{"id":1311204,"date":"2019-06-09T23:16:00","date_gmt":"2019-06-10T05:16:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/mcilroy-wins-canadian-open-with-scorching-final-round-61\/"},"modified":"2019-06-09T23:16:00","modified_gmt":"2019-06-10T05:16:00","slug":"mcilroy-wins-canadian-open-with-scorching-final-round-61","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/local-news\/mcilroy-wins-canadian-open-with-scorching-final-round-61\/","title":{"rendered":"McIlroy wins Canadian Open with scorching final-round 61"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery\" readability=\"6.8939393939394\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-980584-234\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hoists the championship trophy after winning the 2019 Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hoists the championship trophy after winning the 2019 Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hoists the championship trophy after winning the 2019 Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-1.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy laughs after putting on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy laughs after putting on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-1.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy laughs after putting on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-2.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy kisses the trophy after winning the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"0.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"12\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy kisses the trophy after winning the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-2.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy kisses the trophy after winning the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-3.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts to Webb Simpson's holed chip shot on the 18th hole during final round of the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. McIlroy won the championship. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts to Webb Simpson&#8217;s holed chip shot on the 18th hole during final round of the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. McIlroy won the championship. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-3.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy, of Northern Ireland, reacts to Webb Simpson's holed chip shot on the 18th hole during final round of the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. McIlroy won the championship. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-4-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-4.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy laughs as he puts on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy laughs as he puts on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-4.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy laughs as he puts on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-5-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-5.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy acknowledges the gallery after taking his ball out of the cup on the 18th hole at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"13\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy acknowledges the gallery after taking his ball out of the cup on the 18th hole at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-5.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy acknowledges the gallery after taking his ball out of the cup on the 18th hole at the Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Adrian Wyld\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-6-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-6.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"AP | The Canadian Press | Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, right, watches partner Webb Simpson chip on the 18th green moments before winning the 2019 Canadian Open in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Andrew Lahodynskyj\/The Canadian Press via AP)\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"2\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"15\">\n<p><strong>Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, right, watches partner Webb Simpson chip on the 18th green moments before winning the 2019 Canadian Open in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Andrew Lahodynskyj\/The Canadian Press via AP)<\/strong><br \/>AP | The Canadian Press<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.postindependent.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/6\/2019\/06\/Canadian_Open_Golf_93264-faa3a-6.jpg\" alt=\"Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, right, watches partner Webb Simpson chip on the 18th green moments before winning the 2019 Canadian Open in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Andrew Lahodynskyj\/The Canadian Press via AP)\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/mcilroy-wins-canadian-open-with-scorching-final-round-61\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/mcilroy-wins-canadian-open-with-scorching-final-round-61\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">ANCASTER, Ontario \u2014 Call it the zone, call it the flow. Rory McIlroy is familiar with the feeling that golf is easy, that he can swing freely and nothing bad will happen.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He first felt it at age 16 when he shot 61 at Royal Portrush in his native Northern Ireland, which will host this year\u2019s British Open. He experienced it during runaway victories at the U.S. Open and the PGA Championship. And he savored it again on Sunday en route to another 61, this one giving him a seven-shot victory in the Canadian Open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think when you play, you get into stretches like this, you do get into some sort of flow, that flow state or in the zone or whatever anyone wants to call it. I definitely got into that a little bit today at the start of the back nine. It was the same that day at Portrush all those years ago,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cIt\u2019s almost like you\u2019re out of your own body and looking at yourself play. For some times today that\u2019s how it felt. So if I could bottle that feeling and take it with me week to week, I would. Sort of comes and goes.