Nick Taylor hammered home a 72 1/2-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Englishman Tommy Fleetwood and become the first Canadian winner of the RBC Canadian Open in 69 years on Sunday in Toronto.
Fans stormed the 18th green at Oakdale Golf & Country Club to celebrate the first player from Canada to win the country’s national open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
Playing the par-5 18th hole for the third time of the playoff, Fleetwood hit a pitch shot to get on the green in three. Taylor’s drive found a divot just off the fairway but still reached the green in two shots, giving Taylor a long uphill putt from a lower tier of the green complex.
Taylor’s putt tracked straight toward the center of the cup, hit the flagstick and dropped in. Taylor flipped his putter in the air and embraced his caddie before fans made their way down from the grandstand. Per the CBS broadcast, it was the longest made putt of Taylor’s career.
“I had a similar line on the second playoff hole,” Taylor said. “I knew it was going to be slow with how much rain we’ve had. I wanted to get it as close as I can because Tommy, I thought he was going to make (his putt).
“It’s unbelievable. I don’t know what to say.”
The 35-year-old from Abbotsford, British Columbia, led the tournament for a good portion of the fourth round, briefly slipped behind and then birdied the 17th and 18th holes to post a 6-under 66 and set the clubhouse lead at 17-under 271.
Fleetwood shot a 67 to join him there, one shot better than Englishmen Tyrrell Hatton and Aaron Rai and Taiwan’s C.T. Pan.
“I can’t even describe it. This is the most incredible feeling,” Taylor said. “The fans were unbelievable all day. Every green, every tee box I was getting ovations and to make those last two putts to give myself a chance to do that, I’m speechless.”
Taylor recovered from an opening-round 75 by shooting 67 on Friday and 63 on Saturday to vault into contention.
He stepped to the 18th tee Sunday needing a par to tie the group at 16 under, or a birdie or better for the outright lead. He went over the green in two and pitched to 11 1/2 feet for a birdie attempt.
Taylor’s putt had a massive right-to-left curl and died right at the hole. He pumped his fist and took several steps backward in celebration as the fan base went wild in celebrating their countryman.
A short time later, Fleetwood joined the tie at 16 under with a birdie at No. 16, and his approach at the par-4 17th spun back to a mere 3 feet to set up a birdie to tie Taylor.
Fleetwood’s drive at No. 18 missed the fairway right, and his attempt to lay up also turned right and settled in the right rough again. He managed to get on the green with his third shot and two-putted for par to force the playoff.
“I was playing so well and just got a bit fast,” Fleetwood said of his 18th hole. “I obviously had my chances starting with the par-5 with an iron off the tee and then in the playoff. But I’m not going to take anything away from Nick. I played with him the first two rounds and he obviously struggled on Day 1. So he’s played unbelievable from there on in and then amazing moment for him on the last hole.”
Taylor and Fleetwood replayed the par-5 18th twice to begin the playoff. The first time through, Fleetwood knocked in a 20-foot birdie putt before Taylor cleaned up his birdie from 5 feet.
They each parred the hole on the second playthrough, even after Fleetwood knocked his original second shot into the grandstand behind the green. A fan picked up his ball and was later seen taking selfies with it. Fleetwood got a free drop and managed to save par.
Both players missed birdie looks from 13 to 14 feet away on the third playoff hole, the par-3 ninth.
Fleetwood congratulated Taylor with a smile.
“Nice moment for Nick and the fans here,” Fleetwood said. “So it’s great to be a part of that Sunday and that playoff. I had my chances, really. It wasn’t to be this time. But, yeah, congratulations to him.”
Hatton fired a 64 and Rai carded a 67 to get to 16 under. Pan, who held a two-shot lead after 54 holes, could have joined the playoff by eagling the 72nd hole but had to settle for a birdie and a round of 70.
Eric Cole made nine birdies — including each of his last four holes — to match the round of the week with a 9-under 63 and tie Mark Hubbard (70 on Sunday) for sixth at 14 under. Justin Rose of England (71) finished alone in eighth at 13 under.
Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy of Northern Ireland, the highest-ranked player in the field, entered the day two off the pace but flubbed his way to consecutive bogeys at the par-4 fifth and sixth holes. He didn’t notch his first birdie until the par-5 12th and shot a 72 to finish at 12 under, tied for ninth with Brandon Wu (69) and Andrew Novak (72).
–Field Level Media
