Taylor Captures Sanderson Farms Championship


Nick Taylor closed with a 6-under 66 to soar up the leaderboard and win the Sanderson Farms Championship. The $4 million PGA Tour event took place at the Country Club of Jackson in Mississippi.

The 26-year-old Canadian, who played his collegiate golf at the University of Washington, where in 2009 he won the Mark H. McCormack Medal as the top-ranked amateur in the world, carded eight birdies and two bogeys - including a meaningless dropped shot on the par-4 18th - to finish at 16-under 272, two strokes ahead of Boo Weekley (66) and Jason Bohn (69).

The victory, the first in Taylor's young career, was worth $720,000 and a two-year exemption on the PGA Tour. He was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but grew up in Abbotsford, B.C.

In just his 13th career start, Taylor is the first Canadian to win on the tour since Stephen Ames in 2009.

"You know, six months ago I was struggling, kinda kept at it and kinda got hot, putter started cooperating and today I putted unbelievable and the first two days I did too so yeah, it's pretty surreal," Taylor said during a greenside interview. "I'm shocked, but I'm certainly happy about it."

Massachusetts' native and 2010 U.S. Amateur champion, Peter Uihlein, who usually plays on the European Tour, fired Sunday's low round of 7-under 65 to rise into a tie for fourth at 275 with Justin Thomas (67) and John Rollins.

Rollins began the final round with a two-stroke lead. But the 39-year-old Virginian struggled Sunday with two birdies and three bogeys for a 73.

William McGirt had a 72 to take seventh place at 276, while another stroke back was Robert Streb (70). Blayne Barber (66), Garrett Osborn (68), Carlos Sainz Jr. (69), Mark Wilson (70) and David Toms (72) shared ninth at 278.

For all the scores, visit http://www.pgatour.com/tournaments/sanderson-farms-championship/leaderboard.html.