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">McIlroy added the Canadian Open to his schedule for the first time largely because it was moved to the week before the U.S. Open. He turned the major-championship tuneup into a career highlight, becoming the sixth player to win national championships in the U.S., Britain and Canada. Lee Trevino (1971) and Tiger Woods (2000) are the only players to win all three in the same season, something McIlroy could do this year with victories next week at Pebble Beach and at Royal Portrush in July.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">It was McIlroy\u2019s fifth win in a national open, following the U.S. Open (2011), Australian Open (2013), British Open (2014) and Irish Open (2016). McIlroy also counts the Hong Kong Open (2011) as part of his national-championship tally.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cSome of the greats of the game have won this trophy. For me to put my name on it is something I\u2019m very proud of,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cPart of the reason for playing here was I wanted my game to be in good shape for Pebble Beach, but (it) doesn\u2019t mean this tournament doesn\u2019t mean anything.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Starting the day in a three-way tie for the lead, McIlroy ended any suspense about who would emerge as the champion with five birdies in his first seven holes, none from longer than 8 feet.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The only question on the back nine was whether McIlroy would shoot the 11th sub-60 round in PGA Tour history. He made four straight birdies from Nos. 11-14, and a bogey on the par-3 16th stalled him only momentarily. He followed with a 7-iron from 196 yards to 2\u00bd feet for eagle on the par-5 17th to get to 10 under at par-70 Hamilton Golf and Country Club.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But he missed the green on the par-4 18th and his bunker shot went long. He ended up tapping in for bogey to finish at a tournament-record 22-under 258. The 61 equaled the low round of McIlroy\u2019s PGA Tour career.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">McIlroy was five shots off the lead entering the weekend and shot 64 on Saturday before finding another gear on Sunday.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cI think what I\u2019m proudest of is still playing with that freedom today going out being tied for the lead. Just putting my foot down and really making this tournament mine,\u201d McIlroy said. \u201cI think by the time I got to the 14th tee I wasn\u2019t really thinking of winning the tournament. I was thinking of trying to shoot 59. I had to reassess my goals a little bit in the middle of that back nine.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">He settled for his 16th PGA Tour victory and 25th win worldwide, and the fourth by at least seven shots.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson tied for second at 15 under.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Adam Hadwin, seeking to become the first Canadian winner of the event since 1954, closed with a 70 and finished sixth, 10 shots back. His consolation prize was a spot in the British Open.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Graeme McDowell also earned his place in the British Open. The Portrush native guaranteed a tee time in his hometown by holing a hard-breaking 29-footer for par on the par-4 18th to shoot 68 and finish in a tie for eighth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt had 12 feet of break on it. It was ridiculously tough putt to make,\u201d McDowell said. \u201cJust fancied it, I saw it, liked the way it looked, and when I saw it go in it was a huge relief.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This year\u2019s Open will be the first in Northern Ireland since its only previous visit to Royal Portrush in 1951.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A third spot was available at the British Open for a player not already eligible who finished inside the top 10, but the other top-10 finishers were exempt from qualifying.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt\u2019s like chasing a ghost out there when you\u2019re trying to play for these spots because you don\u2019t know whether fifth is going to be enough and you\u2019re thinking 10th might be enough,\u201d McDowell said. \u201cYou\u2019re out there playing for a lot of FedEx Cup points and a lot of cash, and all I can focus on is trying to get exempt for the Open Championship. I might go to Portrush and miss the cut and think, \u2018What was that all about?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u2014\u2014\u2014<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">More AP golf: <a href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/apf-Golf\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/apnews.com\/apf-Golf<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP%E2%80%94Sports\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/twitter.com\/AP\u2014Sports<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.postindependent.com\/sports\/mcilroy-wins-canadian-open-with-scorching-final-round-61\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: Post Independent<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland hoists the championship trophy after winning the 2019 Canadian Open golf championship in Ancaster, Ontario, on Sunday, June 9, 2019. (Nathan Denette\/The Canadian Press via AP)AP | The Canadian Press Rory McIlroy laughs after putting on a Toronto Raptors jersey during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf championship [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[160],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-1311204","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-local-news"},"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-06-18 20:35:05","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSKE Ski Country","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311204","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1311204"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1311204\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1311204"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1311204"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kske\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1311204"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}