B.C. golfer Nick Taylor 1st Canadian to win Canadian Open since 1954, prevailing in playoff

Canadians waited 69 years for this second. So what’s one other 4 holes?

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., gained the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday at Toronto’s Oakdale Golf and Nation Membership, turning into the primary Canadian man to win at house since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“To type of break that curse, if [that’s] you need to name — I’m fairly speechless. I don’t assume it’s going to sink in for fairly a while what occurred at this time,” Taylor stated.

What occurred was 22 holes of golf full of highs and lows — and a career-defining putt on the finish of all of it.

WATCH | Taylor makes 72-foot eagle putt to win RBC Canadian Open:

Tied at 17-under, Taylor, 35, duelled with England’s Tommy Fleetwood over 4 playoff holes — they matched one another with birdies and pars enjoying the 18th gap twice earlier than every making a par on the ninth.

And so off they went again to the 18th. Fleetwood’s tee shot landed in a bunker, however Taylor’s settled on the first lower.

It allowed the Canadian to assault the inexperienced, and he did, leaving himself a protracted eagle putt. Fleetwood, in the meantime, laid up and was standing over a putt for birdie.

Taylor didn’t let him hit it — he nailed his personal putt from 72 ft, the longest of his profession. The gang across the 18th inexperienced leapt with pleasure.

“For that to drop was an enormous shock, however a tremendous one,” Taylor stated.

Adam Hadwin, the Abbotsford, B.C., native who tied for twelfth within the event, couldn’t comprise his pleasure, dashing the inexperienced with a bottle of champagne in hand — solely to be tackled by an unknowing safety guard.

Elsewhere, tears flew and cheers streamed to the Toronto skies, which had been sending down rain all through many of the playoff.

Together with Hadwin, there was Canadian golf royalty: 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir, who misplaced a playoff of his personal at this event in 2004, was there, celebrating on the inexperienced.

“It means the whole lot. I really feel like all of us assist one another a lot, for them to stay round. I believe all of us stated it this week, if us individually weren’t the individuals to win, we actually need one other Canadian to do it and break this lengthy drought.”

Corey Conners, the 18-hole chief who struggled Sunday to wind up tied for twentieth, was there to embrace Taylor as nicely.

“It’s clearly an exhilarating second for Canadian golf,” Conners informed CBC Sports activities amid the celebration. “It’s been far too lengthy and I’m so thrilled for Nick. He’s such an ideal man and been enjoying nice, so enjoyable to see.”

The playoff took on the texture of a world competitors. Because the Canadian contingent adopted Taylor, Fleetwood’s countrymen Justin Rose, Shane Lowry and Tyrell Hatton have been there to cheer on their man as he pursued a long-awaited first PGA Tour victory.

Fleetwood was greeted by applause as he left the inexperienced to signal his scorecard.

The gang, in the meantime, was decidedly on Taylor’s facet — they booed Fleetwood’s dangerous pictures and politely clapped for his good ones.

“Good second for Nick and the followers right here,” Fleetwood stated. “So it’s nice to be part of that Sunday and that playoff. I had my possibilities, actually. It wasn’t to be this time.”

For Taylor, it was unbridled assist, combined in with nerves.

As Taylor saved his place atop the leaderboard via the ultimate regulation holes, the crowds round him steadily swelled.

The Canadian was serenaded with the nationwide anthem, in addition to many chants with variations of his identify.

‘Unimaginable second’

And the discharge when that stunning putt rattled the cup was harking back to a hockey crowd watching its crew win a playoff sport within the fourth additional time.

“I knew simply how pumped they have been and so they have been attempting to place each ounce of power into it to assist me pull it via,” Taylor stated.

“To have that second — I blacked out when that ball went with [caddie] Dave [Markle]. So I’m curious to look at that what we did. I don’t even keep in mind what we did. However that was an unimaginable second.”

Taylor turns into the fourth Canadian to win on the PGA Tour this season — essentially the most ever. He joins Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson within the winners’ circle. The latter two each missed the lower at Oakdale.

“That’s the most wonderful factor I’ve ever seen!!!! Congrats @ntaylorgolf59! 20 years in the past @mweirsy impressed a bunch of Canadians like Nick to pursue their dream, and now Nick has completed the identical. What a second for Canadian golf,” Hughes tweeted.

It’s Taylor’s third profession PGA Tour victory. He additionally gained the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2015 and the Pebble Seashore Professional-Am in 2020.

He’ll now transfer on to the U.S. Open subsequent week at Los Angeles Nation Membership. He’ll additionally play in his second-ever Masters subsequent April.

Hatton, England’s Aaron Rai and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan tied for third at 16-under, whereas American Eric Cole fired a 9-under 63 to match the course document set by Taylor on Saturday and end tied for sixth.

WATCH | Taylor units course document in third spherical:

Taking part in alongside Fleetwood and Conners on Thursday, Taylor struggled to a 3-over 75, leaving an uphill climb simply to make the lower.

“I used to be on the seventh gap, I keep in mind, first day, my sixteenth gap, 10 ft for par and made that and birdied 8 and parred the final to considerably be within the lower sight. So to be standing there after which sitting right here at this time is fairly exceptional,” Taylor stated.

On Friday, he lowered his rating by eight strokes — greater than sufficient to make the lower, however nonetheless leaving him with an early tee time on Saturday.

Taylor credited a “talking-to” from spouse Andie, who was at house for the turnaround.

“I used to be simply type of getting in my very own approach,” he stated. “I knew my sport was there, however just a little kick within the butt didn’t damage.”

That’s when he kicked issues into excessive gear, with a course document 63 on Saturday to vault into competition.

Taylor stated he spoke to Andie and three-year-old son Charlie briefly after his victory.

“[Charlie] was most likely shocked, like what the hell is happening? ‘I made an enormous shot,’ although, that’s what he stated.”

The event started beneath a cloud of smoke — each literal and metaphorical. On Tuesday, the PGA Tour made a bombshell announcement that it was partnering with Saudi Arabia’s Public Funding Fund, which backs rival tour LIV Golf.

Pre-tournament press conferences have been dominated by the blindsiding information, and gamers admitted it was a distraction.

WATCH | Shock merger ends golf feud:

On the similar time, smoke from the wildfires in northern Ontario and Quebec weren’t overly pervasive, particularly the deeper the event went. There have been no delays, and golfers stated it didn’t have an effect on them.

By Sunday, Taylor made positive the total focus was on golf.

Throughout his third spherical, enjoying associate Greyson Sigg, wowed on the crowds following Taylor, requested Taylor if he was well-known in Canada.

Taylor stated no.

Now, that’s about to vary. And he’ll be within the historical past books endlessly.