TORONTO – Nick Taylor became the first Canadian in 69 years to win his national open, holing a 72-foot eagle putt on the fourth playoff hole to beat Tommy Fleetwood in the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday.

Taylor tossed his putter into the air and jumped into the arms of his caddie after the longest made putt of his PGA Tour career, and fellow Canadian players Mike Weir, Corey Conners and Adam Hadwin were among those who ran onto the green to congratulate him. Hadwin, Taylor’s close friend, was tackled by a security guard while spraying champagne from a bottle.

“I’m speechless. This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home,” Taylor said with tears in his eyes. “This is the most incredible feeling.”

The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954 at Point Grey in Vancouver. Fletcher was born in England; Carl Keffer had been the only Canadian-born champion, winning in 1909 and 1914. Weir lost a playoff to Vijay Singh in 2004.

With galleries cheering his every move and even serenading him with “O Canada” on one tee box, Taylor curled in an 11-foot birdie putt on the 18th hole to finish at 17-under 271 at Oakdale, walking backwards with his fist raised as the ball dropped into the cup. He shot a 6-under 66 on Sunday.

Fleetwood needed a birdie on the reachable par 5 to win in regulation, but he missed his tee shot right, laid up into an awkward lie in the right rough and two-putted for par to force the playoff in rainy conditions.

The players traded birdies on their first time playing No. 18 in the playoff. They both parred 18 and the par-3 ninth before heading back to 18.

Taylor’s tee shot found a divot in the fairway, but he hit his second shot 221 yards to the front of the green, while Fleetwood laid up after his drive found a fairway bunker. Fleetwood hit his third shot to 12 feet, but didn’t need to putt after Taylor’s uphill eagle putt hit the flagstick and dropped.

Fans swarmed toward the green, and Hadwin who like Taylor grew up in Abbotsford, British Columbia got leveled amid the chaos. He said had so much adrenaline that the tackle didn’t faze him.

“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 (eagle) putt … to get it done, but what a way to go.”

The 35-year-old Taylor, who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, won for the third time on the PGA Tour. He shot 75 in Thursday’s opening round but rallied with a 67 on Friday to make the cut, then shot 63 on Saturday to begin the final round three shots behind leader C.T. Pan.

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy, two shots back of Pan entering the final round, closed with a 72 and finished in a tie for ninth, five shots back.

Fleetwood, a two-time Ryder Cup player from England and a six-time winner on the European tour, remains winless on the PGA Tour.

“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.”

Tyrrell Hatton (64), Aaron Rai (69) and Pan (70) finished one shot out of the playoff.

Back-to-back birdies to close out the third round put C.T. Pan two strokes up on the field at the RBC Canadian Open, but that lead is far from safe with a pack of big names and two Canadians in the hunt.

Pan, from Taiwan, shot a 6-under 66 to sit at 14-under overall on Saturday at Oakdale Golf and Country Club in the northwest corner of Toronto. Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy was in a six-way tie for second as he looks for a third consecutive title at the men’s national golf championship.

“You still have to play aggressive, because this course is a lot of rough, but if you hit it in the fairway you will have a lot of short irons in and you’re going to create a lot of birdie opportunities,” said Pan, adding that he won’t change too much as he tries to fend off the group tied for second that includes McIlroy, Americans Mark Hubbard, Harry Higgs, and Andrew Novak, as well as England’s Tommy Fleetwood and Justin Rose.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if someone shoots 8-, 9-under, because the PGA Tour guys are really good.”

Nick Taylor, from Abbotsford, B.C., did just that earlier Saturday, firing a 9-under 63 to set a new course record at Oakdale Golf and Country Club. That round rocketed Taylor up the leaderboard to sit in a tie with England’s Aaron Rai at 11-under, good for eighth.

Taylor surpassed the record of 8-under that England’s Tyrrell Hatton matched in Friday’s second round. Oakdale actually has 27 holes on its property and is using a composite course for the PGA Tour event.

