Canada’s Taylor hopes to repeat at RBC Canadian Open but McIlroy could challenge

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., won a historic four-hole playoff against England's Tommy Fleetwood last year at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto.

Nick Taylor is everywhere at the RBC Canadian Open.

Literally, as the defending champion could be seen whizzing around Hamilton Golf and Country Country on a cart Wednesday, taking phone calls as he travelled around the course for media and sponsor appearances.

But also figuratively, as his silhouette has been incorporated into the Canadian Open’s logo as the letter “I” and photos of him hugging David Markle after winning the 2023 men’s national golf championship is being used all over the grounds.

“To be on-site, seeing it on flags and posters and stuff, it’s one of those things I don’t know if I’ll ever fully grasp probably the magnitude of that,” said Taylor, the first Canadian to win the title in seven decades.

“It’s so neat to have the idea (of the logo), but to come to fruition is very cool. It’s been really fun to see that, to see the big mural of Dave and I and our celebration, a lot of the stuff is kind of ‘pinch me’ stuff.”

Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., won a historic four-hole playoff against England’s Tommy Fleetwood last year at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto. That victory ended a 69-year drought for Canadians at their own national championship.

As long a wait as it was for a Canadian to win the national title — Pat Fletcher was the last to do it in 1954 — it has been even longer since Canadians won it in consecutive years. Albert Murray (1913) and Karl Keffer (1914) were the last homegrown back-to-back champs.

Taylor’s title defence will begin Thursday morning when he tees off in a group with Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy and Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont.