Ryan Fox beats Sam Burns in playoff to win Canadian Open

New Zealand’s Ryan Fox birdied the fourth playoff hole to win a showdown with Sam Burns and capture the RBC Canadian Open on Sunday in Caledon, Ontario.

Fox notched up a 4-under-par 66 in the final round, forcing the playoff with a birdie putt from about 5m on the last hole of regulation, on the way to his second career victory. Both triumphs have come in his last four tournaments.

Burns shot 62 to set the clubhouse lead and then waited a couple of hours in an attempt to notch up 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.

Fox’s tee shot on the first playoff hole was in a bunker off the fairway, but Burns’ potential winning putt from inside 1.8m was off the mark. Burns left his approach shot short on the third playoff hole, but recovered.

Fox had a bogey-free round, rallying with birdies on numbers 14 and 15 to pull within a stroke. He played the 18th by lofting his second shot less than 160m down the fairway — clearly aiming to tie and trying to be in good position with his approach — and it worked out.

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.

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 1.2m 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 83m. He got going again with birdies on three of the last five holes, including the 18th.

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.

Second-round leader Cameron Champ was back on track with a 67, putting him at 14 under.

Field Level Media