Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre hits an approach shot on the 17th fairway during the final round of the Canadian Open in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
AP photo
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Robert MacIntyre, front left, of Scotland, confers with his father and caddie, Dougie, right, as he sets up on the ninth tee during the final round of the Canadian Open in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
AP photo
Robert MacIntyre, of Scotland, tees off on the fourth hole during the final round of the Canadian Open in Hamilton, Ontario, on Sunday.
AP photo
HAMILTON, Ontario — Robert MacIntyre, with father Dougie at his side as his caddie, held on to win the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday for his first PGA Tour title.
Four strokes ahead entering the final round at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, MacIntyre shot a 2-under 68 to beat playing partner Ben Griffin by a stroke. On the par-4 18th, the 27-year-old Scottish left-hander two-putted for par from 12 feet, holing out from 1 1/2 feet.
“Goose bumps. It’s incredible,” MacIntyre said. “It’s a dream of mine to play golf for a living. It’s been a dream of mine to win on the PGA Tour. … I just can’t believe I done it with my dad on the bag. The guy’s taught me the way I play golf.”
MacIntyre finished at 16-under 264 for the breakthrough victory in his 45th career PGA Tour start. The former McNeese State player was a member of Europe’s winning 2023 Ryder Cup team and has two European tour victories, the 2020 Aphrodite Hills Cyprus Showdown and 2022 Italian Open.
“I was in a dog fight there,” MacIntyre said. “Obviously, Ben made it difficult coming in the stretch. He played well. It’s just incredible to do this with my dad on the bag and have my girlfriend here and I’m sure there’s a party going on back home in Oban.”
Griffin had a 65. He parred the 18th after birdieing the previous three holes.
“I fought hard,” Griffin said. “It felt like there was a lid on the cup for most of the day for me. I hit so many pretty good putts, I wouldn’t say like striped putts, but pretty good putts and just kept burning edges. A couple bad putts, but stayed patient.”
Victor Perez of France was third at 14 under after his second straight 64.
Two-time Canadian Open champion Rory McIlroy also shot 64 to tie for fourth with Tom Kim (64) at 13 under. McIlroy won in 2019 the last time the tournament was in Hamilton and again in 2022 at St. George’s in Toronto.
“Three really good rounds of golf, one not so good one,” McIlroy said. “Felt a little out of sorts on Friday. Did a good range session and sort of rectified it.”
Corey Conners was the top Canadian, shooting a 65 to reach 12 under.
“Definitely something to be proud of,” Conners said. “Yeah, obviously disappointing to not win the big trophy, but, yeah, it’s a cool honor.
Fellow Canadian Mackenzie Hughes, tied for second entering the day, was another shot back after a 70.
Last year at Oakdale in Toronto, Nick Taylor made a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth hole of a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood to become the first Canadian to win the event since 1954.
EUROPEAN TOUR
HAMBURG, Germany — Englishman Laurie Canter held his nerve and overcame three bogeys for a 1-under 72 to win the European Open by two shots.
Canter, who had two appearances on LIV Golf this year before Anthony Kim was signed to join the Saudi-funded league, started the day in a two-way tie with Italy’s Guido Migliozzi.
Migliozzi’s challenge fizzled with a 78, but Canter was under pressure from others after playing his first 10 holes in 1 over. Thriston Lawrence of South Africa and Bernd Wiesberger of Austria were both making moves on the back nine.
Canter, 34, recovered with three birdies on his way in to finish with an overall 13-under 279 to capture his first European tour title.
Keita Nakajima, the former world No. 1 amateur and winner this year of the Hero Indian Open was briefly tied for the lead until bogeys on the two par 5s on the back nine dropped him to sixth place, four shots behind.
PGA TOUR CHAMPIONS
DES MOINES, Iowa — Ernie Els won the Principal Charity Classic for his fourth career PGA Tour Champions victory, closing with a 7-under 65 at Wakonda Club to beat defending champion Stephen Ames by two strokes.
Tied with Rod Pampling for the second-round lead, Els eagled the par-5 15th and had five birdies in his bogey-free final round. The 54-year-old Hall of Famer from South Africa finished at 21-under 195.
Ames shot 66. He leads the tour with two victories this season.
Bernard Langer tied for third at 17 under after a 68. Making his fourth start since returning from an Achilles injury, the 66-year-old German star is the tour’s career victory leader with 46.
Pampling (69) and David Duval (67) also were 17 under.
KORN FERRY TOUR
RALEIGH, N.C. —Kaito Onishi of Japan won the UNC Health Championship for his first Korn Ferry Tour title, surviving a final-hole bogey for a one-stroke victory over Max McGreevy.
Onishi, the 25-year-old former University of Southern California player, closed with a 4-under 66 to finish at 8-under 272 at Raleigh Country Club., He also won the Japan Tour’s 2022 Fujisankei Classic.
McGreevy shot 68. Nelson Ledesma had a 73 to finish third at 5 under.
OTHER TOURS
Ye Won Lee closed with an 8-under 64 for a three-shot victory in the Suhyup Bank MBN Ladies Open, her third Korea LPGA title of the year and her second in her last three starts. Her other was a runner-up in Match Play. Lee chose to turn down her exemption to play in the U.S. Women’s Open this week. … Perine Delacour of France closed with a 5-under 67 and defeated German amateur Helen Briem (64) in a playoff to win the Dormy Open in Sweden on the Ladies European Tour. … Hina Arakaki capped off a three-shot victory in the Yonex Ladies with a 2-under 70 in the final round for her first Japan LPGA victory in six years.