Winnipeg Free Press

Winnipeg Free Press (Newspaper) - July 29, 2013, Winnipeg, Manitoba C M Y K PAGE C1 M E M B E R S H I P O F F E R Play for the remainder of this year starting August 1st. and for the entire 2014 season for $ 1,995 plus G. S. T. Membership includes unlimited golf with a power cart, unlimited driving range use, advanced booking privileges, and personalized member service! This is a special, one- time offer and will be limited to 25 memberships. All other membership promotions do not apply. Please phone the Pro Shop for more information: 204 735- 3000 ext 1, or email our Head Professional, Larry Robinson directly at: bridgesgolfcourse@ mymts. net EDITOR: STEVE LYONS 204- 697- 7285 sports@ freepress. mb. ca I winnipegfreepress. com MONDAY, JULY 29, 2013 No fear of commitment from these Jets / C3 C 1 O AKVILLE, Ont. - Brandt Snedeker has had his eye on the RBC Canadian Open title for some time. The early arrival of a baby in Texas helped make it happen. Snedeker moved to the top of the field after second- round leader Hunter Mahan withdrew when his wife unexpectedly went into labour and he held on Sunday for his second victory of the season and the sixth of his career. Mahan, who had a two- stroke lead at 13 under through 36 holes, rushed home to be with wife Kandi, who gave birth to daughter Zoe early Sunday. " Zoe will be getting a very nice baby gift from me. I can't thank Kandi enough for going into labour early. I don't know if I'd be sitting here if she hadn't," Snedeker said with a laugh after shooting a final- round 70 to finish 16 under. " But that is a way more important thing than a golf tournament. I missed a golf tournament when my first was born, and it was the best decision I ever made. I'm sure Hunter would say the same thing." Dustin Johnson ( 70), Matt Kuchar ( 71), William McGrit ( 68) and Jason Bohn ( 71) tied for second at 13 under behind Snedeker, who said winning the PGA Tour's only stop north of the border is special for a number of reasons. " This is a tournament I said early on in my career I wanted to win just because my caddie is actually from Canada and it's his national open. It meant a lot to him, meant a lot to me," said the 32- year- old from Nashville. " Third- oldest tournament on Tour and it's got some great history to it, and now to put my name on that trophy, it means a lot." After a Saturday that saw a number of players score in the mid- 60s, thanks to a calm morning and a soggy afternoon, Glen Abbey Golf Club bit back with breezy conditions at the suburban course some 40 kilometres west of Toronto. " The wind was blowing very hard. Every fairway was tough to hit, every green was getting firm. It placed an importance on managing your golf ball," Snedeker said. " I was able to hit some quality shots coming down the stretch when I needed to and put the ball in the right spot." Snedeker, who pocketed $ 1,008,000 of the tournament's $ 5.6- million purse, also won the Pebble Beach National Pro- Am in February and is finally healthy after a bothersome rib injury. " First part of the year, I couldn't do anything wrong. I was playing fantastic, and I got injured. I feel like I've been fighting to get myself back to the way I was at the beginning of the year," said Snedeker. " I'm not saying I'm there, but I'm close to the way I was playing in the beginning of the year." On Sunday, Snedeker, the 2012 FedEx Cup champion whose best- ever finish at a Canadian Open was a tie for fifth at Glen Abbey in 2009, was 1 under after the front nine and birdied No. 10 to move to 16 under overall. He gave that shot back on No. 12, but birdied No. 16 and parred No. 17 and No. 18 to secure the victory. " It feels great to get a win to validate all the hard work I've put in over the past three months where I haven't played my best," Snedeker said. " To win a tournament like this with those pivotal holes coming down the stretch means a lot." Johnson started the day in a group three shots back of Snedeker and fought his way into a share of the lead, only to see the wheels fall off in spectacular fashion at No. 17 with a triple bogey that started with an errant drive. John Merrick, who tied a course record Friday with a 62, shot 71 to finish in a tie for sixth at 12 under. David Lingmerth started the day in the final group a shot back of Snedeker but ended up with a 75 to finish in a tie for 12th at 10 under. David Hearn of Brantford, Ont., was the top Canadian at the par- 72, 7,253- yard course with a final- round 73 to finish at 4 under. The 34- year- old had three birdies Sunday to go with two bogeys and double bogey to finish in a tie for 44th. " It wasn't the finish that I was really looking for. I had a nice chance today," said Hearn. Mike Weir of Brights Grove, Ont., shot an even- par 72 to finish tied for 49th at 3 under. The 43- year- old's tournament highlight came in Friday's second round when he fired 67 to briefly get into contention. " I'm playing fine. Just missing too many short putts. I missed a number the last couple days inside six, seven feet, just missing way too many of those," said Weir, who made his first cut at a Canadian Open since 2009. " You need those to keep your round going sometimes and I just didn't capitalize when I had opportunities. " I had one good day of putting and the rest not very good." - The Canadian Press ' Zoe will be getting a very nice baby gift from me. I can't thank Kandi enough for going into labour early' - Brandt Snedeker Oh, baby! Snedeker delivers Canadian Open champion jokingly thanks wife of rival who withdrew By Joshua Clipperton Final leaderboard At Glen Abbey Golf Club Oakville, Ont. Purse: $ 5.6 million Yardage: 7,253; Par: 72 Top 10 Brandt Snedeker $ 1.008M 70- 69- 63- 70- 272 Jason Bohn $ 369,600 70- 68- 66- 71- 275 Dustin Johnson $ 369,600 75- 67- 63- 70- 275 Matt Kuchar $ 369,600 66- 74- 64- 71 - 275 William McGirt $ 369,600 71- 69- 67- 68 - 275 Roberto Castro $ 187,600 69- 70- 67- 70 - 276 John Merrick $ 187,600 71- 62- 72- 71 - 276 Mark Wilson $ 187,600 70- 69- 67- 70- 276 Aaron Baddeley $ 151,200 68- 68- 73- 68- 277 Jim Furyk $ 151,200 72- 67- 68- 70 - 277 Patrick Reed $ 151,200 68- 68- 70- 71 - 277 NATHAN DENETTE / THE CANADIAN PRESS American Brandt Snedeker is jubilant after winning the RBC Canadian Open Sunday at Glen Abbey Golf Club. His caddie is from Canada and ' it meant a lot to him, meant a lot to me.' NATHAN DENETTE / THE CANADIAN PRESS American Dustin Johnson shared the lead for a while Sunday, but disaster struck on the 17th hole. Fish capitalize on SPORTS errors to climb over .500 / C2 C_ 01_ Jul- 29- 13_ FP_ 01. indd C1 7/ 28/ 13 9: 56: 25 PM ;