Brandt Snedeker captures Canadian Open crown
Brandt Snedeker fired a two-under par 70 in Sunday’s final round and held off a late charge by fellow American Dustin Johnson to win the US$5.6 million PGA Canadian Open by three strokes.
Snedeker captured his sixth career PGA title and second of the year after a February triumph at Pebble Beach, finishing on 16-under par 272 with countrymen Johnson, Jason Bohn, Matt Kuchar and William McGirt sharing second on 275.
It was Snedeker’s third triumph in his past four attempts to win a US PGA event with a 54-hole lead, having also done so at Pebble Beach and last year’s Tour Championship. He also led the Masters after 54 holes but settled for a share of sixth.
Snedeker claimed the US$1 million top prize at Glen Abbey Golf Club after shooting a third-round 63 to take the lead following the departure of 36-hole leader Hunter Mahan, who withdrew to attend the birth of his first child – daughter Zoe was born early on Sunday morning.
Snedeker birdied the par-5 second hole and answered a bogey at the sixth with a biride at the par-3 seventh to stretch his lead to two strokes. After starting the back nine with a birdie, Snedeker was on 16-under and three strokes ahead.
But when Snedeker took a bogey at the par-3 12th, he opened the door for Johnson, who birdied the par-5 13th and 16th to grab a share of the lead.
Johnson’s title bid collapsed on the 17th, when he fired the ball out of bounds and then he left his fourth shot in a fairway bunker on the way to a triple-bogey seven that dumped him out of contention, even after a closing birdie at the par-5 18th.
From there, Snedeker added a birdie at 16 and parred the final two holes to secure the victory.
Americans Mark Wilson, John Merrick and Roberto Castro shared sixth on 276.
