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This weekend, golf fans were treated to a spectacular finish at the Sony Open in Hawaii. Ultimately, Nick Taylor emerged victorious, leaving fans going bonkers online with how he pulled it off. But the numbers behind Taylor's win are even more impressive.
Early during his final round, Taylor bogeyed the par-3 7th to drop him five off the lead. At that time, he was going off at 100-to-1 to win the tournament. But that is when the fun began.
Nick Taylor was 400/1 to win hitting his second shot on the 72nd hole 🤯
This might be the most insane odds shift we've ever seen @FDSportsbook pic.twitter.com/Z5zAXZVnmE
— Golfbet (@Golfbet) January 13, 2025
He birdied the next four holes to improve his odds to 33-to-1, according to Golfbet. But Nico Echavarria was playing so well to entirely close the gap. Echavarria and Taylor began the par-5 18th at 15-under and 14-under, respectively. But Stephen Jaeger, who was playing 17, was atop the leaderboard at 16-under.
After Taylor found the fairway with his tee shot, he seemingly was going to need an eagle to have any chance. At the moment Taylor hit his approach shot, he was going off at 400-to-1. But then the unthinkable happened.
Nick Taylor's eagle chip-in to tie the lead.
Nick is a big Moments Guy. Might not always have the week-to-week consistency but give this guy a sniff of a trophy and he morphs into Prime Tiger. pic.twitter.com/UF1MvxYFB6
— Dan Rapaport (@Daniel_Rapaport) January 13, 2025
Taylor chipped in for eagle, moving to 16-under.
“You know, the chip-in on 18 was awesome. In that situation I think was — all I was thinking was hole it,” Taylor said afterward. “I felt like par or birdie wasn't going to change a whole lot with Nico having a birdie chance there.”
Echavarria would birdie the hole to match him at 16-under while Jaeger dropped a shot on 17.
That forced a playoff between Taylor and Echavarria.
Taylor needed a lengthy putt to remain in the match on the first playoff hole. As usual, when under pressure, Taylor stepped up and drilled the putt. On the second playoff hole, Echavarria missed a makable birdie putt, opening the door for Taylor. He made a short one for his fifth PGA Tour win of his career.
“In the playoff to have those two nice up and downs to hang in there. Nico was hitting it great all day and knew he wasn't going to give it to me. Fortunate he missed that putt there.”
Taylor is becoming known as “Playoff Nick” after he defeated Tommy Fleetwood in a playoff to win the Canadian Open. He drained a 72-foot birdie putt for the win.
