Golf: McIlroy charges but Clark clings to Canadian Open lead

TORONTO, Canada -- Rory McIlroy charged into contention but American Wyndham Clark fired a level par 70 to maintain a one-stroke lead after Friday's second round of the US PGA Tour's Canadian Open.

World number 293 Clark, who led by one stroke after day one, made bogeys on two of the last four holes to stand on seven-under 133 after 36 holes at St George's Golf and Country Club in suburban Toronto.

"Overall I played really good. I felt really confident with my game," Clark said. "I had some little mishaps coming in, but other than that I played some great golf for 36 holes. If I do that again, I'll have a great chance come Sunday."

Northern Ireland's eighth-ranked McIlroy –- the 2019 winner and defending champion after Covid-19 caused a two-year hiatus -- birdied two of the last four holes to shoot 68 and share second on 134 with England's Matthew Fitzpatrick and Americans Keith Mitchell, Jim Knous and Alex Smalley.

Four-time major winner McIlroy sank an eight-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th and rolled in a 23-foot birdie putt at 17 before parring the last with a clutch four-foot putt.

"Overall it was a good score," McIlroy said. "I scrambled well when I needed to. I didn't really take advantage of how well I hit it off the tee. But overall I felt a couple under was a fair reflection of how the day went."

Fitzpatrick, ranked 17th, led by two but made double bogey at the 14th and bogeys on the last three holes.

"Just didn't hole the putts I needed to on the last three," Fitzpatrick said. "Just pathetic. Yeah, just pathetic finish really with the putter.

"Disappointing finish, but definitely not out of it."

The seven-time DP World Tour winner seeks her first PGA victory after sharing fifth at last month's PGA Championship for his best major finish.

Clark, 28, chases his first US PGA victory as well, his best finish a runner-up effort at the 2020 Bermuda Championship.

Clark hit only eight greens in regulation, but backed his "great" short game and putting.

- 'Pretty awesome' finish -

Fitzpatrick reeled off three birdies in a row thanks to five-foot putts at the par-5 ninth and par-5 11th sandwiched around a 15-footer at the par-4 10th, reaching 10-under par.

But Fitzpatrick needed four shots to reach the fringe at the par-4 14th on the way to a double bogey, then followed an 11-foot birdie putt at the par-5 15th with three bogeys.

His troubles left the lead to Clark, who made birdie putts from just inside five feet at the par-3 eighth and 11, but missed the green at 12 and made his first bogey of the week.

Clark knocked in a nine-footer from the fringe to birdie the par-4 14th, but then fell back with back-to-back bogeys, sinking a nine-foot bogey putt at 15 but missing a par putt half as long at the par-3 16th.

At 18, Clark had a "semi-plugged" bunker lie but popped out to four feet and saved par to keep the lead.

"I would love to say I was trying to do what I did," Clark said. "It was definitely the best save I've had of the year. It was pretty awesome."

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Cantlay edges DeChambeau in epic playoff for BMW Championship crown

WASHINGTON -- Patrick Cantlay drained a 17-foot birdie putt at the sixth playoff hole on Sunday to deny Bryson DeChambeau and win the US PGA Tour BMW Championship.

Cantlay secured his fifth Tour title -- and his third of the year -- when DeChambeau was unable to get his own eight-foot birdie attempt to drop, an agonizing defeat for a player who had looks at potential tournament-winning putts at the 72nd hole and first three playoff holes.

The last-group playing partners started the day tied for the lead and carded six-under par 66s to finish on 27-under 261 -- four strokes in front of South Korean Im Sung-jae.

The victory in the second of three PGA Tour playoff events sends Cantlay into the concluding Tour Championship atop the playoff standings and in pole position to claim the FedEx Cup top prize of $15 million.

Cantlay rolled in a 21-foot birdie putt at the 72nd hole to pull even, piling the pressure on DeChambeau who couldn't get his 12-foot birdie attempt for the win to drop.

DeChambeau had taken a one-shot lead with a birdie at the par-five 16th, and appeared to be in full control when Cantlay hit his tee shot into the water at the par-three 17th.

But both players ended up with bogey there, Cantlay making a clutch eight-footer to limit the damage as DeChambeau's poor chip from the greenside rough left him a 10-footer for par that he missed.

The two had been neck-and-neck all day, DeChambeau using his long-hitting aggressive style and Cantlay a more methodical approach.

DeChambeau had three birdies on the front nine while Cantlay had four birdies and a bogey as they made the turn tied for the lead at 24-under par.

DeChambeau edged ahead with three birdies in a row at the 10th, 11th and 12th, bombing a 332-yard drive at the 11th and making a five-footer for birdie before rattling in a 10-footer at the par-five 12th.

That kept his nose in front even as Cantlay birdied 11 and 12, but Cantlay pulled level with a 21-foot birdie at the 14th.

