Nick Taylor has become the first Canadian to win the RBC Canadian Open since 1954 after beating Englishman Tommy Fleetwood in a thrilling playoff finish, landing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole on Sunday.

The raucous crowd in Toronto willed the ball into the hole as Taylor hit the longest putt of his PGA Tour career, securing his third PGA Tour victory.

Taylor said after the tournament: “I’m speechless. This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home.

“This is the most incredible feeling.”

As Taylor celebrated, throwing his putter into the air, his close friend and professional golfer Adam Hadwin was tackled by security as he ran onto the green to congratulate Taylor.

A strong outing for Tommy Fleetwood looked like he might land his first PGA Tour victory, but it was not to be.

“I played great today, even though I missed some chances, if you like, on those playoff holes,” Fleetwood said.

“Yeah, it was close. I just have to take the positives from it and start practicing tomorrow. I got a major next week. So can’t dwell on it too much.”

Taylor finished strong on the last day with eight birdies and two bogeys, with a crucial birdie on the 18th to send it to a playoff finish.

Fleetwood had the chance to win in regulation play on the 18th, but failed to capitalise, missing the birdie for a par.

English duo Tyrell Hatton and Aaron Rai narrowly missed out on joining Taylor and Fleetwood in the playoff, finishing one stroke short of the pair.

Joining them on 16 under par was CT Pan, while Rory McIlroy finished five strokes behind.

Half the field still need to complete their opening round, but Nick Taylor and Adam Hadwin raced around with the early group to take a share of the lead into Friday at the Waste Management Phoenix Open.

Taylor had a rollercoaster of a round, posting a one-over front-nine after an eagle, a double-bogey and a bogey, before flying home with six birdies on the back-nine to finish at five under.

He is joined by Canadian compatriot Hadwin as the only players to finish rounds of 66, but there is a strong chasing pack who were unable to finish that will look to snatch the round-one lead on Friday morning.

World number six Xander Schauffele is one stroke off the lead at four under, although he has finished his round, while joining him in a tie for third are former world number one Jason Day (through 10) and American Jim Herman (through 13).

The red-hot Jon Rahm will have his sights on the top, sitting at three under with five holes to play, as will both Max Homa and Keegan Bradley who are also at three under with six holes to play.

Major champion Matt Fitzpatrick is joined by Tony Finau, Sam Burns and Im Sung-jae in the group who completed one-under rounds, while Jordan Spieth posted an even-par 71.

Justin Thomas (one over through 12) will have a chance to still finish his first round under par, while Collin Morikawa, Patrick Cantlay and Cameron Young will all be trying to fight their way back into contention after finishing two over.

Nick Taylor climbed into a two-stroke lead at the halfway mark of the Sony Open in Hawaii after carding an eight-under 62 on Friday.

The Canadian kick-started his second round with an eagle at the 18th hole – his ninth – before getting to 12 under at Waialae Country Club.

Taylor was one under through eight holes in his round before chipping in for the eagle, and he picked up another five shots on the back nine.

A two-time winner on the PGA Tour, Taylor is two shots clear of Stewart Cink (63), Webb Simpson (65), Russell Henley (64), Vaughn Taylor (66) and Chris Kirk (65).

Henley is a former champion of the event, lifting the trophy in 2013, while Kirk was runner-up a year later.

On what is a congested leaderboard, another eight players are just a shot further back.

Joaquin Niemann (69) and Peter Malnati (69), who shared the overnight lead with Jason Kokrak (71), are among them, alongside Charley Hoffman (65), Collin Morikawa (65), Marc Leishman (65), Hideki Matsuyama (65), Billy Horschel (66) and Brendan Steele (66).

Steele was runner-up last year and is again well-placed to contend after posting rounds of 65 and 66.

Horschel, meanwhile, is the only player in the field bogey-free through 36 holes. It is the third time in his PGA Tour career he has been bogey-free through two rounds.

Defending champion Cameron Smith carded a four-under 66 to sit at seven under – in a tie for 19th in a group that includes Kokrak.

© 2023 SportsMaxTV All Rights Reserved.