PGA Tour : WM Phoenix Open Leaderboard Results
Canada's Nick Taylor turns the PGA Tour on its ear with his 4th win, after making a clutch birdie putt on the 72nd to tie a remarkable Sunday by Charlie Hoffman 64, 64 263 -21.
It took 2 birdie 3's on the 18th playoff holes to beat the veteran American who did everything he could, but win.
This was a remarkable win for the 35 year old Canadian who lost here last year to Scotty Scheffler. With an incredible display of wedge play and putting he met and matched and beat Hoffman, Scheffler, Theegala, Burns, Spieth, Scott, the list goes on.
What it means : 60 70 68 65 -21
He wins $1,584,000 500 points,, moves to #28owgr, has a $20,000,000 signature event at Riviera this week, all the majors and the Olympics and a spot on the International Team at the Presidents Cup in Montreal (now ranked #3) to play for this year.
His caddie Dave Markle caught him in his arms pictured above at the RBC Canadian Open and caught him again after yet another wedge then clutch putt for the birdie 3 and the win. He had this to say about his guy.
“He’s just got it, man. Either you do or you don’t.” Markle played against Taylor in the 2008 Canadian Amateur. “I’ve been fortunate to know him since he was the No. 1 amateur in the world, and he had it then. When he gets himself in the mix, he knows how to do it, and it’s no different out here. He’s just a competitor. He’s fiery, he wants it, and he’s pretty good, and he just gets it done.”
Taylor had this to say in one of his many post round interviews.
“I think last year was a huge stepping stone in my career to play with (Jon) Rahm and Scottie in the final group (at the WM), one, two in the world and really stand my own … gave me a lot of confidence. So to ride that the rest of the year and win my national Open in the fashion that I did was incredible. It's been fun to be in those moments. I think last year I drew a lot on for the (RBC) Canadian Open and I've drawn on that for plenty of moments, as well. For whatever reason it is, the later it gets, I just seem to get a little more locked in and zoned in and kind of relish those moments, and it's been a lot of fun.
You could tell how laid back he is in all his post round interviews and somebody called him a soft spoken Canadian, humble but hungry.
For a guy who just squeaked in to keep his card at Fed Ex #123 in 2022 I'd say that description of him is a winning combination that took a long time to pay off, but now it has, in spades, and long may his ride continue.
Bryan Angus
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