The 35-year-old even counts one of the PGA Tour’s marquee events, the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, as one of his previous two titles, but none mean more than his own national open.
Not since 1954 had a Canadian won the PGA Tour’s only event held in the “Great White North” and that weighed hard on Taylor, especially after an opening-round 75 that left him in a tie for 120th.
Taylor, who shot a course-record 63 Saturday, followed it with a 66 Sunday capped by birdies on 17 and 18 in dramatic fashion to post 17 under and eventually force a playoff with Tommy Fleetwood.
He matched Fleetwood’s birdie on the first playoff hole and after the stalemate continued to a fourth hole, Taylor drained a 73-foot eagle putt on the 18th green at Oakdale Golf and Country Club to break the Canadian winless drought at the RBC Canadian Open.
The scene on the 18th green turned into a madhouse as fans stormed the green after the walk-off bomb. The aftermath was so hectic, security even tackled fellow-Canadian pro Adam Hadwin when he tried to shower the winner in champagne.
Not only did Taylor’s win break the drought for Canadians at their national open, but it also marked the fourth win by Canadians on Tour this season. That’s the most since the Tour started keeping those records in 1983.
“I can’t even describe it. This is the most incredible feeling,” Taylor said after the playoff Sunday. “The fans were unbelievable all day. Every green, every tee box I was getting ovations and to make those last two putts to give myself a chance to do that, I’m speechless.
Fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran onto the green to congratulate him. Hadwin, Taylor’s close friend, was tackled by a security guard while spraying champagne from a bottle.
The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Fletcher was born in England; Karl Keffer had been the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914. Weir lost a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004.
“I’ve looked up to Mike Weir and watched him play golf for so long, and for him to be there was special,” Taylor said.
With galleries cheering his every move and even serenading him with “O Canada” on one tee box, Taylor curled in an 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 17-under 271 at Oakdale, walking backward with his fist raised as the ball dropped into the cup. He shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday.
“It was the most incredible atmosphere I’ve ever been a part of and it’s not even close. I think even walking the first tee today, walking to the first green, there’s ovations on every single tee and green,” Taylor said. “When Tommy would miss and they would cheer, I kind of felt bad for him. But I knew just how pumped they were and they were trying to put every ounce of energy into it to help me pull it through.”
Fleetwood needed a birdie on the reachable par 5 to win in regulation, but he missed his tee shot right, laid up into an awkward lie in the right rough and two-putted for par to force the playoff in rainy conditions.
The players traded birdies on their first time playing No. 18 in the playoff. They both parred 18 and the par-3 ninth before heading back to 18.
Taylor’s tee shot found a divot in the fairway, but he hit his second shot 221 yards to the front of the green, while Fleetwood laid up after his drive found a fairway bunker. Fleetwood hit his third shot to 12 feet, but didn’t need to putt after Taylor’s eagle putt hit the flagstick and dropped.
Taylor expected Fleetwood to make his putt and focused on getting his lengthy try to the hole.
“The speed is all I was thinking about,” Taylor said. “For that to drop is — it was a huge surprise but an amazing one.”
Fans swarmed toward the green, and Hadwin who like Taylor grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia got leveled amid the chaos. He said had so much adrenaline that the tackle didn’t faze him.
“It’s incredible. I mean, what do you say to one of the greatest moments of Canadian golf history?” Hadwin said. “I think we all predicted that this was going to happen.
“I’m not sure that any one of us predicted a 72-foot eagle putt to get it done, but what a way to go.”
The 35-year-old Taylor, who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, won for the third time on the PGA Tour. He shot 75 in Thursday’s opening round but rallied with a 67 on Friday to make the cut, then shot 63 on Saturday to begin the final round 3 shots behind leader C.T. Pan.
“I was on the seventh hole, I remember, the first day, my 16th hole, with 10 feet for par. And made that. And birdied 8 and parred the last to kind of like somewhat be in the cut sight,” Taylor said. “So to be standing there and then sitting here today is pretty remarkable, to be honest.”
The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Fletcher was born in England; Carl Keffer had been the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914. Weir lost a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004.
“I’ve looked up to Mike Weir and watched him play golf for so long, and for him to be there was special,” Taylor said.
With galleries cheering his every move and even serenading him with “O Canada” on one tee box, Taylor curled in an 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 17-under 271 at Oakdale, walking backwards with his fist raised as the ball dropped into the cup. He shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday.
“It was the most incredible atmosphere I’ve ever been a part of and it’s not even close. I think even walking the first tee today, walking to the first green, there’s ovations on every single tee and green,” Taylor said. “When Tommy would miss and they would cheer, I kind of felt bad for him. But I knew just how pumped they were and they were trying to put every ounce of energy into it to help me pull it through.”
Fleetwood needed a birdie on the reachable par 5 to win in regulation, but he missed his tee shot right, laid up into an awkward lie in the right rough and two-putted for par to force the playoff in rainy conditions.
The players traded birdies on their first time playing No. 18 in the playoff. They both parred 18 and the par-3 ninth before heading back to 18.
Taylor’s tee shot found a divot in the fairway, but he hit his second shot 221 yards to the front of the green, while Fleetwood laid up after his drive found a fairway bunker. Fleetwood hit his third shot to 12 feet, but didn’t need to putt after Taylor’s eagle putt hit the flagstick and dropped.
Taylor expected Fleetwood to make his putt and focused on getting his lengthy try to the hole.
“The speed is all I was thinking about,” Taylor said. “For that to drop is — it was a huge surprise but an amazing one.”
Fans swarmed toward the green, and Hadwin — who like Taylor grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia — got leveled amid the chaos. He said had so much adrenaline that the tackle didn’t faze him.
“It’s incredible. I mean, what do you say to one of the greatest moments of Canadian golf history?” Hadwin said. “I think we all predicted that this was going to happen.
Stricker already has six Champions majors, including the two played this year. This tournament was one his foundation began before he turned 50, and he finally got it.
Tied with Paul Broadhurst to start the final round, Stricker seized control with two straight birdies to close out the front nine at University Ridge Golf Club.
He won by five shots over Broadhurst (74) and Steve Alker (70).
“This one definitely means more than probably any tournament throughout my whole career,” Stricker said.
His other big win in Wisconsin was as Ryder Cup captain two years ago at Whistling Straits, when the Americans beat Europe by a record margin.
Stricker now has 15 wins on the PGA Champions, and he gets another crack before the home crowd in the U.S. Senior Open at SentryWorld in Stevens Point.
Stricker lost in a playoff at the American Family Insurance Championship in 2019.
“I had a couple opportunities the first six years and didn’t finish the job on Sunday,” he said. “Today was a difficult day not only with the weather but just fighting my nerves and the emotions of trying to win a golf tournament, especially here in Madison.
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