Hughes wins top Canadian

Mackenzie Hughes buried his face in his hands after his 14-foot putt on the 18th hole slowed to a stop short of the hole by a few inches.

The 27-year-old from Dundas, Ont., finished in a season-high tie for eighth place at the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday, and captured the Rivermead Cup as the top Canadian for the second consecutive year.

But that last oh-so-narrow miss on 18 at Glen Abbey was a fitting ending to a week he'd “sniffed” golf greatness, but fallen just short.

“Talking to me right now, I'd say I'm a bit disappointed, just because right at the end there, those par 5s coming in (16 and 18) were both playing downwind, and if you're out here playing with your buddies, probably birdie them both, but a little tougher in this pressure,” Hughes said. “Just to kind of get sniffing around the lead here, I know Dustin (Johnson) is a little bit ahead, but if he was to have faltered, and you were to have posted 18 or 19, which wasn't that out of the question, all of a sudden it looks like a pretty good chance.”

World No. 1 Johnson won the Canadian Open's final appearance at Glen Abbey.

Hughes, with wife Jenna and nine-month-old son Kenton watching on, began the day in a tie for 13th, and climbed up to fifth before a bogey on 15. He recovered with a birdie on 16, prompting a roar from the crowd when his 21-foot putt rolled in.

The Rivermead Cup was the original Canadian Open trophy, awarded to the tournament winner from 1920 to 1935, until Seagram's took over sponsorship and wanted its own cup. Hughes had the best finish by a Canadian since David Hearn was third in 2015.