LAST UPDATE | 12 Feb
CANADA’S NICK TAYLOR won his fourth career PGA Tour title on Sunday, making three consecutive birdies at the 18th hole to defeat American Charley Hoffman in a playoff thriller and capture the Phoenix Open.
Taylor, last year’s Phoenix Open runner-up, charged down the final holes before making dramatic putts at 18 before a roaring crowd to outduel Hoffman.
“I tried to draw on last year. I didn’t have it early on. I made some ridiculous par saves,” Taylor said. “That 18th tee shot has given me trouble in the past. To hit three pretty good ones and birdie it three times is amazing.”
Taylor birdied three of the last four holes in regulation to fire a bogey-free six-under par 65 and match Hoffman on 21-under 263 after 72 holes at TPC Scottsdale.
After his birdie from just inside 10 feet at the 18th forced the playoff, Taylor sank a birdie from just inside 15 feet on the first playoff hole and, after Hoffman extended the playoff with a birdie from just beyond seven feet, sank a birdie putt from just inside 12 feet at 18 for the victory.
Shane Lowry endured a difficult final round, picking up six bogeys to finish on three-under for the tournament and in a tie for 60th. He opened with a bogey on the first and two more bogeys on the fifth and seventh before getting a shot back with a birdie on the ninth hole. Another brace of bogeys followed on the 11th and 12th along with a sixth bogey on the 18th to see him sign out with a five-over 76.
Seamus Power finished one-under overall after a final round of two-under 69. He was four-under for his day’s work on his 17th hole, but he bogeyed his last two holes of the day.
Taylor won last year’s PGA Canadian Open, the first Canadian since 1954 to win the event, and also took the 2014 Sanderson Farms Championship and 2020 Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
His tension-packed finish closed out a marathon day when he had to play 30 regulation holes due to earlier weather disruptions. Hoffman, who nearly had his first PGA victory since 2016, settled for his first top-10 finish in two years after a closing 64.
Top-ranked defending champion Scottie Scheffler failed in his bid to match legend Arnold Palmer as the only players to win the Phoenix Open three consecutive times.
He settled for sharing third on 266, three off the pace, with fellow American Sam Burns. American Sahith Theegala was on 267 with countrymen Jordan Spieth and Maverick McNealy on 270.
Meanwhile Zach Johnson and Billy Horschel exchanged angry words with spectators as tempers frayed on the final day of the WM Phoenix Open.
Johnson was filmed remonstrating with fans at TPC Scottsdale and could be heard telling them “I’m sick of it” before demanding they “just shut up”.
It was not apparent from the clip, which was posted on social media, what prompted the former US Ryder Cup captain to lose his temper. In a separate incident, Horschel was seen remonstrating with a spectator for calling out while one of his playing partners, qualifier Nicolo Galletti, was about to hit a shot.
“Buddy, when he’s over a shot shut the hell up man,” Horschel shouted.
“He’s trying to hit a damn golf shot here – it’s our f****** job.”
The WM Phoenix Open is easily the best attended tournament in golf, but the behaviour of some fans has again attracted more attention than the golf itself.
One man was arrested after jumping over the ropes and diving into a greenside bunker on the par-three 16th, where he proceeded to perform ‘snow angels’ in the sand.
Tournament officials were forced to shut spectator gates earlier than planned after being overwhelmed by the turnout and sales of alcohol were temporarily halted.
Former BMW PGA Championship winner Byeong Hun An took to social media to brand the event a “s***show” which was “totally out of control on every hole”.
He added: “Played here multiple times over the years and it was fine until today.”
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