WM PHOENIX OPEN

February 9, 2024

Nick Taylor

TPC Scottsdale

Quick Quotes

Q. You're tied for the lead through two rounds here. How would you assess your game has been and what you've done well through two rounds as a whole?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it's weird feeling disappointed after a 70, but this morning was pretty hard to follow up. Didn't hit it great off the tee this afternoon, so I was grinding a little bit early on, but held it together, made some kind of key up-and-downs early on, and it was nice to finish the round under par. But this morning was obviously pretty special to make all those putts and shoot 60.

Q. Was there a point that 59 came in your head this morning?

NICK TAYLOR: Not really. The front nine typically is the tougher nine, so I knew relatively where I was at. I had a decent opportunity I think on maybe the 6th hole and missed that putt. Then I made a bomb for par on 7 after a pretty terrible bunker shot.

No, it really wasn't crossing my mind, but it was nice to birdie the last couple holes and shoot 60.

Q. It's the cliche, but in terms of always hard to back up a super low round, what's your take on why that is?

NICK TAYLOR: You know, in my instance today, I made a bunch of putts, and that's the most variable part of golf. I actually hit quite a few good putts in the afternoon that either burned the edges and were just barely off in speed or line. That was a big difference. I also didn't hit it quite as close. It's just tough to follow up a good round.

Q. What's your most vivid memory from your experience here last year where you played so well in the final group?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it was a steady week, and obviously I felt like I was head-to-head with Scottie the whole Sunday. I felt like the underdog that day. I was the underdog and held it together pretty well. I took a lot of confidence from that. There was obviously a bunch of people the last couple days, as well, so I feel relatively comfortable in the situation, so I'm looking forward to tomorrow.

Q. How often do you think you've played this course? Have you played it at home during non-tournament weeks?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, a lot of times I'll buzz out and play some holes on the front nine, but full 18 holes, I will play four or five a year probably outside of the tournament. But I definitely get on the course quite a bit and practice out here, so I'm comfortable with a lot of the lines, which is nice.

Q. I felt like the Canadian presence out there was pretty strong. How did that make you feel? Did that help you on the first round?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it was great. There was a bunch of Canadians down here. I heard the anthem. I heard "go Canada." It was a great. It was a lot of fun. I felt like they were following me around all day. I definitely was trying to use their energy to close the round out.

Q. What about this course makes you feel so comfortable?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I made a bit of a shift a couple years ago, just kind of seeing the lines a little bit better on these greens. I've always felt comfortable tee to green here. But the last couple years I've been able to see the lines a little bit better and put a little more work on there. That's been the biggest difference.

It's obviously nice to see putts go in. You don't expect to do that like the first day all the time, but seeing the lines really well, which I find is a pretty big defense out here. It's pretty tricky, subtle breaks out here a lot.

Q. Are you a better player than you were a year ago here, and can you quantify how much better?

NICK TAYLOR: I think I'm better. I think more experience being in situations dating back to this tournament. If I'm 1 percent better than last year, that's probably all I was looking for.

Yeah, I've been in the moment, so I feel comfortable in those. There's no guarantee there, but I'll draw back on those experiences, and hopefully it'll help me.

Q. Clearly winning at home is a big factor to what you've been able to achieve. Will that be something you can draw on over the weekend?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, clearly. It's a bit of a circus out there, and I think last year helped me for the Canadian Open following that, and that no doubt will help me again this year. I have a lot of experiences to draw back on.

Q. They were talking about backing up a low round. You had the rare scenario where you got to go straight back out. Were you thinking that maybe this could be an epic day at that point? You had the momentum and you didn't have to wait.

NICK TAYLOR: Totally, yeah. I think that's probably the best case scenario. Again, I probably just got a little steery the first couple holes. Those are probably the hardest tee shots, 1 and 2, and then the putts just kind of weren't dropping early. But again, I was proud of how I hung in there, and to be able to shoot under par after being 1-over through 9 is a good thing.

Q. What did you do during the turnaround?

NICK TAYLOR: I grabbed a bite. Typically I probably would have gone to the range and hit balls for -- hit 15 balls, but getting down there and back is too much of a zoo, so we just kind of stayed up here, hit a few putts. Maybe that was why I was a little bit tight maybe the first couple holes. But yeah, I just tried to go eat, reenergize and get back out there.

Q. You mentioned feeling like the underdog last year. Do you still feel like that, or did your Canadian Open win change your mind?

NICK TAYLOR: I think at times I definitely still feel that way. I think, again, I get to draw back on those experiences and know when I've been in those situations I've performed pretty well. I don't really look at it as an underdog or not. I think just going and trying to do my own thing is what I've done well, so I try and do that.

Q. You had the Waste Management last year and then the Canadian Open and the Waste Management this year, all three kind of rowdy tournaments. Would you say you succeed more in that kind of rowdy environment?

NICK TAYLOR: You know, I'm getting more comfortable in it for sure. Like I said, last year this tournament being dropped in that environment and playing really well gave me kind of confidence at the Canadian Open and getting in that environment as well. Again, I can draw on those experiences and know that I can perform well under them.

Q. Was your Canadian Open trophy mailed to you or did you physically travel with it to California?

NICK TAYLOR: No, they mailed it probably a couple months later, but it was like a replica. A little smaller, but it came in this big briefcase, like velvet interior. It was pretty cool. But it's a replica, a little bit smaller than the original.

Q. Is that weird for your friends who come over and they want to see the trophy, and you're like, I don't have it?

NICK TAYLOR: For the first couple months, yeah, but now it's in our house so they're able to see it, hold it, do whatever they want. Yeah, it's pretty cool.