Round 4 - Jhonattan Vegas defends title

July 31, 2017

Jhonattan Vegas birdied the first playoff hole on Sunday to win the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open for the second straight year.

Vegas edged American Charley Hoffman after both finished 72 holes on 21-under par 267.

Vegas was in a bunker and off the green as the playoff opened at the par-five 18th at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario.

But Vegas chipped his third shot inches from the hole and tapped in for the win.

"I knew I had to stay aggressive," Vegas said of the near-disaster out of the bunker. "I knew I could pull off the shot.

"A little lucky, to be honest," he added. "Sometimes you need that to win."

Vegas, one of the longest drivers on tour, arrived in Canada having missed five straight cuts, but Glen Abbey again proved hospitable.

"It's magic, to be honest," he said after capturing his third PGA Tour title.

"I knew that I had to shoot a good round today to have a chance to win again. I just came out with an aggressive mentality, just feeling really good about my game.

"When I started making a few birdies, especially the putt for birdie on seven, I started feeling the same chills that I felt last year when I won, and I just knew that something good could happen if I kept that going."

In the midst of his title defense, Vegas said he'd been keeping an eye on the turmoil in Venezuela, where deadly violence marred elections to choose members of a powerful assembly that President Nicolas Maduro has tasked with writing a new constitution.

"It's always on my mind," the US-based golfer said.

"I have family that live there. It's my country of birth. It hurts a lot, seeing the country the way it is, seeing a government that treats people that way when they don't deserve it just to remain in power."

But Vegas was able to keep his mind on the job, and closed with a seven-under par 65 to overtake third-round leader Hoffman.

Hoffman was on the green in two at 18 in regulation, needing an eagle to win. He finished with a birdie that capped a 68 and forced the playoff.

Vegas, who started the round three shots off the lead, had powered up the leaderboard with six birdies in his first 11 holes.

He had taken the lead with a birdie at 16, but couldn't find a birdie that would have given him more of a cushion at the par-five finishing hole.

England's Ian Poulter was alone in third after firing eight birdies in his eight-under 64 for 268.

American Gary Woodland carded a final-round 68 for 269.

Round 3 - Charley Hoffman edges ahead

July 30, 2017

Charley Hoffman birdied the final hole for a 7-under 65 on Saturday at Glen Abbey to take a one-stroke lead into the final round of the RBC Canadian Open.

The 40-year-old Hoffman had six birdies in a seven-hole stretch that ended on No. 15, bogeyed the par-4 17th and rebounded with the two-putt birdie on the par-5 18th.

''When you're playing good, I always say golf is fairly easy,'' Hoffman said. ''It's been a fun run the last month or two months, actually all year, and it's not very stressful, which is good. When you're trying to make cuts, that's when golf is hard. ... Have my family out for the next five weeks. They are off for summer break. It's been fun to hang out and go over to Europe with them and Canada. It's been a good, fun summer vacation.''

Hoffman had a 17-under 199 total. He won the Texas Open last year for his fourth PGA Tour title.

''Anything can happen in the last four or five holes,'' Hoffman said. ''Guys can make eagles, birdies, bogeys. Anything can happen. Obviously, want to get off to a good start on the front nine and play the back nine the way I need to and see how it goes.''

Kevin Chappell was second. He bogeyed the 18th, hitting his third shot into the water.

Robert Garrigus matched the course record with a 62 to join Gary Woodland at 15 under. Garrigus had two eagles and six birdies to tie the Glen Abbey mark set by Leonard Thompson in 1981 and matched by Andy Bean in 1983, Greg Norman in 1986 and John Merrick in 2013.

''Kind of started off with that eagle on 2,'' Garrigus said. ''Missed the green short, like a 30-footer up the hill, through the rough - through the first cut and rolled on to the green and went in.

''Next hole, I stuffed it in there. I chipped in on the par 3 and stuffed it on the other par 3 and made it and I chipped in on 8, and I'm just thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, what is going on right now. I'm not going to think about anything. I'm just going to keep going.'''

Garrigus finished before Hoffman started play.

''When you look at the board before I even tee off, someone shoots 62, you know the birdies are out there,'' Hoffman said. ''Perfect day here in Toronto to make some birdies and have some fun in front of the fans here.''

Woodland followed his second-round 63 with a 68.

Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas had a 67 to join Sam Saunders (67), Andres Gonzales (66), Tony Finau (66), Ryan Ruffels (68) and Brandon Hagy (69) at 14 under. Saunders is Arnold Palmer's grandson.

Second-round leader Martin Flores had a 72 to drop into a tie for 16th at 12 under.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson also was 12 under after a 68.

''I feel like the game's starting to come back in good form,'' Johnson said. ''Other than a drive here and there, it was a really good day.''

Vijay Singh, at 54 the oldest player in the field, shot a 71 that left him 11 under. He won the 2004 tournament at Glen Abbey, beating Canadian Mike Weir in a playoff.

Matt Kuchar shot a 70, leaving him tied for 41st at 7 under. Coming off a second-place finish in the British Open, he fought dizzy spells in the first round Thursday.

Graham DeLaet and Mackenzie Hughes, the only Canadians to make the cut, dropped out of contention. DeLaet (73) was 7 under, and Hughes (74) was 6 under.

''It's disappointing for sure,'' DeLaet said. ''You want to play well here. Maybe I was trying a little bit too hard. It was still fun. The crowds were awesome and I've still got tomorrow.''

