It was the outcome everyone in the rain-soaked gallery at Oakdale Golf & Country Club wanted to see on Sunday, Canada’s own Nick Taylor walking away the winner at the RBC Canadian Open, becoming the first local in 69 years to win his country’s national title.
But it’s the way Taylor did it, on the fourth playoff hole against Tommy Fleetwood, that secured the 35-year-old from British Columbia a forever seat in the annuls of great moments in Canadian sports history.
Taylor had hit his second shot on the par-5 18th hole just on to the green, but left himself a 72-foot eagle. In his nine full seaons on the PGA Tour, Taylor had never holed a putt that long, so expecting him to do it with everything on the line was probably a bit much.
But then … well this happened:
“I’m speechless. This is for all the guys here. This is for my family home … it’s … I’m very speechless. This is the most incredible feeling ever.”
Fleetwood, who had missed putts on the final hole of regulation, and the second and third playoff holes that would have secured his first career victory on the PGA Tour, could only stop and congratulate Taylor … when he could find him in the sea of humanity that spilled on to the putting green.
So what was running through Taylor’s mind when he stood over the putt? Here’s what he told CBS’ Amanda Renner:
“I had a similar line in the second playoff hole. I knew it was going to be slow with how much rain we’ve had. I wanted to get it as close as I can because Tommy, I thought he was going to make it {he had a 12-footer for birdie]. For that to go in it’s unbelievable. I don’t know what to say.”
Here’s another incredible view of the winning putt:
