Nick Taylor

Nick Taylor Bio

Nicholas Alexander Bruce Taylor (born April 14, 1988) is a Canadian professional golfer who plays on the PGA Tour. After turning professional in 2010, Taylor has won on the PGA Tour five times, including becoming the first Canadian to win the Canadian Open since 1954, which he did in 2023 at the Oakdale Golf & Country Club. Taylor had strong junior, collegiate, and amateur careers, winning the 2007 Canadian Amateur Championship at the age of 19, and finishing as a runner-up in the 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship. He was a two-time All-American and Pac-10 Golfer of the Year for the University of Washington Huskies. As an amateur in the 2009 U.S. Open, Taylor carded the lowest amateur round in U.S. Open history with a second round 65, finishing tied for 36th with the honor of being the low amateur of the major. He was awarded the 2009 Mark H. McCormack Medal as the leading player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking, and the 2010 Ben Hogan Award as the best college golf player in the United States.

Early Life and Background

Taylor was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, and moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia, when he was three years old. His home golf course is Ledgeview Golf and Country Club, where he started golfing at the age of 10. Taylor attended Yale Secondary School, where he and his teammates won back-to-back provincial championships. He later attended the University of Washington on a golf scholarship, graduating with a degree in economics. In 2007, at the age of 19, Taylor won the Canadian Amateur Championship at the Riverside Country Club in Saskatoon, defeating Michael Knight in two playoff holes. At the 2007 U.S. Amateur at the Olympic Club, Taylor advanced through three rounds of the tournament, including defeating future PGA golfer Jamie Lovemark, before being eliminated in the quarter-finals by eventual champion Colt Knost. In the May 2008 NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship, Taylor finished tied for second in the individual competition, three strokes back of champion Kevin Chappell. He was named an Honorable Mention for the GCAA Division I PING All-America Team.

Path to Golf

In 2008, Taylor qualified for the U.S. Open but missed the cut by three strokes. He finished as the runner-up in the July 2009 U.S. Amateur Public Links and also finished tied for 3rd in the 2009 Canadian Amateur. In September 2009, he won the Mark H. McCormack Medal for being the top player in the World Amateur Golf Ranking. In his final amateur year in 2010, Taylor finished 41st at the NCAA Division I Men’s Golf Championship and won the Ben Hogan Award for the top men’s collegiate golfer. He turned professional in late 2010, making his professional debut at the October Russell Brewing VGT Tour Championship on the Vancouver Golf Tour. Taylor played on PGA Tour Canada from 2011 to 2013, compiling 10 top-10 finishes in 25 starts. In 2013, he finished 7th on the Order of Merit and earned an exemption into the final stage of the Web.com Tour qualifying school, where he finished 11th to earn status for the 2014 season.

Nick Taylor Career

Early Career (2010–2014)

Taylor made his first start in the 2014–15 PGA Tour season at the October Frys.com Open but missed the cut. In November 2014, he achieved his first victory on the PGA Tour at the Sanderson Farms Championship, finishing with a score of −16. This win marked the first for a Canadian-born player on the PGA Tour in seven years. During his inaugural season, Taylor competed in 28 events, making 17 cuts, with two top-25 finishes and one win. He finished the season with $1,072,360 in prize money.

Breakthrough (2015–2020)

In the 2015–16 PGA Tour season, Taylor made his best finish at the March Puerto Rico Open, finishing tied for 5th place. He competed in 26 events, making 16 cuts with five top-25 finishes. The following season, he achieved his first top-10 finish at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, finishing tied for 10th place. Taylor continued to improve, making multiple top-10 finishes over the next few seasons, but struggled to qualify for major championships. In the 2019–20 season, he won the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, marking his second overall victory on the PGA Tour and his first full-strength tournament win.

Notable Works and Milestones

Taylor’s signature work includes his victory at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, where he became the first Canadian citizen to win their national open since 1954. He has also achieved significant milestones such as being awarded the Mark H. McCormack Medal and the Ben Hogan Award during his amateur career.

Nick Taylor Award Nominations

Throughout his career, Nick Taylor has received numerous nominations for various awards, reflecting his achievements and contributions to the sport of golf.

Nick Taylor Awards Won

Nick Taylor has won several prestigious awards, including the Mark H. McCormack Medal in 2009 and the Ben Hogan Award in 2010, recognizing his exceptional talent and performance in golf.