For so long it appeared as if the Sony Open in Hawaii was going to be won by J.J. Spaun or Stephan Jaeger, yet after 72 holes it was Nico Echavarria and Nick Taylor that fought it out in the sudden-death playoff, with Taylor winning on the second extra hole.

That seemed almost anticlimactic after the pyrotechnics the pair produced on the final hole. Echavarria hit a marvelous bunker shot from 30 yards on the par 5 to two feet, setting up a birdie (which followed another fine bunker shot on the previous hole). Taylor went one better, holing a pitch shot for eagle to reach 16 under as well. Both shot final-round 65s.

false Titleist T100 $200 per iron | Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $200 per iron

A proven performer has little need to make drastic changes. This does not mean the latest T100 hasn’t undergone any improvements. The dual-cavity design uses super dense D18 tungsten (which weighs about 1.5 times more than lead), allowing for precise center-of-gravity placement in each iron without sacrificing the premium forged feel and pleasing shape the T100 is known for. Engineers worked with tour pros and the grind experts in its wedge department to smooth and soften the trail edge of the sole to allow the club to move faster through the turf.

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Taylor ranked fourth in strokes gained/approach the green as well as fourth in greens in regulation with his Titleist T100 irons. He was solid on the greens as well, ranking ninth in putts per green in regulation with his venerable TaylorMade Spider Tour Red putter.

“The putter has a T-line alignment on the red-colored head,” Taylor told Golf Digest in 2021. “I used the Spider in 2017 and only had a single dot on top. I went away from that and then in 2018 I was struggling on the greens, and I went back to the Spider at Wyndham and shot 63 in the final round to keep my tour card and I’ve used it ever since. The T helped me not only get lined up properly, but in hitting the center of the face every time. Now that I’m using a line on my ball as well it almost looks like a grid when I look down at it.”

false Titleist Vokey Design SM10 $180 | Golf Galaxy 5.0 GD SCORE GD HOT LIST SCORE Hot List Gold $180

The new SM10 line is beyond complete with plenty of options for those savvy enough to get fit for wedges. The center-of-gravity location received particular attention. The smaller profile and shorter hosel lengths (on lofts 46 to 52) help drive the CG low to make the transition from short irons easier. In the 54- through 62-degree models, the CG has moved up, forward and toward the center to promote a lower, more controlled flight. The “spin milled” grooves have been updated and when combined with a texture between the grooves increase spin by as much as 300 revolutions per minute.

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Still, it was his Titleist Vokey SM10 wedges that made the difference, in addition to the hole-out at the end of regulation he used them to hit pitch shots on both playoff holes that first kept overtime going and then ended it.

The clubs Nick Taylor used to win the 2025 Sony Open in Hawaii

Ball: Titleist Pro V1x

Driver: Titleist TSi3 (Fujikura Atmos Blue 6X), 10 degrees

3-wood: TaylorMade Qi10. 15 degrees

5-wood: TaylorMade SIM2 Max, 18 degrees

Hybrid: Titleist TSR2, 21 degrees

Irons (4-9): Titleist T100

Wedges: Titleist Vokey SM10, (46, 54, 58 degrees)

Putter: TaylorMade Spider Tour Red

This article was originally published on golfdigest.com