Taylor wins Canadian Open in playoff with monster eagle putt

Taiwan golfer C.T. Pan fell one shot shy of joining a playoff at the RBC Canadian Open in Toronto on Sunday as a tied third finish maintained his momentum following a recent return from a lengthy wrist injury.

His feat though was overshadowed by Nick Taylor’s dramatic victory, the first by a Canadian at their home Open since 1954 that came with the 35-year-old converting a massive 72-foot eagle putt to beat England’s Tommy Fleetwood on the fourth playoff hole.

Earlier, both Taylor and Fleetwood had finished level on 17-under 271 while defending champion Rory McIlroy could do no better than tied ninth with a final round 72 at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club.

Holding an overnight two-shot lead, the 31-year-old Pan closed with a 2-under 70 as local favourite Taylor sank a sensational 72-footer and send the home crowds into raptures.

Taylor, 35, became the first Canadian to win his home Open since 1954 after he converted the longest putt of his career. It was his third PGA Tour victory, and the first since winning the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

“This is unbelievable. I can't even say anything about this,” said Taylor after his snaking 72-foot putt on the 18th hole set off wild celebrations including having good friend Adam Hadwin tackled to the ground by a security man.

“I can't even describe it. This is the most incredible feeling. 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. I just tried to keep my head down out there. I didn't look at a board until probably 17. I knew bogeying 16 with probably the atmosphere I was probably at best tied, maybe one back. I saw the board on 17.

“Knew I needed to birdie at least one coming in. So to make that on 17 and I got redemption on 18, because I screwed up the first day and I got it back,” added Taylor, who closed with a 66 for a 17-under 271 total.

Taylor won the playoff with a 72-foot, 6-inch putt for eagle (longer than any putt in his career) and is the first player to win a playoff with an eagle since Hideki Matsuyama at the 2022 Sony Open in Hawaii

The win ensured Taylor would be the fourth player from Canada to win this season, the most in a single season since 1983, joining Mackenzie Hughes, Adam Svensson, and Corey Conners on the top step of the podium.

Fleetwood rued a missed opportunity on the par-5 18th hole in regulation play as his hopes for a first PGA Tour win ended in dramatic fashion. He was tied for the lead on 17-under but scrambled to save par and headed into a playoff.

“I had my chances, really. It wasn't to be this time. But, yeah, congratulations to him. I played well. Obviously the last was disappointing. Missed the fairway off the tee after playing 16 and 17 so, yeah, I had my chances and didn't take them,” said Fleetwood.

Pan missed out on a second career tour title though the high finish ensured a second successive top five result following solo fourth at the recent AT&T Byron Nelson. He went out in 38 and despite a strong finish where he birdied four of the closing five holes, the Asian star came up short at the end.

“It's still a very good week considering I switched three hotels. I did not sleep well the first couple nights. But considering that, I still played great out there. So pretty happy with that. Final grouping was probably my first time.

“I did not start well but a lot of lessons to learn from that. I played solid. I gave myself a lot of opportunities out there on the back nine. That's all you can do,” said Pan, who held the 54-hole lead for the first time in his career.

“I was nervous. And that's good. That means I care a lot. Just having a hard time to find my rhythm and a lot of in between club distances on the front nine or the first 14 holes. Even the read is kind of tough.

“Just can't leave myself in a bad spot, even for the birdie putts. It's a nonstop working, learning process in golf. So I will keep learning,” said Pan, the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games bronze medallist.

China’s Carl Yuan, the 36-hole leader, finished tied 18th after a closing 70 for his best finish this season while Korea’s S.H. Kim came in joint 25th with a 71 as he moved to 71st position on the FedExCup point list.