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U.S. AMATEUR CHAMPIONSHIPAugust 23, 2007Nick TaylorSAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA CRAIG SMITH: Congratulations. You obviously knew that you were playing some sort of a headliner or marquee man and obviously you had to kind of put that away and still play just another golf tournament. Was it tough and how did you do? NICK TAYLOR: Before the match I just told myself that just play your own game. I can't control anything Jamie is doing, so I just went out there and tried to hit fairways and greens. And I started making some putts today. And it really helped me get a lead and hold on to that lead. CRAIG SMITH: I watched in his other matches he came back at the end and this time you sort of hit the gas pedal, you pulled away. NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I wasn't making -- I only made two bogeys today which helped. And just put some pressure on him. He was making good shots, hitting good shots in there. And I hit a good shot in there at 15 to make a birdie. And I just played it safe, I played 16, I hadn't played 16 today, so I didn't really he know the tees were up that far. So I hit 3-wood in the fairway and laid up to the good wedge yardage and hit it on there and put pressure on him. CRAIG SMITH: When you went to the first tee, not to keep talking about Jamie, but did you know you were going to have to play around par? You made two birdies and two bogeys I believe in your match. NICK TAYLOR: I knew I would have to play solid. I didn't know any number to shoot. I just tried to go out there and just shoot the best I can. Not make any bogeys, just put pressure on him. Only having two bogeys on this golf course is pretty good. So if I can keep on doing that, it will be good. CRAIG SMITH: Tell me a little bit about you. Obviously we know a little bit about some of the other guys here. But take me from Canada to being a sophomore here in Washington. NICK TAYLOR: I was raised in British Columbia. Sophomore at University of Washington. I'm down there with a couple other Canadians that will be there for school. And yeah, starting golf when I was about 11. So I played other sports, hockey and stuff like that. And I stuck to golf when I got to about my sophomore year in high school. So I just kept on just plugging along there and seeing where it takes me. CRAIG SMITH: So golf for you was pretty much a seasonal sport until you decided to put away hockey and when was that? NICK TAYLOR: Um-hum. I stopped hockey in grade nine. So I stopped then and where I live it's not a typical of Canada, it's just mostly rain all winter. So basically Seattle weather. So I can golf almost all year round. So that's a big advantage being where I am. So I just stuck to golf and focused on that. And then really got into that and forgot about the other sports. CRAIG SMITH: I know you have to be confident when you come here and you're already successful when you get into the U.S. Amateur field of 312, 315. Are you surprising yourself now? NICK TAYLOR: A little bit. Yeah. I knew I was playing well coming into here and I just wanted to, anything can happen in match play, No. 1 goal is just to get to match play. And just make it as far as this has been pretty unbelievable. So I'm just going to keep on just trying my best and see how far it takes me. CRAIG SMITH: It's not over for you, you get another marquee player tomorrow, don't you. NICK TAYLOR: Um-hum. Colt Knost. And yeah, he's a great player and I'm just going to stick to my game and see what happens. CRAIG SMITH: What, anybody talking to you in terms of good luck or superstitions or what's keeping you focused on what you're doing? NICK TAYLOR: My dad on the bag this week has helped. Nothing really superstitious. Just going out and play my best. Talking with my brother every night on the phone. But other than that, nothing out of the ordinary. CRAIG SMITH: So if dad is on the bag is it he read putts for you? NICK TAYLOR: Nope, just cleans the ball and hands me the clubs. CRAIG SMITH: So you're the boss until you're done playing golf, is that right? NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, pretty much. Yeah. So. CRAIG SMITH: How far did you get in hockey or other things? You're very athletically built. NICK TAYLOR: Played hockey, I didn't really play any high level. Just played hockey for about seven or eight years. And played All Star baseball until about grade eight or so. So other than that, nothing too huge. CRAIG SMITH: Just to fill in a little more personality, if we could ask you just to if there's something unusual do you mountain climb or anything else? What do you do that's unusual? NICK TAYLOR: Unusual? I don't know anything too unusual. I don't play -- I don't know if playing tennis is unusual, but I play that with buddies. CRAIG SMITH: How do the hockey swing and tennis swing and golf swing work out for you? NICK TAYLOR: They're not too similar at all, really. But it's kind of weird because in hockey I am left-handed and golf I'm right-handed. And kind of just all over the place. So we'll see. CRAIG SMITH: Did you ever putt left-handed? NICK TAYLOR: Every once in awhile goofing around, but nothing too serious, no. Q. Going through the day and whatnot, how comfortable did you feel out there and did you feel like you were always in control out there? NICK TAYLOR: I wouldn't say always in control. I was, Jamie was hitting great shots all day and I had to keep up with him, just to keep on hitting fairways, which if I kept it in the fairway, I think that it helps in this rough, it's so thick. So, yeah, by me hitting it in the fairway most of the time, hitting greens, it just puts pressure on him. So it helps with the match. Q. Did you have a lot of match play experience? NICK TAYLOR: I wouldn't say a bunch. I played in my Canadian Amateur twice, but other than that, not too much. CRAIG SMITH: How far did you get there? NICK TAYLOR: I was quarter finalist last year and I won this year, so. Q. And that was just two weeks ago? NICK TAYLOR: Last Friday. Q. A week ago. NICK TAYLOR: Yeah. Q. Well that said, I mean you must feel pretty confident in terms of your match play now. Having gone through that and then now a three matches here. NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, match play, I've been playing well the last, both tournaments. The rough's been extremely long in both tournaments, off the fairway and around the greens, and I've been keeping it in the fairway. So if I keep on doing that, I'll be able to have a good shot. CRAIG SMITH: Do you play the course? Some people do that and other people play their opponent. NICK TAYLOR: I play a little of both. If I'm teeing off first I'm playing the course, obviously. But if my opponent tees off first and hits into trouble I'm going to play a little safer, just so he has to do something really good just to make a par or something like that. CRAIG SMITH: One more round tomorrow. Thank you very much. NICK TAYLOR: Thank you. End of FastScripts |
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