Golfer Nick Taylor says he’s shocked, but happy, after overcoming a four-shot deficit to become the first Canadian to win a PGA championship event in five years.
Taylor shot a final round 66 in the Sanderson Farms Championship at the Country Club of Jackson, Miss. on Sunday, to finish at 16-under-par with a total of of 272 finishing two strokes ahead of Boo Weekley and Jason Bohn.
For his first-ever PGA Tour event win, Taylor walked away with US$720,000.
But the 26-year-old Winnipeg native raised in Abbotsford, B.C. is downplaying his status as the first Canadian PGA champ since Stephen Ames won a Tour event in 2009, two years after Mike Weir’s last tour win.
When asked about it, Taylor said he’s not yet on par with Ames or Weir.
‘I don’t think if I’m quite there yet, but I’m honoured that people are saying that, it’s pretty cool to be in that category of Canadians to win on tour so I’m pretty excited,’ he told CTV’s Canada AM on Monday.
On Hole 18 on Sunday, he three-putted for a bogey securing him the win. He played the front nine in 4 under to pull even with the leaders and took control with birdies on Nos. 13, 14 and 15. He made four birdies from 15 feet or more, charging up the leaderboard and then staying at the top.
"It's been a whirlwind of a summer; six months ago I was struggling," Taylor told the PGA's official website. "I'm shocked but I'm happy about it,’ he said.
A top amateur in university, Taylor turned professional in 2010 but only qualified full-time for the PGA Tour this year.
Taylor’s win came in just his 13th career start on the PGA Tour.
