Nick Taylor of Canada just kept making putts.
Taylor sank an 11-foot birdie putt on the second playoff hole to turn back Charley Hoffman of Poway and win the rain-delayed 72nd WM Phoenix Open on the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale.
All 73 players who made the 36-hole cut returned on Sunday morning to complete the third round before the final round was played after darkness ended play the first three days after a lengthy rain delay.
“The finish was pretty dreamlike and hitting all those putts was a lot of fun,” said Taylor, who claimed his fourth PGA Tour victory. “The atmosphere on the course was incredible all week. “I’ve probably never putted that well,” he said. “I essentially made every putt I looked at. It was a day that you don’t want to end.
“I didn’t have it early on and I made some ridiculous par saves. It was a marathon day. We signed our scorecard after the third round, and I had eight minutes to go to the tee. I don’t know if that riled me a little bit, but it was just a long day. Again, to find my swing a bit the last nine or 10 holes and make some birdies was incredible.
“I putted out of my mind.”
Taylor overcame Hoffman’s three-stroke lead by making three bogeys on the last four holes of regulation to cap a bogey-free 65 and finish with a score of 21-under-par 263 to force the playoff.
Hoffman sank a 25-foot eagle putt on the 13th hole and added six birdies to record a second straight 64.
After both players made birdies on the first playoff hole, Hoffman missed a 28-foot birdie putt on the second extra hole before Taylor knocked in the winner to add to his victory total, which includes the 2023 RBC Canadian Open.
“I didn’t really falter, so I’ve got to give Nick credit,” said Hoffman, who claimed the last of his four PGA Tour victories in the 2016 Valero Texas Open and has dealt with back issues in recent years. “He birdied four of the last five holes he played. Hats off to him for doing that.
“I played my butt off. I knew if I got to that 22-under number it would be hard for (Taylor) to catch me, and I left a putt short (from 21 feet at No. 18) in regulation. But I love the juices. I love competing. This builds a little fire in the belly. I definitely want to be back here.”
Top-ranked Scottie Scheffler finished 66-66 and was three strokes back in a tie for third with Sam Burns, who totaled 64-67 on Sunday, while second-round leader Sahith Theegala of Chino Hills and Pepperdine was another shot back in solo fourth after 69-69.
Jordan Spieth finished 69-67 and was seven behind in a tie for sixth with Maverick McNealy of Portola Valley and Stanford, who wound up at 71-67.
Kurt Kitayama of Chico shot 67-69 in the last two rounds and was eight behind in a tie for eighth Adam Scott of Australia, who finished with 65-66, Cameron Young, who totaled 66-71, and Andrew Novak, who came in at 68-72.
Ninth-ranked Matt Fitzpatrick of England wound up with 70-68 to tie for 15th, while sixth-ranked Cameron Young totaled 68-75 to tie for 41st, and 10th-ranked Brian Harman finished 69-72 to tie for 60th
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