Defending champion Rory McIlroy has birdied his final two holes and shot an 8eight-under-par 62 to stave off several fellow stars and win the Canadian Open at St George's Golf and Country Club at Toronto.
McIlroy's 19-under 261 was two shots better than Tony Finau and four ahead of Justin Thomas. McIlroy played in the final threesome of the day with Finau and Thomas, who kept it tight up until the final two holes.
The four-time Major champion from Northern Ireland earned his 21st career PGA Tour win. He won the Canadian Open in 2019 at a different site - Hamilton Golf and Country Club - and the tournament has been on hiatus for two years since, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
An outspoken critic of the LIV Golf Invitational Series financed by Saudi money and spearheaded by chief executive Greg Norman, McIlroy took time to relish his first PGA Tour victory of the calendar year. In fact, McIlroy surpassed Norman's career mark of 20 wins on tour.
When the moderator of his press conference introduced him, saying he'd won for the 21st time, McIlroy interjected, "And one more than Norman."
"I feel like it's getting tougher and tougher to win on the PGA Tour," McIlroy said. "Just look at the two guys that I played with today.
"I went out with a lead and had to shoot eight under par to get the job done, so the depth of talent on this tour is really, really impressive. Going up against guys like JT and Tony, and coming out on top, that's something to feel really good about.
"I had extra motivation of what's going on across the pond," he added later. "The guy that's spearheading that tour has 20 wins on the PGA Tour and I was tied with him, and I wanted to get one ahead of him and I did, so that was really cool for me, just a little sense of pride on that one."
McIlroy started off hot with a five-under 29 on the front nine, the first time he'd broken 30 through nine holes in his decorated PGA Tour career, but after getting to eight under through 12 holes, he stuttered, bogeying two par-threes in a four-hole stretch.
At the par-four 17th hole, McIlroy sent his approach shot out of the first cut of rough to inside three feet for a birdie. Needing at least par at No.18, he dialed in another sharp approach and made a four-foot birdie tap.
Still hot off his recent PGA Championship victory, Thomas was tied with McIlroy at 17 under after the 16th. Thomas had birdied eight of his 14 holes, but a bogey-bogey finish took him out of the running and consigned him to a 64.
Finau made six birdies and no bogeys for his own 64. He drained a 42-foot birdie putt on the final hole to reach 17 under and ensure himself the solo second finish.
"I played really nicely all week," Finau said. "I knew I was going to have a chance to win today, if I just kind of stuck to my stuff and I did.
"We were within one there going to the last couple, so I knew I had an opportunity in front of me, but Rory played great. He closed it out and hats off to him on a week like this - that's fantastic playing on the weekend."
England's Justin Rose came tantalisingly close to a 59, but bogeyed two of his final three holes and settled for a 60. He tied for fourth at 14 under, with Sam Burns (65).
Rose tallied three eagles on the day. He holed out from the fairway at the par-four first, made a 29-foot eagle putt at the par-five 11th and had just an easy seven-footer for eagle at the par-five 15th.
After bogeying No.16, he responded with a birdie at the 17th to get back to 11 under for the round, but his second shot at No.18 sailed over the green, and he couldn't get up and down for par to preserve the 59.
"I'm totally disappointed, yeah," Rose said. "Because you know what's at stake, for sure.
"You're really just playing the last hole - I never shot 59 before - so it would have been a lovely footnote on the week. I don't know how much was in my control or not, but [for the approach on 18] we were right in between two clubs and a decision, and I went the wrong way on a decision and paid the price for it."
Corey Conners was the top Canadian, placing sixth at 12 under, after a final-round 62.
Keith Mitchell (66) and Wyndham Clark (69) both qualified for next month's British Open Championship with their seventh-equal finish at 10 under, tying with Chris Kirk (66).
Reuters