Round 2 - Matt Kuchar rallies

July 29, 2017

Matt Kuchar rallied to make the cut in the RBC Canadian Open on Friday, a day after fighting dizzy spells.

Coming off a second-place finish Sunday in the British Open, Kuchar shot a 4-under 68 to reach 5 under - leaving him seven strokes behind second-round leader Martin Flores at Glen Abbey.

On Thursday, Kuchar had a couple of dizzy spell and sought medical attention during the round.

''I'm still tired,'' the RBC endorser said. ''The last two weeks I've played some good golf. Certainly last week, being in contention, is draining and another busy week this week.''

After making a double bogey on the No. 10 to drop to 1 over for the tournament, Kuchar made a 20-foot eagle putt on the par-5 13th and closed with three straight birdies.

''I really needed some good golf coming in to make the cut,'' Kuchar said. ''I was really pleased to come through.''

Flores shot his second straight 6-under 66 on the rain-softened course.

''The course is perfect,'' said Flores, winless on the PGA Tour. ''But it is a little soft right now, especially coming into the greens as compared to previous years. So the birdies are going to be out there for sure. Unless the wind picks up, but I think it's very gettable.''

He eagled the par-5 second for the second day in a row.

''I hit a great drive,'' Flores said. ''I had about 185 yards. Hit a nice 7-iron to 15, 20 feet and made the putt. That was a bonus.''

Gary Woodland (63), Matt Every (68) and Brandon Hagy (68) were a stroke back at 11 under. Woodland was a stroke off the course record of 62 set by Leonard Thompson in 1981

''I just had everything clicking today,'' Woodland said. ''I've been playing well for a long time and just haven't put all the aspects together. Today I drove it well. Obviously, the ball-striking was good and I saw some putts go in, and that adds up to a pretty good number.''

Vijay Singh, at 54 the oldest player in the field, had a 68 to join Kevin Chappell (69), Ryan Ruffels (67), Charley Hoffman (66) and Harold Varner III (65) at 10 under.

''If I turn up at a golf tournament and know that I can't win, I might as well go home,'' Singh said. ''I just have to work hard and bring it to the golf course. Otherwise, might as well not show up. So that's what I'm doing.''

Singh won the 2004 tournament at Glen Abbey, beating Canadian Mike Weir in a playoff.

''I've come here a lot of times,'' Singh said. ''I've played this golf course many a times. Pretty familiar with what the golf course gives you.''

Defending champion Jhonattan Vegas was 9 under after a 69.

Top-ranked Dustin Johnson shot 69 to reach 8 under. Graham DeLaet (68) and Mackenzie Hughes (69) were the only two of the 17 Canadians to make the cut, also completing 36 holes at 8 under.

''I wish there were 17 Canadians 8 under or better,'' Hughes said. ''It would have been really fun to get a bunch of guys in the mix, but yeah, it's nice to have Graham in there and not to be the Lone Ranger going out there on the weekend.''

Bubba Watson matched playing partner Kuchar at 5 under, following an opening 66 with a 73.

Round 1 - Five share first round lead

July 28, 2017

Matt Kuchar's hopes of regaining his balance in the wake of a "crushing" British Open defeat by Jordan Spieth took a hit on Thursday as dizziness hindered his opening round at the Canadian Open.

The American teed off on 10 at Glen Abbey in Oakville, Ontario, and was four-under through 11 holes before he began to feel light-headed late in the round.

After receiving medical attention he completed a one-under par 71, which left him six shots off the lead shared by Hudson Swafford, Brandon Hagy, Matt Every, Kevin Chappell and Ollie Schniederjans.

Swafford rolled in an 18-foot birdie putt at the 18th to cap his seven-under 65.

"It's gettable," Swafford said after posting eight birdies on the rain-softened course, where thunderstorms halted play for almost two hours in the afternoon.

"It's about as gettable as I've seen this golf course. The greens were perfect, so you can make some putts. I was just trying to give myself as many chances as possible."

His assessment was borne out by the crowded leaderboard.

Hagy also posted eight birdies with one bogey in a seven-under effort while Every had seven birdies without a bogey and Chappell had two eagles, four birdies and a bogey.

Schneiderjans was the last to join the leading group with a round that included two eagles and three birdies.

He wrapped up shortly before darkness halted play with more than a dozen players still on the course. They were to return Friday morning to complete the round.

Two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson led a group of 11 players in the clubhouse one shot off the lead on six-under 66, nabbing six birdies without a bogey.

Watson played alongside Kuchar and said the Sunday duel with Spieth at Royal Birkdale followed by a trans-Atlantic trip probably took a toll on his fellow American.

"But he's a strong competitor and he's fighting through it," Watson said. "He'll be ready to go by tomorrow and the weekend."

Kuchar said he didn't think the trouble had anything to do with the quick turnaround from Royal Birkdale, where he came up three strokes short of his first major title.

"I've had plenty of time to get over the travel," said Kuchar, who made a double-bogey six at the third and bogeyed his penultimate hole, the eighth. "Hopefully it's just something that passes real quick."

Even if he does regain his equilibrium, the jammed leaderboard means there are plenty of players between Kuchar and the leaders.

World number one Dustin Johnson was among 15 players in the clubhouse on five-under 67, a group that also included England's Ian Poulter.

Scores

 

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