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RBC CANADIAN OPEN

June 6, 2019

Nick Taylor

Oakville, Ontario, Canada

Q. Nick, you're playing in your national championship for the tenth time; you've just beaten your best score by three with a magnificent 64. What was the key to it?
NICK TAYLOR: You know, I was really solid tee to green. Made some putts in the middle of my round. Yeah, I was just solid tee to green. That was the best part my game.

It's been turning around this entire season, and it was nice to have it here this week. And then to roll some putts in was a nice way to get the round started and finish off nice, too.

Q. Do you fancy your chances the way the golf course is playing?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I played Monday morning and it was windy, cold. Played completely different today. With all the rain yesterday definitely softened the course up a little bit and makes it a little bit easier to hit the fairways. The rough is still very high and thick, so if you're in the fairways you can attack, but once you're in the rough you're defenseless and it's tough to get to the greens.

Q. You were out with two fellow Canadians. The crowds must've loved it.
NICK TAYLOR: It was great. It was early on. Usually don't get those crowds that early, so playing with Mike Weir and David Hearn, it was awesome. Fun atmosphere.

Q. When guys play at home some are inspired by the crowd; some find the pressure of expectation difficult. How is it for you?
NICK TAYLOR: I think it was great today because we were seeing putts going in. I really haven't had a lot of success at the Canadian Open. I think probably I put a little too much pressure on myself. I try to come in this week, I knew I was playing pretty well, and just kind of see the shots and try and hit them. That's what I been doing.

Q. Given your recent results, how could you tell that today was going to be a special one?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, you know, I missed the last couple cuts, but I been playing well. Sandwich in between there I qualified for the U.S. Open, so I knew I been playing well.

Last week on the Friday was kind of an odd round at Colonial. It was frustrating, but I know I've been playing well. It was nice today to hit it really well, hit a bunch of fairways, hit a bunch of greens, and roll some putts in the middle of the round. It was nice to show off a nice one.

Q. You rip off a stretch of six birdies. How did you kick in the gear?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, again, I was hitting nice iron shots and taking advantage of the putts. Had a really nice couple shots on 17; had an easy two-putt birdie there.

18 I had actually probably the easiest putt of all those birdies. Straight up the hill like seven, eight feet and missed it.

It was nice to roll in a stretch of birdies there 1 though 4. Had a couple chances coming in, but it was nice to finish it off nice.

Q. You're a British Columbia guy for the fans at home watching.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah.

Q. Share with us the significance.
NICK TAYLOR: It's awesome. I saw Hadwin up there playing well. Both growing up at the same golf course, Legends Golf Club, so pretty cool out there to watch us, and all the Canadian fans that are her here are so great. It's been fun.

Q. Nick, great start. 6-under par. Us in the Canadian golf community saw this coming. You've been playing very well lately.
NICK TAYLOR: Uh-huh.

Q. When did you feel a turn in your game?
NICK TAYLOR: This year has been consistent. It's small things I been working on last week, just a slight bit different routine to line up and be more consistent with my alignment. Obviously it was great today.

Just something where it's just been little consistent small things and that's what's been costing me. I missed the last couple cuts but I was playing pretty well. In between there I qualified for the U.S. Open so I knew I been playing well.

Might have been a little fatigue in there, but I'm excited about this course. This course kind of fits my eye, and it was nice to have a low one.

Q. Sounds to me like little things are translating into confidence right now. Would that be a safe estimate?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah. I think when you do all the little things right it usually turns out pretty good. My misses were smaller today, which was really nice. It was great to roll in some few putts in the middle of the round there and get some momentum going.

Q. Talking to a lot of the Canadians this week. Some of them played a lot of golf here, juniors, amateurs, et cetera. What's your familiarity with the property?
NICK TAYLOR: You know, I played in 2012 here at the Canadian Open; did not play well. Again, that wasn't the golf course. That was more me.

I was able to play this week. It was different today with all the rain yesterday. It was soft. It was gettable if you're in the fairway and you were able to attack.

But the rough is still high, so it's a good test of golf. I think if it firms up it will be even better.

Q. What was working for you? Just about everything, I assume.
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I hit it great off tee, which is important out here with how high the rough is. From there irons were solid. Few wedges I would've liked to hit a hair closer, but had a really nice, easy birdie on 17 after hitting two quality shots. From there rolled some putts in, so it was nice.

Q. Tell me a little bit about what you think about the course. Does it suit your game and how would you compare it to Glen Abbey?
NICK TAYLOR: I think this course, Hamilton, suits my game more than Glen Abbey. I think it's more plot along here a little bit. You got to hit fairways. It's not really a bomb-and-gouge type golf course because the rough is so high.

Again, I drove it really well today which I been doing most of the year. The irons were nice. Everything was solid today, so it was nice to have a solid round all around.

Q. Do you find it a little bit more of an interesting course to be playing than Glen Abbey, or are they not really comparable in that sense?
NICK TAYLOR: It's hard to say. I think there are more unique holes out here. There are doglegs both directions. Par-3s are really good out here. It's a good test.

It's different. I think scores typically -- if it was like this conditions at Glen Abbey scores would be very low. Today is probably the lowest it's going to be just because of the softness. If it doesn't rain, it's going to be tough on the weekend.

Q. What do you think of the new date personally, and what did you think it'll mean for the tournament going forward?
NICK TAYLOR: I think you can already see the strength of the field. It's already obviously off to a good start. I think a lot of the top guys like playing the week before the major to be in competitive mode. I guess time will tell, but so far so good.

Q. What is the sense of camaraderie like between the 26 Canadians in the field?
NICK TAYLOR: It was great. It was awesome to see four Monday qualify, let along I think 21 or 33 were already in.

Today awesome. It was the first time I played with Mike and David in a tournament round, so we were all making some putts early and it was fun to get the crowd into it.

Q. There was also the flyover to commemorate D-Day. What was that like having them fly over the course when you're playing?
NICK TAYLOR: It was neat. Those are planes I haven't seen for a long time. It was cool. I think it was, what, five or six planes that flew over, so it was pretty neat to see that. We were on I think 6 tee, so it was nice to kind of take your mind off golf and watch that.

Q. Nick, could you have seen this round coming based on how you've been playing the last couple weeks?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I think, like I said, I missed couple cuts, but in between qualified for the U.S. Open. I knew I was playing well. The Friday at Colonial was an odd day. Made a few doubles.

I knew that wasn't how I was playing, so, again, I wouldn't say I knew I was going to shoot 6-under today, but I knew my game was there and if I got things going it was a good day.

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