Tim Clark Wins RBC Canadian Open

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Tim Clark of South Africa is the 2014 RBC Canadian Open Champion
Tim Clark of South Africa is the 2014 RBC Canadian Open Champion

Tim Clark of South Africa is the 2014 RBC Canadian Open Champion
Tim Clark of South Africa is the 2014 RBC Canadian Open Champion
MONTREAL – SPORTS – The 2014 RBC Canadian Open was won by Tim Clark. Clark, who entered the final round of the RBC Canadian Open trailing Jim Furyk by three strokes, stumbled out of the gate with a bogey on the opening hole to fall four shots back. He rebounded with birdies on Nos. 6, 11, 12, 14, 15 and 17 (including a sensational 5-under 30 on the back nine) to post a final-round 5-under 65, good for a one-stroke victory over Furyk.

Clark’s only other PGA TOUR title came at THE PLAYERS Championship in 2010, which also included a three- stroke come-from-behind win.
Due to the threat of inclement weather, the final round consisted of threesomes off of split tees from 8:00 – 10:00
a. m. A dangerous weather situation led to a 25-minute delay to the start of the round, pushing the beginning of play to 8:25 a.m. Play was suspended again due to inclement weather at 2:19 p.m., resuming at 2:46 p.m.

The 2014 RBC Canadian Open marks the 16th event this season with a weather-related suspension/delay. Preferred lies were utilized in the final round.
Final-Round Leaderboard
Tim Clark 67-67-64-65—263 (-17)
Jim Furyk 67-63-65-69—264 (-16)
Justin Hicks 66-67-70-64—267 (-13)

Tim Clark
Tim Clark records his second PGA TOUR victory (2010 PLAYERS Championship) in his 284th start at the age of 38 years, 7 months and 10 days.

Clark wins in his 78th start since his last victory at the 2010 PLAYERS Championship. The win comes exactly 200 weeks since that win.

Clark collects 500 points and moves from No. 85 to No. 27 in the FedExCup standings.

Clark extends his fully-exempt status on the PGA TOUR through the 2015-16 season. As a result of his win Sunday, he gains entry into next week’s World Golf Championship-Bridgestone Invitational.

Lowest winning scores at the RBC Canadian Open:

263 – Johnny Palmer (1952), Scott Piercy (2012), Tim Clark (2014)
265 – Arnold Palmer (1955)
266 – Tiger Woods (2000), Scott Verplank (2001), Jim Furyk (2006), Carl Pettersson (2010)

Clark becomes the fourth South African winner of the RBC Canadian Open, joining Bobby Locke (1947), Nick Price (1991, 1994) and David Frost (1993).

Clark becomes the 12th international winner on TOUR this season, recording the 13th win by that group. He joins Jason Day, John Senden, Steven Bowditch, Matt Jones, Seung-Yul Noh, Martin Kaymer (2), Adam Scott, Hideki Matsuyama, Justin Rose, Angel Cabrera and Rory McIlroy.

Clark at the RBC Canadian Open: 2002 (MC), 2010 (T4), 2012 (T15), 2014 (Won).

Clark becomes the 15th player in his 30s to win on TOUR this season, recording the 18th win by that group. By comparison, 15 players in their 20s have won (17 wins) and two in their 40s (John Senden, Angel Cabrera).

Clark records the fifth come-from-behind victory in the last six years at the RBC Canadian Open. Clark records the 18th come-from-behind victory in 36 events this season.
Clark ended the week with just two bogeys (No. 3 in round two and No. 1 in round four).

Clark’s caddie this week was Jay Haas, Jr., formerly on the bag of his brother and 2011 FedExCup champion, Bill.

The win is the 53rd top-10 and 116th top-25 finish of Clark’s career. This week marked his 198th made cut in 284 starts.

Clark posted his first professional victories on PGA TOUR Canada in 1998 at the 1998 New Brunswick Open and Canadian PGA Championship.

Clark posted the 12th runner-up finish of his career earlier this season at the 2013 McGladrey Classic, giving him at least one runner-up finish for 10 consecutive seasons on the PGA TOUR, dating to 2005.

In 21 starts this season, Clark now has three top-10 finishes (1st-RBC Canadian Open, T2-McGladrey Classic, T5-John Deere Classic).

