WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 11, 2023

Nick Taylor

TPC Scottsdale

Quick Quotes

Q. How much fun was that out there today?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it was loud. It was fun to make some putts. Hit some good shots out there. We kept saying throughout the group like every hole had so many people. It was definitely an experience today. It was probably second to none. So it was pretty fun.

Q. What was working so well for you in those conditions?

NICK TAYLOR: I drove it pretty nice. I made a lot of kind of critical par putts on that first nine. Hung in there. Really nice putt on 17. Nice drive on 18 to capitalize with a birdie there. I drove it really well, kept it in play and just made some nice putts.

Q. Do you thrive on the loud conditions, the loud, with people all around?

NICK TAYLOR: I think there's enough people it obviously gets the adrenaline going and it's exciting. Yeah, it's fun being in this environment. I think if you're not having fun you probably shouldn't be doing what we're doing. It's a lot of fun.

Q. The three names around you on the leaderboard now are Spieth Rahm and Scheffler. Does that require a different mentality at all when you have those guys, when those guys are the ones you're competing with?

NICK TAYLOR: They're obviously amazing players. I'm just going to have to do my own thing tomorrow. Easier said than done. But if I keep playing like I have been playing I think I'll have a decent chance coming down the stretch. But I can't really pay attention to what they're doing. If I get wrapped up in that it's probably when I would struggle a little bit. I've been in a position where I've been an underdog, so I just got to keep my head down and keep playing.

Q. What have you found with your putter this week?

NICK TAYLOR: Since January I went to that claw grip kind of last fall for the last -- I did the last round in Mexico and it worked out well. Didn't work out in Houston. It just gets my fundamentals in a better spot. Got my stroke a lot tighter. Dave my caddie this week has been reading the greens really well. Where in the past I have been struggled a little bit here. So just seeing the lines better as the ball's going in. Just gaining confidence.

Q. Would there be any -- not sure yet if this will be this way, but what would it be like to play with Adam tomorrow?

NICK TAYLOR: It would be fun. It could be a comfortable pairing. We played in the final group actually a handful of times. Yeah, it would be fun to play with him. Doesn't really matter. I just got to do my own thing. But playing with Adam would be fun.

Q. You played with him in a final group, but this close both of you guys in contention?

NICK TAYLOR: Probably not like a final group. But one year at Colonial we were probably top 10 going into the final day. Played together. It's a comfortable pairing. We've known each other for a long time. It's fun.

Q. Since you live here now do you have a huge group of people out here watching?

NICK TAYLOR: I have some family down, some friends, some people in the crowd. There's hundreds of thousands of people out here so I wouldn't see 'em even if I tried. No, there's a few people out here, but I have no idea where they are.

Q. Given that you practice here so much is this a place that you thought you might be able to win one day?

NICK TAYLOR: My track record is not great here. Again in the past I have struggled on the greens at times. So I put a lot more time on the course the last few months trying to just see the lines a little bit better. Again, Dave my caddie this week has read the greens really nice. Once you start seeing the lines and they're going in I feel like that just gave me confidence with my reads.

So, again, like it's been nice and I felt I've been building towards this. I've had a couple nice rounds when I have played here in the last few months to kind of know that I can shoot a nice round. It's been a bit of work out here, but it's nice to see the ball going in, too.

Q. Last time you did get a win you didn't blink at all. Is that something you can draw on tomorrow?

NICK TAYLOR: It's definitely something I can draw back on. It will be tough. Whoever I'm playing with there's going to be a lot of people. Rahm's obviously playing amazing. Anybody up there -- Scheffler was No. 1 in the world for a long time last year. So it will be tough conditions. I'll have to shoot a good score. I can't really worry about what they're doing, but I can draw on that experience and hopefully it pays off.

Q. You said you've been playing here more to see the sight lines here better?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I just playing a little more at night. Kind of hitting some putts. Dave came out early January to see the course with me. Yeah, it's been putting some work in and with the putts going in with this week gaining confidence has been nice.