Canadian Golf Hall of Famer George Knudson, who won on the PGA Tour eight times in the 1960s and ’70s, was a regular at Oakdale and has nine of the holes at the 98-year-old course named after him.

“To have a course record is really cool,” said Taylor. “I don’t think I have one out here on Tour.

“To do it at the RBC Canadian Open is even more special and to be mentioned in the same breath as George Knudson is phenomenal.”

Corey Conners (70) of Listowel, Ont., rounded out the top 10 at 10-under overall. He and Taylor agreed that they’d be happy with either one of them winning the Canadian Open and end a nearly 70-year drought for Canadians at the event.

“I think we’re rooting for each other, but we still want to win,” said Taylor, who regularly practices with Conners ahead of PGA Tour events. “If we don’t win, I think we want another Canadian to win.

“If I look up and I’m second and Corey Conners is first then that’s almost as good as winning.”

Pat Fletcher won at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club in 1954. Although there have been some close calls in the past 20 years, this year’s edition of the tournament holds a great deal of promise as eight Canadians, the most since 2002, made the cut.

“It’s been far too long,” said Conners. “I’m going to be letting it fly, giving it my all tomorrow and I’m sure (Taylor’s) going to be doing the same thing.

“I’ve got some ground to make up, but you never know. We have a chance.”

McIlroy won in 2019 at Hamilton Golf and Country Club and again last year at St. George’s Golf and Country Club. The event was canceled in the intervening years because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“It feels eerily similar to the last two tournaments,” said McIlroy. “I was tied for the lead with (Webb Simpson) at Hamilton in 2019. Then last year with (Tony Finau and Justin Thomas).

“Looks like there could be a lot of guys up around the lead tomorrow. So it’s going to be a really interesting day.”

Chants of “Corrr-ayyyy! Cor-ay! Cor-ay! Cor-ay!” to the tune of the famous “Ole!” soccer song followed Corey Conners up to the 18th green during the second round of the RBC Canadian Open.

The product of Listowel, Ont., responded well to the chants from hundreds of fans. He two-putted on the challenging green at Oakdale Golf and Country Club to pull within a shot of the lead at the men’s national golf championship.

“Lots of chants out there, but definitely that one was new,” said Conners with a chuckle. “I’m really embracing the Canadian support.”

Conners shot a 3-under 69 on Friday to sit in a tie for second with Taiwan’s C.T. Pan, England’s Aaron Rai and Tyrrell Hatton at 8-under overall.

China’s Carl Yuan turned in a 5-under round to sit atop the leaderboard one shot ahead of that group.

“Really happy with the start,” said Conners who was tied for the lead after the first round. “It’s been a lot of fun out here this week.

“Fun playing in front of the Canadian fans. Just enjoying the walk out there.”

Yuan said after his round in the morning wave that his goal is always to have fun out on the course.

“That’s my goal coming into the week. That’s my No. 1 goal,” said Yuan of keeping it light. “Not a result goal, just being in the present, hitting shot by shot and, yeah, being out here trying to have the most fun. All of it.”

Conners was in the mix at the PGA Championship in late May and tied for 12th. He said his cool demeanour paid off there and is also keeping him focused at the Canadian Open, which most Canadian players consider a fifth major.

“I would say this week I’ve been a lot more relaxed than even I was there and I felt like I was quite relaxed at the PGA Championship,” he said. “So I’m feeling good about my game and able to play with freedom and confidence. I’m just having a lot of fun.”

It has been almost 70 years since a Canadian last won the men’s national golf championship. Pat Fletcher won in 1954 at Vancouver’s Point Grey Golf and Country Club.

Although Conners is in the best position to end that drought, he’s far from the only Canadian in the hunt as eight of his countrymen made the cut.

Adam Hadwin (68) of Abbotsford, B.C., and Rogers Sloan (70) of Merritt, B.C., were tied for 17th at 5 under.

Edmonton’s Wil Bateman, playing in his first-ever Canadian Open and only his second PGA Tour event, rocketed up the leaderboard with a 6-under round. That put Bateman at 4-under overall and tied for 22nd.

