TRAVELERS CHAMPIONSHIP

June 19, 2025

Nick Taylor

TPC River Highlands

Quick Quotes

Q. Nick, good start to the tournament. How would you assess the day and your performance out there?

NICK TAYLOR: I hit it really nice. I felt like looking at the forecast we were going to get a bit of a break being off early today. I don't know if the wind has really kicked up yet, but I knew it was going to be receptive. Hit it nice. I had some chances on that back nine to probably have at least a couple lower and wasn't able to make them. But a really solid day.

Q. Did you chat with Davis at all about his scenario and him getting in?

NICK TAYLOR: No, I knew we were kind of waiting in talking with his caddie Strez, and then they signaled they got in. I couldn't think of a better case scenario out here warming up, and the first guy out here, you're in. Yeah, it pays off if you're here waiting for it, for your opportunity, and he took advantage of it.

Q. When is the last time you would have been like an alternate?

NICK TAYLOR: I've been fortunate; I really haven't. One time at Palmer maybe I was like second alternate and kind of hung around, never got in. But it really sucks when you're here and you don't get in. But that one out of whatever amount of times you do, it's worth it because I think he was first at maybe Memorial.

It's nice that he got in. He's been playing well and kind of deserves it.

Q. How do you compare this course to last week at Oakmont which was a grueling test?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, you still have to hit quality shots to make birdies, but you're just not making an auto bogey essentially if you hit a below-average shot. So it's nice. I knew my game was good. I didn't do as much prep the last two days as normal just to kind of get some rest, but I hit it really nice today again, so I was happy with that.

Q. In years past we've seen some guys go out on the front nine, maybe get to 11 or 12 and all of a sudden 6-under par, 7-under par. We're not seeing that today. Is there anything you can see about the conditions? It seems like the course would be soft with the rain. Why aren't we seeing guys kind of take it a little bit deeper than 4 or 5?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I think you'll see it at some point this week. The pins on those holes were some of the tougher ones. 10 was at the back which you want to be cautious with. It was on the left on 11. 12 was back right. But 13 is gettable, 14. 15 is always, like, you make birdie by your tee shot there essentially. It doesn't really matter where the pin is.

17 was on top of that shelf, too. The pins weren't super easy on that back nine. I think there'll be a day where somebody shoots 6- or 7-under on that back nine. I felt like I hit it good enough. I had a good eagle look, and then on the last two, three holes I had good looks and wasn't able to make them, unfortunately.

I could have been, if I had made some putts, maybe 4- or 5-under on that side, but again, I'll take it. But it's out there. You've just got to hit quality shots.

Q. Ben Griffin described J.J. Spaun's putt to win the U.S. Open as his "Nick Taylor moment" to win his national open. Was it like for you to see a fellow golfer and him have that moment?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, super cool. It reminisced -- the one angle that's kind of behind the green, if you're looking on the right, you can see kind of how much that putt broke. It reminded me of kind of the angle on my putt. We laughed about it. I texted him after, and his only response was, "my putt was better."

It's funny to joke about. For him to mention it, that it reminded him of that, it's pretty cool. Yeah, it's fun to look back for me, but for him to make that to win a major is incredible.

Q. What did it do for you -- I know that was your best finish in a major. Did it feel good to have a nice solid result at Oakmont?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I was a little disappointed kind of after the restart. I felt like I hit a lot of quality shots last week and got nothing out of those last six holes. I felt like I played good enough to be at least even on those last six, and I think I was 3-over.

I was disappointed with that, but to have some good rounds, be steady around there and really felt like I could have been -- not necessarily competing to win on that second or last day because I was a little too far back, but be in that top 10 or 15 pretty consistently until the last few holes, I feel like that gives me a lot of confidence going into the next majors.

Q. It's still a long ways away, but making the TOUR Championship, in terms of kind of season-long goals, where does that set in your mind in general?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it's a huge goal. It gets you in all the majors. I think it really solidifies an awesome year. I think now the top 50 is such an emphasis that -- I wouldn't say that's more important, but it almost gets you into more events than what the TOUR Championship would be.

Yeah, I think the TOUR Championship is a nice marker of, like, a really, really solid year, regardless if you've won or not. So it's definitely a goal.

I think I'm a few really solid events to be in a really good spot. And it's cool this year that they don't have the starting blocks essentially and it's a free for all.

Anyone who's not Scottie is probably happy about that.