By Steve Keating
HAMILTON, Ontario (Reuters) – When Nick Taylor drained a 72-foot putt to become the first home-grown winner of the Canadian Open in 69 years last June it immediately became a heritage moment immortalised when his silhouette was made part of the event’s logo.
That dramatic win on the fourth playoff hole in the rain over Britain’s Tommy Fleetwood will be hard to top but Taylor has a few ideas that, if successful, might end with his face on a stamp or a statue.
Defending his title and becoming the first back-to-back Canadian winner in 110 years is his priority this week at Hamilton Golf and Country Club but a Paris Olympics medal and a home Presidents Cup are two other items at the top of his to-do list.
“I really hope I can represent Canada at the Olympics,” said Taylor, after his Pro Am round. “The Presidents Cup was also at the top of the list to start the year. So I’m doing everything I can to do that.”
The top Canadian in the world golf rankings at number 30, Taylor is in pole position for an Olympic spot followed by Corey Conners at 49.
With the top six in the Presidents Cup standings earning spots on captain Mike Weir’s 12-man international team, Taylor is also in line for automatic selection to the squad that will take on the United States in September in Montreal.
Conners and Taylor Pendrith provided the Canadian content at the 2022 Presidents Cup hosted by the Americans and were the only members of the international team not to earn a point over the four-day, five-session competition.
Weir, the only Canadian man to win a major, is part of the record 28 home-grown players teeing up this week in Hamilton with the 2003 Masters champion reckoning as many as five could be in line for Presidents Cup consideration.
While Weir has spent considerable time talking to and watching potential team members he says this week he is putting away his captain’s hat.
“This week kind of putting the captain’s stuff on the back burner,” said Weir. “Trying to let the guys just play, especially the Canadian guys, they got a lot on their plates, busy week, and not bother them with any team dinners or anything this week.
“They all seem very eager to make the team, so that makes my job easy, because they really want to be on there.
“There’s still a couple majors left, some Signature Events, so there’s going to be a lot of movement here in the next couple of months.”
Weir also revealed that he was considering Adam Scott for a playing captain’s role if the Australian major winner makes the cut.
“He’s kind of the guy that all the players respect and like and he’s a natural leader,” said Weir. “I think the guys all look to him as kind of the player captain.”
(Reporting by Steve Keating in Hamilton. Editing by Clare Fallon)
