‘Our Story’ wins the third season of the FedEx Junior Business Challenge

HAMILTON, Ontario – On the first tee Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open, a fan tried to offer Rory McIlroy a Canadian $1 coin. As he was sipping a bottle of water, McIlroy dug into his pocket and pulled one out. He was already prepared. Related: Leaderboard | Winner’s bag | McDowell’s strong finish earns him spot in Open Championship “I’ve been marking my ball with a loonie all week, and it might have to cross the border and come with me,â€� said McIlroy with a laugh, who received the coin from a Canadian at an off-site event on Tuesday. “I said, ‘sure, why not? Every little bit helps.’â€� The ‘lucky loonie’ has a long history in Canadian sports, but Sunday at Hamilton Golf and Country Club, McIlroy didn’t need any luck. He was precise and surgical. He was impressive and composed. He had a bounce in his step, which wasn’t surprising, since he shot a 9-under 61. McIlroy won his 16th PGA TOUR title in dominating fashion, winning by seven shots over Shane Lowry and Webb Simpson. “I don’t know what golf Rory is playing today,â€� Lowry said, “but it was just incredible.â€� In the process, McIlroy shot his best four-day score ever on the PGA TOUR. He couldn’t help but think what could have been, however. McIlroy made five birdies on his front side for a 5-under 30 before adding four more on No’s 11-14. He bogeyed two of his final three holes, but sandwiched in an eagle on the par-5 17th for good measure. Had he birdied 18, he would have shot 59, something he’s never done. McIlroy once had a putt for 59 the week before the Masters in 2016 at the club he plays at in Florida, and he left it short. That came into his head when he hit his bunker shot on 18. He wished it was a putt for 59 and not a bunker shot, but at least, he said, he didn’t leave it short. “I had a chance to shoot 59. Sorry for being disappointed up here,â€� said McIlroy to laughs. “I played 17 wonderful holes. I was 10-under through 17 holes and I shot 4-under on the back nine with two bogeys, so that was pretty good too. “I’m playing well. I found a little groove and I want to keep it going.â€� His 61 was his lowest round on TOUR this season – by two shots (first round, WGC-Mexico) – and it came after missing the cut at the Memorial Tournament presented by Nationwide, his first missed cut of the season. He said he didn’t feel as though there was a huge gap between last week and this week, however. “That’s golf,â€� he said. “It’s something people don’t quite understand at this level. The margins are so fine and so small. It could have been, even last week, if I had made a couple extra birdies on the back nine I would have made the cut and I could have produced a weekend like this and won the tournament. “So, something like this is always around the corner.â€� McIlroy had the crowds firmly on his side all week, and said he’d be back in 2020 to defend his title, much to the delight of the Canadian faithful. He started his week watching the Toronto Raptors game last Sunday and said he was texting with star Kyle Lowry – who, McIlroy said, plays 36 holes a day during the off-season – about golf and the series. He ended the week wearing a Lowry jersey and hoisting the trophy. “I’ve been very fortunate to get a great reception all week. One of the cool things as well is that people are rowdy and chanting, but they know as soon as you go to hit the golf shot it’s deadly silent. They get it,â€� McIlroy said of the Canadian fans. “They were having fun and being loud but they still respected the traditions and values of the game. It was a perfect blend.â€� McIlroy said he played Sunday with a little more freedom than in weeks’ past when he had a chance to win, but ended up not bringing home the trophy. He moved to second on the FedExCup standings, and said his aggressive play Sunday paid off in a big way. His confidence grew all week, he said, and to have the freedom to swing away and be committed to what he was doing, was the difference. McIlroy had a little Canadian luck on his side, too.

Click here to read the full article…

The RBC Heritage returns to its traditional post-Masters spot on the schedule after serving as the second event in last year’s Return to Golf. While Dustin Johnson missed the cut at the Masters, the reigning FedExCup champion and South Carolina native will be headlining the field at Hilton Head. Webb Simpson is the defending champion. FIELD NOTES: Collin Morikawa looks to improve on his T64 finish at last year’s Heritage… Current FedExCup leader Bryson DeChambeau returns to Hilton Head after finishing T8 last season… Will Zalatoris, who was in the final group Saturday at the Masters, will make his RBC Heritage debut… In the absence of the RBC Canadian Open for the second consecutive year, Canadian Michael Gligic is among the sponsor exemptions… Other sponsor exemptions include former college standouts John Augenstein and Bryson Nimmer. Nimmer is from Bluffton, South Carolina – just minutes from Hilton Head – while Augenstein is a past champion of The Players Amateur, which is held annually in Bluffton… Each of the last eight winners at the RBC Heritage are back in the field for 2021, including two-time champion Jim Furyk… More notables teeing it up at Harbour Town include Patrick Cantlay, Tommy Fleetwood, Sergio Garcia, and Daniel Berger. FEDEXCUP: Winner receives 500 FedExCup points. COURSE: Harbour Town Golf Links, par 71, 7,121 yards. Located in South Carolina on Hilton Head Island, the Pete Dye/Jack Nicklaus collaboration has hosted the PGA TOUR since 1969 and puts a premium on driving accuracy. STORYLINES: Simpson broke a streak of four-straight first-time TOUR winners at Harbour Town, setting a tournament record to earn his second win of the season. He is now looking to become the first back-to-back champ at the RBC Heritage since Boo Weekley in 2007 and 2008… The event’s capacity is 20% of a typical year. Tournament organizers announced tickets for the week are sold out… Five out of the last 11 RBC Heritages have gone into a playoff, with only two of the events over the last decade won by more than one stroke… Thirty-seven golfers are scheduled to make the trek from Augusta National to Hilton Head. 72-HOLE RECORD: 262, Webb Simpson (2020) 18-HOLE RECORD: 61, David Frost (2nd round, 1994), Troy Merritt (2nd round, 2015). LAST TIME: The event, moved from April to June during the TOUR’s pause on account of the COVID-19 pandemic, saw Webb Simpson capture his seventh PGA TOUR title, in record-setting fashion at that. Simpson’s 22-under 262 set the scoring record at the Heritage. He shot a 7-under 64 in Sunday’s final round to win by one over Abraham Ancer, who was tied with Simpson after 54 holes. Daniel Berger and Tyrrell Hatton finished two shots back at 20 under and were T3. Sergio Garcia and Joaquin Niemann rounded out the top five. HOW TO FOLLOW Television: Thursday, 11 a.m.-3 p.m. ET (Golf Channel/PGA Tour Live Freeview). Thursday-Friday, 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Golf Channel). Saturday-Sunday, 1 p.m.-3 p.m. (Golf Channel), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (CBS) PGA TOUR LIVE: Thursday-Friday, 7 a.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Groups), Saturday-Sunday, 8 a.m.-3 p.m. (Featured Groups), 3 p.m.-6 p.m. (Featured Holes) Radio: Thursday-Friday, 12 p.m.-6 p.m. Saturday-Sunday 1 p.m.-6 p.m. (PGA TOUR Radio on SiriusXM and PGATOUR.com/liveaudio). TOURCast: Get shot-by-shot info in real time with shot tracks and video with TOURCast. TOUR Pulse: Get the PGA TOUR app to utilize TOUR Pulse, which provides users the ability to experience a mix of content, such as video highlights, written hole summaries and stat graphics on every player after every hole they complete.

Click here to read the full article…

Click here to read the full article…