Its Open victory made this hybrid famous. But its manufacturer was unable to capitalize on it

It is rare for a single club to become a defining memory by winning a major championship, but it does happen.

Think of Gene Sarazen’s 4-wood from the 1935 Masters, Jack Nicklaus’ Jumbo MacGregor putter from the 1986 Masters, or Henrik Stenson’s trusty Callaway Diablo Octane Tour 3-wood from his victory at the 2014 Open Championship.

Also on this short list: Todd Hamilton’s Sonartec MD hybrid, with which he conquered the Royal Troon and which became synonymous with his Open victory 20 years ago.

The club

Thanks to Hamilton, Sonartec became known for its hybrids, but before its MD became a hit, the brand was already a small company specializing in fairway woods with a large following. Its products were first brought to North America in 2000 by an entrepreneur; the clubs bore the Sonartec name and the technology was licensed from a Japanese company called Royal Collection.

SS Series models, including the SS-03 and SS-07, were popular with many players on the PGA Tour, including Nick Price. David Duval used a Sonartec fairway wood when he won his only major at the 2001 Open Championship.

Hamilton’s club was a 17-degree Sonartec MD hybrid with a loft of 14 degrees and a length of 42.5 inches, just under the standard length of a 3-wood. Hamilton used this club often during his victory, making his most famous shot in a playoff against Ernie Els.

The shot

On the fourth and final hole of the playoff for the overall score, Hamilton took out his Sonartec well in front of the green and hit a bump and run on the tight, firm grass to a distance of just under a meter.

Although the final shot was the most memorable, Hamilton had used the club many times off the tee during the week to avoid trouble, landing in only one bunker in four rounds.

The rise and fall

Like many smaller companies that have found success on the big stage, Sonartec was not quite prepared for the numerous inquiries from retailers and golfers following Hamilton’s victory.

The company had found a solid niche as better players needed fairway woods and hybrids, but when demand significantly exceeded initial projections, production delays occurred. These delays allowed other companies – such as TaylorMade with its Rescue models, as well as smaller companies like Nickent and Adams – to take advantage of golfers’ newfound love of hybrids.

Even after its success in 2004, Sonartec predicted a low supply of its MD hybrids in 2005 and had to immediately play catch-up after experiencing delays due to several issues, including a shortage of graphite shafts and even headcovers. In an attempt to expand its offerings to include a driver, wedges and clubs more attractive to higher handicap golfers, Sonartec eventually plunged itself into a financial hole that led the company to seek outside investment.

Although the financing enabled Sonartec to continue investing in research and development and inventory, financial conditions and existing debt caused the relationship to quickly crumble. When the 2008 financial crisis made matters worse, Sonartec was officially closed in March 2008.

Although the company no longer exists, the legacy of its hybrids will live on thanks to a fateful week at Royal Troon.

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Golf.com Publisher

Ryan Barath is the senior equipment editor for GOLF Magazine and GOLF.com. He has extensive experience fitting and building clubs and has more than 20 years of experience working with golfers of all skill levels, including PGA Tour players. Before joining the team, he was senior content strategist for Tour Experience Golf in Toronto, Canada.