OAKVILLE, Ontario (AP) — Top-ranked Dustin Johnson pulled away Sunday in the RBC Canadian Open for his third victory of the season and 19th on the PGA Tour.
Tied for third-round lead with Kevin Tway, Byeong Hun An and Whee Kim, Johnson shot a 6-under 66 for a three-stroke victory over Kim and An. Johnson finished at 23-under 265, winning at Glen Abbey after finishing second in 2013 and 2016 — and a week after missing the cut in the British Open.
“Even after the missed cut last week, I felt like I was hitting it fine,” Johnson said. “I just did not score very well at Carnoustie at all. I didn’t putt good. I just scored really badly. But I felt like I hit the ball plenty good enough to be under par after two days, and I was 5 over or something. It was just bad scoring.”
It fell into place at Glen Abbey, the Jack Nicklaus-designed course slated for redevelopment.
“I needed to work on the putter though, which I did,” Johnson said. “Started rolling the putter a lot better here this week. Really, really hit the ball well all four days.”
Johnson has an endorsement deal with title sponsor RBC and fiancee Paulina is hockey great Wayne Gretzky’s daughter, adding to the American star’s popularity in Canada.
“Signing with RBC this year and coming up here and winning, especially on a golf course where I’ve had success, it means a lot,” Johnson said. “Obviously, having a lot of ties to Canada with Paulina, her dad, Wayne, who, thanks to him, I get a lot of fans out here. It makes it a lot more fun playing out here in front of a big crowd. I had a lot of support this week, and it was a lot of fun.
Johnson also won at the Tournament of Champions at Kapalua in January and the FedEx St. Jude Classic in June in Memphis, Tennessee.
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Kim and An each shot 69 in the round interrupted by a nearly 2-hour lightning delay.
“Definitely wasn’t my best day,” An said. “I didn’t give myself many birdie chances.”
Keegan Bradley had a 64 to finish fourth at 19 under. He shot 63 on Friday, but had a 73 on Saturday.
“Yesterday’s round was a weird round,” Bradley said. “I didn’t play all that bad, but I didn’t score very well.”
Mackenzie Hughes was the top Canadian, shooting a 68 to tie for eighth at 15 under.
Tway had a 76 to drop into a tie for 17th at 13 under. He was trying to win his first PGA Tour title in the event where father Bob Tway won the last of his tour titles 15 years ago.
