Tyler Mawhinney rallies from tough start to shoot 68 in RBC Canadian Open

Mawhinney birdies three of four holes during one stretch and is within the cut line entering the final round

• 17-year-old Tyler Mawhinney shot 2-under 68 in the first round of the RBC Canadian Open.
• Mawhinney, who recently won the U.S. Four-Ball Championship, earned his spot by winning the Canadian Amateur.
• He outplayed notable golfers like Rory McIlroy and several major champions.

Tyler Mawhinney of Fleming Island overcame a shaky start to comport himself just fine in his first PGA Tour start.

Mawhinney, 17, shot 2-under-par 68 at the TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley North Course on June 5 to finish in a tie for 43rd in the RBC Canadian Open, seven shots off the lead shared by playing partner Cristobal Del Solar and Thorbjorn Olesen, who shot 9-under 61.

Mawhinney, who combined with future Vanderbilt teammate Will Hartman to win the U.S. Four-Ball two weeks ago, earned a spot in the Canadian Open by winning the 2024 Canadian Amateur.

Mawhinney three-putted the par-5 first hole from 30 feet for par and bogeyed the par-4 second hole when he hit his second shot behind the green, hit a marginal chip and missed a par-putt attempt of 24 feet.

But he had a good stretch of holes mid-round, beginning with his first birdie in a Tour event, from 4 feet at the par-3 seventh hole after a tee shot of 227 yards. Mawhinney birdied the par-5 ninth hole on an 8-foot putt and dropped a putt of less than 5 feet at the par-4 10th hole.

He bogeyed No. 11, got the shot back with a short birdie putt at No. 15, made a final bogey at No. 17, but birdied the last, a par-5, on a two-putt from 27 feet.

Mawhinney, who has led Fleming Island High School to two FHSAA state championships in the past two years, winning the individual title in 2023, battled his driver all day and hit only six fairways. But he managed to find the putting surface 13 times.

Who did Tyler Mawhinney beat in the first round?

How does topping the Masters champion by three shots sound?

Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field, shot 1-over 71.

Mawhinney also beat major champions Gary Woodland and Mike Weir, and Tour winners Corey Conner, Kevin Kisner, Charley Hoffman and Sungae Im.

Mawhinney also finished ahead of three college stars who were making their first starts as PGA Tour members after gaining access through the PGA Tour University program, Luke Clanton (Florida State), David Ford (North Carolina) and Gordon Sargent (Vanderbilt).

What’s next for Tyler Mawhinney?

He will tee off No. 10 at the TPC Toronto at 8:24 a.m. on June 6, playing with Del Solar and Frankie Capan III.

When the second round starts, Mawhinney will be one shot clear of the cut line of 1-under.

Mawhinney is the second First Coast teenager to play in a PGA Tour event in the last two years. Miles Russell of Jacksonville Beach played in the 2024 Rocket Mortgage Classic and Butterfield Bermuda Championship. He missed the cut in both.