Kiwi golfer Ryan Fox has faded from contention at the Canadian Open, but shalked up his third top-10 finish in his maiden year on the American PGA Tour.
Tied for the halfway lead with Scot Robert MacIntyre after two rounds and holding a four-shot advantage early in the third, Fox could only manage a pair of even-par 70s over the final two days to finish in a tie for seventh, as his rival charged on to victory.
The highlight of Fox's round came on the par-three 12th, where his tee shot flirted with the flag, before settling centimetres from the hole for a tap-in birdie.
MacIntyre won his first tour event by shooting two-under par 68 for a one-stroke victory at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Ontario. The left-hander who earned his PGA Tour card via the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings, finished at 16-under 264.
American Ben Griffin, who was in the final pairing with MacIntyre and also vying for his first title on the tour, had a late rally with three straight birdies, but was unable to sink a putt from the fringe on the last hole. His 65 left him 15 under.
When MacIntyre made the turn, he held a four-stroke lead, with six golfers sharing second place, but this tournament was far from decided, not to mention MacIntyre's apparent irritation, because of noise stemming from a drone from CBS equipment.
Third-place finisher Victor Perez of France shot a bogey-free 64, capped by a birdie putt on the final hole.
When Perez finished, MacIntyre had four holes left and only a one-stroke edge. He immediately birdied No.15 to go up two, with Griffin joining Perez at 14 under.
South Korea's Tom Kim and Northern Ireland's Rory McIlroy made charges with 64s to share fourth place at 13 under, and Canada's Corey Conners (65) was sixth at 12 under.
MacIntyre's lead grew to five shots after a birdie on No. 11, but by the time he bogeyed the next two holes, Kim and McIlroy had wrapped up their rounds to sit just two shots back.
Fox's best results this season were tied for fourth at the Zurich Classic of New Orelans teams event and Myrtle Beach Classic.
Reuters/Newshub
