RBC Canadian Open: Rory McIlroy wins tournament by seven shots

RBC Canadian Open leaderboard

-22 McIlroy

-15, Lowry, Simpson

-13 Kuchar, Snedeker

-12 Hadwin

Day four report

Rory McIlroy shot a final round of 61 to win the RBC Canadian Open by seven shots.

The Northern Irishman was in sublime form on Sunday, blitzing the field to finish on 22 under par.

He broke the tournament record by five shots to claim his 16th career PGA Tour title.

McIlroy's countryman Graeme McDowell secured his spot at the Open Championship in his home town of Portrush after finishing in a tie for eighth.

He needed to finish in the top 10 and drained his monster par putt at the 18th to do just that, finishing alongside Danny Willett and Henrik Stenson on 10 under par.

A birdie at the 18th would have given McIlroy a round of 59 but he bogeyed the last after finding a bunker on his approach to the green.

His win in Ontario is the perfect preparation for the US Open, the third major of the year, which begins on Thursday.

"I just got it going out of the gates. I said at the start of the day I wanted to be aggressive," McIlroy told Sky Sports.

"I played with so much freedom over the weekend, more freedom than I've had for a while, which is exciting. To get a win going into next week is huge."

McIlroy, who hit nine birdies, an eagle and two bogeys, finished ahead of Webb Simpson, who chipped in on the 18th to tie with Ireland's Shane Lowry on 15 under par.

Day three report

Rory McIlroy gave himself a golden opportunity to win his second title of 2019 thanks to a glorious third-round 64 at the RBC Canadian Open.

Playing in the event for the first time, McIlroy burst to life on Saturday with a six-birdie exhibition which saw him reach 13-under and take the clubhouse lead.

He was soon joined by Webb Simpson, who remains without a single bogey through 54 holes of the tournament, as the 2011 and 2012 US Open winners complete their preparations for next week's major at Pebble Beach.

Matt Kuchar is also in the mix, with Shane Lowry, Brandt Snedeker and Adam Hadwin just one shot behind on a leaderboard packed with storylines.

Kuchar leads the FedEx Cup standings after two wins this season, one which has involved its share of controversy, whereas for Lowry less of a focus on PGA Tour golf could reap quick rewards with a second title in North America.

Snedeker meanwhile is looking to win for the first time since returning to former coach Todd Anderson, while Hadwin is the pick of the home contingent as he bids to become the first Canadian winner since 1954.

McIlroy, though, is the man to beat, a birdie at the first courtesy of an enormous drive setting the tone for one of those days where he looks untouchable.

The four-time major champion made three birdies on each nine and was never really in trouble, a six-foot par save at the 16th as close as he came to dropping a shot.

Simpson hasn't dropped one all week and kept that run going with a par at the final hole, where Hadwin made birdie to give huge crowds genuine hope heading into Sunday.

Bidding to spoil the party will be Kuchar, who was in front on his own until dropping a shot at the 15th hole.

Day two report

Rory McIlroy sits five shots adrift of joint leaders Scott Brown and Matt Kuchar at the halfway stage of the RBC Canadian Open.

The Northern Irishman began the day four strokes behind first-round leader Keegan Bradley, who fell down the field after a one-over-par 71, on three under but opened his second round with a bogey.

He responded with a trio of birdies from the fifth as he moved into the red numbers for the round before a 37-foot birdie putt moved him to six under overall at the turn.

Furthers birdies at the 11th and 17th improved his score to eight under but a bogey at the last recorded his second blemish of his round.

American Brandt Snedeker registered a flawless 10-under-par 60, which included eight birdies and an eagle at the fourth, to surge into tied second with Canada's Nick Taylor at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ontario.

FedEx Cup leader Kuchar finished his round with a hat-trick of birdies as he carded nine gains and a solitary bogey to get to 12 under par alongside Brown, who hit an eagle at the 17th before reeling off five successive birdies from the second after starting on the back nine.

Major champions Henrik Stenson and Graeme McDowell led the European charge alongside Shane Lowry at eight under, one shot clear of McIlroy in a tie for seventh.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson made the cut thanks to his second-round 65 as the world number two hit six birdies and one dropped shot to overcome his first round score of one over par.

Day one report

Rory McIlroy sits four shots adrift of leader Keegan Bradley after the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.

McIlroy, making his debut in the event and looking to bounce back from a disappointing showing at the Memorial Tournament, carded five birdies and two bogeys in his three-under-par 67.

McIlroy tweeted after his round: "The fans were great today and the course is playing nicely, looking forward to getting back out there tomorrow."

That left the four-time major winner safely in amongst the chasing pack behind early pacesetter Bradley at the Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Ontario.

The American, the 2011 US PGA Championship winner who only recently decided to play this event, leads by one shot after sinking seven birdies - including five in succession from the seventh - in a flawless 63.

Ireland's Shane Lowry is in a five-way tie for second on six under in what is the final event before next week's US Open.

Northern Ireland's Graeme McDowell is a shot further back while England's Danny Willett sits on four under par.

Defending champion Dustin Johnson did not have such a good day, however.

The world number two, having started on the back nine, carded five bogeys and two birdies as he reached the turn in 38. He improved after that but still had to settle for a one-over-par 71.

That left the American in some illustrious company though, with Sergio Garcia, Padraig Harrington, Bubba Watson and Zach Johnson among the other players also on one over.