There was a glimmer of hope when Jordan Klein, a longtime member of Oakdale Golf & Country Club, considered having the RBC Canadian Open played on his course. With golf, there’s always a chance.
It finally did happen after a 72-foot eagle on the fourth playoff hole on Sunday in Toronto. A new era was begun. It was a crucial time. Nobody in Canada will ever forget it.
The RBC Canadian Open was won by Nick Taylor, the first Canadian to do it since Pat Fletcher in 1954. The drought has ended after 69 years.
Nick Taylor has finally done it.
It’s everything. It’s next to the CPKC Women’s Open victory by Brooke Henderson. Having won the Canadian Open together for the past five years, Brooke and Nick Taylor will now be associated. We’ve been waiting for this moment for a very long time.
When the club, which celebrated its centenary in 1926 and is aiming to host the RBC Canadian Open once more, decided it wanted to try to bring the PGA TOUR there, Applebaum was the recipient of Klein’s LinkedIn message. When the first balls were launched on Thursday morning, it became the 37th location in the 117-year history of the competition.
But it’s one location that has made the largest contributions to Canadian sport.
“This is absolutely nothing to detract from Mike Weir’s 2003 Masters victory, but it ranks right up there among the greatest Canadian golf achievements. The fact that Brooke Henderson won in Regina is also excellent. But in all seriousness, it’s top-notch, with some of the finest achievements in Canadian sports history.” Adam Hadwin said.
Along with Taylor, Hadwin grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia, and watched the playoff the entire time while playing on the same golf course, Ledgeview. Each of the four extra holes was observed live by Corey Conners and Mike Weir (who had left the property and returned).
As Tommy Fleetwood completed at 17 under par, tying Taylor in regulation, they were in the locker room sneaking a glance at the broadcast on the TV with Taylor’s brother, Josh. Hadwin and Conners were waiting for the charter to the U.S. Open after the TOUR champions had all changed into leisure attire. The Sleeman Brewery in Guelph, Ontario, had cool, open beers. They wouldn’t let this one slip by.
Josh Taylor claimed that his brother’s tenacity was demonstrated by the victory. He said that Canada has so many talented young athletes, and this proves that they will be able to succeed as well.
To his credit, Taylor persevered as the playoff progressed, even in the most trying circumstances.
He squared up against Scottie Scheffler in the WM Phoenix Open earlier in the season. Taylor remained present throughout. Although the circumstances were similar, the stakes were very different.
We’ve probably circled this tournament on our calendar since we were playing junior golf, in my opinion. But ever since I joined the PGA TOUR, we’ve wanted to perform as well as we can in this event, and the support from the audience was the most incredible thing I’ll probably ever witness in my life. If you want to call it that, I’m quite speechless about breaking that curse.
Fleetwood had three opportunities to win the competition, including one in regulation, but Taylor stepped up when it counted the most as Fleetwood’s putts missed each time.
“He has put himself in several difficult situations. Through those challenges, he played brilliantly, and today it was evident.” Hadwin said.
Taylor Pendrith’s caddie Dave Markle, a nice player in his own right who attended Kent State with Conners, Taylor Pendrith, and Mackenzie Hughes, was a steadying force on even the craziest of Sundays. He insisted on Taylor seeing his shot. He saw the win coming.
“He had been preparing for this the entire year. Of all of us, I’m the least shocked to see this occur.” Markle said.
While Taylor’s Canadian friends were in the spotlight, he was lacking a few important team members.
Along with his son Charlie and baby daughter Harper Mae, his wife Andie, who gave him “a talking-to” after he sat 120th after the first round, was at home in British Columbia. After his victory, they briefly jumped on FaceTime. Some tears were shed. Although Taylor was not present for their run-out on the green, the significance of the victory was not diminished.
“I got to say ‘hi’ to Charlie and he was probably shocked at what the hell was going on, but I made a big shot, he said to be exact.” Taylor laughed as he said.
On Twitter, Mackenzie Hughes referred to Taylor’s victory as “the most amazing thing” he had ever witnessed. A generation of Canadians, including him, Taylor, Conners, and Pendrith, were motivated to follow this aim by Weir’s Master’s victory in 2003. Taylor may follow suit.
The previous few years have seen Brooke Henderson, Canada’s longest-tenured winner on the PGA or LPGA Tour, busy rewriting the record books.
She has won 13 victories, including two majors. She won the CPKC Women’s competition in Regina, Saskatchewan in 2018, and she is well aware of the requirements needed to triumph in a national competition. She ended her own 45-year losing streak.
“Nick’s victory was incredible! Home victories are the greatest. Today, Canada as a whole is proud! Congratulations to Nick on his outstanding victory.” Anderson said through a text message.
Taylor entered Oakdale’s clubhouse with the RBC Canadian Open trophy as its members, who were all wearing blue blazers, toasted a toast. Alongside his brother, Josh Taylor was there. As Moet & Chandon champagne was savored, hands began to shake. This was another moment in a day filled with many others. Three hours after the tournament had ended, Markle was still in the Oakdale clubhouse wearing his caddie bib. He had not changed.
With Taylor’s victory on Sunday night, all Canadian sports channel programs will take the lead. On Monday morning, Taylor’s picture will be on the front of the papers.
The incident is compared to Sidney Crosby’s gold-medal goal from the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Weir’s green jacket, the World Series victories of the Toronto Blue Jays, and the NBA championship of the Toronto Raptors. Nick Taylor will now be mentioned in the same breath as those earlier events by Canadians.
“It’s kind of mind-blowing to consider that I’m the one that people are thinking about. I doubt that what happened today will really register for a while.” Taylor said.
