Jhonattan Vegas of Venezuela won the 2011 Bob Hope Classic and big things were expected … but didn’t happen.
Five years later, Vegas shot 8-under-par 64 and won the RBC Canadian Open by one stroke over Dustin Johnson, Jon Rahm of Spain and Martin Laird of Scotland on Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, Canada.
“When I won in my second start, I thought it was going to be easy, but nothing is easy our here because the competition is so great,” said Vegas, who did not have his PGA Tour card at the beginning of this season but now has a two-year exemption.
“This is incredible, very emotional, and I am super excited. Maybe not having full status at the beginning of this year was good for me in a way because it made me work hard to get it back. Everything that comes with this win, I’m super blessed.”
The 31-year-old Vegas birdied five of the first six holes and then finished with three in a row, including a tap-in on the par-5 finishing hole.
Rahm, the rookie from Arizona State, barely missed a 10-foot eagle putt on the last hole and settled for a 67, which Laird matched, while the second-ranked Johnson eagled the 16th hole and birdied the 18th but fell barely short with a 68.
Ricky Barnes of Stockton closed with a 68 and was two shots back in a tie for fourth with Steve Wheatcroft and Alex Cejka of Germany, who both had 69s, and 54-hole leader Brandt Snedeker, who carded a 71.
Amateur Jared du Toit, trying to become the first Canadian to win the tournament since Pat Fletcher in 1954, recorded a 71 to tie for ninth with Geoff Ogivly, whose 63 was the low score of the day, Ben Crane, who totaled 67, and Matt Kuchar, who came in at 69.
Top-ranked and defending champion Jason Day of Australia closed with a 67 and tied for 14th.
