New Zealander Ryan Fox wins playoff to claim RBC Canadian Open title

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CALEDON, Ont. — In hockey we call it quadruple overtime, in football it’s called moving the goal posts, but after four playoff holes at TPC Toronto and two hole locations, Ryan Fox won the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday over Sam Burns.

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“It’s such an iconic tournament, so much history here,” the burly New Zealander said after the win. “To get my name on that trophy is amazing. I remember watching it years ago when I was playing on the Aussie Tour and thinking it looked like a really awesome event.”

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After finishing 72 holes tied at 18-under par, Fox and Burns both failed to birdie the par-5 closing hole in the first two playoff holes, both men twice laying up with their second shots.

After each player had made two pars, in an unusual move, tournament organizers changed the hole location from the left of the green to the front right of the green for the third playoff hole.

“I didn’t know it could change until they told us driving up, but I think that’s quite cool,” Fox said. “I think it probably made going at the green a little easier. It’s probably 10, 15 yards shorter there, and you’ve got a little less of the water to have to cover. It also brings in the other stuff, like it’s a harder wedge shot in there. Added a little bit of drama to it.”

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New hole, same result as both Fox and Burns made another par, sending the tournament to a fourth playoff hole.

Fourth time was a charm for Fox, as he hit a majestic 259-yard approach shot right at the hole with his 3-wood, and watched it finish just seven feet from an eagle. After Burns three-putted for par, Fox settled for a tap-in birdie, which was all he needed to collect his second PGA Tour win of his career, and second in two months.

“It’s the best shot I’ve ever hit in my life. There’s nothing close to that,” said of his approach shot on the fourth playoff hole.

“To be honest, Sam and I had a bit of a pillow fight there for three holes. It was some pretty average golf from both of us (in the playoff).”

It was disappointment for Burns, who fired his way into the playoff by shooting a Sunday best 62 that included five consecutive birdies beginning at the 10th hole, as well as a birdie at the closing hole in regulation. But it might be the three straight playoff pars at the 18th hole that Burns will remember, especially a missed birdie putt from just five feet to win to kick off the playoff.

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“Sam let me off the hook big time there that first playoff hole,” Fox said. “I’d almost given him that. We had a couple scrappy holes there, and then to hit the shot I hit on 18 on the fourth playoff, it was pretty surreal.”

For 54-hole co-leader Fox, it was a scrappy Sunday round in regulation, ended with a birdie at the 72nd hole, that earned him the playoff chance to win for the second time in a month.

“My head’s spinning. Obviously I knew I was playing good golf coming into this week. Just wanted to give myself a chance come Sunday afternoon,” he said. “I did that and was really happy with how I conducted myself today. I was really patient early. Felt like I wasn’t quite there. As I said, I hit some great shots down the stretch to get into that playoff.”

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“Anything can happen, and I was lucky enough it fell my way.”

Mackenzie Hughes entered the final round as Canada’s best hope, trailing 54-hole leaders Fox and Matteo Manassero by just two strokes. Battling a stomach bug on Sunday, the Dundas, Ont. native fell off the pace early, and for the second year in a row shot a closing 70 to drop out of contention at his national Open.

“I wasn’t feeling great. Kind of battling some stomach stuff and just never really felt myself out there. Didn’t have an appetite,” Hughes said. “But no excuse really. I still was able to walk and swing a club. Would have loved to have had a chance on the back nine but just kind of fell flat there on the front, didn’t get anything going. I was kind of out of it after the first nine. Disappointing.”

Nick Taylor finished the week as the low Canadian. The 2023 champion double-bogeyed the 17th hole but shot a 67 to move up three spots into a tie for 13th.

“I’ll take some pride in that,” Taylor said of finishing as low Canadian “It stings with the finish today, but I’m happy I gave it a run.”

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