DUSTIN JOHNSON WINS 2018 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Mackenzie Hughes of Dundas, Ont., finishes in a tie for 8th to claim second straight Rivermead Cup
Team Canada member and Richmond, B.C., native Chris Crisologo wins
Gary Cowan Medal as top amateur
OAKVILLE, Ont. — World No. 1 Dustin Johnson fired a 6-under par 66 Sunday to pull away from the field and win his first RBC Canadian Open at 23-under par.
Johnson, who entered the day in a 4-way tie for the lead with Whee Kim, Byeong Hun An and Kevin Tway, carded seven birdies and a bogey to separate himself from the pack. He started the day with a pair of birdies on his first two holes, but a nearby storm suspended play shortly after Johnson hit his drive on the ninth hole.
After a one hour and 46-minute weather delay, play resumed at 5:12 p.m. Johnson electrified the Canadian crowd with four more birdies on the back nine. The only tarnish on his scorecard was a bogey on the par-3 No. 12.
``It was definitely good to get off to a fast start,'' said Johnson. ``That's always good, especially when the leaderboard is so bunched up.”
Johnson, a Team RBC member from Columbia, S.C., felt like he was playing in front of a home crowd thanks to his fiancée Paulina and her father, hockey legend Wayne Gretzky.
“It was great all week,” Johnson added. “I had a lot of support out there, a lot of fans following me with my ties to Canada. Paulina and her dad being Wayne Gretzky, it definitely helps. I get a lot of fans that pull for Wayne, they pull for me. So, it was a lot of fun out there this week. I thought I had a lot of support. It's a lot of fun to play out there for a big crowd.”
With the win, Johnson becomes the first player since Tiger Woods (2005-09) with at least three wins in three consecutive seasons. He also earned $1,116,000 (U.S.), the winner’s share of the $6.2 million purse.
Johnson had tied for second in the RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club in 2013 and 2016.
Hun An and Kim shared second place with matching tournament totals of 20-under par.
Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes won his second consecutive Rivermead Cup, awarded to the low Canadian, finishing in a tie for 8th at 15-under par.
Hughes started strong, gaining four strokes on the pack through his first seven holes before a bogey at the 8th hole. He recuperated nicely on his back nine with a birdie in Glen Abbey’s valley at No. 13.
``The Rivermead Cup has history here in Canada, and if you're not going to win the big trophy, the Rivermead Cup is a pretty good consolation prize,'' said Hughes. ``Twenty-one Canadians here this week and every one of those players are just so talented.
“But, yeah, next year will be additional pressure being so close to home. But, again, it's only what you make of it, and if you just try to have fun with it, hopefully I'll have a great weekend next year.”
Hamilton Golf and Country Club will host the 2019 RBC Canadian Open. It is also shifting forward in the PGA TOUR's schedule, moving to early June in the week before the U.S. Open.
Chris Crisologo, a Team Canada member had a stellar showing in his PGA TOUR debut. The Richmond, B.C., native fired a four under 68 to finish as low amateur in the field at T45 - collecting the Gary Cowan Medal.
Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open.
CANADIANS AT THE 2018 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
T8 Mackenzie Hughes – Dundas, Ont. – 69-69-67-68 -15
T22 Ryan Yip – Calgary – 68-72-66-70 -12
T37 Roger Sloan – Merritt, B.C. – 68-69-73-68 -10
T45 Chris Crisologo (a) – Richmond, B.C. 68-69-73-69 -9
T61 David Hearn – Brantford, Ont. – 68-72-69-72 -7
T71 Nick Taylor – Abbotsford, B.C. – 68-67-72-77 -4
T71 Ben Silverman – Thornhill, Ont. – 73-63-73-75 -4
--- DID NOT ADVANCE ---
MC Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford – 70-71 -3
MC Jared Du Toit – Kimberley – 72-69 -3
MC Corey Conners – Listowel – 72-70 -2
MC Joey Savoie (a) – La Prairie – 71-72 -1
MC Adam Svensson – Surrey – 72-71 -1
MC Mike Weir – Bright’s Grove – 75-71 +2
MC Michael Gligic – Kitchener – 69-77 +2
MC Russell Budd – Toronto – 75-72 +3
MC Austin Connelly – Church Point / Irving – 77-71 +4
MC Marc-Etienne Bussieres – Gatineau – 75-74 +5
MC Todd Fanning (a) – Winnipeg – 77-76 +9
MC Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-Saint-Hilaire – 76-74 +6
MC Mitchell Sutton – London – 74-80 +10
MC Justin YW Kim – Hamilton – 81-76 +13
INTERVIEW VIDEO, AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS FOR SUNDAY, JULY 29
Interview, audio and transcripts for the following players and events from Sunday, July 29 are available here and video is available here. Please note the videos are unedited, uncut and broadcast-quality.
-Dustin Johnson
-Byeong Hun An
-Mackenzie Hughes
-Chris Crisologo
-Laurence Applebaum (Golf Canada CEO)
2018 MEDIA GUIDE AND PLAYER PERFORMANCE BOOK:
Media can also download the 2018 RBC Canadian Open Media Guide for complete stats, records and historical information. Media can also download the 2018 RBC Canadian Open Player Performance Book which details individual player statistics from 1904-2017.
GOLF CANADA
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 319,000 golfers and 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca.
ABOUT 2018 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Part of the FedExCup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $6.2 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 23-29, 2018 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also leaving a significant impact in the event’s host community. The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support the Golf Canada Foundation as the event’s official charity partner. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, BMW Group Canada, Steam Whistle, Levelwear, Titleist & FootJoy, The Glenlivet, Golf Town, Coca-Cola, Canada Dry Mott’s, Commissionaires and the Government of Canada. For tickets or tournament information, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com or call 1-800-571-6736. Follow the RBC Canadian Open on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
RBC GOLF
RBC proudly supports golf around the world through high profile relationships with the PGA TOUR and Golf Canada. RBC is the Official Banking and Financial Services partner of touring professionals Graham DeLaet, Ernie Els, Jim Furyk, Adam Hadwin, David Hearn, Brooke Henderson, Matt Kuchar, Graeme McDowell, Ryan Palmer, Morgan Pressel, Alena Sharp, Brandt Snedeker and Nick Taylor. As the title sponsor of both the RBC Heritage and the RBC Canadian Open, RBC also supports emerging Canadian golfers through Golf Canada’s grassroots developmental programming, the Canadian Amateur Golf Championships and the high performance national team. RBC is one of North America’s leading diversified financial services companies and among the largest banks in the world, as measured by market capitalization. For more information, visit www.rbc.com/golf.