“When they bring out the cameras and the little fuzzy little mic you know you’re doing something right,” joked Bateman. “But I just tried to just stay in the moment. I’m just really excited for the weekend.”

After two days of air quality advisories due to forest fires raging in Ontario and Quebec, steady rain cleared the air at Oakdale in Toronto’s northwest corner. Between the lack of sunlight and cold rain, the temperature didn’t go above 17 degrees Celsius.

“I think this is right up my alley,” said Yuan, who was born in Dalian, China. “I went to school in Seattle at the University of Washington.

“That’s exactly what we deal with in the wintertime.”

Conners said that the course’s conditions have been great, although with a 9-under overall score topping the leaderboard it’s clear that Oakdale is proving to be a challenge.

“I feel like the golf course and the greens have sped up and the rough has continued to grow and become thicker from when I saw it a few weeks ago,” said Conners. “Also just tournament conditions, it’s playing a little trickier but there’s definitely some opportunities.

“If the weather stays nice I think that you can shoot some good numbers this weekend.”

TORONTO – It’s been 20 years since Mike Weir won the Masters, and now Canada is seeing the influence that victory had – with more Canadians playing at a high level on the PGA TOUR than ever before.

But one thing that continues to elude the best from Canada – including Weir himself – is a victory at the RBC Canadian Open. The last Canadian to win the country’s national open was Pat Fletcher in 1954.

Through 18 holes, however, Corey Conners is trending towards breaking the long-standing drought.

Conners shot a 5-under 67 to open things at Oakdale Golf and Country Club, and through the first round he sits in a four-way tie for the lead with Aaron Rai, Justin Lower and Chesson Hadley.

The last Canadian to lead the RBC Canadian Open after the first round was Weir in 2008, and the last Canadian to lead the championship after any round was David Hearn, who had the 54-hole lead in 2015.

Conners, who finished sixth at last year’s RBC Canadian Open, was not able to speak to media after his round because he had to deal with an urgent personal matter.

His caddie, Danny Sahl, said that Conners’ success came from being strong all around and especially disciplined off the tee. Conners hasn’t made a bogey at the RBC Canadian Open in 51 holes, dating back to last year.

Conners was first in Strokes Gained: Tee-to-Green and fourth in Strokes Gained: Off-the-Tee after the first round. Sahl said there’s an easy comparison between Oakdale and Oak Hill Country Club, the host of this year’s PGA Championship where Conners played in Sunday’s penultimate pairing.

“It’s the same mentality that he brought over from (Oak Hill), and he knows that’s what it’s going to take to play well,” Sahl said. “Just get it in the fairway and we were aggressive on a couple of holes. He’s seeing his spots and keeping it really simple.”

Weir also had the first-round lead at the RBC Canadian Open in 2004 and came agonizingly close to winning the event – eventually losing in a playoff to Vijay Singh. He knows as much as anyone what it’s going to take to keep the pedal down over the next three days.

“I think (Conners is) experienced enough to know that we’re so early and that it doesn’t really mean much yet,” Weir said. “I know he just wants to, I’m sure, keep doing what he’s doing. I was watching a little on TV this morning and he looked like he was just playing Corey Conners golf. I saw solid play and nice ball striking, and that’s a good recipe around here.

“It’s pretty demanding off the tee. If you miss the fairways you’re in trouble, so if you can keep driving it good, he’ll be in good shape.”

Conners is one of three Canadians to have won on the PGA TOUR this season, with Mackenzie Hughes and Adam Svensson being the others.

Hughes made four birdies on his back nine Thursday to finish at 3 under. Taylor Pendrith and Roger Sloan also got it to 3 under after the first round.

Weir, in his 30th RBC Canadian Open start, shot an even-par 72.

Hughes, who went to Kent State University with both Pendrith and Conners, said with golf in Canada continuing to increase its momentum, having a Canadian with a chance to win on Sunday would be huge.

