Taylor Pendrith should have had his mind on golf. After all, he went into Sunday’s final round of the CJ Cup Byron Nelson holding the lead. But Pendrith, from Richmond Hill, Ont., had hockey on his mind—namely the Toronto Maple Leafs who faced elimination by the Boston Bruins.

“I was a little disappointed that the Toronto Maple Leafs lost last night, so that was mostly on my mind,” Pendrith said.

That disappointment may have faded on the final hole of the CJ Cup in Texas. Pendrith, trying to catch Ben Kohles, who had a one-shot lead heading into the final hole, had to make birdie and hope Kohles made a mistake. And that’s exactly what happened.

How It Went Down

Pendrith, who shot 64 in the first round and 63 in the third, looked poised to break away from the field. But the long driving Canadian—he averaged 318 yards for the week—got stuck in neutral after opening with a birdie. By that point the leaderboard was flooded with those chasing Pendrith, including Aaron Rai, Alex Noran and Kohles. Kohles birdied the 16^th and 17^th holes to pull one shot ahead of Pendrith heading into the 18^th, a par-5 that was reachable for both golfers.

On the 18^th, Kohles hit a strong drive, giving himself a solid shot at making birdie and forcing something remarkable from Pendrith. But he put his approach between bunkers guarding the front of the 18^th green, while Pendrith hit it in two. Two average chips and a missed putt later, Kohles made bogey, while Pendrith was left with a short putt for birdie. He holed it for a one-shot victory.

Canuck Support

Kent State teammate and fellow Canadian PGA Tour competitor Mackenzie Hughes was among the first to congratulate Pendrith on the victory. When Hughes recorded his first win in Sea Island, Georgia, Pendrith drove up to see the playoff. “It was pretty special for him to be there with a beer waiting for me,” Pendrith said. “It was pretty nice.”

What’s Next

Pendrith, who played in the 2022 President’s Cup, has dramatically increased his chances at either making the Presidents Cup team outright, or being a pick by Captain Mike Weir for the team that will battle at Royal Montreal in September.

What’s In The Bag

Driver: Ping G430 LST

3-wood: Ping G430 Max (15 degrees)

7-wood: Ping G425 Max (20.5 degrees)

Irons: Srixon ZX (2, 3) Srixon ZX7 Mk II (4-9)

Wedges: Cleveland RTX 6 Tour Rack (46-10 Mid, 52-10 Mid, 56-10 Mid, 60-9 Full)