Clark’s season starts-made cuts-top-10s-wins: 21-11-3-1

Clark’s Statistics for the Week:
Category
Figures/Percentage
Rank
Driving Accuracy 47 of 56 (83.9 percent) 1
Driving Distance Greens in Regulation Sand Saves
Strokes Gained – Putting 266.8 yards
52 of 72 (72.2 percent)
7 of 7
+1.621/round 71
T4 T1 2

About Tim Clark
Birthdate: December 17, 1975 Birthplace: Durban, South Africa Residence: Scottsdale, Arizona
Family: Wife, Candice; Jack (4/1/11), Gabriella (12/12/13) Height, Weight: 5-7, 165
Education: North Carolina State University Turned Pro: 1998
Joined TOUR: 2001
Web.com Tour Graduate (2000)

Jim Furyk
Jim Furyk entered the final round with a three-stroke lead over Tim Clark, but a 1-under 69 left him one stroke behind champion Tim Clark. He moves from No. 14 to No. 5 in the FedExCup.

The runner-up finish for Furyk is his third of the season (Wells Fargo Championship, THE PLAYERS Championship, RBC Canadian Open) and 28th of his career. He is in search of his 17th PGA TOUR title and first
since the 2010 TOUR Championship by Coca-Cola, which led to him winning the FedExCup. Furyk’s week included a second-round 63, tying the Royal Montreal Golf Club course record.
Furyk was attempting to become the fourth straight RBC Golf Ambassador to win RBC-sponsored TOUR events: 2013 RBC Heritage Graeme McDowell
2013 RBC Canadian Open Brandt Snedeker 2014 RBC Heritage Matt Kuchar

Furyk (2006, 2007), was seeking to become the fourth three-time winner of the RBC Canadian Open (Tommy Armour, Sam Snead and Lee Trevino). Leo Diegel (1924, 1925, 1928, 1929) is the only four-time winner.

Furyk is winless in his last seven attempts with the 54-hole lead/co-lead: 2014 RBC Canadian Open 2
2013 BMW Championship 3
2013 PGA Championship 2
2012 Valspar Championship P2 2012 U.S. Open T4
2012 WGC Bridgestone T2
2012 McGladrey Classic 3

Furyk has won 10 of 26 times when carrying the lead into the final round on the PGA TOUR.

Lowest score by a non-winner at the RBC Canadian Open: 264 (Jim Furyk/2014, Robert Garrigus/2012, William McGirt/2012).

Furyk made his 12th RBC Canadian Open start this week, with wins in 2005 and 2006, a runner-up finish in 2014 and T9 in 2013 representing his four top-10 finishes.

Furyk lost a three-stroke lead Sunday. By comparison, the largest lead lost after 54 holes at the RBC Canadian Open is five shots by Sam Snead in 1969.

Graham DeLaet
Graham DeLaet finished T7 to earn the Rivermead Cup, given annually to the low-Canadian finisher. DeLaet’s finish is the best by a Canadian at the RBC Canadian Open since Adam Hadwin’s T4 finish in 2011.

DeLaet (T7) records his best finish in six starts at the RBC Canadian Open. His previous-best effort was a T46 in 2009, when he was in the midst of his final season on PGA TOUR Canada. DeLaet now owns seven top-10 finishes on TOUR this season, equaling his career-high from 2013. He is No. 26 in the FedExCup.

The last Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954. This year marked the 60 year anniversary of that win. In 2004, Mike Weir lost in a playoff to Vijay Singh in the 50 year anniversary of Fletcher’s win. After his playing days Fletcher was the Head Professional at Royal Montreal Golf Club.

Canadians who made the cut this week: Graham DeLaet (T7), Brad Fritsch (T9), Taylor Pendrith/a (T43), David Hearn (T53), Adam Hadwin (T53), Mike Weir (T66).

Dicky Pride
Dicky Pride equaled the Royal Montreal Golf Club’s course record with a 7-under 63, just one shy of the all-time best final-round score at the RBC Canadian Open (62/Andy Bean/1983). Pride’s round matches 63 by Jim Furyk (2014), Graham DeLaet (2014), Scott Verplank (2001) and Canadian David Morland IV (2001).

The 63 equals Pride’s career-low round on TOUR (R4/2006 U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee, R3/2009
U.S. Bank Championship in Milwaukee).

The T7 finish this week marks Pride’s first top 10 since the 2013 Barracuda Championship (T5). He entered the week having missed the cut in nine of his last 11 starts on TOUR.

