SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — There’s nothing Nick Taylor needed to do greater than characterize his residence nation on the Presidents Cup final fall. He had by no means performed for the Worldwide Crew 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 workforce appeared all however assured. He flexed his clutch genes down the stretch, making 5 birdies over his final two 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 high 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 grew to become 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, turning into the primary Canadian to win this occasion in 69 years. It was trigger for a nationwide celebration, a lot in order that match officers completely modified the emblem to characterize 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 looking forward to each the Presidents Cup and the Olympics, worrying about what it could appear to be if he didn’t make both workforce.
“In golf, that’s not an incredible factor,” Taylor mentioned Tuesday.
Along with his future weighing on him all through the spring and summer season, Taylor struggled, barely trying just like the participant who willed his method to victory in Toronto and Scottsdale. He missed the minimize at Augusta Nationwide, then proceeded to overlook the minimize 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 all of a sudden, Taylor discovered himself outdoors of the highest 50 within the FedEx Cup standings.
“I believe the months main as much as [the Presidents Cup], there was simply most likely an excessive amount of stress placing on myself to attempt to show myself to be on that workforce, regardless that I used to be clearly within the standings excessive sufficient the place I had the potential to have a choose,” Taylor mentioned.
His type was horrible, and Weir determined to cross 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 choose [for the International Team]; that was a few intestine punches, so then I reassessed. I didn’t suppose 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 attempting to qualify for issues,” Taylor defined Tuesday.
“I simply labored a bit of more durable on the psychological aspect, tried to tweak up just a few issues mechanically in my golf swing, and it’s by no means a assure for achievement whenever 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, profitable the Sony Open in Hawaii in — yep, you guessed it — one other playoff. He miraculously chipped in on the 18th gap to complete at 16-under, tying Nico Echavarria to pressure additional holes. Then, on the second playoff gap, Taylor made a terrific up-and-down from 46 yards wanting the inexperienced 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 standard PGA Tour schedule,” Taylor defined.
“I’m not attempting to qualify for the Olympics. I’m not attempting to qualify for the Presidents Cup workforce and have that be behind my thoughts. It’s simply let’s go play pretty much as good as I can and keep on with what I do know is greatest for my recreation and my outcomes.”
That mentality has paid dividends up to now. His win at Waialae secured his schedule for the remainder of the yr, as Taylor will now play in each Signature Occasion.
“For me, once I play golf, if I’m attempting to guard in opposition to dangerous issues or defend a lead, it’s not nice for me,” Taylor added.
“I’m higher once I’m truly attempting to chase issues down. I believe that’s what I settled into final yr, the previous few months, of attempting to guard the spot I used to be in on the workforce or attempting to not play dangerous, which isn’t a great factor. I’ve tried to study as a lot as I can from it and hopefully not form of settle again into that ever once more.”
Each time defending champions at a match converse throughout their press convention, they usually really feel tense or pressured to play effectively of their protection. Whatever the match, the limelight shines brighter on them, including stress to their week. They’re usually 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 regarded as cool, calm, and picked up as ever throughout his press convention within the media heart beneath the TPC Scottsdale clubhouse. The 36-year-old has been doing a little soul-searching since being missed for the Presidents Cup, and that point spent reflecting has translated into quick success in 2025. It was simple to acknowledge too.
“Up to now, once I’ve struggled, if I’ve a poor begin, I attempt to script ‘I’ve acquired to birdie this gap,’ or ‘I gotta par this or do this,’ and I attempt to depart that open and let issues come. I believe it’s helped with the acceptance a part of golf, which you positively should be excessive stage,” Taylor mentioned.
“Numerous 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 primarily 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 every part can come crashing down all of sudden, which Taylor skilled firsthand because the 2024 season progressed.
Now that he has skilled all of this, discovered from it, and utilized his methods to his general strategy, Taylor feels zero stress this week within the desert. That makes him a harmful menace, nearly as harmful as his putter in a playoff.
Jack Milko is a golf workers author for SB Nation’s Enjoying By. Comply with him on X @jack_milko.
