Golf Canada – Mackenzie Hughes finishes at 10 under par to claim Rivermead Trophy as low Canadian Vegas becomes seventh back-to-back winner in RBC Canadian Open history

OAKVILLE, Ont. – Jhonattan Vegas won the 2017 RBC Canadian Open, to defend his 2016 title by defeating Charley Hoffman in a playoff to claim his third career PGA TOUR victory.

The Venezuelan made a birdie on the first playoff hole, the par-5 18th, to become the seventh RBC Canadian Open winner to successfully defend his title.

J. Douglas Edgar (1919-20), Leo Diegel (1924-25, 1928-29), Sam Snead (1940-1941), Jim Ferrier (1950-1951), and Jim Furyk (2006-07) have all accomplished the feat.

“Obviously repeating is a big thing for the confidence,” said Vegas. “Obviously I want to win more and bigger tournaments, and this is a great step forward.”

Vegas recorded his lowest round of the championship, firing a 7-under-par 65 in Sunday’s final round with just one bogey on the par-3 15th.

Coming into the week, Vegas had missed five consecutive cuts.

“Obviously coming after five missed cuts is never positive,” said Vegas. But I’ve been playing good golf the whole year; that I just had to stay cool and hopefully things will turn around, and I’m glad they did.”

Hoffman, from Rancho Santa Fe, Calif., was the 54-hole leader at 17 under par. He carded a 4-under-par 68 in Sunday’s final round.

This is the fifth time Hoffman has failed to convert a 54-hole lead into a victory.

“Yeah, it’s always tough after you don’t close the deal after having the lead but obviously got some big tournaments coming up,” said Hoffman. “The playoffs, a major championship, and obviously got some good momentum going into those.”

Hoffman’s previous best finish at the RBC Canadian Open was a T4 at St. Georges Golf and Country Club in 2010.

Englishman Ian Poulter charged up the leaderboard Sunday, carding an 8-under-par 64 to finish third at 20 under par in his first RBC Canadian Open appearance.

After a tumultuous start to his season in which he nearly lost his PGA TOUR card, Poulter now has two top-5 finishes in 2017.

“I’ve done everything I needed to do today. I played very solid. I gave myself lots of opportunities,” said Poulter after his round. “I’ve had a nice summer in Europe with the family and kids. Life’s all good.”

Gary Woodland of Topeka, Kans., finished fourth at 19 under par – his fifth top-10 of the season and best-ever finish at the RBC Canadian Open.

Dundas, Ont., native Mackenzie Hughes won the Rivermead Trophy as the low Canadian, finishing in a tie for 32nd at 10 under par in his first RBC Canadian Open as a professional.

Hughes finished strong with a 4-under-par 68 on Sunday to climb 23 spots after struggling with a 2 over par 74 in the third round.

“The week as a whole was a lot of fun,” said Hughes. “So many people out supporting me from Dundas and all over Canada. I could feel that support all the way around. All the Canadian fans listening, thank you for the support.”

Graham DeLaet from Weyburn, Sask., finished T48 at 8 under par, closing with a 1-under-par 71 on Sunday.

World No. 1 Dustin Johnson tried to make a charge after starting the day five shots back of Hoffman at 12 under par. The Jupiter, Fla., resident finished with a 5-under-par 67, ending tied for eighth.

“The golf game is moving in the right direction,” said Johnson. “I felt like I played really good every day this week. I hit really good putts. They just weren’t going in the hole.”

Click here to view the full leaderboard for the 2017 RBC Canadian Open.

CANADIANS AT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN 

• T32 Mackenzie Hughes – Dundas, Ont. – 67-69-74-68 -10
• T48 Graham DeLaet – Weyburn, Ont. – 68-68-73-71 -8
• — DID NOT ADVANCE —
• MC Nick Taylor – Abbotsford, B.C. – 69-72 -3
• MC David Hearn – Brantford, Ont. 69-72 -3
• MC Bryn Parry – Vancouver, B.C. 70-71 -3
• MC Drew Nesbitt – Shanty Bay, Ont. – 72-69 -3
• MC Hugo Bernard (a) – Mont-Saint-Hilaire, Que. – 71-70 -3 
• MC Austin James (a) – Bath, Ont. – 71-72 -1
• MC Adam Hadwin – Abbotsford, B.C. – 75-69 E
• MC Mike Weir – Brights Grove, Ont. – 72-73 +1
• MC Daniel Kim – Toronto, Ont. – 73-72 +1
• MC Riley Wheeldon – Comox, B.C. – 74-72 +2
• MC Matt Hill – Brights Grove, Ont. – 71-76 +3
• MC Brad Fritsch – Manotick, Ont. – 72-75 +3
• MC Jared du Toit – Kimberley, B.C. – 71-79 +6
• MC Ryan Williams – Surrey, Ont. – 78-77 +11
• MC Garrett Rank – Elmira, Ont. – 74-81 +11

INTERVIEW VIDEO, AUDIO AND TRANSCRIPTS FOR SUNDAY, JULY 30
Interview, audio and transcripts for the following players and events from Sunday, July 30 are available here and video is available here. Please note the videos are unedited, uncut and broadcast-quality.

• ​Mackenzie Hughes
• Graham DeLaet
• Dustin Johnson
• Ian Poulter
• Sam Saunders
• Charley Hoffman
• Brandon Hagy
• Jhonattan Vegas

2018 RBC CANADIAN OPEN TICKETS Grounds tickets for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open at Glen Abbey Golf Club, as well as a limited number of premium ticket packages are now available. Details regarding ticket packages and pricing are available online at www.rbccanadianopen.com. Golf Canada and RBC will once again offer FREE admission to juniors 17-and-under.

VOLUNTEER AT THE 2018 RBC CANADIAN OPEN Volunteer registration for the 2018 RBC Canadian Open is available online. Information regarding volunteer roles and committees can be found at www.rbccanadianopen.com.

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GOLF CANADA – LOVE THE GAME. GROW THE GAME.
Golf Canada is the National Sports Federation and governing body for golf in Canada representing 305,000 golfers and more than 1,400 member clubs across the country. A proud member of the Canadian Olympic Committee, Golf Canada’s mission is to grow participation, excellence and passion in the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. By investing in the growth of the sport and introducing more participants of all ages to the game, our goal is to be relevant to and respected by all Canadian golf enthusiasts from coast to coast. For more information about what Golf Canada is doing to support golf in your community, visit www.golfcanada.ca

ABOUT THE 2017 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
Part of the FedExCup, stars of the PGA TOUR will compete for $6 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 24-30, 2017 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont. Conducted by Golf Canada for more than a century, the RBC Canadian Open provides an opportunity for Canada’s top talents to compete against the world’s best golfers while also leaving a significant impact in the event’s host community. The RBC Canadian Open is proud to support Ronald McDonald House Charities Canada as the event’s official charity partner. Established in 1904, Canada’s national open golf championship is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Shaw, BMW Group Canada, Coors Light, ZTE, WestJet, Levelwear, Boston Pizza, Ballantine’s, Toronto Star, FootJoy, Coca-Cola, Metrolinx, Commissionaires, the Government of Canada, the Government of Ontario and Ontario 150. For tickets or tournament information, please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com or call 1-800-571-6736. Follow the RBC Canadian Open on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram

For all further inquiries, please contact:

Terry Lenyk
Communications Manager
Golf Canada
(c) 416-407-3893
(e) tlenyk@golfcanada.ca