MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 11, 2026

Nick Taylor

Quick Quotes

Q. Nick, an under-par day today. How would you assess things out there on Saturday?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I felt like I played nice the first probably -- for sure the first ten holes. Some loose shots. Probably the next four or five holes was I think just a scramble, and did a pretty good job doing that.

It was nice to finish with two great swings on 18 to finish with a birdie to get back to 2-under.

But close, juts need to be a little tighter probably off the tee tomorrow to give myself a few more chances for the whole day.

Q. Earlier in the week you were saying how easy pars are nice around here, but it looked like early in the round you had some five, six players that kept going. What does that do with your confidence when you feel yourself making those putts that you know you're going to have around here?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I think as the firmer and faster it gets, you're going to have a lot of those. It was nice I made those today where yesterday those first four or five holes I wasn't able to make them, so I felt like I had the momentum going.

You know, making the turn, making a nice birdie on nine. But, yeah, it's a fine line. I felt like I didn't hit it as good as probably the first two days, but scored my best today, so that was nice.

Q. You talked about maybe the only chances to get aggressive on this course you mentioned 13, and you went for it today. What went into that decision, and is that -- how hard is it then to decide whether to play it safer when you have a chance to go for it there?

NICK TAYLOR: It's more so once the drive is in a good position. I think I had 210 front, but even then you're kind of picking your poison. Do I hit a club that I know if I hit it perfect, you know, I'm going to have a good chance? 4-iron I could have gone to, but it likely goes over the green. That's not a great spot to try to chip from either.

So, yeah, and then of course, I lay up on 15 and hit it to a foot, so that was -- it is how it is, but yeah, the wedge has been pretty nice the last couple of days. Just need to tighten the up driver a little bit more tomorrow.

Q. The putt on 9, you talked about it being a nice birdie. How slippery was that going from the back of the green towards the front?

NICK TAYLOR: They're all slippery out here. I was right looking up the hole on three down the hill, and that was slippery.

A lot of them are. I hit a lot of great chips today even when I was out of position, 5 being one. I was right. I had to bank it left and then catch the slope to go right. I was just over the green on six, and that's slippery. They're all slippery.

Q. The bunker shot on 12, you're talking about a pitch shot. The first bunker shot on 12. We couldn't see it from the TV side of things, but what --

NICK TAYLOR: It kind of hit the bank and went way to the right. Honestly, I really had no chance to hit the green. I was trying to bank it in the hill and pop it up. If it went through, it would be okay. If I left in the bunker, I thought it was all right.

You know, that was a big putt to kind of keep some momentum going to salvage a four, but just not a great 9-iron, and I guess not a great break, but it was more so a poor shot.

Q. After all the excitement of holes 11 through 16, can it be tough to refocus and get it into the house on 17 and 18? I know you birdied 18 today.

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, they're very difficult drives, 17 and 18. Like yesterday on 18, I thought I hit a great drive. I was an inch in the right rough, and you are blocked out from a tree, and you can't really carve it out of the rough here. 17 if you literally land it left side of the fairway for sure you're going to be blocked out and have to scramble for par.

You know you have to hit it in the fairway in those two holes to give yourself a chance, so yeah, they're very difficult holes. You've got to be in the fairway. Yeah, I don't know about refocusing necessarily on those two holes because of the excitement. They're just difficult holes.

Q. When you go into tomorrow, do you play with a little bit of, like, you know, house money and I'm just going to put the peddle down and see how low I can go and see where I finish, or do you still pick your spots?

NICK TAYLOR: I think it's a bit of both. I wouldn't say I have nothing to lose, but I'll have the mindset of chasing down as fast -- or as much as I can, but again, not being loose and overaggressive. Just still play the golf course and what it gives me. I've done a good job the first few days, but again, tomorrow -- if there's a chance to take on a little risk, I think I'll probably take it, but nothing stupid.

Q. When you look from when you first got here years ago to now, how would you say your comfort level on the greens as changed?

NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I would say I probably read them a little bit better. Speeds have gotten better. You know, it's just been good this week. I've put a lot of time on that, maybe emphasized that a bit more.

But, yeah, I either always have a pull at the raise creek. I'm mindful, but maybe I don't emphasize it as much as I used to. Just what I feel and what I see and go from there.

I feel like I have seen the lines doing that better this week. If there's a little indecision, then maybe I'll bring in that pull to maybe confirm my read. But I think I've just been better at seeing the lines this week.

Q. Playing late afternoon in a major is something obviously you've been waiting for a moment like that. Was it different feeling today in talking to -- was there any conversation you had maybe out there that helped or were pivotal?

NICK TAYLOR: You know, it didn't feel, you know, overwhelming at all. It felt like I've played a lot with Fitz, and we were comfortable pairing. So I felt comfortable.

I think last year on the weekend at the U.S. Open I was in one of the final groups there, and I have enough to draw back on that today wasn't anything overwhelming that way. I think tomorrow will be exciting.

I think, you know, you hear the moans of the scoreboard when Rory bogeyed one. You hear the roars. We didn't know it was a hole-in-one at the time, but Shane making a hole-in-one on six. It's just fun being out there hearing that stuff.

Happy to be up close to the lead to kind of experience all that.