McIlroy’s final-round 61 seals Canadian Open win
ANCASTER, Ontario — Rory McIlroy ran away with the Canadian Open, closing with a 9-under 61 on Sunday for a 7-shot victory.
Beginning the day in a three-way tie for the lead, McIlroy ended any suspense about who would emerge because the champion with 5 birdies in his first seven holes, none from longer than eight ft.
It was McIlroy’s 16th PGA Tour victory and 25th win worldwide, and the fourth by at the very least 7 strokes. The world’s fourth-ranked participant will hope to experience the momentum into subsequent week’s U.S. Open at Pebble Seashore.
The one query on the again 9 was whether or not McIlroy would shoot the 11th sub-60 spherical in PGA Tour historical past. He made 4 straight birdies from Nos. 11-14, and a bogey on the par-Three 16th stalled him solely momentarily. He adopted with a 7-iron from 196 yards to 2½ ft for eagle on the par-5 17th to get to 10 below at par-70 Hamilton Golf and Nation Membership.
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However he missed the inexperienced on the par-Four 18th and his bunker shot went lengthy. He ended up tapping in for bogey to complete at a tournament-record 22-under 258. The 61 equaled the low spherical of McIlroy’s PGA Tour profession.
Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson tied for second at 15 below.
Adam Hadwin, looking for to turn into the primary Canadian winner of the occasion since 1954, closed with a 70 and completed sixth, 10 photographs again. His comfort prize was a spot within the British Open at Royal Portrush in July.
Graeme McDowell additionally earned his place within the British Open. The native of Portrush, Northern Eire, assured a tee time in his hometown by holing a hard-breaking 29-footer for par on the par-Four 18th to shoot 68 and end in a tie for eighth. This yr’s Open would be the first in Northern Eire since its solely earlier go to to Royal Portrush in 1951.
A 3rd spot was obtainable on the British Open for a participant not already eligible who completed inside the highest 10, however the different top-10 finishers had been exempt from qualifying.
The victory in McIlroy’s Canadian Open debut was his fifth in a nationwide open, following the U.S. Open (2011), Australian Open (2013), British Open (2014) and Irish Open (2016). McIlroy additionally counts the Hong Kong Open (2011) as a part of his national-championship tally.