Nick Taylor clinched an thrilling playoff victory at the Sony Open in Hawaii on Sunday, outlasting Nico Echavarria in a dramatic finish.
Both players had already locked up spots in the upcoming AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am and Genesis Invitational – two of golf’s biggest money events – through their strong performances last fall.
Name
Events
Top 10
Money
J.J. Spaun
217
21
$12,596,376
The path to these prestigious tournaments isn’t just about winning, though. There are actually several ways players can earn their way in.
Last year’s top performers, ranked 61-70 in FedExCup points and led by Maverick McNealy, automatically qualified for both events. After these tournaments wrap up, the Tour will look at current standings to fill more spots.
But here’s where it gets interesting: there’s another way in called the Aon Swing 5.
It’s pretty simple – the five players who rack up the most points across three tournaments (Sony Open, American Express, and Farmers Insurance Open) get golden tickets to both Pebble Beach and Genesis.
After the Sony Open, here’s who’s leading that race:
• J.J. Spaun
• Patrick Fishburn
• Adam Schenk
• Jackson Suber
• Harry Hall, Lee Hodges, Paul Peterson, and Jesper Svensson (tied for fifth)
“Proud of how I battled all day,” said Spaun, who led going into the final round before finishing tied for third. “Hung in there with Stephan and Nico and Nick putting the pressure on. Unfortunately didn’t go my way there at the end. You know, it is what it is. Hopefully I use this momentum going into the rest of the west coast.”
The competition’s still tight though. Webb Simpson, Alex Smalley, and Gary Woodland are just 15 points behind that group tied for fifth, making next week’s tournament crucial for players hoping to break through.
