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The shot of a lifetime
At TPC Toronto in Osprey Valley, Ontario, Ryan Fox edged out Sam Burns in a tense four-shot playoff on the 576-yard par-5 18th hole. Burns had a chance to win on the first hole, but missed his six-foot birdie putt. The two golfers played it safe on the next playoff holes, both finishing with par.
On the fourth playoff hole, Fox finished impressively with a 258-yard 3-wood, stopping just over 6 feet from the flag and setting up an easy two-putt birdie.
“I almost gave it to Sam on the first playoff hole,” Fox said. “We both played a little bit of a sloppy game on the next holes, but the shot in the fourth playoff was just unbelievable. It was the best shot of my life. There's no comparison.”
This is Fox's second PGA Tour title in just over a month, following his victory at the Oneflight Myrtle Beach Classic in May.
The New Zealand golfer has shaped his career with a world tour, with victories spanning multiple continents, countries and tournaments large and small.
At the age of 38, he has an impressive collection of titles: 1 PGA Tour, 4 DP World Tour, 3 PGA Tour of Australasia, 2 Challenge Tour and 3 at the Charles Tour system in New Zealand.
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Breathtaking race
Fox entered the final round with a lead of -14. Sam Burns, who started from 16th, had a spectacular acceleration with a round of 62 (-8), including a string of 5 consecutive birdies from holes 10 to 14.
Fox responded with a bogey-free round and a crucial birdie on the 18th hole from 16 feet to close with a 4-under 66. Both finished 72 holes at -18 to advance to the playoff.
Burns had a few good chances to tie the match but missed them all. Meanwhile, Fox took advantage of the opportunity, creating pressure with a great shot to bring home the win. "Maybe Sam missed a few chances, but my shot also put him under pressure. It was nice to have an easy putt to enjoy the moment," Fox said.
The win also secured Fox a spot at the US Open, which starts this weekend. “I seem to have a habit of getting into majors at the last minute, which isn’t a bad thing at all,” Fox said.
Meanwhile, Kevin Yu finished third with two excellent final rounds (63 and 66), just one stroke behind the playoff group. Cameron Young and Matt McCarty shared the second place with a total score of -16.
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National pride
On final day, Fox received an unexpected support from the New Zealand national football team (All Whites) who were in Toronto for the Canadian Shield Tournament. They walked the entire 18 holes to support Fox.
“It was emotional,” Fox said. “They had just won 1-0 against Ivory Coast and stayed all day to support me. We New Zealanders often find each other in remote places like that. And for them to say ‘hey, can we come and watch you play?’ was really special. We met after the game and took a photo together. It meant a lot. Hopefully it can give them a boost for the upcoming game against Ukraine.”
The win made Ryan Fox the second New Zealand golfer to win the RBC Canadian Open, after the legendary Bob Charles - the champion in 1968. "It was really amazing," Fox said, concluding an unforgettable week of competition in Canada.
Source: https://tienphong.vn/cu-danh-hay-nhat-su-nghiep-mang-ve-chien-thang-playoff-cho-ryan-fox-tai-rbc-canadian-open-post1749730.tpo
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