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MASTERS TOURNAMENT

April 7, 2007

Vaughn Taylor

AUGUSTA, GEORGIA

ROB JOHNSTON: Good evening, everyone. I'm Rob Johnston. On behalf of the Media Committee, I'd like to welcome Vaughn Taylor with us. As you know, this is Mr. Taylor's second appearance at Augusta, a hometown boy. Delighted to have him.
We find he is 2-over par, two off the lead. It was very difficult conditions today. We appreciate you taking the time. I know it was a very difficult round. We appreciate it so much. Now we'll open up for questions, please.

Q. What does it do, if anything, to your mind-set when collectively the leader board backs up?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I don't know, I really haven't been in a situation like this before.
You know, you just, you know it's playing really tough and you just try to fight it out. You know if you're going backwards, you just hang in there and try to make pars, and a birdie here and there would be great. You just try and hang in as best you can.

Q. When you made that birdie on 15, were you aware that you were alone in the lead at that point and what was going on around you?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, I knew. I wasn't watching the board much, but I did know at that time, yeah.

Q. What went through your mind at that point and did that have any effect on you coming down the stretch?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I didn't feel like it did. I felt all right. I was nervous but I felt good. You know, 16, didn't hit a very good shot in there, but turned out pretty good.
I thought I hit a pretty good first putt there and just hit a bad putt on the second one. But the only shot, really, that I let it get to me was the second shot on 17. I just was a little out of my routine. I should have started over and I didn't. I just hit a bad shot there. Yeah, I felt pretty good the last three holes. It's just playing really tough and you had to hit really quality shots and I just didn't quite do that.

Q. What were your clubs into the last three holes?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: 16, I hit a 7-iron. 17, I had a 9-iron. And 18, I had a 5-iron.

Q. Your score card says 77, but how would you describe your score?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I feel like I shot 77. (Laughing) It was a tough day. It didn't feel like I played particularly well all day. But you know, it was really tough. It felt like the front nine, I hit a lot of good shots that didn't turn out too well. You know, the wind was really tricky, and you almost had to decide last minute how to hit the shot. It was -- you know, you would be walking to the ball and the wind, you feel at your back and you're waggling and feeling it moving everywhere and it's tough. You really have to commit to the shot you're going to hit. When the wind is changing that much, it's almost last-minute sometimes. It's not really the way you want to play.

Q. This is a lot about feel around the greens. With the cold and the wind, did you feel it in the hands? Was it tough to get a feel? Were you able to stay warm with that?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, it is. Any time your hands get cold, you lose a bit of feel. I tried to keep my hands warm all day. But the last few holes, the sun was going down, temperature was dropping, and it's tough to stay warm.
I had a hand warmer in my pocket and I think I wore that thing out today.

Q. How long were your putts on 6 and 9, and can you talk about putting today compared to the first two days?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Well, 6 I had about -- I was about eight feet or so.
And 9 couldn't have been more than 30 feet.
Didn't putt well today. I only made a couple of putts. But didn't stroke it as well as I have the past few days. I feel like it's right there. Just the greens were a little slower starting out and then they got a little quicker as the day went on and didn't adjust very well speed-wise.

Q. How much interest and excitement did you deal with last night when you left this place as far as your phone ringing and people knocking on the door and things like that?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: It wasn't too much. I had quite a few text messages and a few calls. But it wasn't crazy. I think everyone knows I'm having a busy week and they just let me do my thing.

Q. How would you assess the difficulty of today's round, your whole career, how does this rank?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: It's probably the most difficult round I played. The course is difficult enough as it is. But when it's that cold and windy, it makes it even more tough.

Q. You were looking at that board a lot. Obviously Tiger is in the last group, a couple in front of you and you're two shots behind Stuart; what do you tell yourself going into tomorrow's round7?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I just tell myself to keep fighting it out. Like today, I didn't have a good front nine and I was in the lead after 15. You know, just stick it out. There's so many tough holes and just hang in there and fight it out all the way to 18.

Q. Mentally tonight, what do you do to mentally get past bogey, bogey, bogey to end? Is there something you do tonight to just clear your head on that?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Just go relax and get away from golf and just forget about it. That's generally what I do. I kind of want to leave the golf course, you know, put it behind me and just go relax, take a nice, long, hot shower and just enjoy my friends around me and just relax, and tomorrow is a new day.

Q. How often do you see weather days like this in Augusta?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Not this time of year, it's very unusual. But wintertime I always see quite a few days like this. You know, hate to have it this week, this late in the spring, but we all have to play in it and just have to fight it out.

Q. Do you ever play golf much when there are days like this?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: I do. I kind of have a 45-degree rule. (Laughter) So I think it's warmer than that today.
No, it's good, I get out there when it's tough. It's always good to have clothes on and swing and just learn what your body feels like when it's this cold.

Q. At the end there, it had been so cold all day, most of the people had left the golf course, mostly your friends and family seemed to be following you around the last few holes; did it feel like you were in the home stretch on Saturday among the leaders?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: It felt pretty strange seeing the bleachers kind of half-empty. I don't think I've ever seen that before. It was so cold. I mean, it had to be kind of miserable from a fan's perspective. They are just sitting still, you know. We are at least moving around and swinging and staying somewhat warm.

Q. Kind of along the lines of this being a different sort of Masters, I'm sure when you pictured yourself winning the Masters, it's always making a long putt and the back nine fireworks, and tomorrow is going to be a different kind of day. Is it tough to kind of regroup mentally, knowing that the first one to post plus-three might win?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, you never know what's going to happen. I always think of someone making a back-nine charge. As difficult as it is, it's tough to see that happening. Hopefully I can pull something special off tomorrow and see what happens on the back nine.

Q. A player probably learns things when he plays in the Ryder Cup or wins a tournament; do you learn anything about yourself getting through a day like this, even despite the finish?
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Yeah, most definitely. You learn how your body feels and how your mind is working. It's a learning experience and it only makes you better.
ROB JOHNSTON: Well, Vaughn, let me conclude by saying thank you so much for coming in. You've had a good, solid three rounds and you're in great position tomorrow. We wish you the very best of luck. Thank you, sir.
VAUGHN TAYLOR: Thank you.

End of FastScripts

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