Taylor, Pendrith hope to ensure Canada goes back-to-back at national men's championship

For nearly seven decades, all of Canada's male professional golfers had the goal of winning the RBC Canadian Open, the national men's championship.

Now the figurative pin's position has been moved and they're hoping to win it in back-to-back years.

Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B.C., won a playoff at Toronto's Oakdale Golf and Country Club to win last year's Canadian Open and end that 69-year drought. Taylor, Taylor Pendrith of Richmond Hill, Ont., and a large field of their countrymen are lining up to do it all again at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in three weeks' time.

"That was amazing last year, and it would be incredible to go back-to-back," said Pendrith. "I know myself and all the other Canadians on the PGA Tour see it as a huge goal, especially seeing Nick do it last year, it was a big inspiration and knowing that it can be done by a Canadian.

"Hopefully there's a bunch of us in contention coming down the back nine on Sunday. That'd be pretty exciting."

Taylor and Pendrith are the top-ranked Canadians on the PGA Tour, having both won in 2024. Taylor was victorious at the WM Phoenix Open on Feb. 11 and Pendrith earned his first PGA Tour title on Sunday at the CJ Cup Byron Nelson. Taylor is now No. 21 on the FedEx Cup standings and Pendrith is 34th.

WATCH | Pendrith wins 1st PGA Tour title:

As long a wait as it was for a Canadian to win the national title — Pat Fletcher was the last to do it in 1954 — it has been even longer since Canadians won it in consecutive years. Albert Murray (1913) and Karl Keffer (1914) were the last homegrown back-to-back champs.

Taylor laughed when asked about the new challenge of consecutive wins for Canadians.

"You lose one question and another is added," joked Taylor. "I think