Golfbet recap: Robert MacIntyre claims first TOUR win at RBC Canadian Open

Father's Day came early for Robert MacIntyre and his caddie at the RBC Canadian Open.

Having gone through a few different caddie changes since moving to the United States full-time last fall, MacIntyre, a Scotsman, called upon his father, Dougie, to fill in on the bag on short notice prior to teeing it up this week at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario.

And evidently, having Dad as his caddie was exactly the right call. MacIntyre shot a steady, 2-under par round of 68 on Sunday to win the RBC Canadian Open by one shot over Ben Griffin, capturing his first-ever PGA TOUR victory with a winning score of 16-under. At BetMGM Sportsbooks, MacIntyre was +8000 to win the event, pre-tournament.

Updated odds for Robert ManIntyre to win the RBC Canadian Open (via BetMGM)

• Pre-tournament: +8000
• After Round 1 (T4, trailed by 2): +1200
• After Round 2 (co-leader): +333
• After Round 3 (led by 4): +100

I, personally, was skeptical of MacIntyre's chances of converting a four-shot, 54-hole lead into a win. His approach play had been very poor all week. He came into Sunday's final round ranked 62nd in a field of 69-players, for Strokes Gained: Approach, and was 42nd in Greens in Regulation. He was holding everything together with a magical putter.

Outright pick results from Golfbet Experts

• Will Gray: Sahith Theegala (+2000) MC
• Ben Everill: Corey Conners (+2200) 6th
• Chris Breece: Alex Noren (+2500) MC
• Matt DelVecchio: Mackenzie Hughes (+4000) T7
• Rob Bolton: Rory McIlroy (+400) T4
• Mike Glasscott: Rory McIlroy (+400) T4

Starting his day in the final pairing at 14-under, MacIntyre bogeyed the first hole of the day while the chasers, Ryan Fox, and Griffin made birdie, cutting a four-shot lead in half after just one hole of action. Teeing off as an even money (+100) favorite, MacIntyre was now listed at +175 to earn his first-ever PGA TOUR victory. Local favorite, Mackenzie Hughes dipped to +400 after a birdie at No. 2, moving to 11-under par. Fox dropped to +550. Griffin went from the longest shot at the top of the leaderboard at +1400 overnight, down to +650.

Hughes added a birdie at No. 3 and was now one shot off the lead, trading at +275 to become the second straight Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open.

Rory McIlroy began the day seven shots off the pace. He was 4-under through his first six holes on Sunday to get to 11-under for the championship. He was now two shots off the pace and +450 to win his third RBC Canadian Open.

Hughes made his third birdie in a row a the par 5, fifth hole and was now tied for the lead at 13-under - and had become the favorite to win the tournament at +240. Not only would Hughes become the second straight Canadian to win his National Open after Nick Taylor, last year, became the first to do so in 69 years, but Hughes was also born and raised not far from the golf course right in Hamilton, Ontario.

Director of Race and Sports at The Borgata in New Jersey, Thomas Gable, said, "Anyone in the top-10 right now wouldn't be bad for us with the exception of Rory," when I asked him who the book was rooting for today. "Hughes or MacIntyre would be ideal," Gable added.

Back out in front now by one, MacIntyre rolled in a 10-foot putt for birdie at the seventh to take a two-shot lead over Hughes and Tom Kim, and three shots better than Fox, Griffin, Perez, and McIlroy.

Hughes found trouble at No. 9 and after another birdie at No. 8., MacIntyre moved to a -350 favorite with 10 holes left to play. He made the turn at -400 as the chasers began to fall back and were running low on holes left to catch the leader.

Things got interesting with four holes left to play for the final pairing when up ahead, Perez rolled in a birdie putt at No. 18 to shoot 64 and finish at 14-under, now just one shot off of MacIntyre's lead. That didn't last long though as MacIntyre knocked in a five-footer for birdie at No. 15 to move back out in front by two shots. He was now -1400 to get this deal closed out successfully.

MacIntyre faced yet another dicey situation when he settled for par on the par 5, 17th hole while his playing partner, Griffin, made birdie and was now one back at 15-under. MacIntyre had now dipped to just a -350 favorite with only the final hole left to play. But a seven-iron from 184-yards out to inside of 10-feet on the 72nd hole, removed all doubt.

While the putter did not remain white-hot during Sunday's round, the approach play improved drastically for MacIntyre. Ultimately, he finished in total for the four rounds, 29th in the field for SG: Off the Tee, 44th for SG: Approach, and kept his perch atop the rest, ranking No. 1 for SG: Putting, gaining an incredible 11.5 strokes on the field for the tournament.

It was McIlroy who caught and passed MacIntyre to win the Genesis Scottish Open last summer at the Renaissance Club in North Berwick. Today in Hamilton, Ontario, MacIntyre was able to keep McIlroy and all other chasers, at bay, with Dougie by his side. It was his father who taught him the game. Today it was the son who showed his father the results of all those past lessons.

Corey Conners, firing his best round ever in an RBC Canadian Open, a 5-under 65, took home the Rivermead Cup, which is awarded every year to the low Canadian in the field. Conners finished at 12-under, solo sixth.

The run of tremendous tournaments on the PGA TOUR continues next week in Dublin, Ohio at Muirfield Village. It is the Memorial Tournament presented by Workday and hosted by Jack Nicklaus. It is a Signature Event leading up to the U.S. Open the following week at Pinehurst. Scottie Scheffler is back in the field and will likely be a prohibitive favorite. Viktor Hovland is your defending champion, coming off of a third-place finish three weeks ago at the PGA Championship.

Rob Bolton Sleeper Picks and Golfbet Insider Results

• Davis Thompson to win (+5500) MC
• Erik van Rooyen Top 5 finish (+800) T42
• Kevin Yu Top 10 finish (+600) T42
• Brice Garnett Top 20 finish (+450) MC
• David Skinns Top 40 finish (+225) T21
• Sam Burns Top 20 finish (+125) T10
• Mackenzie Hughes Top 20 finish (+160) T7
• Aaron Rai Top 20 finish (+160) T14
• Nico Echavarria Top 40 finish (+225) MC
• PARLAY: Akshay Bhatia, Adam Hadwin and Erik van Rooyen All to Make the Cut (+225) MC/MC/T42
• Daniel Berger Top 20 finish (+275) MC
• Akshay Bhatia Top 10 finish (+375) T60
• Corey Conners Top Canadian (+300) 6th
• Myles Creighton Top 40 finish (+350) T57
• Justin Lower Top 40 finish (+150) MC
• Henrik Norlander Top 40 finish (+225) MC

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