The amateur from Kimberley, B.C., had the best view, of course, of his 40-foot putt for eagle on the 18th hole. The shot helped move him to 2-under par on Saturday afternoon and into a tie for second at the RBC Canadian Open.
His caddy Sean Burke — who met du Toit for the first time on Monday — was next, rushing to hug the 21-year-old on the green as the fans started to cheer. The hundreds of supporters who'd endured the relentless heat on the baked hills surrounding the bunkered green at Glen Abbey Golf Club got to their feet and started clapping, most of them with their hands above their heads.
Spain's Jon Rahm, who was teammates with du Toit at Arizona State University, had stayed to watch his long-time friend finish his round and started jumping up and down and shouting.
Finally, as du Toit started the steep climb up to the official scorer's trailer, the fans started singing. Straining to be heard over the cheers and applause, a growing section of fans belted O Canada.