MCILROY TAKES CANADIAN TITLE AGAIN WITH A FINAL ROUND 62
Champ leads way in superstar final group, takes shot at Norman and rival golf tour
Sometimes when you find yourself in an uncomfortable spot, you turn out to be perfect for the job.
The biggest week in Canadian golf began with a sense that the return of our national open was being hijacked by the debut of Greg Norman's LIV Golf series in England, but it didn't end that way for the RBC Canadian Open.
Playing in a superstar final group on Sunday at St. George's, Rory Mcilroy shot an 8-under 62 to outduel Justin Thomas and Tony Finau and win backto-back Canadian Opens.
It's the first title defence of Mcilroy's PGA Tour career, and his 21st victory.
“One more than Norman,” Mcilroy said to open his winner's news conference.
A topic that for weeks had been handled quite diplomatically, ended Sunday with a direct shot at Norman and his Saudi-funded rival tour from the PGA Tour's biggest flag-bearer.
Any lingering doubt that the world of professional golf is in an all-out war is over.
“It feels really good with all the things that were going on in the world of golf this week,” Mcilroy said of the win. “For the Canadian Open, a national championship, to have a week like it's had, three of the best players in the world going at it down the stretch, trying to win in front of those crowds and that atmosphere, that's what I talked about last week at Memorial, talking about a proper golf tournament. That's as top notch as you're going to get.”
For the second day in a row forecasted storms mercifully held off and the party atmosphere that lifted Saturday's third round spilled lustily into Sunday's final round. With the tournament hanging in the balance on the 71st hole, Thomas found St. George's deep rough on the right side of the fairway. On the left, Mcilroy's drive came to rest in the first cut, inches from the same fate but safe.
“That was a huge swing,” Mcilroy said. “I was trying to err on the left side of the miss rather than the right because I knew that big tree on the right was going to block you out. ... So I just took a line that was a touch further left than that. And as soon as I hit it I knew that it needed to get down. And once I got up there and saw it was in the semi rough I was really happy with that.”
With Thomas forced to punch out, Mcilroy delivered yet another in what was a week full of wonderful wedge shots — which aren't always the Northern Irishman's strength — leaving him two feet for birdie. Thomas's pitch onto the green caught one of the Toronto course's devilish ridges and left him a 15-foot par putt, which he missed. Mcilroy tapped in for birdie to reach 18-under and the tournament was all but over as he took a two-stroke lead to the final hole.
The drama being mostly settled before the 72nd hole turned out to be fortunate because after Mcilroy stuffed another wedge tight on the 18th, hundreds of overzealous (and over-refreshed) fans stormed the fairway and were nearly on the green before order was restored by volunteers and police.
“It was pretty raucous out there, but it's really cool,” Mcilroy said. “Whenever that happens and you can enjoy your walk and you know you've got the tournament sewn up you can take it in and really relish it and enjoy it and it was a cool scene.”
With a birdie on the final hole — his 10th of the day — Mcilroy finished the tournament at 19-under, good for a two-shot win over Finau (64), and four clear of Thomas (64), who bogeyed the last.
Canadian Corey Conners
capped off a stellar weekend with a bogey-free 62 to finish in sixth place at 12-under.
“I feel very positively about all parts of my game,” Conners said.
“Disappointed to come up a little bit short here, didn't quite get as much out of the game as I could the first few rounds, but a lot of positive mojo into the
U.S. Open next week.”
It's hard to overstate how important this week was for the PGA Tour. It's not hyperbole to say the tour is facing an existential crisis. Professional leagues throughout history have a great track record fending off upstart rivals, but never has a league had to face one with seemingly unlimited funds and no need or apparent desire to turn a profit. That is where commissioner
Jay Monahan finds himself, and the PGA Tour boss made the trip to Toronto and appeared on Sunday's CBS broadcast. Facing surprisingly direct questioning from host Jim Nantz, Monahan seemed to stumble out of the gate with an unclear answer as to why players couldn't simply choose to play both tours.
The commissioner steadied as the interview went on and delivered a line that will undoubtedly be a message for the tour going forward.
“I would ask any player that has left, or any player that would ever consider leaving, have you ever had to apologize for being a member of the PGA Tour?”
For Golf Canada and title sponsor RBC, the week couldn't have been a bigger success. Record crowds on Saturday, sold-out hospitality, an atmosphere that had players raving and a course (and setup) that Mcilroy and Thomas said was very much like a major championship.