gets a number of hands from fans after caddie injured
Taiwan’s C.T. Pan has used four caddies in the fourth round of the RBC Canadian Open, including a fan.
Mike (Fluff) Cowan, Pan’s regular caddie, slipped and hurt himself on the third hole of Hamilton Golf and Country Club. The 76-year-old Cowan was not seriously injured after the fall.
Paul Emerson, a fan watching the tournament, stepped inside the ropes to carry Pan’s clubs for the fourth hole. Mike Campbell who works in caddie services, then took over for holes five through nine.
At the 10th tee, PGA Tour caddie Al Riddell and Pan’s wife Michelle — who has caddied for him before — were waiting to spell Campbell. Pan ultimately chose Riddell for the final eight holes of the round.
