Canadian golfer Adam Hadwin was tackled to the ground by an overzealous security guard as he celebrated Nick Taylor’s thrilling RBC Canadian Open victory in a play-off against Tommy Fleetwood.
Taylor needed four holes to see off the challenge of Britain’s Fleetwood, who was hunting for his first PGA Tour title after a final-day charge, with the 35-year-old Canadian holing out a mammoth 72-foot putt to claim his third victory on the Tour.
Having posted a final round six-under-par 66 to post the lead on 17-under, Taylor watched on as Fleetwood tied him with birdies on 16 and 17, but made a mess of the reachable par-five 18th and could only record a par for a five-under 67.
The tie sent the pair back down the 18th twice, with both posting birdies first time around before pars left them level, and after both failed to make the most of the ninth, they returned to the 18th for a fourth play-off hole.
And after Fleetwood found the green in three to seemingly keep his hopes alive with his opponent on in two, Taylor holed out the longest putt of his professional career for eagle, sparking wild celebrations on the green. Taylor leapt into the arms of his caddie David Markle, becoming the first home winner of the Canadian Open since 1954, and fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Hadwin were among those who ran onto the green to celebrate.
However, the joy quickly turned to confusion as Hadwin, Taylor’s close friend, was tackled to the turf by a security guard while spraying champagne from a bottle, with Taylor and Markle quickly coming to his defence.
But Hadwin did not let the incident spoil the occasion.
“It’s incredible. I mean, what do you say to one of the greatest moments of Canadian golf history?” Hadwin said. “I think we all predicted that this was going to happen.
“I’m not sure that any one of us predicted a 72-foot putt … to get it done, but what a way to go.”
Taylor was equally as shocked by the means of his victory, which secured $1.62 million [£1.29 million] in prize money.
“I’m speechless,” Taylor said afterwards. “This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home. This is the most incredible feeling.”
Fleetwood, who has six wins on the DP World Tour to his name but remains in search of his first individual success in America, was keen to take the momentum from his final-day challenge into this week’s US Open.
“I played great today, even though I missed some chances, if you like, on those play-off holes,” Fleetwood said. “It was close. I just have to take the positives from it and start practising tomorrow. I got a major next week, so I can’t dwell on it too much.”
Tyrrell Hatton, who agonisingly missed out on the play-off by one shot, saw the funny side of the security guard’s rash actions.
“Gutted for Tommy but what a way to win your national open!” Hatton said on Twitter. “Mad scenes! Praying for Adam Hadwin, what a tackle!”
Home victory sparks wild celebrations
Fans stormed the 18th green at Oakdale Golf & Country Club in Toronto to celebrate the first player from Canada to win the country’s national open since Pat Fletcher 69 years ago.
Playing the par-five 18th hole for the third time of the play-off, Fleetwood hit a pitch shot to get on the green in three, while Taylor had reached the green in two shots and had a long uphill putt from a lower tier of the green complex.
Taylor’s putt tracked straight toward the centre of the cup, hit the flagstick and dropped in. Taylor flipped his putter in the air and embraced his caddie before fans made their way down from the grandstand.
Taylor, from Abbotsford, British Columbia, led the tournament for a good portion of the fourth round, briefly slipped behind and then birdied the 17th and 18th holes to set the clubhouse lead at 17-under.
Fleetwood shot a 67 to join him there, one shot better than Englishmen Tyrrell Hatton and Aaron Rai and Taiwan’s CT Pan.
Taylor stepped to the 18th tee needing a par to tie the group at 16 under and a birdie or better for the outright lead. He went over the green in two and pitched to 11-and-a-half feet for a birdie attempt.
Taylor’s putt had a massive right-to-left curl and died right at the hole. He pumped his fist and took several steps backward in celebration as the Canadian fan base went wild in celebrating their countryman.
A short time later, Fleetwood joined the tie at 16 under with a birdie at the 16th, and his approach at the par-four 17th spun back to a mere three feet to set up a birdie to tie Taylor.
Fleetwood’s drive at the 18th missed the fairway right, and his attempt to lay up also turned right and settled in the right rough again. He managed to get on the green with his third shot and two-putted for par to force the play-off.
McIlroy fails in bid to win third consecutive Canadian Open
Hatton fired a 64 and Rai carded a 67 to get to 16 under. Pan, who held a two-shot lead after 54 holes, could have joined the play-off by eagling the 18th but had to settle for a birdie and a round of 70.
Eric Cole made nine birdies – including each of his last four holes – to match the round of the week with a nine-under 63 and tie Mark Hubbard [70 on Sunday] for sixth at 14 under. Justin Rose finished alone in eighth at 13 under.
Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy, the highest-ranked player in the field, entered the day two off the pace in second but consecutive bogeys at the par-four fifth and sixth holes put paid to his challenge early in the round. He didn’t notch his first birdie until the par-five 12th and shot a 72 to finish at 12 under, tied for ninth with Brandon Wu (69) and Andrew Novak (72) and end his two-year reign as Canadian Open champion, having failed to become the first player in PGA Tour history to win the same tournament three years in a row in a week where his role of the course did most of the talking.
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