Taipei, June 12 (CNA) Taiwan's C.T. Pan (潘政琮) gave up a two-shot lead in the final round of the Canadian Open golf tournament in Toronto on Sunday, finishing tied for third with a 16-under 272, one shot behind winner Nick Taylor of Canada.
Pan entered the final round two shots ahead of six other players and three shots ahead of Taylor, after shooting a 6-under 66 in the third round Saturday with birdies on the last two holes.
After a 2-over start on the front nine Sunday, Pan recovered by making birdies on the 14th, 15th and 17th holes, putting him two shots off the lead but in need of an eagle on the par-5 18th hole to force a playoff.
On the 18th, Pan's attempt to reach the green in two fell short as his ball veered right into the rough, leaving him to chip and putt in for his fourth birdie of the day.
He finished the final round with a 2-under 70, one shot behind Nick Taylor and Tommy Fleetwood of England, who entered a playoff that Taylor won with a thrilling 72-foot putt for eagle on the fourth playoff hole.
After the match, Pan told CNA he was satisfied with his overall performance Sunday, despite the "disappointing" two bogeys on the front nine.
"I began to find my rhythm around the 14th hole and knew that I still had a chance [of winning] if I played aggressively," he said.
Pan added that he had tried to reach the green to set up a putt for eagle on 18. When that shot landed in the rough, he said, he tried to go for a chip-in for eagle, but the tall grass had made the shot relatively difficult.
Pan, 31, won his first PGA Tour title at the RBC Heritage in April 2019 when he edged out American Matt Kuchar by one shot with a 12-under 272.
Pan also won a bronze medal representing Taiwan at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, but had taken off five months starting last November to recover from a wrist injury, only resuming competitive play earlier this year.
