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SPORTS Monday 10 June 2019

McIlroy wins Canadian Open with scorching final-round 61

ANCASTER, Ontario (AP) with a 7-iron from 196 yards hard-breaking 29-footer
— Rory McIlroy ran away to 2½ feet for eagle on the for par on the par-4 18th to
with the Canadian Open, par-5 17th to get to 10 un- shoot 68 and finish in a tie
closing with a 9-under 61 der at par-70 Hamilton Golf for eighth. This year’s Open
on Sunday for a seven-shot and Country Club. will be the first in Northern
victory. But he missed the green on Ireland since its only previ-
Starting the day in a three- the par-4 18th and his bun- ous visit to Royal Portrush in
way tie for the lead, McIlroy ker shot went long. He end- 1951.
ended any suspense about ed up tapping in for bogey A third spot was available
who would emerge as the to finish at a tournament- at the British Open for a
champion with five birdies record 22-under 258. The player not already eligible
in his first seven holes, none 61 equaled the low round who finished inside the top
from longer than 8 feet. of McIlroy’s PGA Tour ca- 10, but the other top-10
It was McIlroy’s 16th PGA reer. finishers were exempt from
Tour victory and 25th win Shane Lowry and Webb qualifying.
worldwide, and the fourth Simpson tied for second at The victory in McIlroy’s Ca-
by at least seven shots. 15 under. nadian Open debut was
The world’s fourth-ranked Adam Hadwin, seeking to his fifth in a national open,
player will hope to ride become the first Canadian following the U.S. Open
the momentum into next winner of the event since (2011), Australian Open
week’s U.S. Open at Peb- 1954, closed with a 70 and (2013), British Open (2014)
ble Beach. finished sixth, 10 shots back. and Irish Open (2016). Mc-
The only question on the His consolation prize was a Ilroy also counts the Hong
back nine was whether spot in the British Open at Kong Open (2011) as part Rory McIlroy laughs after putting on a Toronto Raptors jersey
McIlroy would shoot the Royal Portrush in July. of his national-champion- during the trophy presentation at the Canadian Open golf
11th sub-60 round in PGA Graeme McDowell also ship tally.q championship in Ancaster, Ontario, Sunday, June 9, 2019.
Tour history. He made four earned his place in the Associated Press
straight birdies from Nos. British Open. The native of
11-14, and a bogey on the Portrush, Northern Ireland,
par-3 16th stalled him only guaranteed a tee time in
momentarily. He followed his hometown by holing a

Lexi Thompson rallies

for 2-stroke win at

ShopRite LPGA Classic

GALLOWAY, N.J. (AP) — she just missed a 45-foot
Lexi Thompson made a putt to tie and had to settle
20-foot putt for an eagle for a birdie, giving her a 70
on the 18th hole Sunday and second place at 202.
to complete a late come- Ally McDonald, seeking her
back and win the ShopRite first career LPGA Tour victo-
LPGA Classic. ry, challenged on the back
Trailing Jeongeun Lee6 nine and took third place
by two strokes after the at 204 following a 70.
15th, Thompson finished Two-time ShopRite LPGA
birdie-par-eagle to finish champion Anna Nordqvist
up a round of 4-under-par had a 69 for fourth place
67 and a 54-hole score of at 206.
12-under 201. Mariah Stackhouse, who
She posted her 11th ca- began the day one stroke
reer LPGA Tour victory, ex- off the lead, fell back with
tended his streak to seven a double bogey at the fifth
straight years with at least hole and couldn’t come
one win on the tour. back.
Lee6, the champion of Her round of 74 left her in a
last week’s U.S. Women’s three-way tie for fifth at 207
Open who was playing with Ariya Jutanugarn (68)
two groups behind Thomp- and Yu Liu (72).
son, lost her lead with three Thompson’s win came
consecutive bogeys from nine years after she made
holes 13 through 15 over her debut at age 15 as a
the Bay Course at Seaview professional in the 2010
before bouncing back ShopRite LPGA Classic,
with a birdie at No. 16 to tie where she missed the cut. It
Thompson. is her 11th LPGA Tour victo-
However, needing an ea- ry, and first since last year’s
gle to force a playoff after season-ending CME Group
reaching the green in two, Tour Championship.q