Nick Taylor wins Canadian Open

Nick Taylor sank a stunning 72-foot eagle putt on Sunday’s fourth playoff hole to defeat England’s Tommy Fleetwood and become the first home-nation player since 1954 to win the Canadian Open.

Taylor ended the 69-year drought for Canadians at their championship after a tension-packed extra session with a dramatic putt on the par-5 18th hole at Oakdale for his third career US PGA Tour title.

“I’m speechless,” Taylor said. “This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home. I’m speechless. This is the most incredible feeling ever.”

Taylor was in tears as spectators raced out of the grandstands and onto the green to celebrate the victory after he had fired a six-under-par 66 to match Fleetwood on 17-under 271 for 72 holes.

“This was incredible,” Taylor said. “This is an unbelievable moment. It was such a special day. This was amazing.”

Spectators cheered him all around the course, giving him the energy to outlast Fleetwood.

“Every hole they were egging you on,” he said. “Then in the playoff when the rain was coming down, it gives you the energy to keep going, keep focused. This is for all of them.”

After each man birdied the 18th to open the playoff, parred it on the second extra hole, and parred the par-3 ninth, the playoff returned to 18 for the emotion-packed finish.

World number 23 Fleetwood found a fairway bunker and blasted out short of the green while 69th-ranked Taylor was on the green but 72 feet from the hole.

Fleetwood dropped his approach 12 feet from the hole and Taylor then rolled in the longest putt of his PGA career to become the first Canadian to be a Canadian Open champion since Pat Fletcher in 1954.

“I had a similar line in the second playoff hole,” Taylor said. “I knew it was going to be slow with how much rain we’ve had. I wanted to get as close as I can because Tommy, I thought he was going to make it.

“For that to go in, it was unbelievable.”

Fleetwood, a six-time European Tour winner, settled for his fifth PGA runner-up finish. No Englishman has won the Canadian Open since 1981.

“Nice moment for Nick and the fans here,” Fleetwood said. “It’s great to be a part of that. I had my chances. It wasn’t to be this time. But congratulations to him.”