Rookie Nick Taylor, helped by three consecutive birdies on the back nine, displayed ice-cool composure to win his maiden PGA Tour title by two shots at the Sanderson Farms Championship in Jackson, Mississippi on Sunday.

On a glorious afternoon of unbroken sunshine at the Country Club of Jackson where the greens ran firm and fast, the 26-year-old Canadian surged past overnight leader John Rollins with a sizzling six-under-par 66.

Taylor broke clear of a tightly bunched leaderboard with his three-birdie blitz from the 13th, calmly sank a par-saving putt from nine feet at the 16th and could afford a three-putt bogey at the last to post a 16-under total of 272. Rollins, seeking his first PGA Tour victory in five years, closed with a 73 to finish in a three-way tie for fourth at 13 under, a stroke behind fellow Americans Boo Weekley (66) and Jason Bohn (69).

“It’s been a whirlwind of a summer,” a smiling Taylor told Golf Channel after becoming the first Canadian-born player to win on the PGA Tour since left-hander Mike Weir at the 2007 Fry’s Electronics Open.

“Six months ago, I was struggling but I kind of kept at it, kind of got hot and the putter started cooperating. Today I putted unbelievable . . . it’s pretty surreal and a shock but I am certainly happy with it.”

Taylor, the world’s top-ranked amateur for 21 successive weeks in 2009 before turning professional the following year, secured his PGA Tour card after closing with a 63 at the 2014 Web.com Tour’s season’s finale in September. He began the final round in Jackson four strokes off the pace but got hot early and caught Rollins at the top with five birdies and a bogey on his outward nine.

Though Rollins briefly regained the outright lead with a birdie at the par-five 11th, Taylor tightened his grip with a timely three-birdie run, sinking an 11-footer at the 15th to forge two ahead. Rollins ran up a three-putt bogey at the 14th to hand Taylor a three-shot cushion.

"I kind of had a feeling where I was coming off 17," said Taylor, who was born in Winnipeg. "Obviously the last few holes I had some nerves but I was able to make some putts." Leading final round scores at the Sanderson Farms Championship, Country Club of Jackson, US (USA unless stated, par 72) 272 Nick Taylor (Can) 67 69 70 66 274 Boo Weekley 70 68 70 66, Jason Bohn 68 71 66 69 275 John Rollins 68 66 68 73, Justin null Thomas 71 68 69 67, Peter Uihlein 70 71 69 65 276 William McGirt 68 70 66 72 277 Robert Streb 67 70 70 70 278 Carlos Sainz J 70 70 69 69, Garrett Osborn7 0 69 71 68, David Toms 68 66 72 72, Blayne Barber 71 71 70 66, Mark Wilson 71 69 68 70 291 Pádraig Harrington