A 340-yard drive in the fairway at the par-five 16th set DeChambeau up for another birdie, but Cantlay just wouldn't go away.

Both were in the fairway at the first playoff hole, the 18th, DeChambeau yards ahead. Cantlay's second shot put him in deep greenside rough as DeChambeau was on the green in two. But Cantlay's chip kissed the cup and holed a five-footer coming back for par.

DeChambeau couldn't get his long birdie attempt to fall, making his two-footer to send it to the second extra hole.

They returned to the 18th where DeChambeau again had a golden opportunity to seal the win but couldn't do so.

Cantlay's poor approach left him a lengthy birdie try that came up seven feet short.

- Kissed the cup -

After he rolled in his par putt, DeChambeau stepped up for his six-foot birdie attempt and watched in disbelief as it kissed the edge of the cup and rolled two feet past.

DeChambeau had another chance to put it away at the third playoff hole, the par-three 17th. But after Cantlay two-putted for par from 24 feet DeChambeau saw his own 17-footer lip out.

DeChambeau was in trouble at the fourth playoff hole, hitting his tee shot into the stream that winds up the right side of the 18th hole as Cantlay again found the fairway.

But he stuck his third shot five feet from the pin and after Cantlay could only two-putt for par from 22 feet DeChambeau made his par-saving effort to extend the playoff.

Both then birdied the fifth playoff hole, the 17th, and returned again to 18, where DeChambeau shook off his earlier error with a booming drive up the middle of the fairway.

But Cantlay also reached the green in two, and rammed in a 17-foot birdie putt that was good for the victory when DeChambeau missed his own eight-foot birdie attempt.

Agence France-Presse

Golf: Eagles lift Koepka to PGA Phoenix Open victory

LOS ANGELES -- Four-time major winner Brooks Koepka grabbed two eagles -- including a chip-in at the 17th hole -- to win the Phoenix Open for his first US PGA Tour title since 2019.

Koepka returned to the winner's circle at the same TPC Scottsdale course where he won the first of his eight US PGA Tour titles back in 2015, posting a six-under par 65 for a 19-under total of 265.

He finished one stroke in front of South Korean Lee Kyoung-hoon, who carded a 68, and American Xander Schauffele, who shared the overnight lead but settled for an even-par 71 and his eighth runner-up finish since his last win in January of 2019.

Koepka, who rose to number one in the world on the strength of four major titles over 2017, 2018 and 2019, battled through a 2020 season disrupted not only by the coronavirus pandemic but als by nagging knee and hip injuries that prevented him from playing the PGA Tour playoffs and the delayed US Open at Winged Foot in September.

"It has been a wild ride for the last year and a half and very frustrating," said Koepka, an often taciturn competitor who acknowledged he'd had some "dark moments."

"I've had moments where I didn't know if I was going to be the same, if I could even come back," he said.

Although he hadn't scored well in two prior 2021 starts, Koepka said he felt his game was coming around.

He put himself in striking distance of 54-hole leaders Schauffele and Jordan Spieth with four birdies to close his third round, and bounced back from a bogey at the 12th on Sunday with his first eagle of the day -- a 24-footer at the third.

Birdies at 13, 14 and 15 put him in a tie for the lead at 17-under.

And he leaped to the top of the board with his eagle at the short par-four 17th, where his chip from 97 feet out took a couple of hops and rolled into the center of the cup.

"I felt like the chip, if I just caught it right in the fringe it was going to check up on me, and it did perfectly.

"Took a nice little right kick for me, and didn't look anywhere else but the hole.

"Hell of a week," added Koepka, who like all in the field relished the presence of 5,000 fans a day -- the most at a PGA Tour event since the coronavirus pandemic exploded.

It was a far cry from the norm for a tournament that usually attracts some 700,000 over the course of the week, but it was enough for Koepka to enjoy a rousing cheer when his eagle landed at 17.

"I've missed fans," Koepka said. "Just being around fans is something else. I love it."

- Lee learned a lot -

Lee had four birdies with one bogey in his three-under round, but left himself a 33-footer at 18 to try to match Koepka and force a playoff.

He couldn't get it to drop, but said he'll take away plenty of positives from his week.

"I learned a lot of things this week," he said. "Hopefully another week when I get a chance I will win after that."

Spieth and Schauffele started the day sharing a three-shot lead but neither could end his dry spell.

Schauffele had two bogeys before his first birdie at the ninth. He birdied 15 and 16 but found the water at 17 on the way to a bogey so his closing birdie left him one back.

Spieth, who hasn't won since capturing his third major title at the 2017 British Open, couldn't match the third-round 61 that thrust him to the top of the leaderboard.

He carded a one-over 72 that left him sharing fourth on 17-under with Mexico's Carlos Ortiz and US Ryder Cup captain Steve Stricker, who at 53 was trying to break Sam Snead's record as the oldest player to win a PGA Tour title.

Agence France-Presse