RBC CANADIAN OPEN

June 10, 2023

Nick Taylor

Oakdale Golf & Country Club

Quick Quotes

Q. Course didn't appear to be lying down out there, based on everyone else's score. So tell us the secret to your success today?

NICK TAYLOR: I just said earlier it's kind of a continuation of yesterday. I drove it really nice yesterday. Did that again today. Just started making putts. I feel like I've been putting really nice this year. The last 3, 4 weeks just haven't seen the ball going in. I made a couple actually the end of first day when I was struggling to kind of see the ball finally go in the hole. I've got off to great starts the last couple days. The front nine obviously can be very tough. And to be 4-, 5-under the last couple days gets you a lot of momentum going to the back nine where it's very scorable. So driving it well, keeping it out of the rough as much as I can and making putts is always a good recipe around here.

Q. Can you comment on the crowds out there?

NICK TAYLOR: They have been phenomenal. I felt like it grew as the day went on. The Rink was already fired up, which was really fun. 18 was tremendous. So, yeah, it was a lot of fun.

Q. Battling or beating Phil at Pebble, battling Scottie this year, you've sort of developed a reputation as bringing it in the biggest moments recently. What is it about you or your game to have success on the big stages?

NICK TAYLOR: That's a good question. I don't think I'm afraid of the moment, per se. When I get in that chance I feel like I just keep my head down, let my game keep doing what it's doing the last two days. Like I said, I've struck it really nice and the putts have been going in. So tomorrow I got to do the same thing. It's going to be probably a big stage. I don't expect to be leading probably by the end of the day, but I think I'll have a chance going into tomorrow. So it's easy to get wrapped up in it, but I think the fans will try to carry us through.

Q. You won't know until tomorrow, but how do you think tomorrow would compare against rounds against Scottie or Phil?

NICK TAYLOR: The crowd will be on my side maybe. So that will be a nice difference. I'm going to try to win a golf tournament and adding the extra pressure if you want to call it of being a Canadian and winning the RBC Canadian Open would be on top of that. But I think I'm ready for the moment so we'll see.

Q. Obviously you set the new course record here today. This is a course that George Knudson cut his teeth on. He played here often. What's that mean to you as a Canadian golfer to be in the same breath as him?

NICK TAYLOR: It's great. I got some help from Martin Chuck. I had a lot of George Knudson stories back in the day. He's obviously a phenomenal player. Yeah, to have a course record is really cool. I don't think I have one out here on TOUR. To do it at the RBC Canadian Open is even more special. So, yeah, to be in the same name as George Knudson is phenomenal.

Q. Obviously we talk about it all the time, but the nearly 70-year drought of a Canadian winning at this tournament. You brought Canadians one step closer today. How does that feel that maybe that drought will end tomorrow?

NICK TAYLOR: There will be two guys having a great chance. I think that's all we can ask for. I'm sure the crowds will be very excited going into tomorrow if Corey's playing well. And I played with him the first couple days and I expect him to play great today, too, because he's hitting it phenomenal. So, yeah, we're doing all we can, you promise you.

Q. I caddied here for George Knudson back in the mid '60s. And I remember the spot. There's going to be a whole bunch of Canadians in contention tomorrow. That's the way I feel. Do you feel like it's sort of a team approach to try and win this thing for Canada?

NICK TAYLOR: Hard to say. I think we're rooting for each other, but we still we want to win. If we don't win, I think we want another Canadian to win. That's kind of how we feel at any event, honestly, as well as here. But I'm going to go out tomorrow and do my thing and try to win the golf tournament. If I look up and I'm second and Corey Conners is first then that's almost as good as winning.

Q. As the day was going on was it registering what you were doing?

NICK TAYLOR: I try not to think about it. Like yesterday, I might have got in my own way yesterday when I was 6-under pretty early and had a round going. I felt similar to yesterday where I just want to keep the pedal down and give myself as many chances. I knew I was rolling it nice and reading the greens well. So I was happy to be able to keep that going and finish the round off. Yeah, the fans started pouring in, I knew I was going to finish before the leaders teed off so I knew the leader was 9-under and if I kept pushing it I could get past that. So it was a fun day with the crowds rolling in.

Q. Was there anything specific that was different from Thursday over to the last two rounds?

NICK TAYLOR: My wife gave me a talking to Thursday night. I was just kind of getting in my own way. I probably had a very poor attitude when I was hitting shots maybe weren't ending up like I wanted to. So I knew my game was there, but a little kick in the butt didn't hurt.

Q. Were there any big, mainly, big challenges on this course?

NICK TAYLOR: The rough is very challenging. The first six holes, if you can get through there I would say even par, you're going to have a good chance at shooting a great round. Last couple days I've been 2-, 3-under through 6 which has been a huge momentum. So after that you're going to have scoring opportunities and staying out of the rough the first six holes is very key.