Canadian Open: Nick Taylor snatched a stunning victory against Tommy Fleetwood at the RBC Canadian Open with an unbelievable eagle on the fourth extra play-off hole.
Taylor overcame a three-stroke deficit on the final day at Oakdale Golf & Country Club, shooting a six-under 66 to set a clubhouse mark of 17 under, which Fleetwood subsequently matched.
Fleetwood didn’t make a final-hole birdie to win in regulation, but she holed from 15 feet to match Taylor’s birdie on the first playoff hole, and both players then made pars on the following two extra holes to extend the fight.
Taylor subsequently holed from 70 feet on the fourth playoff hole to become the first Canadian to win the event in 69 years, eliciting wild celebrations from the local fans, while Fleetwood had to settle for his eighth runner-up result on the PGA Tour.
Tyrrell Hatton and Aaron Rai of England tied for third with overnight leader C.T Pan, while Eric Cole hit a round-of-the-day 63 to finish in sixth place on 14 under. Rory McIlroy’s hope for a third straight Canadian triumph faded after a dismal 72 left him joint-ninth.
Taylor’s Contribution to Canadian History
Fleetwood, who was in the penultimate group with overnight leader CT Pan, birdied his first two holes to take a share of the lead before bogeying the next to create a seven-way tie at the top.
Taylor started three shots down but was the first to break away from the group, holing from 25 feet at the fourth and making back-to-back gains from the sixth to vault out to a two-shot lead.
After missing an eight-foot birdie chance on the ninth, the Canadian reacted by converting from 10 feet on the next to open his back nine with a birdie, putting him three clear when Rai – in the group ahead – three-putted the 11th to drop back to 13 under.
Cole birdied the final four holes of his final-round 63 to cut the gap to two, while Fleetwood’s birdie at the eighth was enough to pull within one when Taylor three-putted from long range on the 11th.
Taylor answered with a two-putt birdie at the par-five following to reestablish a two-stroke lead, only for Hatton to make three consecutive birdies from the 15th and Fleetwood to hole from 20 feet at the 11th to get both within one stroke of the lead.
Hatton used the par-five last to complete a back-nine 30 and set the clubhouse aim at 16 under, temporarily taking the lead when Taylor bogeyed the 16th, while Rai birdied the last to tie his countrymen for the clubhouse lead.
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