“We’ve got a few guys up there, kind of close, and hopefully one of us can keep it going all the way to Sunday,” Hughes said

Can you think of a better way to cap a day of watching some of the world’s top golf professionals at the RBC Canadian Open than listening to Grammy-winning artists perform?

Beyond the headliners: the Black Eyed Peas & seven-time Grammy winner — Canadian Alanis Morissette — arrive early to catch some rising homegrown artists that “you outta know.”

Returning again, as part of the RBCxMusic Concert Series, is the SiriusXM Stage; it features local acts who have the chance to perform in the Fare Way, a hub for spectator activities that promote more than just golf. On Friday & Saturday night, following the golf, two local artists get the opportunity to shine. Friday sees Avry and Liyah Katana take the stage at 7 p.m. for 30-minute sets before the Black Eyed Peas while on Saturday Luna Elle and Skye Wallace perform on the SiriusXM Stage before fans turn their attention to headliner Alanis Morissette later that night.

“The RBC Canadian Open is the only Canadian stop on the PGA TOUR, so it is only fitting that our partnership with SiriusXM allows us to highlight and celebrate home-grown Canadian talent,” says Lisa Ferkul, Chief Commercial Officer at Golf Canada.    “We are excited that, for the second year in a row, the SiriusXM stage will create the perfect synergy between music and golf to elevate the festival experience for all fans.”

“Our partnership with Golf Canada allows us to bring music and sport together, something that elevates any entertainment experience,” explains Rob Keen, SVP, Sales & Marketing, SiriusXM Canada. “That intersection is what SiriusXM is all about. We offer the best of both of these worlds – from golf and every other major league sport, to music from every genre and decade – and much more.”

“It’s incredibly important to us to continue shining the spotlight on Canadian talent,” he adds. “We’re so excited to get the opportunity to help showcase some of those artists to new fans through the SiriusXM Stage and to welcome everyone into the SiriusXM Oasis onsite during the Canadian Open.”

Here’s a primer that highlights these four artists that are performing on the SiriusXM Stage at the RBC Canadian Open.

AVRY

By day, the Toronto-based artist wears a suit and works as a consultant with KPMG. By night, he does not change his clothes, but he transforms into a music maker. Born in Vancouver, the emerging artist listened to everything from Radiohead to Usher during his formative years. It was not until he was attending the University of Toronto when the idea that he could make music hit him.

“I knew I was not tone deaf, but randomly, one night, I was at a friend’s place, who is a house music producer, and I laid a topline down [the melody and words that goes on top of an instrumental track] on some random stuff he had,” Avry explains. “From then on I started to make a song a day and quickly realized that music is what I want to do.”

Avry invested in a home studio. And, along with his collective of producers (GoodKarma) he also works out of Kilometre House in downtown Toronto. Here is where his forthcoming project was created that is set for a September release.

The opening slot for the Black Eyed Peas is the biggest gig yet of Avry’s young career. “I’ve never played outdoors before,” he says. “It’s an incredible opportunity and it will be awesome to play a show that has so many eyes on it; hopefully, it is just one more step in the right direction.”

LIYAH KATANA

With a pair of acclaimed EPs already under her belt (Forevaliyah and 8), the Mississauga, Ont. artist is already a rising star. The 19-year-old grew up listening to the Black Eyed Peas so opening for the six-time Grammy winning band at such a young age is a dream come true. 

“I hold it so close to my heart and have a big responsibility to hype up the stage and get everybody started!” she says one week before the show. “It’s a big honor to show creativity, community and have fun. This is something I take seriously. I’m counting down the days and picking out my outfit.”

The timing of the 30-minute showcase for the R&B singer-songwriter is ideal since her new single — “Toxic” — drops that day. 

What can people expect when they hear the emerging artist later this week? “A good time,” Katana says. “There is going to be a variety of styles and songs. My new single is a doorway for me to be more involved with the community and connect with more people.”

LUNA ELLE

As if trying to find the right dress for your high school prom is not enough stress, one week after that final high school dance party, the Mississauga R&B singer shares her voice and songs before Alanis takes the stage. No pressure. Oh, and did we mention that retired NBA star Shaquille O’Neal told his Instagram followers recently that Luna Elle is “next up you heard it here first.”

