Nick Taylor eagled the fourth hole of a sudden-death playoff, rolling his Pro V1x golf ball in from 72 feet on Oakdale G&CC’s 18th green to become the Canadian Open’s first Canadian champion since 1954.
The former Canadian Amateur (2007) and Canadian Junior (2006) titleholder made a weekend run to remember, playing his final 36 in 15 under with rounds of 63-66. Clutch birdies on Nos. 17 and 18 Sunday got Taylor to 17 under for the week, enough to force extra holes.
For the week, the 35-year-old ranked third in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (+10.29), with more than 8.5 of them coming from his approach play (+6.565/5th) and around the green (+2.155/15th).
Now a three-time winner on the PGA TOUR, Taylor topped a leader board that featured six Pro V1 and Pro V1x players in the top seven positions. The win marks Taylor’s third finish of runner-up or better since the start of February, and he is projected to move to No. 6 in the FedEx Cup standings.
The winner of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open played 12 Titleist clubs en route to winning his national open, including a TSi3 driver, TSR2 hybrid, T100 irons and Vokey Design wedges.
Heading into the week, the Winnipeg-native was ranked 40th in Strokes Gained: Tee to green, averaging +0.585 per round.
WITB | 2023 Canadian Open winner: Titleist Pro V1x golf ball; TSi3 10.0 driver; TSi2 15.0 fairway; TSR2 21.0 hybrid; T200 4 iron, T100 5-9 irons; Vokey Design SM8 46.10F, 54.14F, WedgeWorks 58T wedges
This week in New Jersey marked the beginning of the tour seeding and validation process for the NEW Titleist T-Series irons on the LPGA Tour. Titleist Brand Ambassadors Emily Pedersen (T200 4 iron, T100 5-9 irons) and Alexa Pano (T150 5-iron) were among those who put the new models immediately in play.
Playing his NEW Pro V1 golf ball, Dale Whitnell earned his first career DP World Tour title, posting 21 under for a three-shot victory. Whitnell raced to the top of the leader board on Friday with and 11-under 61, the lowest round of the week, and then outlasted the competition with matching 70’s over the weekend. The 34-year-old's ballstriking was on display all week, ranking first in Greens in Regulation (82%), second in Strokes Gained: Approach (+2.58 per round) and third in Strokes Gained: Tee to Green (+3.21 per round).
Thirteen of the top 20 finishers on the final leader board played a Pro V1 or Pro V1x golf ball this week at Ullna Golf & Country Club.
Steve Stricker (Pro V1x) claimed his fourth victory of the 2023 Champions Tour season – and his third win in four starts – after shooting rounds of 65-64-69 around University Ridge Golf Club. It marked career Champions win No. 15 for Stricker, whose 18-under total earned him the five-shot, runaway victory in his home state of Wisconsin.
The 2021 U.S. Ryder Cup Captain has yet to finish outside the top 10 in 11 starts on tour in 2023 and has only finished outside the top 5 once (T8). Stricker has also won both Champions Tour majors this year (Regions Tradition and KitchenAid Senior PGA Championship).
Korn Ferry Tour players got their first chance to game the NEW T-Series irons this week at the BMW Charity Pro-Am, with 14 players choosing to put the new models in the bag this week:
Titleist Brand Ambassador Seungbin Choi made birdie on the 72nd hole to cap off a final round 7-under 64 – the lowest round of the week – and capture his first KPGA victory and first KPGA major. Gaming his NEW Pro V1x golf ball and full bag of Titleist equipment, Choi was the only player to turn in four rounds in the 60’s (68-69-69-64) on his way to posting 14 under. Junhong Park (NEW Pro V1x) finished runner-up, one shot behind Choi.
Four of the top five finishers on Sunday’s final leader board trusted a Titleist golf ball, and three of the top five gamed a TSR driver.
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Titleist, Golf’s Symbol of Excellence, is the game's leading performance equipment brand, having earned the overwhelming trust of tour professionals, club professionals, competitive amateurs and dedicated golfers worldwide. The Titleist golf ball embodies superior performance, innovative design and technology, precision manufacturing and unmatched quality. It is the unequivocal #1 ball in golf, and has been for 70 years and still counting. Titleist also sets the standard for golf clubs through an unwavering commitment to performance, meticulous attention to detail, and as the game’s preeminent golf club fitter. Titleist golf gear, comprising golf bags, headwear, travel gear, accessories and golf gloves, also delivers the performance and quality excellence promised in every product that bears the Titleist Script.
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- James Savage
- PR and Communications Manager at Acushnet Europe Ltd
- james_savage@acushnetgolf.com