RBC CANADIAN OPEN

June 9, 2023

Taylor Pendrith

Oakdale Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Nice round. Making the cut. As you and I both know it's kind of a journey to get back to the Canadian Open and to make the cut. How does it feel?

TAYLOR PENDRITH: Yeah, good. Obviously I would have liked to make a few more birdie today, but yeah, play the weekend in front of the home crowd's going to be great. Hopefully, we got two more rounds and hopefully make some more birdies and move up the leaderboard and make it exciting.

Q. The last time you made the cut at the Canadian Open was 2014. I mean, it's been, again, a journey the past nine years. What would you say has been the highlight and low light of the past decade to once again return to Saturday at the Canadian Open?

TAYLOR PENDRITH: Yeah, I mean, I was an amateur in 2014. I was super nervous and I was super excited just to play the weekend. Played pretty well on the weekend. But, yeah, I mean so much has changed. I'm on the PGA TOUR now, which was a goal of mine back then. So to play the weekend for the first time as a PGA TOUR member at the Canadian Open's going to be great. Fans, there's tons of support out there today and I expect it to get a little crazier tomorrow, which will be great. So, happy to be here.

Q. As you said I'm sure you would have liked to have shot a better number today. But as of now I think you're only four back of the lead. It's a bunched up leaderboard. So does it kind of feel like because of the difference in scoring between these two nines that even though you didn't shoot a great number, like you're not really far off?

TAYLOR PENDRITH: Yeah, definitely. I feel like on my front nine today, which was the back, hit a lot of greens, but just didn't get anything to go. Then birdied 17 and 18. Turned at 2-under. Which was pretty good. It could have been a few better. Birdied 1.

Then you hit the hard stretch. You just kind of hang on. I was out of position a lot on those holes and made a few bogeys. I had a 3-putt on 7. But birdied 8.

So yeah, I'm right there. I think the conditions will stay similar. I'm not sure, the wind seemed to pick up a little bit as we were finishing. But the course is soft and it's gettable if you hit some good shots.

Q. I assume you're hitting iron off 18. 4-iron off 1.

TAYLOR PENDRITH: Yeah.

Q. Is there any temptation maybe, especially on 1, to just hammer it and get halfway up that bank? Does it even cross your mind?

TAYLOR PENDRITH: I did it in the practice round and it was actually pretty good. But I think it's just a 4-iron and a wedge.

18, I can't cover that creek unless it's pounding downwind. But you just hit it 225 shot and then a 7-wood in and go from there.

Q. There's obviously a lot of Canadians in the field, but you're one of the truly local guys, since Richmond Hill is so close. How many people are you expecting this weekend to support you?

TAYLOR PENDRITH: Yeah, it's great to be close to home. 30 minutes up the road. Tons of family and friends out here today and I expect there to be some more tomorrow and Sunday. So it's awesome, just being kind of from Toronto, in the area, to be here and have all the fans. And lots of members from Summit were here, so it's great. It's great to have the support and yeah, happy to be here and hopefully have a good weekend.