Jason Day Wins 2015 RBC Canadian Open Over
Bubba Watson
Jason Day birdied the final three holes to win the
Canadian Open on Sunday, spoiling
David Hearn's bid to become the first
Canadian winner in 61 years.
Day made a 20-foot putt on the par-5
18th for a 4-under 68 and a one-stroke victory over Bubba Watson. Day finished at 17-under 271 at
Glen Abbey.
"
I've never felt so much at home, and I'm not even from
Canada," Day said. "I'm looking forward to coming back and defending the title here next year because I know that when I get here next year it's going to be the same.
It's great to feel like a Canadian for a week."
Day was coming off a fourth-place tie Monday in the
British Open at
St. Andrews. The 28-year-old
Australian also fought through vertigo symptoms last month to tie for ninth in the
U.S. Open. He has four
PGA Tour victories, also winning at
Torrey Pines in February.
"This must feel like what
Tiger (Woods) did for so many times, and
it feels good," Day said. "I'm going to try to do as much as I can and keep it the same and try and win."
Watson birdied the final four holes for a 69.
Day birdied three of the first seven holes, but dropped strokes on Nos. 8 and 9.
Playing a group ahead of Watson and
Hearn, Day parred the first six holes on the back nine, then birdied the par-5
16th and par-4 17th to take a one-stroke lead.
Hearn, two strokes ahead of Day and Watson entering the round, had a 72 to finish third at 15 under.
"It was one focused mindset the whole day today to do something really special and win the tournament," said Hearn, from
Brantford - also hockey great
Wayne Gretzky's hometown. "It hasn't been done in a long time, and I felt like I had the ability to do it today. I gave it my all. I didn't quite have my best game.
"I'm real proud of the way I played and I'm really proud to be Canadian today. It was a pretty special day with all of the fans and the support that I had from beginning to finish."
Pat Fletcher, born in
England, was the last Canadian winner in 1954 at
Point Grey in
Vancouver, British Columbia.
Carl Keffer is the only
Canadian-born champion, winning in
1909 and
1914.
Albert Murray, a Canadian also born in England, won in
1908 and 1913.
"It's a matter of time," fourth-place
Jim Furyk said. "There are so many good Canadian players. I feel bad
Mike Weir never won this golf tournament. But
Graham DeLaet,
David, there are a bunch of fine young players, so I'm sure it's going to happen."
Hearn was the first Canadian to have a 54-hole lead at the Canadian Open since
Weir in 2004 at Glen Abbey. Weir led by three shots, but lost in a playoff to
Vijay Singh.
"This one was pretty intense," Hearn said. "I think every Canadian wants to see it so bad and we want to do it so bad that it does make it hard."
Hearn birdied the first two holes, but gave back the strokes with bogeys on Nos. 3 and 7. He also bogeyed the par-3 12th, birdied the par-5
13th and closed with five pars.
Two-time winner
Furyk had a 69 to reach 14 under.
Stewart Cink and Tom Hoge followed at 13 under, each shooting 66.
- published: 27 Jul 2015
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