01프레지던츠컵 여파 없이 집중력 유지
닉 테일러가 프레지던츠컵 대표팀 일정을 마친 뒤 출전한 뱅크 오브 유타 챔피언십에서 경기력 저하 없이 안정적인 플레이를 이어가고 있다.
통상 메이저 대회나 국가대항전 직후에는 피로감과 긴장감 해소로 인한 '대회 후 증후군'이 우려되지만, 테일러는 이러한 우려를 불식시키는 모습이다.
그는 이번 대회에서도 특유의 정교한 아이언 샷과 퍼트감을 앞세워 상위권 경쟁을 펼치며 시즌 후반기 상승세를 이어갈 발판을 마련했다.
02Original (English) — PGA TOUR
Only days after an emotionally taxing week playing for country, team and “The Shield” at the Presidents Cup, Canada’s Nick Taylor got right back into the saddle of the PGA Tour grind and found himself in contention at elevation at the Bank of Utah Championship.
The International Team, under the leadership of Captain Geoff Ogilvy, could not get over the hump, with a historic Sunday Singles performance by the U.S. Team preventing its first win since 1998. However, Taylor, who performed admirably with the putter to the tune of a 2-1-1 record in his Cup debut, said Friday that the aftermath was closer to how he felt competing the week after each of his five PGA Tour wins.
“Yeah, I felt like when I scheduled it out that hopefully I was going to ride some momentum from the Presidents Cup. It had a lot of similarities coming here, almost like winning a golf tournament, like a lot of energy drained last week coming in,” said Taylor, after rounds of 64-68 saw him seven shots back of Austin Smotherman at 17 under. “So managing my time was important and I thought I did a pretty good job of that.”
Taylor and fellow countryman Corey Conners paired together brilliantly at Medinah Country Club, Course No. 3, with two 1-up victories in Foursomes, notably taking down world No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and good friend Sam Burns in Taylor’s first-ever Presidents Cup match. The raucous Chicago environment and unquenchable adrenaline in that sphere did not carry over to Ivins, Utah, and yet the 38-year-old experienced no drop-off in his play.
Each of the first two rounds, Taylor got off to an undesirable start – 1 over and 2 over through two holes, respectively – and he simply closed with a combined 12 birdies and an eagle for a 10-under 132 total. His hot putter continued to roll with the fourth-most feet of putts made (109 feet) among the 119-man field at the time of his round’s completion. Managing to hit 27 of a possible 28 fairways (96.43%) helps the cause, too.
“I putted really nice yesterday. Drove it better today. I think I hit every fairway, so that was nice. I had a few opportunities probably early in that second nine and wasn't able to capitalize,” Taylor said. “But to finish with birdie on (Nos.) 7 and 8 was nice. Pretty solid day. If I keep driving like I am, I'll give myself a lot of chances.”
While it will likely take a pair of near-perfect days over the weekend to force the issue in Utah, Taylor is running with momentum and confidence gained from his first international team event when it would be all too easy to take a foot off the gas pedal. His fall schedule plans remain the same as they were prior to his being picked to the Presidents Cup, as he said he will be headed to Japan for the Baycurrent Classic next week and “reassess after that.”
“Have a couple really good weeks these next two is the plan and then hopefully take some time off,” Taylor said.
He’s been consistent with 22 of 24 made cuts entering the second of eight FedExCup Fall tournaments, but has just one top 10 in 2026 (T9 at the Cadillac Championship in May). If the birdies continue to populate his scorecard, that could change by Sunday evening.