Nick Taylor wins Sony Open playoff; Britain & Ireland takes Team Cup

By Canadian Press on January 12, 2025.

HONOLULU (AP) — Nick Taylor of Canada delivered another theatrical finish Sunday, this time chipping in for eagle on the 18th hole to get into a playoff at the Sony Open and winning with a superb pitch that set up birdie to defeat Nico Echavarria.

Taylor never looked like a winner at Waialae, especially after missing two short birdie chances down the stretch. That changed all so suddenly when his eagle chip from 60 feet rolled in on the par-5 closing hole for a 5-under 65.

Echavarria joined him with a great bunker shot for a tap-in birdie on the 18th and a 65. They finished at 16-under 264.

Taylor has five PGA Tour titles and won the last three in a playoff. He had to hole a 10-foot birdie putt on the 18th to stay alive. Playing the 18th again, Taylor went from a fairway bunker to 46 yards short of the cup. His pitch was close to perfect, landing on the front of the green and rolling with the grain and wind to just inside 3 feet.

Echavarria was just on the collar at the back of the green, but his 40-foot eagle putt came up 7 feet short and he missed the birdie putt.

The victory sends Taylor to the Masters again, a big perk after a dismal end to last season. He had won the Phoenix Open with clutch putts in a playoff last year. His best playoff win was at home in the Canadian Open in 2023 when he made a 70-foot eagle putt.

European tour

ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Britain & Ireland completed a 17-8 victory over Continental Europe in the Team Cup, an event that gave European players valuable match play experience ahead of the Ryder Cup.

Tommy Fleetwood secured the winning point for Britain & Ireland, which led 11-4 heading into Sunday’s singles after a dominant first two days at Abu Dhabi Golf Resort.

Britain & Ireland needed just two more points from the singles and after Laurie Canter beat Romain Langasque 5 and 4, Fleetwood topped Matthieu Pavon 3 and 1. Fleetwood also claimed the winning point for Europe against the United States in the 2023 Ryder Cup.

Korn Ferry Tour

NASSAU, Bahamas (AP) — John VanDerLaan shot a career-best 10-under 60 to take the lead in the suspended first round of the Korn Ferry Tour’s season-opening Bahamas Golf Classic.

VanDerLaan had an eagle, nine birdies and a bogey at the Ocean Club course at Atlantis. He played the back nine in 8-under 28, eagling the 11th and making birdies on Nos. 12-17.

Rick Lamb and Pierceson Coody shot 62. Twenty-seven players were unable to finish because of darkness.

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AP golf: https://apnews.com/hub/golf

The Associated Press