McIlroy gets 21st PGA win at Canadian Open
Rory McIlroy won the Canadian Open on Sunday in Toronto and gave the PGA Tour a strong response to the start of the Saudi-funded LIV Golf Invitational, closing with an 8-under-par 62 to win a wild race to the finish with Justin Thomas and Tony Finau.
McIlroy had his first title defense on the PGA Tour, even if he had to wait for it. He won golf ’s fourth-oldest national open in 2019 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club, only for the the COVID-19 pandemic to cancel the next two editions.
McIlroy finished at 19-under 261 for a two-stroke victory.
Finau holed a 40-foot birdie putt on the 18th for a 64 to finish second. Thomas was third at 15-under. Justin Rose matched the tournament- and courserecord with a 60 to tie for fourth with Sam Burns (65) at 14-under.
The victory was the second for McIlroy this season, adding to his victory in Las Vegas last October in the CJ Cup. He won for the 21st time on the PGA Tour.
Curtis Cup: The Americans won the Curtis Cup for the third straight time, led by Stanford players Rose Zhang, who routed Women’s British Amateur champion Louise Duncan, and Rachel Heck, who completed an unbeaten week at Merion in Ardmore, Pa.
The Americans increased the series lead to 31-8-3 since the matches for amateurs against the Great Britain and Ireland team began in 1932.
LPGA: Brooke Henderson eagled the first playoff hole and beat Lindsey Weaver-Wright to capture the ShopRite LPGA Classic in Galloway Township, N.J., for her 11th win on tour.
Henderson shot a bogey-free, final-round 7-under 64 at Seaview Hotel and Golf Club. The 24-year-old Canadian rallied from a four-shot deficit entering the final round of the 54-hole tournament to finish at 12-under 201.
PGA Tour Champions: Thongchai Jaidee became the first Thai winner in PGA Tour Champions history, closing with a 4-under 68 for a one-stroke victory in the American Family Insurance Championship in Madison, Wis.
Tom Pernice Jr. was second after a 66.
European tour: Linn Grant became the first woman to win an event on the European tour, obliterating a field of both male and female golfers at the Scandinavian Mixed event in Tylosand, Sweden. She won by nine strokes after an 8-under 64 in the final round at Halmstad Golf Club.
Swedish great Henrik Stenson, who hosted the event with compatriot Annika Sorenstam, shot 70 and tied for second place with Marc Warren (65).