Robert MacIntyre narrowly wins the Canadian Open for the first PGA Tour title

(Photo credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports)

Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre won his first PGA Tour event by shooting a 2-under-par 68 for a one-stroke victory in the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday at Hamilton Golf Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario.

MacIntyre, a southpaw who earned his PGA Tour card through the DP World Tour Race to Dubai rankings, finished at 16-under 264.

Ben Griffin, who was in the final pairing with MacIntyre and also fighting for his first title on the tour, had a late rally with three consecutive birdies but was unable to sink a putt from the edge on the final hole. His 65 left him 15 under.

When MacIntyre made the turn, he had a four-shot lead with six golfers sharing second place. But this tournament was far from decided, not to mention MacIntyre’s apparent irritation over the noise coming from a drone on CBS equipment.

Griffin, part of a group that started the round in second place, had an odd day, birdieing the par-4 third hole after his tee shot hit the seventh fairway. He then recovered, but he had all the pars to birdies at Nos. 15, 16 and 17. The putt on the 16th green was from almost 40 feet.

Third-place Victor Perez of France shot a bogey-free 64, capped by a birdie putt on the final hole.

When Perez finished, MacIntyre had four holes left and just a one-stroke lead. He immediately birdied No. 15 to go up two, with Griffin joining Perez at 14 under.

Tom Kim of South Korea and Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland made the charge with 64s to share fourth place at 13 under and Canadian Corey Conners (65) was sixth at 12 under.

MacIntyre’s lead grew to five shots after a birdie on No. 11. But by the time he bogeyed the next two holes, Kim and McIlroy had completed their rounds and were only two shots behind.

While Canada’s Mackenzie Hughes entered the fray late Saturday, it was Conners who made a strong move in the final round in a bid for a Canadian to win the event for the second year in a row. Nick Taylor won the event last year, but didn’t make the cut this weekend.

Conners had four straight birdies from Nos. 11-14, closing in with a birdie at No. 17 before closing with a bogey. Hughes (70) finished tied for seventh at 10 under.

Kim opened the final round with three straight birdies and moved to 6 under for the day through 12 holes.

Griffin and Maverick McNealy (65), who finished in seventh place, were the only American golfers to finish in the top 10.

–Field-level media