Nick Taylor’s clutch eagle on the 18th hole secures his win at the Sony Open, showcasing his impressive skills in a thrilling playoff.

It was a nail-biter for Taylor, especially after he missed a couple of short birdie putts earlier. But then, out of nowhere, he made that eagle chip from 60 feet on the par-5 18th, finishing with a 5-under 65. Echavarria matched him with a solid bunker shot for a tap-in birdie, both finishing at 16-under 264.
This win marks Taylor’s fifth title on the PGA Tour, and he’s been on a roll lately, winning his last three tournaments in playoffs. He had to sink a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th just to stay in the game. When they played the 18th again, he hit a perfect pitch from 46 yards, landing it just inside 3 feet from the hole.
Echavarria had a tough time, missing a 40-foot eagle putt that left him 7 feet short, and he couldn’t convert the birdie. With this victory, Taylor earns a spot at the Masters, a nice perk after a rough end to last season. He previously won the Phoenix Open in a playoff last year and had an epic 70-foot eagle putt at the Canadian Open in 2023.
Stephan Jaeger and J.J. Spaun also had their chances but left feeling disappointed. They were neck and neck for a while, but things took a turn on the final holes. Jaeger made a great 30-foot birdie putt on the 14th to catch Spaun, who then made a long par putt to stay tied.
However, Jaeger struggled on the back nine, hitting a wayward shot on the 16th that went out of bounds. He managed to make a bogey with a provisional ball, but it wasn’t enough. Spaun missed a crucial 10-foot birdie putt that could have given him an edge, and then he bogeyed the 17th from the bunker.
Meanwhile, both Taylor and Echavarria were making impressive saves. Echavarria pulled off a 15-foot par save on the 15th and a 12-foot birdie on the 16th. Taylor looked like he was out of it after missing a couple of short putts but then made that incredible eagle chip on the 18th.
Jaeger and Spaun needed birdies on the final hole to join the playoff but fell short. Jaeger didn’t clear the bunker and ended up making par, while Spaun missed his birdie putt from 10 feet. In a tournament where 15 players were close at the start, these four were the only ones really in contention at the end.
Hideki Matsuyama, who had a record-breaking win last week, finished tied for 16th after closing with a 66. It was an exciting day of golf in Hawaii!