Rory McIlroy came to play the Canadian Open for the first time, at least in part, to prep for the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach. But he’ll leave Canada as the champion of the RBC Canadian Open after a performance on the weekend that was nothing short of dominating.
Heading into the final round, the hope was that native son Adam Hadwin, who started the day one off the lead, would make a charge to become the first Canadian to win the championship since 1954. That wasn’t to be—Hadwin wasn’t sharp from the start, though he did manage to finish at even par for the day, and in sixth-place for the championship. The finish gave him a spot in the British Open at Royal Portrush in Ireland in July.
McIlroy overwhelmed Hamilton Golf and Country Club, the host site of this year’s RBC Canadian Open. He led in strokes gained off the tee, strokes gained tee to green, was third in driving distance, and tied for eighth in driving accuracy. He was also 6th in strokes gained putting. When you put those stats together, you end up overwhelming the rest of the field, which is exactly what McIlroy did.
“What I’m proudest of is still playing with that freedom today being tied for the lead, and putting my foot down and really making this tournament mine,” McIlroy said following the round. “By the time I got to the 14th tee, I wasn’t thinking about winning the tournament—I was thinking about shooting 59.”
By the middle of the back nine, a 59 watch was in effect, after four consecutive birdies but McIlroy at 9-under, with a very reachable par 5 still forthcoming. An unfortunate bogey on 16 derailed that momentarily, but McIlroy came back with two stunning shots on the par 5 17th to make an eagle. It is hard to say he struggled at any point, but when his approach on 18 found the greenside bunker, McIlroy recorded his second bogey of the day. He closed with a 9-under 61 and 22-under for the tournament, seven shots ahead of Shane Lowry, who recorded a 3-under 67 in the final round to finish at 15-under par, and Webb Simpson, who played in the final group. Brandt Snedeker and Matt Kuchar finished in a tie for fourth at 13-under.
Lowry said McIlroy’s play was spectacular: “I don’t know what golf Rory is playing today, but it is just incredible,” he said.
McIlroy said the win—and the way he dismantled Hamilton Golf and Country Club—should propel him at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach.
“I’ve been playing well all year and giving myself the chance to win all year,” he said. “The criticism is maybe that I haven’t won enough, but hopefully today, not just winning, but the way I won, gives me confidence going forward for sure.”
One thing is clear—McIlroy will be back in Canada next year. Now as the sixth winner of the U.S., British and Canadian Opens, McIlroy said the new date had been a huge benefit for the tournament, and that he’d be back next year when the tournament is at St. George’s in Toronto.
“I’ll definitely be back,” he said.
What’s in the bag
TaylorMade M5 Driver 9°
TaylorMade M6 Fairway 15°
TaylorMade M5 Fairway 19°
TaylorMade P750 irons (3-4)
TaylorMade P730 irons (5-9)
TaylorMade Milled Grind Wedge 48°
TaylorMade Hi-Toe Wedges 54°& 60°
TaylorMade Spider X Putter (with a special Canadian-themed headcover)
TaylorMade 2019 TP5 Golf Ball
The Canadians
There was genuine hope that either Adam Hadwin or Mackenzie Hughes would make a run at becoming the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since 1954. Hadwin had been there before—coming up short at Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club in 2011. But neither Canadian could put pressure on the leader. Hadwin, who said his game wasn’t sharp in the third round, despite moving up the leaderboard, struggled with his usually impressive short game on Sunday. He finished at 12-under par.
Hadwin called the final round, “disappointing,” despite snagging a spot in the British Open with the finish.
“It was disappointing to not be able to pull off the shots I wanted to, but at the same time, I grinded everything out this weekend,” he said. “It could have been a lot worse—I could have let it get sideways. I’m proud I hung in there and kept giving myself chances down the stretch.”
Hughes didn’t fare any better. Playing near his hometown of Dundas, Ont., Hughes shot 1-over par on Sunday to drop six places to finish in a tie for 14th.
Toronto’s Ben Silverman, who shot an impressive 61 on Friday, played well on Sunday, recording a 69 and finishing in a tie for 20th. Abbotsford, BC’s Nick Taylor struggled for the second consecutive day, shooting 2-over and dropping to a tie for 27th-place. Fellow BC resident Roger Sloan also had a challenging Sunday, shooting 3-over 73 to finish at 56th-place.