Nick Taylor produced his best shot of the season with a 72-foot eagle make for a historic victory over Tommy Fleetwood at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.
This Pat and his celebration were so symbolic; RBC Canadian Open organizers change logo It showed Taylor's silhouette and emphasized the importance of the shot.
Fast forward to Sunday, and Taylor did it again. he I chipped in on the 18th hole and took the eagle.which placed him in a playoff with Nico Echavarria, with both players finishing the championship at 16 under.
Taylor then defeated Echavarria on the second playoff hole at the Sony Open in Hawaii for the fifth win of his PGA Tour career.
“I'm a little surprised it turned out the way it did,” Taylor said.
Aren't we all?
What's remarkable is that Taylor wasn't even supposed to be in that position.
“It was a tough day. I didn't really look at the leaderboard until probably the 13th or 14th hole. I knew what was going on,” Taylor explained.
“When I missed the short putts on the 15th and 16th, I really thought I had to go to the 17th.” [under]. That was the kind of number I needed to start the day. You know, the tip-in at 18 was great. In that situation, I was thinking of drilling holes. I felt like there wasn't much of a difference between par and birdie. [Echavarria] There's a birdie chance there. I went out there reading it great and was able to endure those two great ups and downs in the playoffs. [Echavarria] He's been good all day and I knew he wouldn't give it to me. Fortunately, he missed the putt there. ”
When Taylor arrived at the 18th tee, DataGolf gave him a 1 in 250 chance of winning or 0.04%. He made seven straight pars, two of which came from missing two birdie putts from inside 5 feet. His confidence was low, but his chances of winning were even lower.
And he poured it over the green to make the playoffs.
“It hit right near my spot,” Taylor added of his shot.
“With the wind and the slope, I could read it a little to the left. I had five feet to go, and the wind was telling me not to go too far to the left, but I went straight in. I definitely landed pretty close to where I was aiming.” is.”
Come August, I'll look back on this shot as one of my best shots of the year. And considering the dire situation Taylor faced, who knows if he might still come out on top alone.
Jack Mirko is a golf staff writer for SB Nation's Playing Through. Follow him on X @jack_milko.