Elle is thrilled to be a part of the FirstUp with RBCxMusic program. “It’s an incredible milestone in my journey as an emerging artist,” says the 17-year-old. “It’s more than just a platform—it’s a transformative experience that showcases and elevates musicians like myself from diverse backgrounds across Canada.”

SKYE WALLACE

Unlike her fellow FirstUp with RBCxMusic program participants, the Toronto-based indie-rocker is already a road warrior. She has shared stages and played with the likes of the Lowest of the Low, Matt Mays and Crown Lands over the past decade. Critics have hailed her as “a national treasure.” Her latest album (Terribly Good) was released in October 2022 and is her Six Shooter Records debut.

“To share a bill with Alanis is a huge deal for me,” says Wallace. “It feels like an immense career milestone right out of my dreams. Opportunities like these for emerging artists are a huge deal, so big thank you to SiriusXM for having us all. Let’s rock!”

Two-time defending champion Rory McIlroy is ready to make history in defence of the RBC Canadian Open title at Oakdale Golf & Country Club.

The world’s number three ranked player will lead a field of 156 of the world’s best players looking to become the first player in history to win three consecutive titles.

“Any time you can come back and defend a title sort of wherever that is in the world, it’s nice to be able to do that, said McIlroy. “Obviously the Sunday last year was, to me, one of the probably one of the best experiences I’ve ever had playing on TOUR. Battling it out with JT and Tony down the stretch. Rosie was on course trying to shoot 59. There was a ton of low scores. Battling with those two guys. JT and Tony being two of the best players in the world. Coming out on top. Yeah, it was really nice. Nice to be able to defend a title. I felt like the support I got out there was absolutely amazing and I’m looking forward to playing in that sort of atmosphere again this week.”

Rory is feeling the love in 🇨🇦 pic.twitter.com/H1pp0amXyk

— RBC Canadian Open (@RBCCanadianOpen) June 7, 2023

He worked in the shadow of a Canadian golf legend. He toiled building and designing hundreds of courses around the country, creating a vast cannon of work. But despite his prolific nature, few golfers know his name.

Now, 30 years after Clifford “Robbie” Robinson’s death, he may finally be getting his due. This year’s RBC Canadian Open is being held at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto that has 18 holes designed by Robinson’s one-time boss Stanley Thompson in 1926 and nine holes that were added in 1957 by Robinson. Robinson’s nine holes, and a composite nine from Thompson’s work will make up the RBC Canadian Open course this year.

“This is the first time a Canadian Open has been played on a Robbie Robinson course and I think that will be very interesting for those who are interested in golf course design and history. We think that’s pretty exciting,” said Mark Sadowski, Oakdale’s immediate past president.

Robinson apprenticed under Thompson for 10 years beginning in 1929 before leaving to take the superintendent’s position at Sunningdale in London, Ontario. He served as a pilot for the Royal Canadian Air Force in the Second World War.

After the war he worked for a time with American golf course architect Robert Trent Jones, but eventually set up his own golf course design firm and is credited with designing or working on as many as 300 courses in Canada, the United States and in South America.

“I think Robbie would be very proud to have a Canadian Open on one of his golf courses,” says Doug Carrick, himself one of Canada’s top golf course architects, who work for Robinson on and off from 1980 until the designer’s death in 1989. “Robbie did the most significant changes at St. George’s for the Canadian Open there in 1989. He really improved that course, and he probably didn’t get as much credit as he deserved.”

Robinson isn’t the only figure in Canadian golf course architecture who has a link to this year’s RBC Canadian Open.

The building of the Robinson nine at Oakdale was the first job in the golf business that Dick Kirkpatrick worked on.

“My father owned a bulldozer and was looking for work when he saw two guys hammering stakes into the ground and he approached them,” Kirkpatrick explains. “They told him they were building the new nine at Oakdale. He told them he owned a bulldozer, and he ended up getting a job on the project.

