Sony Open win sets Canadian golfer Nick Taylor up nicely as major tournaments approach

Tim Wharnsby · The Canadian Press

· Posted: Jan 14, 2025 6:24 PM EST | Last Updated: January 14

Of the galore congratulatory messages Nick Taylor received aft his 5th PGA Tour win, determination was 1 from Canadian play fable Mike Weir.

Weir was the Presidents Cup skipper who omitted Taylor from the International Team past September, alternatively picking chap Canadians Corey Conners, Mackenzie Hughes and Taylor Pendrith to play astatine Royal Montreal Golf Club.

"There's surely nary sick volition there," Taylor said successful a media league connected Tuesday aft winning the Sony Open successful melodramatic manner connected the weekend. "I'm definite determination are radical saying things astir it, but no. Mike's ever has been great, and it was precise bully for him to scope out."

The 36-year-old Taylor claimed triumph connected the 2nd lawsuit of the play successful Waialae, Hawaii connected Sunday, winning connected the 2nd playoff spread with a birdie against Colombia's Nico Echavarria.

Taylor drilled location a 60-foot transportation changeable for a 72nd-hole eagle to get into a playoff.

"Mike sent maine a bully connection of congratulations, and we talked a spot astir the pitches," Taylor said.

Taylor didn't bash himself immoderate favours successful his bid to marque the International team. After helium captured the Waste Management Phoenix Open past February, Taylor checked successful with lone 1 top-10 result, and that was a necktie for 10th with chap Canadian Adam Hadwin successful the Zurich Classic of New Orleans squad event.

But this was the 3rd twelvemonth successful a enactment the Abbotsford, B.C.-raised golfer has won connected the PGA Tour with a playoff. Taylor joins an elite group, arsenic Bubba Watson (2010-12), Ernie Els (2002-04), Phil Mickelson (2000-02) and Tiger Woods (1999-01) are the lone others to execute the feat.

WATCH l Taylor wins Sony Open successful a playoff:

In his latest 3 wins, Taylor has demonstrated a flair for the dramatic. Before his clutch chip-in eagle connected Sunday, Taylor finished with 3 birdies successful the last 4 holes and past birdied the archetypal 2 holes of the playoff to decision Charley Hoffman connected Super Bowl Sunday successful Phoenix past year.

The playoff tally began with his 72-foot eagle putt connected the 4th other spread of the 2023 RBC Canadian Open to prevail implicit Tommy Fleetwood.

"For immoderate reason, I spot the changeable I privation to deed and spot it," Taylor said. "It's thing I'm trying to fig retired to beryllium much accordant to get successful those situations much often and propulsion disconnected the shots I privation to do."

The Sony Open triumph was the archetypal with his parents successful attendance and sets up Taylor nicely arsenic helium volition play 2 much courses he's had occurrence connected earlier the Players Championship successful March and the Masters successful April.

The Phoenix halt is 3 weeks away, preceded by the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am. Taylor won astatine Pebble Beach successful 2020.

"There are a batch of play courses successful the adjacent fewer months that are connected apical of my favourites' list," said Taylor, who volition play successful this week's American Express successful La Quinta, Calif.

"Hopefully, I support playing large and the putts support rolling successful to acceptable up the remainder of the year. It's ever bully to get disconnected to a bully commencement successful a caller season, particularly this twelvemonth with the win."

Taylor hopes to employment past week's bully vibrations arsenic inspiration to play amended successful the 4 majors. He's missed the chopped successful his past 9 large starts, 7 successful a enactment dating backmost to the 2023 U.S. Open.

"I don't cognize however to explicate it," helium said. "Seven successful a enactment missed isn't that great.

"A batch has been missing the chopped by a changeable oregon two. Two shots tin marque a large quality successful those large events. So yeah, I'm not going to spell successful reasoning excessively much. I'm trying to get a small spot amended and much comfy successful those situations."