Jim Rutledge Wins Fifth Mr. Lube PGA Seniors' Championship of Canada

Jim Rutledge won his fifth Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada Friday at the Burlington Golf & Country Club.

The soon-to-be 58-year-old’s three-day total of 12-under-par (65-67-66) lapped the field, clipping his nearest competitors—Gar Hamilton and Mike Burrows—by seven shots.

Making his final round finish even more remarkable, Rutledge admitted he was battling food poisoning all through the previous night and well into Friday morning.

“I had a rough one out there today and I wasn’t feeling all that well when I rolled up this morning, so I was just trying to get as much water and bananas into me as possible,” Rutledge admitted. “I got off to a really good start, which was really surprising, and after that I just kind of cruised.”

Rutledge’s outward nine Friday included four birdies and a lone bogey, while his backside saw a single birdie on the 12th.

“I hit some not-so-great iron shots on the back-nine,” Rutledge said. “But I was mis-clubbing in the right spots, which is very important out here.”

Rutledge’s past Mr. Lube PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada victories came in 2015 at Credit Valley Golf & Country Club; 2013 at Lookout Point Country Club; 2012 at Emerald Hills Golf Club; and 2010 at Rattlesnake Point Golf Club. He’s also a former winner on the Web.com Tour, has six Mackenzie-PGA TOUR Canada titles and is a former PGA Championship of Canada winner.

With his fifth win, he now only trails golf legend Moe Norman for most PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada titles. Norman has eight titles, with seven coming in consecutive years.

“I’d love to win a few more and it excites me to think about it,” Rutledge said about the prospects of winning more titles. “Moe Norman is a legend and I by no means put myself in the same category as him, but I’ll chase him if the opportunity comes along.”

The PGA of Canada’s No. 12th-ranked player Scott Allred finished alone in fourth at 1-under-par, while Phil Jonas and Ken Tarling were T5 at even par.

In addition to finishing T2, Hamilton won the Super Senior division for the second time in three years.

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The PGA Seniors' Championship of Canada was first played in 1938 as a division of the Canadian PGA Championship. In 1973, the championship became an independent event and has remained as such.

Among the Canadian golf legends to win the PGA Seniors’ Championship of Canada are Stan Leonard, Moe Norman—who won a record seven straight years from 1979-1985—Bob Panasik, Al Balding—who wowed the golf world by winning at age 76 in 2000—and Rutledge.

To follow the Mr. Lube PGA Seniors' Championship of Canada online throughout tournament week, visit pgaofcanada.com, twitter.com/pgaofcanada, instagram.com/thepgaofcanada and facebook.com/pgaofcanada

The next PGA of Canada national championship takes place Aug. 14-16 at Scarboro Golf & Country Club for the DATA PGA Women’s Championship of Canada.