RBC Canadian Open: Extra Holes Were Needed to Crown a Champion in Vancouver

The old adage of "sometimes par is good enough", did not hold true for Sean O'Hair in the final round of the 2011 RBC Canadian Open.

It did not apply today.

O'Hair needed nothing better than a bogey to defeat Kris Blanks on the first hole of a playoff in Vancouver to claim his seventh career professional win and first since 2009.

Both O'Hair and Blanks began the day chasing down the 54 hole leader Bo Van Pelt who was at five-under par heading into Sunday.

Van Pelt was in control for the better part of the day until a bogey at No. 8 dropped him to four-under and in a tie for the lead with Kris Blanks.

Blanks had played very well on the front nine to catch the leader with birdies on five, seven and nine to catch Van Pelt.

British Columbia resident and favorite among the Canadian crowds this week Adam Hadwin, played a superb opening three rounds to be in the final pairing with Van Pelt on Sunday.

Canada's hopes rested on Adam Hadwin in today's final round.

However, the 24 year old from Saskatchewan faded during the final round in his home country on the front nine.

Hadwin began the day with a bogey on No. 1, and then followed with another on No. 6 and a costly double-bogey on the par-three eighth hole.

He did get on a good roll starting on the par-three 12th hole and followed that birdie with two more on consecutive holes.

But for Canada's favorite son this week, it was not meant to be.

John Daly was also a surprise to many to be in contention this late north of the border.

The 'Wild Thing' as he was dubbed early in his career played three solid rounds leading up to today's final round.

Daly did everything he could around Shaughnessy Golf and Country Club today, but his two birdies to his four bogeys were not enough to remain close to the leaders.

JD did finish in a tie for ninth, which is his highest finish on tour this season.

That left O'Hair and Blanks to go play the 18th hole again in the playoff.

Both players put their drives in the very thick and unforgiving rough to begin the hole.

Blanks second shot was a hack out the cabbage that ended up going into the greenside bunker. O'Hairs was short, but in the fairway and playable.

After getting out of this same bunker no more than 20 minutes ago and in for par to force a playoff, Blanks could not keep it on the green his second go around.

O'Hair two putted for a bogey awaiting Blanks to finish up.

After chipping his fourth past the hole, Blanks had a five-foot putt to force another hole of the playoff.

The putt lipped out and O'Hair won the 2011 RBC Canadian Open on the first hole of the playoff.

The win for O'Hair has some ironic twists to it. He had recently fired his Canadian swing coach and caddy.

After doing so, he goes to their home country and wins their national championship.

Just a strange twist in his victory I thought.

The win takes O'Hair to 43rd on the FedEx Cup points list and more than triples his yearly earnings so far this season.