The world of professional golf gives us incredible shots every week that millions of amateurs dream of emulating. However, these shots are not always executed at the most decisive moments. Nick Taylor was the exception last night to the point that it was hard to believe he had won the Sony Open. He had a magical ending, with a dream shot to force a playoff in which he did not hesitate afterwards.
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Miracle, news
He arrived at his eighth hole of the fourth round with little chance of victory, as he was five shots behind the leader and +1 on the day. He closed the gap on the leaders thanks to four consecutive birdies, but the climax came on the 18th hole, when he was -3 on the final day and two behind the leader. According to the odds, the Canadian had only a 0.4% chance of winning when he stepped onto the 18th tee. Data Golf gave him a one in 250 chance.
The stars aligned. Taylor chipped in for eagle from behind the green on hole 18 and thus put his total at -16 and tied for the lead with Nico Echavarra. On the other hand, J.J. Spaun and Stephan Jaeger, who seemed destined to play in the tournament, made bogeys in the final stretch and were out of the race.
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Already in the playoff, the Canadian and the Colombian managed a birdie on the first hole. In the second, the former overcame the latter, after leaving himself a very good birdie chance, while the golfer from Medelln ended up three-putting in for par. The victory marks the fifth title in Taylor's career on the PGA Tour. He has won in three consecutive seasons and all of them through a playoff. He won the 2023 RBC Canadian Open in a playoff against Tommy Fleetwood and last year's Phoenix Open against Charley Hoffman.
The rules of golf are relatively complicated compared to other sports because they are played outdoors, close to nature and animals. Respecting the rules is a basic element in the game of golf, which, almost always based on self-control and the free conscience of the players, often sees distorted results, sometimes consciously, but often unconsciously or through carelessness, due to the non-observance by many players of the rules of the game. In addition to the rules, golf adheres to a code of conduct, known as etiquette, which generally means playing the game with due respect for the golf course and other players. Etiquette is an essential component of this sport.
