Nick Taylor Defeats Tommy Fleetwood in a Four-Hole Playoff

Canada's Nick Taylor defeated England’s Tommy Fleetwood in a dramatic four-hole playoff to become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since 1954.

Despite a late surge in the fourth round, Tommy Fleetwood was denied his first PGA Tour win after Nick Taylor made an incredible 72-foot putt (longer than any putt in his tour career) on the fourth play-off hole to seal an eagle on the par-5 18th play-off hole, along with the Canadian Open.

Taylor becomes the first Canadian to win the event since Pat Fletcher in 1954, and did so to a rapturous home crowd who willed him on despite a resurgent performance Tommy Fleetwood.

That now makes 3 playoffs in as many weeks on the PGA tour, as was also the longest playoff since the 2021 BMW Championship (six holes).

The table was set for a Fleetwood victory – he needed birdie at the 499-yard, par-5 finishing hole, a feat which he had achieved in all three prior rounds, to surpass clubhouse leader Taylor and earn that elusive first title.

But two loose swings led to par; he matched Taylor’s 17-under total at Oakdale, then succumbed to Taylor’s written-in-the-stars 72-foot eagle on the fourth playoff hole that shook the ground near the shores of Lake Ontario, and sent fans into a frenzy.

Fleetwood had three makeable chances to win the tournament, including in regulation, but when his putts wiggled by each time, Taylor stepped up when it mattered the most.

Speaking after he won the event; "This is for all the guys through the years, this is for my family at home," he said. "To kind of break that curse, if you want to call it is, I'm pretty speechless.

"With the rain coming down, the slope, obviously, we knew it was going to be slow. To get it there was, obviously, a bit of a surprise honestly.

"For that to drop is - it was a huge surprise but an amazing one."

It was a strong showing for England at the event, with 4 players including; Tyrrell Hatton, Aaron Rai, and Justin Rose finishing within the top 8.

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy posted rounds of 71-67-66-72 to finish T9 in what appeared to be his most relaxed performance we have seen this year, that is in spite of the all the breaking news pre-tournament surrounding a PGA Tour & LIV Golf merger, and of course all of the fallout post-announcement.

Matt Fitzpatrick finished T20 on -8 for the week, whilst further back Harry Hall who impressed at the Charles Schwab Challenge a few weeks back, posted a score of -6 after four rounds, placing him T34.

We now look ahead to the third major of the year, the US Open, where a strong contingent of 15 LIV golfers will join the fold, hoping to secure the coveted title.