For the fifth time in his career, Nick Taylor enters the PGA Tour winner’s circle. Taylor came out of a two-hole playoff against Nico Echavarria at Waialae Country Club to win the 2025 Sony Open after both reached 16 under in regulation.
Taylor’s last three victories have all come in extra holes as he beat Charley Hoffman at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open and memorably won his national tournament, the 2023 Canadian Open, over Tommy Fleetwood with a putt of eagle of 72 feet. Taylor delivered similarly feats at Waialae CC chipping in for eagle on the par-5 18th to even the lead in regulation and force extra holes.
“It was a tough day,” Taylor said. “I was 1-7 and I wasn’t necessarily thinking about winning. I had a streak of birdies there and then missed two short putts on numbers 15 and 16. To be able to make an eagle on number 18 just to have a chance – I was a little depressed after those two missed putts – I’m a little stunned that it worked out that way.
Taylor’s triumph marks his third since the start of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. During that streak, only Scottie Scheffler (nine), Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm (four each) have more wins. Taylor’s triumph marks his first top 10 since his last victory at the WM Phoenix Open.
With this victory, Taylor earns his second consecutive invitation to the Masters in April. He will also find his name on the tee sheet for the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow as well as at Sentry where he will begin his 2026 season if he wishes.
Taylor opened the final round two shots off the 54-hole pace set by JJ Spaun; he seemed like an afterthought at first. Finding his form on the turn, the Canadian caught fire with four consecutive birdies from Nos. 8 to 11. His precise wedge play continued to persist, but the putter presented problems as Taylor missed birdie bids inside of 5 feet on numbers 15-16.
As if he was going to be left on the outside looking in, Taylor invoked a clutch gene that golf fans have become all too familiar with in recent years. Long on the surface in two on the par-5 18th, Taylor carded his third for eagle to tie Echavarria at 16 under. When Spaun and Stephan Jaeger failed to make a birdie, a playoff was set for both players.
Taylor and Ecvharria traded birdies on the first playoff hole and set the stage for the grand finale. Back at the tee, Echavarria had a clear advantage by splitting the fairway and then finding the surface in two. Meanwhile, Taylor pulled up from a fairway bunker and cut a beautiful pitch to less than 5 feet. When Echavarria misread the speed of his third and then missed his birdie, Taylor rolled in his 5-footer for his fifth PGA Tour title.
“I don’t know (what the playoffs are about). I don’t know,” Taylor said. “I didn’t play at 18 this second time exactly like I expected. Being able to hit a nice shot, which I had done earlier, and too bad for Nico to make a triple putt there and open the door for me. I feel like I can rise to the occasion and it’s kind of fun.
Here are the scores of the rest of the notables of the Sony Open 2025 rankings.
2. Nico Echavarria (-16): The Colombian will have to wait for his third victory on the PGA Tour. After experiencing a rookie season full of inconsistencies, the 30-year-old has slowly found his rhythm. His final round score of 65 tied Taylor for the lowest score of the day and put him in position to win for the second time since late October. He now has two runners-up finishes, one win and another top 10 in his last six starts dating back to FedEx Cup Fall.
“It’s just that I worked my butt off and I worked hard,” Echavarria said. “It’s been really gratifying to see things progress. I have a pretty simple mentality: hit the best shot possible every time I step up. I did that, and it went well except for that last putt. Grade: A
T6. Keegan Bradley (-13): The American Ryder Cup captain entered the final round just two shots off the pace and intent on finishing one place higher in the rankings than a year ago when he fell in a playoff. Bradley threw himself many birdie looks, but the putter let him down and sent birdie offer after birdie offer running across the edge of the hole. All things considered, Bradley’s two weeks in Hawaii were a success as he had back-to-back top-15 finishes. Grade: A-
T10. Russell Henley (-12): The 2013 tournament champion had his sights set on winning his second trophy at Waialae CC before the weekend. Hitting the lead several times, Henley’s defeat resulted in a sloppy return from nine on Saturday. The American made three bogeys on this side of the golf course during his third round, but stayed within a whisker of the 54-hole pace. His consistent play continues to provide quality results. Grade: B+
T16. Hideki Matsuyama (-11): After setting all sorts of records at the Sentry, Matsuyama was held to a draw at the Sony Open. The FedEx Cup leader tested a new putter after his first round – because, why not – but it was his ball striking that ultimately let him down. Matsuyama struggled to find the short grass off the tee and ranked near the bottom of the field in driving accuracy. Four rounds in the 60s were enough for him to finish in the top 20, but he never seriously threatened the leaders. Grade: C+
MC. Corey Conners: All signs pointed to the Canadian being in contention this week as Conners had a top-five finish at Sentry as well as strong form at Waialae CC. He was slow out of the blocks with an above-par round on Thursday, but seemed eager to redeem himself on Friday. Coming back inside the cut line, Conners made three bogeys over a six-hole stretch on his back nine, which left him two shots outside the cut line. The early exit marks Conners’ first missed cut since the 2023 US Open. Rating: F