[Winners Club] "Finished with a Wedge Shot"

by Roh Woolae

Published 14 Jan.2025 07:00(KST)

Taylor's Spectacular Approach Powers Sony Open Victory
A 'Good Shot' with Titleist Vokey Design Wedge
Eagle on 18th Hole and Playoff Birdie Seal the Win

He secured the victory with a perfect wedge shot.

Nick Taylor cheers after making an eagle shot on the final 18th hole of the 4th round at the Sony Open, forcing a playoff. Hawaii=AFP·Yonhap News

This is the story of Nick Taylor (Canada). On the 12th (local time), at the Waialae Country Club (par 70, 7,044 yards) in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA, during the final round of the PGA Tour Sony Open (total prize money $8.7 million), he defeated Nico Echavarria (Colombia) in the second sudden-death playoff to claim the title (16 under par, 264 strokes). This victory marked his 5th career PGA Tour win, his first in 11 months since the WM Phoenix Open last February. The winner's prize money was $1,566,000 (approximately 2.3 billion KRW).

Thanks to two approach shots, he collected the winner's trophy. The thrilling chip-in eagle on the 18th hole (par 5) of the 4th round was the foundation. Taylor had made five birdies and two bogeys by the 11th hole. From the 12th to the 17th hole, he maintained pars, falling just short of catching the leader. Even after making a birdie on the 18th hole, he was still one stroke behind the leader.

However, Taylor’s second shot landed left of the green, and his third shot from 18 meters with a wedge traced a picture-perfect arc and dropped into the hole. By reducing his score by two strokes at once, Taylor finished the 4th round tied for the lead with Echavarria.

The 18th hole was also a ‘promised land’ for Taylor in the playoff. In the second sudden-death playoff hole, although his tee shot landed in a bunker, after a layup, he took out his wedge for a 42-meter shot and landed the ball 90 cm from the hole, easily sinking the ‘winning birdie.’ Echavarria succeeded in reaching the green in two shots on this hole and had a 9 cm eagle putt left but ended up with a ‘three-putt par,’ bowing his head. Taylor used Titleist wedges during this tournament, carrying the Vokey Design SM10 (46, 54 degrees) and Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58 degrees) wedges in his caddie bag.

Driver: Titleist TSi3 (10 degrees)

Fairway Woods: TaylorMade Qi10 (15 degrees), TaylorMade SIM2 Max (18 degrees)

Hybrid: Titleist TSR2 (21 degrees)

Irons: Titleist T100 (#4-9)

Wedges: Titleist Vokey Design SM10 (46, 54 degrees), Titleist Vokey Design WedgeWorks (58 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Red