Vegas rallies to win at Canadian Open
Johnson ties for second place
OAKVILLE, Ontario — Jhonattan Vegas surged to win the Canadian Open on Sunday for his second PGA Tour victory, birdieing the final three holes at Glen Abbey for an 8-under-par 64 and one-stroke victory.
The 29-year-old Venezuelan Olympic player began the day five strokes behind leader Brandt Snedeker and four behind U.S. Open champion Dustin Johnson and Canadian amateur Jared du Toit.
Vegas had five straight birdies on Nos. 2-6, bogeyed the par-4 eighth and also birdied the par-5 13th. He then birdied the par-5 16th, par-4 17th and par-5 18th to post a 12-under 276.
“Starting the round, I knew that if I could get to 12 under, literally that’s the number I had in my mind,” Vegas said. “I didn’t know that it was going to be enough, obviously, to win by one, but I knew it was going to give me a good chance.”
Johnson, Jon Rahm and Martin Laird tied for second. Johnson eagled the 16th and birdied the 18th for a 69. Laird finished with two pars in a 67. Rahm, du Toit’s former Arizona State teammate, birdied 16 and 18 in a 67. The Spaniard was making his fourth start since turning professional.
Vegas earned $1,062,000 and a spot in the PGA Championship next week at Baltusrol in New Jersey. He also received a two-year tour exemption and a spot in the Masters next year.
Vegas also won the 2011 Bob Hope Classic. He tied for fourth last week in Alabama in the event opposite the British Open, shooting a course-record 60 in the second round.
Snedeker, the 2013 winner at Glen Abbey, shot a 71 to tie for fifth at 10 under. He birdied the 16th and closed with two pars.
Du Toit tied for ninth at 9 under after a 71. He birdied 16 and 18.
Top-ranked defending champion Jason Day had a 67 to tie for 14th at 7 under.
OTHER EVENTS
Senior British Open at Carnoustie, Scotland: Paul Broadhurst won at Carnoustie for his first senior major title, closing with a 4-under 68 for a two-stroke victory over Scott McCarron.
The 50-year-old Broadhurst overcame an opening 75 to become the third English player to win a Champions major, joining Mark James and Roger Chapman. He finished at 11-under 277 on Sunday.
Broadhurst shot a 66 on Friday and a 68 on Saturday to enter the final round four strokes behind leader Miguel Angel Jimenez. McCarron bogeyed the par-3 16th and par-4 18th in his 69.
Jimenez had a 75 to drop into a tie for third with Magnus Atlevi (67) at 8 under.
LPGA Tour UL International Crown at Libertyville, Ill.: Cristie Kerr held on for a 3-and-2 victory over Melissa Reid to give the United States the victory.
Kerr and company were shut out in the first session, but they got better each day. Stacy Lewis and Gerina Piller each closed out wins before Reid missed a birdie putt on 16, handing the decisive victory to Kerr.
Lewis and Piller ran to the green for a group hug with Kerr when it was over. Kerr’s caddie, Brady Stockton, grabbed the flag at 16 to save it for his player.
South Korea, the top seed, finished second with 12 points, one back of the United States. Taiwan and England tied for third with 11 and Japan finished fifth with eight points.