NICK TAYLOR ENDED the Canadian Open’s 69-year wait for a home winner in the most remarkable fashion, as he made a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth sudden-death playoff hole to take the title.
With the longest putt of his PGA Tour career, Taylor beat Tommy Fleetwood and became the first Canadian to win the national open since Pat Fletcher in 1954.
For Taylor and his raucous home support, it was elation after 76 holes; for Fleetwood, chasing his first PGA Tour win, it was heartbreak.
WALK-OFF WINNER FROM 72 FEET! 🏆@NTaylorGolf59 wins @RBCCanadianOpen with the longest putt of his career! 🦅 pic.twitter.com/lJtiIM43vN
— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 11, 2023
The two had finished neck and neck on 17-under par, one shot clear of Tyrrell Hatton, CT Pan and Aaron Rai in a three-way tie for third.
But Rory McIlroy’s bid for a Canadian Open hat-trick fizzled out on the front nine, and he had to settle for a share of ninth place.
McIlroy — who won both of the last two editions of this tournament in 2019 and 2022 — started his final round in a six-way tie for second place, two shots behind 54-hole leader Pan.
But as his rivals made their moves on Sunday evening, McIlroy’s hopes stalled with back-to-back bogeys at the fifth and sixth.
Birdies on the par-five 12th and the par-four 16th saw McIlroy sign for a level-par 72 and a 12-under par total, five shots adrift of Taylor.
