Tim Clark comes back to win Canadian Open,
South African blows by faltering Furyk with blistering back nine
MONTREAL— When Jim Furyk’s charge to a third RBC Canadian Open title stalled in the final round, Tim Clark decided to go for it.
The 38-year-old South African, whose wife is Canadian, fired five birdies on the back nine to overtake Furyk on the 15th hole and hold on to win the $5.7-million (U.S.) tournament at Royal Montreal on Sunday.
Recovering from a first-hole bogey that put him four shots off the lead, Clark shot a 5-under-par 65 to finish at17-under-par 263 and claim his second career PGA Tour victory and the $1.026-million winner’s prize.
“It looked like Jim wasn’t going to make any mistakes,” said Clark, who had moved into contention with a 64 on Saturday. “He was pretty solid, so I knew I had to make birdies.
“At that point, there was nothing to lose. Suddenly I got hot and I went with it.”
It was another frustrating defeat for Furyk, who has now lost seven tournaments in a row in which he led after 54 holes. He entered the final round with a threestroke lead but never found traction. He shot 69 to come second at 16-under 264.
“I kind of controlled my own destiny,” said Furyk. “I’ve got to shoot three or four
“Any national championship to me is special. . . . It’s an honour for me to be the Open champion.” TIM CLARK
(under par) and it would have been impossible to catch me, or darn near it.
“I left the door open with even par on the front nine and Tim took advantage and shot 30 on the back.”
Furyk has not won since a victory at the 2010 Players Championship that gave him the FedEx Cup title and PGA player of the year honours. He fell short in a bid to join elite company in Tommy Armour, Sam Snead and Lee Trevino by becoming the fourth player to win the Canadian Open three times after his victories in 2006 and 2007.
Instead, it went to the stocky Clark, the long-putter user who needed a win after battling elbow trouble in recent years.
The win moved him from 85th to 27th in the FedEx Cup standings and gave him entry into next week’s World Golf Championship event in Akron, Ohio, and into the PGA championship. He also gets fully exempt status on the PGA Tour through the 2015-16 season.
While Graham DeLaet fell short in his bid to become the first Canadian in 60 years to win his national open, the winner’s trophy went to a player with connections, and a history, in Canada.
Clark’s wife Candice is from Toronto and has family in Montreal. He won his first professional tournament at the New Brunswick Open on the Canadian Tour in 1998 and followed a week later with a win at the CPGA Championship.
“It’s certainly one I’ve wanted to win for a long time,” he said. “Any national championship to me is special, particularly to the people from that country. It’s an honour for me to be the Open champion.”
DeLaet, of Weyburn, Sask., was in contention after he and Furyk tied the course record with 63s in the second round on Friday, but he went 70-68 in the last two rounds to finish in a tie for seventh at 10-under 270. He took the low Canadian honour by one stroke over Brad Fritsch of Ottawa, who closed with a 64 to end up at 9 under, tied for ninth with Kevin Kisner and Graeme McDowell.
“I fell a little short, but it was fun,” said DeLaet, Canada’s top-ranked player. “So many people were cheering for me. “Now I know how Tiger and Phil and those guys feel all the time because it was pretty neat. Coming down 18 was a special moment.” Justin Hicks shot 64 to leap into third place alone at 13-under 267 in his best performance of the season. Matt Kuchar (65), Michael Putnam (66) and Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano (66) finished tied for fourth at 11-under 269. Organizers moved up the starting times by two hours and had the players go out in threesomes from both the first and 10th tees to try to fit in the final round between forecast rainstorms. It almost worked to perfection. Most of the field had finished their rounds when a cloudburst halted play for 26 minutes with the final group — including Furyk, Clark and Kyle Stanley — having only four holes left to play. Clark and Furyk were tied at 15 under when the rain came. When play resumed, Clark birdied to take the lead. Both players birdied the 17th to set up a dramatic final hole. Clark left a 44-foot putt about six feet short, but Furyk missed left on a 12-footer and Clark sealed the win by holing a six-foot putt. Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill capped a strong first Canadian Open experience with a 69 to finish as the low amateur at 3 under. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., and Adam Hadwin of Abbotsford, B.C., both shot 71s and finished at 2 under. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont. had a 71 to finish at 2 over par.