Spieth’s quadruple bogey leads to an early exit

HAMILTON, Ontario – A dream came true for Graeme McDowell on Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open, as he earned a spot in the 2019 Open Championship in his hometown at Royal Portrush. Related: Leaderboard | McIlroy shoots final-round 61 “I think I had reasonable belief in myself that I was going to be able to take care of it one of these weeks. Obviously as the pressure started to build, it was going to be more difficult as it went along,â€� he admitted. “Obviously very proud to have got one of the Open Championship spots and get that little monkey off my back and let me go and play some golf the next few weeks.â€� McDowell said earlier in the week he had accepted his fate as it pertained to The Open. If he played well, he said, he’d be in. If he didn’t, he’d be OK. He didn’t have to worry. After a 2-under 68 Sunday at the RBC Canadian Open, part of The Open Qualifying Series, he’s in – along with Canadian Adam Hadwin, who also earned a qualifying spot after finishing sixth. McDowell, who said he’s played Royal Portrush between 300-500 times, didn’t make qualifying easy on himself. He flared his approach on the par-4 18th – playing as the most difficult hole of the day – and ended up in the long rough near a bunker. He chipped it on, but had just over 29 feet for par. It was a curling, difficult putt – a “1-in-10,â€� McDowell said – but he drained it, and dropped to his knees in celebration. “The putt was not makeable, no. The putt had 12 feet of break on it,â€� said McDowell. “It was a ridiculously tough putt to make. Just fancied it, I saw it, liked the way it looked, and when I saw it go in it was a huge relief.â€� McDowell won his first PGA TOUR title in four years at the Puntacana Resort & Club Championship, but the victory didn’t guarantee a spot in The Open. He was near the top of the leaderboard after the first round of the Arnold Palmer Invitational presented by Mastercard, another tournament in The Open Qualifying Series, but faded. He opened with a 5-under 65 this week at Hamilton Golf and Country Club – a course, he said, that fit his game – and backed that up with rounds of 67-70-68 to finish T-8, his fourth top-10 of the year. He knew he was trying to contend Sunday, but he couldn’t shake the thought of getting into The Open. “You’re out there playing for a lot of FedExCup Cup points,â€� he said, “and all I can focus on is trying to get exempt for The Open Championship. I might go to Portrush and miss the cut and think, ‘what was all that about?’â€� McDowell, who admitted he’s just excited to have the freedom to play well over the next few weeks, including at the U.S. Open at Pebble Beach – where he won in 2010 – to get ready for a big week in his hometown. Although that is still weeks away, he was already feeling the hometown love this week in Canada. “There are lots of Northern Irish people here. It’s a unique part of the world. Lots of Irish support, and people are always really nice to me up here,â€� he said. “Certainly enjoyed my week.â€� And now, he has another special week to look forward to in July.

Click here to read the full article…

Justin Thomas and Tony Romo shot 1-under 71 to finish seven shots off the Safeway Open pro-am lead. Phil Mickelson and Stephen Curry shot a 5-under 67.

Click here to read the full article…

PALM HARBOR, Fla. — Matthew NeSmith tied the Copperhead course record at Innisbrook with a 10-under 61 and set the tournament record for 36 holes in building a two-shot lead going into the weekend at the Valspar Championship. RELATED: Leaderboard | Justin Thomas determined to return to winner’s circle at Valspar Championship Scoring has been low all week after rain softened the course and the wind has been minimal. Even so, no one had posted better than 64 until NeSmith put together the round that was more than nine shots better than the average. He had eagle putts on three of four par 5s, making an 8-footer on the par-5 14th. He shot 30 on the front nine, and his 18-foot birdie putt on his final hole at No. 9 burned the edge of the cup. The 61 tied the course set by Padraig Harrington in 2012. NeSmith was at 14-under 128, breaking by two shots the 36-hole record at the Valspar Championship that Sam Burns and Keegan Bradley set a year ago. Adam Hadwin of Canada, whose lone PGA TOUR victory was five years ago at Innisbrook, had a 66 and was two shots behind. Burns remained in the hunt in the title defense of his first PGA TOUR victory. He recovered from a rugged start to post a 67 and was three shots behind with Scott Stallings (66). Justin Thomas was four behind. NeSmith only missed one fairway and two greens, and the only stress he was under came on the par-4 second hole, his 11th of the day, when he had to make an 8-foot par putt to avoid a three-putt from 50 feet. His bonus came two holes later by making a 40-footer on the par-3 fourth. Two days around the Copperhead course has created very little stress for Hadwin, with his game and between the ears. He has been patient about when to attack and relied on confidence in his putting stroke to pile up the birdies and one big par. He was out of position on the seventh hole in the right bunker when he made a 15-foot putt to escape with par. On the par-3 eighth, he made a 20-foot birdie and before long was on his way. “The par putt on 7 was a big one to get me going,” Hadwin said. “I hit some good putts previously but didn’t get any out of it. They started to find the center after that.” Thomas was right alongside him most of the morning, running off four birdies in a five-hole stretch along the back nine. He took care of both par 5s on the front nine and was at 12 under when he attempted one shot he would like to have back. Blocked by a tree in the rough, Thomas thought he could get enough spin on his ball to hook it toward the green with a 52-degree wedge. It just didn’t work out that way. He missed well to the right by some 30 yards, put it into a bunker between him and the green and took double bogey. He had to settle for another 66, a good effort over 36 holes, and a reminder to not take on too much, especially in the early rounds. “I should have just tried to hit it in the front bunker and it was a pretty easy up-and-down,” Thomas said. “As soft as the greens are, I was like, ‘If I can get this thing turning and landing around there, I can actually have a putt at this.’ As good as I felt with my putter, I felt like if I got it on the green, I could make a 3. But it wasn’t necessary. It just didn’t really need to happen.”

Click here to read the full article…