Additional Player Notes
Justin Hicks equaled his career-low round on the PGA TOUR with a 6-under 64. His third-place finish is just his third top 10 in 79 PGA TOUR starts (2014 RBC Canadian Open-3rd, 2013 OHL Classic at Mayakoba-T6, 2013 FedEx St. Jude Classic-T7).

2014 RBC Heritage champion and RBC Ambassador Matt Kuchar posted his second 5-under 65 of the week (R2, R4) to finish T4. It is his third top-4 finish in eight starts at the RBC Canadian Open (T2-2013, T4-2014, T4- 2010).

2013 Web.com Tour Player of the Year Michael Putnam finished T4, just his second top-10 finish in 88 PGA TOUR starts (T4-2004 Buick Championship).

Making his 20th start of the season, Gonzalo Fernandez-Castano finished T4 for his first top 10 of the season.

Kevin Kisner equaled his career-low round on the PGA TOUR, closing with a 64 to finish T9. He also carded a final-round 64 in his last start, finishing T20 at the John Deere Classic. Kisner’s only other 64 came during the second round of the 2011 Sanderson Farms Championship.

Brad Fritsch (T9) carded a final-round 6-under 64, falling just one shy of his career-low round on the PGA TOUR, set during round three just two weeks ago at the John Deere Classic. In 45 PGA TOUR starts, Fritsch’s only top- 10 finishes came at the Farmers Insurance Open (2013, 2014). His previous-best finish in seven starts at the RBC Canadian Open was T71 in 2011.

Graeme McDowell (T9) joined Jim Furyk (2), Matt Kuchar (T4) and Graham DeLaet (T7) as Team RBC members in the top 10 this week.

Defending champion Brandt Snedeker finished T25. The last player to successfully defend the RBC Canadian Open title was Jim Furyk (2006-2007).

Golf Canada National Amateur Team member Taylor Pendrith finished T43. Amateurs to make the cut in the past 10 RBC Canadian Opens include Pendrith (T43/2014), Albin Choi (T73/2012), Patrick Cantlay (T9/2011), Nick Taylor (T53/2008), Richard Scott T68/2006), Victor Ciesielski (T72/2006).

PGA TOUR Canada Order of Merit leader Joel Dahmen finished T53. He returned to PGA TOUR Canada in 2011 with a clean bill of health after overcoming testicular cancer.

Miscellaneous Notes
A total of 35 players have qualified for the FedExCup Playoffs in all seven years of the FedExCup. There were seven players in the RBC Canadian Open field that have advanced to the FedExCup Playoffs every season (2007-2013) that entered the week ranked outside the top 125. Here’s how they fared this week;
Player FEC Rank pre-RBC RBC finish FEC Rank post-RBC
Charlie Wi No. 155 T29 No. 145
Nick Watney No. 134 T12 No. 124
J.J. Henry No. 136 T43 No. 132
Geoff Ogilvy No. 158 T34 No. 151
John Merrick No. 132 MC No. 136
Brian Gay No. 127 MC No. 130
John Rollins No. 161 MC No. 164

Six past RBC Canadian Open champions made the cut: Jim Furyk (2), Brandt Snedeker (T25), Scott Piercy (T25), Vijay Singh (T43), Nathan Green (T53), Sean O’Hair (T62).

Bogey-free rounds:
R1: Tim Petrovic (64), Michael Putnam (64), Joel Dahmen (66), Tim Clark (67), Daniel Chopra (68).
R2: Jim Furyk (63), Jamie Lovemark (64), Graeme McDowell (65), Scott Piercy (65), Roberto Castro (67), Kyle Stanley (67).
R3: Tim Clark (64), Jim Furyk (65), Brad Fritsch (67), Josh Teater (68)
R4: Dicky Pride (63), Brad Fritsch (64), Kevin Kisner (64), Ben Crane (65), Ben Curtis (65), Robert Allenby (66),
Steve Marino (67), Martin Laird (68), K.J. Choi (69).

The par-4 fourth hole played the most difficult this week, with an average of 4.270. The easiest was the par-5 12th hole, with an average of 4.609.

Scoring Averages: Front Back Total Cumulative
R1: 34.917 35.282 70.199 —
R2: 35.288 35.281 70.569 70.382
R3: 34.466 35.466 69.932 70.296
R4: 34.096 34.575 68.671 70.035Notes created by: John Bush, PGA TOUR Media Official

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