It was Kirkpatrick’s introduction to golf course construction.

“I was 19 and just out of the army and I ended up working on the project as well,” he said. “I basically just worked on shaping the bunkers and helping put in the irrigation.”

Kirkpatrick went on to become probably Canada’s most prolific golf course shaper, working on as many as 200 golf courses. He worked quite a bit with Robinson on his designs and eventually crafting three courses of his own in Ontario, including Otter Creek in Otterville and Copetown Woods in Hamilton.

To learn more about Robbie Robinson and Stanley Thompson you can go to the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame website at: https://heritage.golfcanada.ca.

This year’s RBC Canadian Open will be played from June 8-11. To find out more information on the tournament you can go to:  www.rbccanadianopen.com.

It was a simple idea that grew. Why couldn’t we do that? It was a question posed to Jordan Klein by phone by Mark Laurie while the two Oakdale Golf and Country Club members watched the 2019 RBC Canadian Open at the Hamilton Golf & Country Club from their respective homes.

“They are both very good and passionate golfers at Oakdale,” says the club’s immediate past president Mark Sadowski of that fateful conversation “Jordan replied that he thought their course would be too easy. Mark pointed out that Royal Melbourne Golf Club in Australia hosted a big tournament by using a composite 18 of their 27 holes and Oakdale likewise has 27 holes.”

Sadowski said the more the two men thought about it and talked about it the more they got excited at the prospect of actually doing it. A phone call a few days later to Laurence Applebaum, CEO of Golf Canada really got the ball rolling. The concept then took on a life of its own as then club president Sam Winberg, former general manager John Caven along with Klein hosted a series of meetings with Golf Canada staff to discuss the concept in greater detail. These series of meetings put the foundational pieces together on what could be an incredible moment for Oakdale to open its doors to Canada and a worldwide golfing audience.

Sadowski became president of the club in 2021 and the project fell on his shoulders. He said they had an extremely consultative program involving Golf Canada, the PGA TOUR, and the members. It was important for the members to understand all aspects of what they were getting themselves into. In the end the members voted 73 percent in favor which he says is the highest percentage of membership approval for any club that has hosted the Canadian Open in recent years. As a result, they were approved to host this year’s tournament, June 8-11, as well as the 2026 event which aligns with the club’s centennial celebration.

For Oakdale, which was founded in 1926, it will be a coming out party of sorts, a chance for Toronto and indeed the whole world to see their facility for perhaps the first time and hear their story. “It was out of necessity that this club came into being,” says Sadowski. “A hundred years ago the world was a very different place and there were clubs who would not allow Jewish people to join or even play. And it was the same in the medical community and other aspects of business. There were very clear, no blacks, no Jews, and no Asians rules.”

While it was members of the Jewish community who purchased the land a hundred years ago and formed the club Sadowski says it is not now and never has been a club for Jewish people only. He says the membership is predominately but not exclusively Jewish.

“There is nothing on our membership application that asks your religion and never has been,” said Sadowski. “What we do ask, and have asked since basically the club was formed, is that you have a willingness to give back to the community in one way or another.” Sadowski points out, as an example, that when Golf Canada introduced the First Tee – Canada program to help inner city kids get into golf couple of years ago, Oakdale was the first private club in Canada to jump on board. And years earlier when a young George Knudson moved from Winnipeg to Toronto to become the club’s professional, a group of members put together some money to send him out on the PGA TOUR.

“They told him he didn’t have to pay them back, just to go out and make the club proud,” said Sadowski. Knudson made all of Canada proud winning eight times between 1961 and 1972. And Sadowski says the membership has gotten behind the RBC Canadian Open in a big way. He says the members have bought out the club’s complete allotment of private lodges and have signed up in big numbers to volunteer for the various committees that are required to run an event as big as an RBC Canadian Open. “The members and their families are looking at this as great for Oakdale but also a great life experience, a chance of a lifetime,” he says. “This is something that money can’t buy.”

For more on the RBC Canadian Open,visit www.rbccanadianopen.com.