Jim Nantz summed it up this way: "It is not hyperbole to say, that is one of the greatest moments in Canadian sports history."
He signed off the CBS telecast with that line Sunday after Nick Taylor became the first Canadian since Pat Fletcher in 1954 to win the RBC Canadian Open. The tournament ended in a messy playoff that featured a shot into the grandstands and then absolute scenes after a miraculous 72-foot putt by Taylor to overcome Tommy Fleetwood.
Taylor and Fleetwood battled it out all day at rainy Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto, and with both players at 17-under 271 after 72 holes, they went to extra holes. The playoff began in disastrous fashion, but Taylor's putt on the fourth hole is all anyone will remember from the 2023 event. It was the longest made putt of the 35-year-old Winnipeg native's career.
WHAT A PUTT 🤯
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) June 11, 2023
Nick Taylor drains a 72 foot putt to win the RBC Canadian Open.
🎥: @GolfonCBS pic.twitter.com/VJKkmTjU5m
On the other side, it is the latest heartbreak for Fleetwood, who finished with his third top-10 of the 2022-23 season. His first career PGA Tour win continues to elude him.
Taylor's putt was so sudden, it almost seemed as if those in attendance didn't know how to react. In fact, Taylor's friend and sometimes doubles partner Adam Hadwin was decked by security trying to storm the course with champagne.
MORE: How much prize money will Canadian Open winner make?
Who was the last Canadian to win the Canadian Open?
It had been 69 years since a Canadian won the RBC Canadian Open, with Pat Fletcher being the last in 1954. A Canadian-born player hadn't won since 1914, when Karl Keffer won at the Toronto Golf Club. Fletcher was born in Clacton-on-Sea in England.
The enthusiasm around Taylor was palpable when the putt sank. The gallery lost it, and Nantz fired off a "glorious and free" call in a nod to "O Canada."
"I'm speechless," Taylor said. "This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home. My wife, Andie, and our son Charlie and Harper. I'm very speechless. This is the most incredible feeling ever."
How many Canadians have won the Canadian Open?
Nine Canadians have won Canadian Open, with seven from 1905-14.
| Year | Winner | Score To Par |
| 1905 | George Cumming | +8 |
| 1906 | Charlie Murray | +26 |
| 1908 | Albert Murray | +20 |
| 1909 | Karl Keffer | +21 |
| 1911 | Charlie Murray | +26 |
| 1913 | Albert Murray | +15 |
| 1914 | Karl Keffer | +12 |
| 1954 | Pat Fletcher | -8 |
| 2023 | Nick Taylor | -17 (playoff) |
This is Taylor's third career PGA Tour win. The other two were the 2015 Sanderson Farms Championship and the 2020 AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.
