Rare Video: Before his PGA days, Nick Taylor tees off in Saskatchewan

When Nick Taylor sunk the winning putt to become the first Canadian to win the PGA Canadian Open in 69 years, he instantly became a Canadian Golf icon.

But what many may not know, is his path to the bright greens of the PGA tour, went through the flatlands of Saskatchewan.

CTV Saskatoon recently found rare footage of Taylor in 2007, then 19-years-old, playing at the Canadian Men’s Amateur at Riverside Golf and Country Club in Saskatoon.

It was a tournament Taylor won, and over a decade later was quoted saying it meant a lot for him to win it.

But that was not the last time Taylor would be teeing off in Saskatchewan

We also found footage of him playing in the Dakota Dunes Open, a PGA Canada tour stop in Saskatoon in 2012 and 2013.

In 2012, During an interview with our own Jeff Rogstad, Taylor spoke about some of his favourite golf courses to play at, and how he was hoping to one day make a leap to the PGA Tour.

“I just gotta work on it, and this is kind of a stepping stone so, you know, hopefully this year I can get through Q-School, maybe get to the Nationwide, possibly the PGA, but hopefully just keep improving and moving on,” Taylor said at the time

But for those who saw him golf in Saskatchewan, little did they know, they were watching a man who would eventually etch his name into Canadian golf history.