Shane Lowry ran out of steam after a blistering start to his final round at the RBC Canadian Open as Ryan Fox snatched his second PGA Tour title in four starts with a playoff victory over Sam Burns in Toronto.
Lowry made an electric start on Sunday hitting his second shot to three feet on the par-5 1st to set up an eagle before he followed that up with three successive birdies.
But what could have been even more crucial was his heroic par on the fifth. After hacking out of some long rough on the right, he launched his third from 164 yards to four feet and saved his par and kept him in the lead on 15-under.
However, the putts dried up once again for the Offaly man and he inexplicable three-putted the ninth for bogey.
There were shaved edges on the 11th and 12th before he began to run out of holes despite a birdie on the 15th.
Back to back bogeys on 16 and 17 capped off a disappointing finish and left Lowry in a share of 13th place on thirteen-under with a 67 wondering what might have been.
Finally, all that was left was Fox, the 38-year-old New Zealander who just won his first PGA Tour event last month with a chip-in during a playoff at the Myrtle Beach Classic.
After birdies at 14 and 15, Fox sat just one shot back of Burns with three holes to play, including the par-5 18th. Fox missed a 24-foot putt for birdie on 16 and then missed an eight-footer for birdie on 17.
Burns just stood on the range, sending balls into the Toronto sky, hoping he could dodge one last contender.
Fox hit the 18th fairway, laid up with his second, and stuck his third to 17 feet. The New Zealander gave his birdie putt a confident stroke, but it looked like he left it out to the left. As it approached the hole, the ball crept back toward the cup and barely slid in the side door to send the 2025 RBC Canadian Open to a playoff.
From there, the drama stalled.
Burns and Fox both made par at the first playoff hole, with Burns, statistically the best putter on the PGA Tour, missing a six-foot birdie putt for the win. It didn’t even touch the hole. Both players made par again during their next go around on 18, with Fox leaving his birdie attempt short.
After the hole location was changed to the front right portion of the green, Burns and Fox played the 18th hole for a third time. Both laid up with their second shot and made a mess of their third. Fox pulled his long and left to the back of the green while Burns ripped his off the front and almost into the water. Both players again made par.
Finally, the fourth time was a charm.
Both players blistered their drives to give them a shot at going for the green in two. Fox had 258 to the hole and hit a majestic 3-wood that landed soft on the green and stopped seven feet away from the cup.
Burns went next and pulled his shot to the left side of the green. The best putter on Tour’s best weapon once again let him down as he ran the 40-foot eagle putt 10 feet past and then missed the comebacker to give Fox an easy two-putt for the win.
“It was tough,” Fox said after his win. “I hit some great shots down the stretch in regulation. Probably got a little lucky on that putt on 18 in regulation, snuck in the left door. 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, some average putting. But that shot I hit on 18 with the 3-wood was probably the best shot I ever hit. It would have been nice to make it, but hey, I’ll take it.”
That shot made him a two-time PGA Tour winner and left Burns staring at his putter for answers, thinking about the one that got away as he heads to Oakmont for the 2025 U.S. Open.
This article originated on Golf.com
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