Erik van Rooyen held on to his spot in next week’s PGA Tour Signature Event by the skin of his teeth on Sunday as he finished the RBC Canadian Open in a share of 42nd with a closing two-over-par 72.
It was a frustrating day for Van Rooyen after he had opened the tournament so promisingly with a four-under-par 66. Successive rounds of level-par 70 in the second and third rounds had him handily placed going into the final round, but he was able to make only two birdies on the front nine to go with his four bogeys.
In the end, his two-under-par tournament total meant he was projected to slip one spot to 49th on the FedExCup rankings, just inside the top 50 who get into the Memorial this week.
He was some way back from the emotional victory of Scotland’s Robert MacIntyre, who closed with a two-under-par 68 to card 16-under for the week. That was one stroke clear of American Ben Griffin, with France’s Victor Perez in third on 14-under. Rory McIlroy was one of three other players who matched Perez’s closing six-under 64, and he was in a share of fourth on 13-under.
The leading Canadian was Corey Conners, who overhauled Mackenzie Hughes with his closing 65 giving him sixth. Hughes was in a share of seventh.
Garrick Higgo matched Van Rooyen’s finishing position with a closing level-par 70.
The 27-year-old Scottish left-hander MacIntyre, with father Dougie at his side as his caddie, two-putted for par from 12 feet on the par-four 18th, holing out from one-and-a-half feet.
