Professional PGA golfer tackled by security while trying to celebrate Nick Taylor's Canadian Open-winning, 72-foot putt

Pro-golfer Nick Taylor won the RBC Canadian Open over the weekend, marking the first time since 1954 that a Canadian pulled off the feat.

Among his countrymen who rushed to congratulate him on the green was fellow golfer Adam Hadwin, who was hampered in doing so by a security guard with skills better tailored to another sport.

The win

Taylor, a 35-year-old three-time PGA Tour winner from Winnipeg, closed Sunday at the Oakdale Golf and Country Club in Toronto with a six-under round to finish on 17-under, joining English golfer Tommy Fleetwood at the top of the leaderboard.

The two traded birdies in a four-hole playoff amid miserable conditions and sporadic renditions of the Canadian anthem from the galleries.

On the par-five 18th, Fleetwood set himself up for a 12-foot birdie opportunity, reported SBNation.

Taylor, meanwhile, had set up an unlikely 72-foot eagle putt with a 221-yard second shot from a divot in the fairway — an unlikely eagle that was to become the longest-made putt of his PGA Tour career.

The audience erupted with excitement as the putt connected and secured for Taylor the $1.62 million prize.

The hit

Taylor embraced caddie Dave Markle while pro-golfers Mike Weir and Corey Conners made their way over unmolested.

Hadwin, on the other hand, rushed out to congratulate Taylor with a frothing bottle of champagne but was stopped in his tracks by a security guard who had mistaken him for a member of the crowd.

The ensuing tackle, which served to incorporate elements of a more kinetic sport into the day, was caught on video:

Markle and others quickly intervened, clarifying that Hadwin was undeserving of lost yardage and helping the champagne-bearer to his feet.

CNN reported that Hadwin was later seen arm-in-arm with the security guard, whom tournament director Bryan Crawford indicated was just doing his job and "acting in the moment amidst a flurry of excitement and celebration on the green following one of the most iconic moments in Canadian sport."

Taylor told reporters, "Corner of my eye I saw he got a nice tackle there. ... I hope he's all right. He was upright when I saw him later, so I hope he doesn't wake up tomorrow morning with any broken ribs or anything."

Hadwin, who appears to have maintained his hold on the champagne bottle whilst falling backward, circulated an image of the hit with the caption, "Put it in the Louvre!"

Hadwin's wife noted on Twitter that "in true Canadian form," he had apologized to the security guard for being tackled.

Taylor's tackled peer later honed in on the hit that ultimately mattered, tweeting, "Words cannot describe the magnitude of what you just accomplished. So proud of you, @ntaylorgolf59!"

The gratitude

Taylor, who remained vertical throughout the competition — long enough to jump 15 places to 44th in the world rankings — said with tears in his eyes, "I’m speechless. This is for all the guys that are here. This is for my family at home. ... This is the most incredible feeling."

The champion added, "I think it’s a tournament that we’ve circled on our calendar since probably junior golf. Ever since I’ve been on the PGA Tour this is one that we want to do as well as we can in, and the crowd support was the most unbelievable thing I will probably ever experience in my life."

The last player from Canada to win the Canadian Open was Pat Fletcher in 1954; however, the only previous Canadian-born champion was Karl Keffer from Tottenham, Ontario, who won in both 1909 and 1914.

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