TORONTO – (Staff and Wire Service Report) – New Zealand’s Ryan Fox had a dynamic putt to extend the RBC Canadian Open and later used an awesome rip from the fairway to help secure a victory.
Fox birdied the fourth playoff hole to win a showdown with Sam Burns and capture the tournament Sunday north of the border.
Fox notched a 4-under-par 66 in the final round, forcing the playoff with a birdie putt from about 17 feet on the last hole of regulation, on the way to his second career victory. Both triumphs have come across his last four tournaments.
Burns shot 62 to set the clubhouse lead and then waited a couple of hours in an attempt to notch his first PGA Tour victory in more than two years.
Burns and Fox finished at 18-under 262 at the North Course of TPC Toronto at Osprey Valley.
The duo played the par-5 18th repeatedly in the playoff until a winner was determined. They each recorded pars the first three times through.
“Sam and I had a bit of a pillow fight there for three holes,” Fox said. “It was some pretty average golf from both of us, some average putting.”
Fox drilled his second shot to the green on what became the last playoff hole, while Burns had an approach shot roll off the green.
“That shot I hit on 18 with the 3-wood was probably the best shot I ever hit,” Fox said. “It would have been nice to make (the eagle putt), but hey, I’ll take it.”
Fox’s tee shot on the first playoff hole was in a bunker off the fairway, but Burns’ potential winning putt from inside 6 feet was off the mark. Fox left a 12-footer to win short on the second playoff hole; Burns left his approach shot short on the third playoff hole, but recovered.
Fox had a bogey-free round, rallying with birdies on Nos. 14 and 15 to pull within a stroke. He played the 18th by lofting his second shot less than 175 yards down the fairway — clearly aiming to tie and trying to be in good position with his approach — and it worked out.
“I hit some great shots down the stretch in regulation,” Fox said. “Probably got a little lucky on that putt on 18 in regulation, snuck in the left door.”
Taiwan’s Kevin Yu posted 66 for third place at 17 under.
Cameron Young (65) and Matt McCarty (67) tied for fourth at 16 under. The trio of Andrew Putnam (67), South Korea’s Byeong Hun An (66) and Italy’s Matteo Manassero (69) tied for sixth at 15 under.
Burns had nine birdies and one bogey. The birdies included five consecutive holes to begin the back nine, and he tacked on one more on the final hole.
“I knew I needed to make birdie there to have a chance,” Burns said during his layoff prior to the playoff. “I knew that was important to make that one.”
With the last pairing just a few holes into the final round, a dozen golfers were within two shots of the lead.
Fox and Manassero began the day sharing a one-shot lead.
Ireland’s Shane Lowry, with an early tee time, stormed to the lead with an eagle on the par-5 first hole (a 4-foot putt) followed with three consecutive birdies. He was undone by playing the last 10 holes in 2 over, ending the round with 67 and the tournament at 13 under.
Yu gained the lead briefly with an eagle on the par-4 second hole on a shot from 91 yards out. He got going again with birdies on three of the last five holes, including the 18th.
“I’m glad I finished great with three birdies in the last few holes,” Yu said. “… Proud of how we fought today, and hopefully coming back next year will have better results.”
Young, who began the round with an eagle, said he thought he was in ideal position until his only bogey came on the last hole when his second shot went awry.
“I couldn’t have hit two better shots on the last hole,” Young said. “I don’t hit 3-wood that far, and it’s blowing straight into the wind, and it decided to bounce all the way to the back woods. I thought in the air I was going to have about a 12-footer to win the tournament, and it ended up somewhere I was going to struggle to make par, let alone make a 4. Pretty upset.”
Second-round leader Cameron Champ was back on track with a 67, putting him at 14 under.
–Field Level Media