MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 10, 2024

Nick Taylor

Quick Quotes

Q. Last day of the preparation. How was it out there today?

NICK TAYLOR: Pretty good. They're getting pretty crispy. I don't know if they prepping for some rain tomorrow, but it's playing pretty fast. Yeah, it was good. Stuck to my game plan. Played nine every day. Probably hard to not play 18 with Weir yesterday, but had a game plan and stuck with it.

Feel as prepared as I can be.

Q. What was the thought process on that?

NICK TAYLOR: Just to kind of conserve some energy. Got here late Saturday night, so saw both nines twice. Saw them both in the afternoon and morning. Just didn't want to overdo it.

So went out early today and the par-3 in the next hour or so. They've all been full days were just don't need to play 18.

Q. What is the biggest surprise you've seen this week? Last time you were here was a different season.

NICK TAYLOR: A lot of people here today. I think I kind of expected different course conditions so I'm not super surprised there.

But just learning some of the areas that are obviously a lot more penalizing than when I was here last. Trying to pick a few guys' brain of potentially where to miss or what pins you can maybe attack, whatnot.

I think this course, you can't really take a whole lot. You got to take it what it gives you. That is a philosophy I've heard.

I think with the forecast with some wind it's going to be difficult. Par will be a good score.

Q. Could probably spend all week preparing for all the different short game shots around here. What's your philosophy trying to figure out...

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, yeah, I've tried to hit a bunch, but also like if you -- I've hit probably thousands around the greens. Going to have 35 for the week. So it's like when you get in a spot, don't try to do too much.

There is certain areas where you know you can go high and maybe stop it and go low and try to bounce it through. It goes to the strategy of going into the green. You're going to hit shots you don't want to hit, but take what it gives you from there. That's difference from when I played in November.

You get away with maybe some misses back then, where here you really got to take your medicine when you do miss in the wrong spot.

Q. Mike was saying yesterday he went from winning tour events in his career to believing he could win majors there was a mindset shift. You got to believe you can be out here and win this thing. How do you see that?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I agree. I think as time has gone on there is more belief. I believe I can compete here. I think this takes time, experience. Haven't competed in majors, so when I get to that that will be a new experience.

Obviously I can fall back on my recent experiences -- I don't know how much more -- I don't think it would be a crazy amount more, say, what I experienced at the Canadian Open. That's something I can draw back on.

They're just more difficult golf courses. You got to be disciplined and got to be as sharp as you can, especially mentally. That's the big difference. Try to do that this week.

Q. A lot of people say the mental challenge of winning the Canadian Open was even bigger than trying to win here.

NICK TAYLOR: Again, yeah, I don't know. I haven't competed in a major since I was an amateur probably. Again, that's something I can fall back on. I think the difficulty of the golf courses in majors are the big difference. You just got to be disciplined mentally and in your game plan as well.

Q. I know you're looking forward to having friends and family here this week. Any stories so far, and how they enjoying their week?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, a lot of them took the red eye from Vancouver to Atlanta, so they were tired but ready to go and wired and excited. Everyone is here for the par-3, which will be a lot of fun with the kids. Both grandparents are here, so a lot of fun.

Yeah, they put their steps in already, so it's been good.

Q. When you look at sort of the mindset around majors, is it -- Bhatia was saying he wasn't that excited to win the Texas Open because he's geared toward winning majors. Not many guys can say that or not many guys say that. Is that a crazy thing to say or how do you look at that?

NICK TAYLOR: You know, I think winning is very difficult, so I would counter that. If you can win any golf tournament it's going to feel great.

Of course everyone wants to win majors. You try to peak at the right time. Tiger is probably the only person that's really ever been extremely successful of that in our generation.

So, yeah, I want to play well this week obviously and compete and try to win. But that comment, I don't know if I exactly agree with that because winning is great. You want to win majors and compete in them, but I think those are building blocks. Trying to win regular events, feeling the pressure of trying to win, not a whole lot different. There is more magnitude but winning is winning.

Q. I was going to ask you, does it feel different to be out here than it does...

NICK TAYLOR: There is always different vibes at majors. The amount of people in a practice round, this is probably more than a Sunday of a TOUR event. You feel the magnitude of the event.

Then again, going down the stretch at any golf tournament trying to win, you can definitely use that to try to win this tournament.

Q. You feel like you're looked at definitely after the two wins when you're talking to people and the vibe around the players that maybe you have another level, and does that help with confidence?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, a little bit. Again, I got to just do my own things. My pairings are probably a little bit better than I used to get. Yeah, gives me confidence just in my own play.

If other people respect that then it is what it is. Doing my own thing and feeling confident and stepping on the first tee is probably the most important.