O Canada indeed.

Nick Taylor dropped a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since 1954.

“THE DROUGHT IS OVER!!”

An incredible angle and @SiriusXMPGATOUR call of @NTaylorGolf59's unbelievable winning putt @RBCCanadianOpen. pic.twitter.com/4XjLpHPELb

— PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) June 12, 2023

For a while it seemed completely unlikely. Taylor, from Abbotsford, BC, started the week at Toronto’s Oakdale Golf and Country Club with a 3-over 75. But he played the ensuing rounds in 20-under par, a run that included a course record 63 in the third round. He bettered England’s Tommy Fleetwood on the fourth hole of the playoff, making an unlikely eagle to seal the victory.

The last Canadian to win the country’s top professional golf tournament was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey Golf and Country Club in Vancouver. That’s no longer the case, as Taylor rewrites the history book with his win.

“It was the most unbelievable thing I’ve experienced in my life,” said Taylor afterwards.  “I don’t think it’ll sink in for some time.”

https://twitter.com/PGATOUR/status/1668053187176308736?s=20

Canadians Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin all watched Taylor battle in the playoff before Taylor made the putt. Taylor didn’t expect to make the putt to have a chance—but wanted to make sure he didn’t leave it short. With the rain coming down, he rolled it in and the crowd erupted.

“It was long, obviously,” Taylor said. “We knew the finish line – the last 15 feet – with the rain coming down, it is so easy to leave that putt short. For that to drop was a huge surprise, but an amazing one.”

The scene after Taylor holed his putt was truly electric, with fans, officials and even fellow pros all running onto the green to congratulate Taylor. In fact, Hadwin, who is also from Abbotsford, was tackled by security as he tried to spray Taylor.

How He Got It Done

Taylor, who was the top amateur in the world prior to turning pro in 2010, and his first win on tour came at the Sanderson Farms Championship in 2014. He won a second time at Pebble Beach in 2020 and is in the midst of a breakout season at 35, with five Top 10 finishes. This week at Oakdale, a classic Canadian course with slanted fairways and devilish greens, Taylor was exacting off the tee and deft with his putter. He was 15.1 strokes gained for the tournament.

Even with a touch of rain during the morning, a loud and boisterous crowd roared on every shot, urging Taylor on. He made an unfortunate bogey on the 16^th hole but came back to make birdies on 17 and 18 as Fleetwood tried to catch up. He finished at 17-under and had to wait to see if the score would hold up. Fleetwood made par on the final hole after finding the rough off the tee and on his layup, forcing a sudden death playoff.

The Playoff

As the rain started to fall, Taylor and Fleetwood went back to the 18^th hole. Both made birdie, leading to a second playoff hole, again on the 18^th, where each made par. That forced a third playoff hole—on the course’s par three 9^th — where both once again made par. Finally, on the fourth playoff hole, again on the par 5 18^th, Taylor rolled in his putt for eagle, concluding the tournament.

Canadians Have Come Close

In recent years, Mike Weir (Lost in a playoff in 2004), Adam Hadwin (T4 in 2011), David Hearn (3^rd in 2015) and Jared du Toit (T9 in 2016) have all been in the mix at the RBC Canadian Open, but couldn’t close. It became a curse for some Canadian players, with many having to address the “drought” in the media room at the tournament year after year.

What’s In The Bag

Driver: Titleist TSi3

Fairway Woods: Titleist TSi2 3-wood and TaylorMade SIM2 Max (18 degrees)

Hybrid: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees)

Irons: Titleist T200 (4), T100 (5 to 9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM8 (46, 54 degrees), WedgeWorks (58 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Red

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x