SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — There may be nothing Nick Taylor wished to do greater than symbolize his residence nation on the Presidents Cup final fall. He had by no means performed for the Worldwide Staff earlier than, so taking part in for Mike Weir at Royal Montreal would have been a dream come true.
And given what transpired final yr at TPC Scottsdale, the place Taylor knocked off Charley Hoffman in a playoff, his spot on the staff appeared all however assured. He flexed his clutch genes down the stretch, making 5 birdies over his final six holes — two being within the playoff — which helped him leap as much as twenty eighth within the Official World Golf Rankings and among the many prime 10 within the FedEx Cup. His path to the Presidents Cup was clear.
He had all of Canada cheering him on too. Eight months earlier than his win at The Individuals’s Open in Scottsdale, Taylor turned a Canadian hero. He defeated Tommy Fleetwood by making a 72-footer for eagle to win the 2023 RBC Canadian Open on the fourth additional gap, changing into the primary Canadian to win this occasion in 69 years. It was trigger for a nationwide extravaganza, a lot in order that match officers completely modified the brand to symbolize Taylor’s silhouette of his celebration.
All that is to say that Taylor felt an insurmountable quantity of stress after his win in Phoenix in 2024. He stored waiting for each the Presidents Cup and the Olympics, worrying about what it will seem like if he didn’t make both staff.
“In golf, that’s not an important factor,” Taylor stated Tuesday.
Together with his future weighing on him all through the spring and summer season, Taylor struggled, barely wanting just like the participant who willed his option to victory in Toronto and Scottsdale. He missed the lower at Augusta Nationwide, then proceeded to overlook the lower at each the PGA Championship and RBC Canadian Open. Extra missed cuts adopted on the U.S. Open and The Open Championship at Royal Troon, and abruptly, Taylor discovered himself outdoors of the highest 50 within the FedEx Cup standings.
“I feel the months main as much as [the Presidents Cup], there was simply in all probability an excessive amount of stress placing on myself to attempt to show myself to be on that staff, regardless that I used to be clearly within the standings excessive sufficient the place I had the potential to have a decide,” Taylor stated.
His kind was horrible, and Weir determined to go Taylor by.
“Memphis was disappointing as a result of I didn’t make the highest 50, after which proper after that, I didn’t get a decide [for the International Team]; that was a few intestine punches, so then I reassessed. I didn’t assume I wanted to reinvent the wheel with my golf recreation; I simply felt like there was some outdoors stuff — I felt like the entire thing final yr was making an attempt to qualify for issues,” Taylor defined Tuesday.
“I simply labored a bit of more durable on the psychological aspect, tried to tweak up a couple of issues mechanically in my golf swing, and it’s by no means a assure for fulfillment if you come out, however to have a scorching begin has clearly been good.”
These enhancements have since helped Taylor immensely. Simply final month, he started his 2025 season with a vengeance, successful the Sony Open in Hawaii in — yep, you guessed it — one other playoff. He miraculously chipped in for eagle on the 18th gap to complete at 16-under, tying Nico Echavarria to power additional holes. Then, on the second playoff gap, Taylor made a terrific up-and-down for birdie from 46 yards out whereas Echavarria three-putted for par, thus giving the Canadian his fifth profession PGA Tour victory.
“We’re excited to have a yr the place I used to be simply taking part in a traditional PGA Tour schedule,” Taylor defined.
“I’m not making an attempt to qualify for the Olympics. I’m not making an attempt to qualify for the Presidents Cup staff and have that be behind my thoughts. It’s simply let’s go play nearly as good as I can and stick with what I do know is finest for my recreation and my outcomes.”
That mentality has paid dividends thus far. His win at Waialae secured his schedule for the remainder of the yr, as Taylor will now play in each Signature Occasion.
“For me, after I play golf, if I’m making an attempt to guard in opposition to dangerous issues or shield a lead, it’s not nice for me,” Taylor added.
“I’m higher after I’m really making an attempt to chase issues down. I feel that’s what I settled into final yr, the previous few months, of making an attempt to guard the spot I used to be in on the staff or making an attempt to not play dangerous, which is rarely a great factor. I’ve tried to be taught as a lot as I can from it and hopefully not type of settle again into that ever once more.”
At any time when defending champions at a match communicate throughout their press convention, they typically really feel tense or pressured to play properly of their protection. Whatever the match, the limelight shines brighter on them, including stress to their week. That’s simply the fact. They’re typically positioned in featured teams, too, which applies to Taylor this week. He’ll play alongside Hideki Matsuyama and Jordan Spieth over the primary two days.
However Taylor seemed as cool, calm, and picked up as ever throughout his press convention within the media heart under the TPC Scottsdale clubhouse. He seemed relaxed, answered each query actually, and even had a hilarious back-and-forth in regards to the NFL in the direction of the tip of the session.
“Prior to now, after I’ve struggled, if I’ve a poor begin, I attempt to script ‘I’ve received to birdie this gap,’ or ‘I gotta par this or try this,’ and I attempt to depart that open and let issues come. I feel it’s helped with the acceptance a part of golf, which you positively must be excessive degree,” Taylor stated.
“A variety of stuff I really feel like on the golf course I attempt to work on is with the psychological aspect, having an open look of the way forward for basically in that spherical, something is feasible.”
Something is feasible — look no additional than Taylor’s victories in Toronto, Scottsdale, and Honolulu over the previous three years. However that is golf, a sport the place the whole lot can come crashing down abruptly, which occurred to Taylor because the 2024 season progressed.
Now that he has skilled all of this, realized from it, and utilized his methods to his total method, Taylor feels zero stress this week within the desert. That makes him a harmful risk, virtually as harmful as his putter in a playoff.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Taking part in By. Observe him on X @jack_milko.
