Rory McIlroy unable to overcome seven-shot deficit Sunday, encouraged by T4 finish at RBC Canadian Open

World No. 3 Rory McIlroy came up just short of his third RBC Canadian Open title after starting the final round seven shots back of the lead Sunday at Hamilton Golf & Country Club in Hamilton, Ontario. McIlroy opened the tournament with rounds of 66-72-65 before making his Sunday charge.

“Three really good rounds of golf, one not-so-good one," McIlroy said. "Felt a little out of sorts on Friday.

“Did a good range session and sort of rectified it. So, yeah, overall, three rounds out of four were really good, and just that one disappointing one on Friday. But overall after a week off where I didn't feel like I prepared as well as I probably could have, it was a solid week."

McIlroy teed off Saturday and Sunday alongside three-time PGA TOUR winner Tom Kim. The 21-year-old Kim noted how much he loves playing with McIlroy, and it showed in Kim’s play with weekend rounds of 65-64 to record his best result of the year. Kim and McIlroy both finished T4 after McIlroy also shot a final-round 64 in bogey-free fashion.

RBC Canadian Open champion Robert MacIntyre is all too familiar with McIlroy’s ability to chase down a lead on Sunday. The two also went head-to-head at last year’s final round of the Genesis Scottish Open, where McIlroy birdied three of the final five holes at the Renaissance Club to edge MacIntyre by one stroke.

McIlroy's first RBC Canadian Open title came in 2019 at Hamilton Golf & Country Club. That victory was highlighted by a final-round 61 that saw the four-time major champion dust the field by seven shots.

MacIntyre’s seven-shot lead over McIlroy to begin Sunday was not as unbeatable as MacIntyre hoped, which is why MGM still gave McIlroy 18/1 odds to win going into the final round at Hamilton.

“I don’t think so,” McIlroy told CBS when asked if the final-round 64 was enough to catch MacIntyre.

“I had a couple of really good opportunities on the way in. My putt on No. 14 just missed and I had a good opportunity on No. 15, too.”

McIlroy also couldn’t discount what it would mean to see MacIntyre win his first PGA TOUR title after the adversity MacIntyre has faced this season.

“Bob’s a good friend of mine,” McIlroy said.

“We were Ryder Cup teammates and it would be really good to see him get the job done," he added. "Bob and I, we're separated by a body of water in the Irish Sea, but we're actually not that far away from each other where we grew up in Oban, Scotland, and Belfast, Northern Ireland. It's a big culture shock compared to the place where he grew up in Oban. You know, traveling around America, it's a different world. Some people adapt a little quicker than others. Everyone has to try to find their right rhythm. It looks like Bob's still figuring that out. It would be great to see him hang on and get that first PGA TOUR win.”

MacIntyre hung on his earn his first PGA TOUR win with a final-round, two-under 68 to finish one stroke ahead of Ben Griffin. McIlroy settled for his fourth consecutive top-10 finish at the RBC Canadian Open, and discussed how much national championships mean to him.

“History and tradition and legacy are a really big part of the game of golf," McIlroy said. "This is one of the oldest championships in the world, as is the Scottish Open. The Opens definitely mean something else. It's great that so many people, Golf Canada, and RBC have gotten behind this RBC Canadian Open and made it special. As I said, it's a pleasure to come up here and play every year and I'm going to keep doing that until they tell me I can't come over the border."

McIlroy’s steady play has flourished since his maintenance, touch-up work with Butch Harmon this year before winning the Zurich Classic of New Orleans with Shane Lowry and his fourth Wells Fargo Championship. McIlroy’s T4 finish at the RBC Canadian Open comes two weeks before McIlroy will try to win his fifth career major championship at the 124th U.S. Open at Pinehurst.