A look back at Nick Taylor’s spectacular win at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open
Nick Taylor is a player who does not have as much media following as others, but was one of the undisputed heroes of the 2023 season on the PGA Tour. His victory at the RBC Canadian Open can be counted among the best moments of the year on the American circuit.
His victory at Oakdale Golf & Country Club was the icing on the cake for Nick Taylor's 2022-2023 season. Taylor won on the road in a hotly contested tournament, where he had to beat Tommy Fleetwood in a four-hole playoff. And he did it by scoring a stratospheric 72-foot putt for eagle.
Nick Taylor went from strength to strength, as he started with a round of 75 that placed him outside the Top 10. He returned for the second round and carded a 67. This gave him a score of -2 for the first 36 holes and made the cut by only one stroke.
However, the best was yet to come. Nick Taylor went into the weekend at the RBC Canadian Open at full tilt and shot a third round of 63, thanks to nine birdies and zero bogeys. With this result, Taylor took his place among the top contenders.
The fourth round generated tremendous buzz, both in Toronto and the rest of the golf world, as several Canadians such as Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were well positioned on the leaderboard. However, during the course of the decisive day, Nick Taylor was left alone representing Canada in a group of five players who took the lead.
Going into the 18th hole, the tension was enormous as Tommy Fleetwood led by one stroke, with Nick Taylor in second place. Fleetwood made par on the hole and Taylor responded with a birdie to force the playoff.
A spectacular finish for Nick Taylor
The playoff between Nick Taylor and Tommy Fleetwood was a worthy closing for a super-competitive tournament. The definition was extended to four holes and its closing could not have been more spectacular.
Sudden death began on the 18th hole, where both made birdies, with a brilliant 20-foot, five-inch putt by Fleetwood. They repeated the 18th hole where both made par.
To play the third playoff hole they had to move to the ninth hole, which generated unforgettable images of the fans running from one green to the other so as not to miss a detail. It would be the third tie with par for both players.
They played the fourth and decisive hole, again on the 18th. Taylor managed to reach the green in two strokes and scored an epic 72-foot putt for the eagle and secured victory in the tournament.
There are some details that made Nick Taylor's victory memorable. One is that he became the first Canadian to win the home open tournament in 69 years (Pat Fletcher, 1954). Another was the epic tackle suffered by Taylor's compatriot, Adam Hadwin, when a security guard mistook him for a fan.
It is also notable that this victory came only a week after the PGA Tour and the Public Investment Fund (PIF) of Saudi Arabia announced the so called "framework agreement". It was a tense week in the world of golf and Nick Taylor's victory served as a catalyst for the emotions of golf fans.