Rory McIlroy Out of Competition at the RBC Canadian Open
Masters champion Rory McIlroy had a disappointing performance at the RBC Canadian Open, missing the cut with his second-highest score relative to par in any PGA Tour round of his career.
Cameron Champ took the lead in the event prior to the US Open.McIlroy closed on Friday with a 78, with a quadruple bogey on the 5th hole. He had a double bogey on the 11th hole, four bogeys, and two birdies.
“Of course I’m concerned. You don’t want to shoot high scores like the one I shot today. I still felt like I came here obviously with a new driver thinking that was going to be good and solve some of the problems off the tee, but it didn’t.”
Rory McIlroy
This is the fifth time McIlroy has recorded a round of 8 over par and is only behind the 80 he shot in the opening round of the 2018 US Open. It’s his highest score in any PGA Tour round that isn’t a major.
With a total of 9 over par, the two-time Canadian Open winner finished 21 strokes behind Champ at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley course, softened by the rain. He missed the cut by 12 strokes and will not play on the weekend in a non-major tour event for the first time since the 2023 Players Championship.
Champ carded four birdies in a 68 in the morning, a day after starting with a 62. He was at 12 under par, playing the first 36 holes without a bogey.“Obviously, going to Oakmont next week, the thing you need to do most there is hit the fairways,” McIlroy said. “I’m still searching for the missing piece off the tee.”
Rory McIlroy
“It firmed up a little bit, but pretty similar to yesterday,” Champ said. “I feel like the fairways were firming up a little bit. The greens a little bit, but very similar to how they were yesterday.”
Cameron Champ
The three-time PGA Tour winner earned one of the final spots in the field after being the eighth alternate on Friday when commitments closed.
“I definitely didn’t think I was going to get in,” Champ said.
Cameron Champ
Andrew Putnam was second after a bogey-free 62 on the course hosting the event for the first time.
“I hit a lot of fairways, I also hit a lot of good iron shots and my putter was on fire,” Putnam said. “I did almost everything well. I didn’t really make many mistakes.”
Andrew Putnam
Thorbjorn Olesen of Denmark, tied for the lead in the first round with Cristobal Del Solar after a 61, had a 70 to fall into a tie for third place with Canadians Richard Lee (64) and Nick Taylor (65) and Frenchman Victor Perez (65).
Taylor won the 2023 event in Oakdale.Del Solar was at 8 under par after a 71. Shane Lowry (68) was also at 8 under par with Ryan Fox (66), Jake Knapp (69), Sam Burns (66), and Matteo Manassero (65).“I stayed steady,” Taylor said. “Making birdie at the end was important to finish the day well.”
Nick Taylor
