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THE PLAYERS CHAMPIONSHIP

March 15, 2019

Vaughn Taylor

Ponte Vedra Beach, Florida

Q. 7-under today, but this is going to be your first made cut since THE PLAYERS moved from May. So ever since 2006 hasn't turned out well for you, is it safe to say that you like it better in March here?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I think so. I can't put my finger on why but I'm swinging better these days, which is nice. So for a lot of years there I was struggling with my swing and just couldn't hit the fairways. So I've done a good job of hitting fairways this week and just keep it going forward.

Q. You mentioned fairways but currently you're top-10 in strokes gained putting this week, anything with that as well on the greens?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: No, I've been putting well, so it feels good this week, I've been hitting my lines very well, so putting's a big part of the game, so it definitely feels good.

Q. You were T-8 in 2006, the last time PLAYERS was in March, so are you trying to pull from that experience there?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, absolutely. I was actually paired with Fred Funk that day and watched him win the tournament. So it was a cool experience, one I'll never forget. So it's good memories and hopefully I can make some memories of my own.

Q. Great playing. Two days and two more to go. You've been in this mix before. Does it feel different now?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: A little bit. It's been a lot of years and my game's changed a lot and it's been a little bit of a roller coaster. But, yeah, I'm still feeling it out, it's been awhile since I've been in the mix, so I'm just trying to go day by day and see how I'm feeling and hang in from.

Q. You're one of the most unassuming guys on this TOUR, yet you got PGA TOUR victories on your resume. Three of them. And I know there was a gap in between. Yesterday Nick Watney told me, I still want the ball. How do you feel about your career at this point?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean I feel the same way. I feel like I still got some good golf left in me and I'm trending the right direction, I feel like I'm in the right direction with my swing and other parts of my game as well, so I'm 43 now, but I still feel like, I can play out here and Steve Stricker and guys like that are my idols, so I look up to them and try to mirror myself by them.

Q. Do you lean back on the last most recent victory or a Ryder Cup for something that can give you the, I can do this, this weekend at one of the biggest events in the world?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, I would say Pebble was, I'm drawing from there big time, because Sunday coming down the stretch I was nervous, but I was really calm and I felt comfortable in the situation. So definitely drawing on that experience.

Q. Last thing, what would a win here, this weekend, mean to a guy like you, with all you've been through in your career?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, I mean it would be very, very special. I'm trying not to get ahead of myself, but it would mean a lot. It would set me up for a lot of good things to come in the future. So just trying to stay patient and present, so we'll see.

Q. Is it hard to stay in the present.
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Extremely difficult. One of my things is to stay present, so constantly fighting off future thoughts. So we'll see.

Q. Is it difficult living there in Evans, like you can see what's going on and people talking about the change on No. 5 and you're not there and does that make it even harder?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: You know, I've missed out so many years that I've kind of gotten used to not playing and then at the same time I want to get back there. So it's just, living there, I've just been there for so long and Masters week is, it feels like Masters week. So hopefully I'll be playing though.

Q. What do you do that week when you don't make it? Do you watch, do you go?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I watch on TV for sure. I don't go to the tournament, really. I'm trying to conserve energy on a week off, so I'm watching it on TV all day and probably doing some fishing and a little practice towards the weekend, but it's just a typical week off for me though.

Q. Were you shook up on 18 when you hit the person in the head, is that what happened?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, yeah, it's never a good feeling when you see somebody laying on the ground and I was just praying I didn't hit them somewhere that could cause some damage. So luckily got him right above the temple, which it was a narrow miss. But he was coherent, he seemed good and it made me feel a little better about it. But it's something you never want to see someone laying on the ground. So I wish him the best, I hope he recovers.

Q. So then you had to scramble from that position. Was it hard to keep your mind on what you were doing though, thinking about what had just happened?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Well, not really, because I really had one shot there, so I was looking at a gap in the trees and that just kind of made me focus in on just shooting it through that gap. So if I didn't have that gap there it would have been a lot tougher, so it was actually a good break. Obviously walking up I didn't think I had a shot, so to be able to shoot it up there by the green was, that was a big break.

Q. Did you feel a week like this coming?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, I've been playing well, it's just I played good in L.A. a few weeks ago and was playing well at the Honda and actually played well last week, but just kind of struggled a little early. So I feel like my game's in good shape, so I feel like I've been trending the right direction.

Q. How about the weekend? How do you feel about your -- you don't know your position exactly, but you'll be close.
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, yeah, I'll be in the mix. So we'll see. I'm just going to keep doing what I've been doing and just try to stay present and take one at a time.

FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports

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