First play-off of the year and victory for Canadian “specialist” Nick Taylor at the Sony Open

The champion of success on the wire, the Canadian Nick Taylor has struck again! For the third year in a row he won a PGA Tour tournament by triumphing in a play-off duel. This is also the 6th time in the last 10 editions that the tournament has been decided in overtime.

After his incredible putt against Tommy Fleetwood at the 4th play-off hole of the Canadian Open in 2023 and his two birdies to defeat Charley Hoffman at the Waste Management Phoenix Open last year, Nick Taylor once again got the better of his opponent in the Sony Open play-off and succeeds the late Grayson Murray.

This time the victim of the 36-year-old Canadian, victorious in his third tournament in a row in the play-off, is the Colombian Nico Echavarria with whom he shared the antepenultimate game on Sunday at the Waialae Country Club in Honolulu.

The ZOZO Championship winner fought to the end with two birdies on his last three holes and a good putt on the first play-off hole to respond with authority to his opponent, but it was not enough.

However, the chances of winning when Taylor appeared at the start of the 18th for the first time of the day were very slim.

After missing two small birdie putts at 15 and 16, and settling for par at 17, victory seemed out of reach.

But a spectacular eagle at 18 (video below) for his second 65 of the weekend and two bogeys on the last holes of the two main protagonists of the last part, the German Stephan Jaeger and the American JJ Spaun decided otherwise.

With this 5th title, the 9th success of a non-American in this tournament since 2000, Nick Taylor climbs to 29th place in the world and takes 2nd place in the FedEx Cup behind the Japanese Hideki Matsuyama, victorious last week in the first Signature Event on the neighboring island of Maui.

This success opens the doors to the next 7 major events of the season for which he had not managed to qualify after a disappointing second part of the 2024 season at the end of which he was forced to follow the Presidents Cup, organized at home in Canada, from his sofa. His compatriot Mike Weir having decided to do without his services.

Nick Taylor, who finished 7th twice in the last two editions, will also be at the start of the next Masters in Augusta in three months and the PGA Championship a may.

Keegan Bradley gets closer to his dream

Also remember that Keegan Bradley who dreams of playing captain of the Ryder Cup for the United States in September, 62 years after Arnold Palmer, was satisfied with 6th place after a final day completed in 68. He climbed two places in the USA ranking and is now in 16th place.

Finally note that for his first tournament as a member of the PGA Tour, the Swede Jesper Svensson had a good top 10 with a final card of 66.

Le leaderboard

*the last playing captain of the USA was “King” Arnold Palmer in 1963 at the East Lake Golf Club in Atlanta with a large victory for the USA 23-9.

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