2025 Sony Open leaderboard, grades: Nick Taylor defeats Nico Echavarria in playoff for fifth career victory
For the fifth time in his career, Nick Taylor has entered the winner’s circle on the PGA Tour. Taylor emerged from a two-hole playoff over Nico Echavarria at Waialae Country Club to claim the 2025 Sony Open after both reached 16 under in regulation.
Taylor’s last three victories have all been in extra holes as he defeated Charley Hoffman at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open and memorably won his national tournament, the 2023 Canadian Open, over Tommy Fleetwood with a 72-foot eagle putt. Taylor delivered heroics in a similar fashion at Waialae CC as he chipped in for eagle on the par-5 18th to tie the lead in regulation and force extra holes.
“It was a tough day,” Taylor said. “I was 1 over through seven and not really thinking of winning necessarily. I got on a birdie streak there, and then I missed two short putts on Nos. 15 and 16. To be able to make eagle on No. 18 just to have a chance — I was a little down after those two missed putts — I am a bit stunned it worked out this way.”
Taylor’s triumph marks his third since the beginning of the 2022-23 PGA Tour season. During that stretch only Scottie Scheffler (nine), Rory McIlroy and Jon Rahm (four each) have claimed more wins. Taylor’s triumph marks his first top-10 finish since his last win at the WM Phoenix Open.
With the victory, Taylor secures his second straight invitation to the Masters in April. He will also find his name on the tee sheet at the PGA Championship at Quail Hollow as well as the Sentry where he will begin his 2026 season should he wish.
Taylor opened the final round two strokes off the 54-hole pace set by J.J. Spaun; he appeared to be an afterthought in the early goings. Finding his form around the turn, the Canadian caught fire with four straight birdies from Nos. 8-11. His pinpoint wedge play continued to persist, but the putter presented problems as Taylor missed birdie bids from inside 5 feet on Nos. 15-16.
Looking like he was going to be left on the outside looking in, Taylor summoned a clutch gene golf fans have become all too familiar with in recent years. Long of the surface in two on the par-5 18th, Taylor chipped his third in for eagle to tie Echavarria at 16 under. When both Spaun and Stephan Jaeger were unable to make birdie, a playoff was set for the two players.
Taylor and Ecvharria exchanged birdies on the opening playoff hole and set the stage for the grand finale. After returning to the tee, Echavarria had the clear advantage as he split the fairway and then found the surface in two. Meanwhile, Taylor laid up from a fairway bunker and nipped a beautiful pitch to inside 5 feet. When Echavarria misread the speed on his third and subsequently missed his birdie bid, Taylor rolled in his 5 footer for his fifth PGA Tour title.
“I don’t know [what it is about playoffs]. I don’t know,” Taylor said. “I didn’t play 18 that second time exactly how I saw it. To be able to hit a nice pitch, which I had earlier, and unfortunate for Nico to three-putt there and open the door for me. I feel like I can rise to the occasion and it’s pretty fun.”
Here are the grades for the rest of the notables on the leaderboard at the 2025 Sony Open.
2. Nico Echavarria (-16): The Colombian will have to wait for his third PGA Tour victory. After enduring a rookie season riddled with inconsistencies, the 30-year-old has quietly found his groove. His final-round 65 tied for the lowest of the day with Taylor and put him in a position to win for the second time since late October. He now has two runners-up finishes, a win and another top 10 in his last six starts dating back to the FedEx Cup Fall.
“It’s just I’ve been working my ass off and I’ve been working hard,” Echavarria said. “It’s been really rewarding to see that things are falling their way. I’m having a pretty simple mentality of hit the best shot you can every time you step up. I’ve been doing that, and it’s been going well other than that last putt.” Grade: A
T6. Keegan Bradley (-13): The U.S. Ryder Cup captain entered the final round only two strokes off the pace and with intentions of finishing one spot higher on the leaderboard than a year ago when he fell in a playoff. Bradley gave himself ample birdie looks, but the putter let him down and sent birdie bid after birdie bid racing across the hole’s edge. All things considered, Bradley’s two weeks in Hawaii were a success as he claimed back-to-back top-15 finishes. Grade: A-
T10. Russell Henley (-12): The 2013 tournament champion had eyes on possibly grabbing his second trophy at Waialae CC heading into the weekend. Touching the lead at various points, Henley’s undoing was a sloppy back nine on Saturday. The American carded three bogeys on that side of the golf course in his third round but remained a hair off the 54-hole pace. His steady play continues to deliver quality results. Grade: B+
T16. Hideki Matsuyama (-11): After setting all kinds of scoring records at the Sentry, Matsuyama was held in check 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 which ultimately let him down. Matsuyama struggled to find the short grass off the tee and ranked near the bottom of the field in terms of driving accuracy. Four rounds in the 60s were enough to nab a top-20 finish, but he never seriously threatened the leaders. Grade: C+
MC. Corey Conners: All signs pointed to the Canadian contending this week as Conners arrived off a top-five finish at the Sentry along with a solid run of form at Waialae CC. He was slow out the blocks with an over-par round on Thursday but looked eager to make amends on Friday. Clawing his way back inside the cutline, Conners made three bogeys in a six-hole stretch on his back nine that left him two strokes outside the cutline. The early exit marks Conners’ first missed cut since the 2023 U.S. Open. Grade: F