Jhonattan Vegas Beats Charley Hoffman in Playoff to Win 2017 RBC Canadian Open

Jhonattan Vegas went low and then sat in the clubhouse, watching on as the field tried to match his 21-under score. Charley Hoffman did just that with a birdie on the final hole of the day, forcing the two into a sudden-death playoff.

Then Vegas went and outshot his opponent once more.

Vegas birdied the par-five 18th on the first playoff hole to defeat Hoffman and take home the 2017 RBC Canadian Open. The 32-year-old Venezuelan has won the event each of the last two years, which represent two of his three career PGA victories.

He is the first player since Jim Ferrier in 1950 and 1951 to win the Canadian Open back-to-back.

While a winner last year in this event, it was hard to picture Vegas contending coming into the week. He had missed the cut in five straight PGA Tour events and had only one top five the entire season—February's Honda Classic.

But Vegas showed no signs of those struggles all weekend with four straight under-par rounds and saved his best for the final 18 holes. Vegas shot 30 on the front nine after recording five birdies, including three straight from Nos. 5-7. After rolling his way to seven under on the day by birdieing Nos. 11 and 13, Vegas briefly dropped a stroke on No. 15 after an errant tee shot put him in the rough. He missed a par putt from just outside six feet.

The par-five 16th gave him a reprieve, though, as Vegas two-putted from 20 feet out to birdie. He then parred the final two holes and waited out the field.

Hoffman, who began the day in the lead after going 17 under through the first three rounds, missed out on a victory due to misplaced approaches and a couple of disappointing bogeys. The 40-year-old recorded six birdies on the day, including a pair on his first two holes, but often found himself putting from long distances after placing the ball on the green in regulation.

His poor irons wound up costing him strokes on the par-three seventh and par-three 12th.

Ian Poulter, who shot a day-best eight under, finished one stroke behind the leaders in third place. Gary Woodland (minus-19) finished fourth, while Brandon Hagy, Tony Finau and Robert Garrigus (minus-18) all tied for fifth to round out the top five.

Dustin Johnson, by far the most notable player in this field, tied for eighth at 17 under.