B.C. golfer Nick Taylor 1st Canadian to win Canadian Open since 1954, prevailing in playoff
CBC
Canadians waited 69 years for this moment. So what's another four holes?
Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., won the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday at Toronto's Oakdale Golf and Country Club, becoming the first Canadian man to win at home since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
"To kind of break that curse, if [that's] you want to call — I'm pretty speechless. I don't think it's going to sink in for quite some time what happened today," Taylor said.
What happened was 22 holes of golf filled with highs and lows — and a career-defining putt at the end of it all.
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 four playoff holes — they matched each other with birdies and pars playing the 18th hole twice before each making a par on the ninth.
And so off they went back to the 18th. Fleetwood's tee shot landed in a bunker, but Taylor's settled on the first cut.
It allowed the Canadian to attack the green, and he did, leaving himself a long eagle putt. Fleetwood, meanwhile, laid up and was standing over a putt for birdie.
Taylor didn't let him hit it — he nailed his own putt from 72 feet, the longest of his career. The crowd around the 18th green leapt with joy.
"For that to drop was a huge surprise, but an amazing one," Taylor said.
Adam Hadwin, the Abbotsford, B.C., native who tied for 12th in the tournament, couldn't contain his excitement, rushing the green with a bottle of champagne in hand — only to be tackled by an unknowing security guard.
Elsewhere, tears flew and cheers streamed to the Toronto skies, which had been sending down rain throughout most of the playoff.
Along with Hadwin, there was Canadian golf royalty: 2003 Masters champion Mike Weir, who lost a playoff of his own at this tournament in 2004, was there, celebrating on the green.
"It means everything. I feel like we all support each other so much, for them to stick around. I think all of us said it this week, if us individually weren't the people to win, we really want another Canadian to do it and break this long drought."
