OAKVILLE, Ont. B次元官网网址� As one of the most popular golfers on the PGA Tour, Dustin Johnson is used to roaring cheers and chants of B次元官网网址淟etB次元官网网址檚 go DJ!B次元官网网址� But getting serenaded with B次元官网网址淥 CanadaB次元官网网址�? ThatB次元官网网址檚 a new one.
Johnson pulled away from the field after a nearly two-hour rain delay to win the RBC Canadian Open for the first time on Sunday after firing 6-under 66 in the final round to finish at 23-under.
B次元官网网址淚 did hear it a couple of times, them singing B次元官网网址極 CanadaB次元官网网址�,B次元官网网址� said Johnson, laughing. B次元官网网址淓specially with the amount of support I get when I come up here, itB次元官网网址檚 been great. EveryoneB次元官网网址檚 been great to me.
B次元官网网址淚 definitely feel like an honorary Canadian.B次元官网网址�
Live press conference with 2018 champion
B次元官网网址� RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen)
The world No. 1, from Columbia, S.C., tied for second in the Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Course in 2013 and 2016.
He has some roots in southern Ontario, with his fiancee PaulinaB次元官网网址檚 father coming from Brantford, just 67 kilometres down the road from Glen Abbey. PaulinaB次元官网网址檚 father, of course, is all-time NHL leading scorer Wayne Gretzky.
Fans certainly didnB次元官网网址檛 forget JohnsonB次元官网网址檚 connection to the hockey legend, with some in the crowd wearing Edmonton Oilers jerseys. Sporadic shouts of B次元官网网址淲ayne!,B次元官网网址� B次元官网网址�99!B次元官网网址� and B次元官网网址淧aulina!B次元官网网址� could be heard from the crowd that got a chance to have a few extra beers during a one hour 45 minute weather delay.
B次元官网网址淚t was great all week, I had a lot of support out there, a lot of fans following me,B次元官网网址� said Johnson. B次元官网网址淲ith my ties to Canada with Paulina and then her dad being Wayne Gretzky, it definitely helps. I get a lot of fans that pull for Wayne, they pull for me.
B次元官网网址淚t was a lot of fun out there this week. I thought I had a lot of support. It definitely helps.B次元官网网址�
South KoreaB次元官网网址檚 Byeong Hun An (69) and Whee Kim (69) finished as runners up at 20-under in the US$6.2 million event, with American Keegan Bradley (64) placing fourth at 19-under.
Hun An had a ringside seat in JohnsonB次元官网网址檚 circus as the two were paired together for the final round.
B次元官网网址淚 think they came to watch me,B次元官网网址� joked Hun An. B次元官网网址淯nfortunately I couldnB次元官网网址檛 get in the playoff. But seeing the No. 1 in the world playing golf is quite exciting, and heB次元官网网址檚 pretty good. But I tried really hard and tried to get to my second place.B次元官网网址�
Mackenzie Hughes (68) of nearby Dundas, Ont., was the low Canadian, tying for eighth at 15-under overall. A Canadian has not won the national title since VictoriaB次元官网网址檚 Pat Fletcher accomplished the feat in 1954 at VancouverB次元官网网址檚 Point Grey Golf and Country Club.
ItB次元官网网址檚 the second straight year Hughes has won the Rivermead Cup, the trophy awarded to the lowest scoring Canadian at the national championship.
B次元官网网址淭he Rivermead Cup has history here in Canada, and if youB次元官网网址檙e not going to win the big trophy, the Rivermead Cup is a pretty good consolation prize,B次元官网网址� said Hughes. B次元官网网址淭he depth of talent in Canadian golf with 21 Canadians here this week, and not one guy in the field that was Canadian, you would say, B次元官网网址榦h, youB次元官网网址檝e got no chance.
B次元官网网址淓very one of those Canadian players are just so talented.B次元官网网址�
Hughes had the best finish by a Canadian since David Hearn was third in 2015.
Fans along the course Sunday hollered B次元官网网址淕o Leafs go!B次元官网网址� at Hughes, a nod partly toward the Maple Leafs jerseys he wore all week walking up to No. 7. Known as B次元官网网址淭he Rink,B次元官网网址� the seventh hole is circled with hockey boards. Officials wear hockey referee sweaters.
CalgaryB次元官网网址檚 Ryan Yip (70) finished at 12-under and tied for 22nd. Roger Sloan (68) of Merritt finished at 10-under, one shot ahead of Chris Crisologo (69) of Richmond, CanadaB次元官网网址檚 only amateur to make the cut. Hearn (72) of Brantford, Ont., finished at 7 under and in a tie for 61st.
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It was a rough day for Nick Taylor of Abbotsford and Ben Silverman of Thornhill, Ont., who both finished a 4-under and tied for 71st place. Taylor (77) went into the week ranked No. 127 in the FedExCup standings, and needing to improve two spots by seasonB次元官网网址檚 end to maintain his PGA Tour card. But he plummeted 42 spots down the leaderboard Sunday, and finished with a double bogey on No. 18, eliciting a groan from the crowd when he hit the ball into the water.
Johnson entered the day in a four-way tie for the lead with Kim, Hun An and Kevin Tway but had seven birdies and a bogey to pull away from the group. He started the day with a pair of birdies on his first two holes to pull away early, but a nearby lightning storm suspended play after his drive on the ninth hole.
After play resumed Johnson grabbed four more birdies on the back nine, only getting slowed by a bogey on the par-3 No. 12.
B次元官网网址淚t was definitely good to get off to a fast start,B次元官网网址� said Johnson. B次元官网网址淭hatB次元官网网址檚 definitely always good, especially when the leaderboard is so bunched up.
B次元官网网址淚 just needed to get out in front. If I could get ahead I felt like I could play well and keep myself in the lead for the rest of the day.B次元官网网址�
Golf Canada CEO Laurence Applebaum thought JohnsonB次元官网网址檚 victory was an appropriate sendoff for Glen Abbey. The Jack Nicklaus-designed golf course has been slated for redevelopment by ClubLink, the propertyB次元官网网址檚 owner.
B次元官网网址淭his event has been one of our best ever,B次元官网网址� said Applebaum. B次元官网网址淪tarted at the front of the week with Triple Crown winner Lee Trevino showing up for the Hall of Fame, and then the field we had. DJ, four of the five U.S. Open combatants, Bubba Watson, and the great Canadian roster.
B次元官网网址淎nd then our world No. 1 showing his class, makes for a spectacular finish.B次元官网网址�
Hamilton Golf and Country Club will host the 2019 Canadian Open. It is also shifting forward in the PGA TourB次元官网网址檚 schedule, moving to early June in the week before the U.S. Open.
THE CANADIAN PRESS
