By Dan Kinvig - Abbotsford News,
June 04, 2008

At age 20, Nick Taylor makes his PGA Tour debut next week.

What a week it’s been for Nick Taylor.

Hot on the heels of an impressive runner-up finish at the NCAA Division I Golf Championships in Indiana on Saturday, the Abbotsford golfer hustled back to the West Coast for a U.S. Open sectional qualifier in Cresswell, Oregon on Monday. Taylor continued his torrid play, shooting rounds of 70 and 68 to top the field of 27 hopefuls and claim one of two available berths to the U.S. Open –one of golf’s four major championships, along with the Masters, the PGA Championship and the British Open.

So next week, at the tender age of 20, Taylor will tee it up alongside the likes of Tiger Woods, Phil Mickelson, Mike Weir, Retief Goosen, Vijay Singh, Sergio Garcia . . . and the list goes on.

“Seeing all those guys will be pretty exciting,” Taylor told The News in an interview on Tuesday. “Just being there will be pretty overwhelming, and it hasn’t really sunk in yet.”

As PGA Tour debuts go, starting off at the U.S. Open is a little bit like a new swimmer jumping into the deep end. The tournament has the reputation of being the toughest major in terms of course setup, drawing howls of protest from some of the planet’s most seasoned pros on an annual basis.

Taylor, though, has prior experience at San Diego’s Torrey Pines Golf Club, where the U.S. Open will be held from June 12-15. The Abby golfer played the course back in 2005 during the Junior World Championship.

“It’s going to be set up a lot tougher this time,” Taylor predicted. “It’s probably going to be the hardest course I’ve ever played. But I’m going there to play the best I can, and whatever happens, happens. I’m going to have some fun.”

Taylor’s golf idol is Tiger Woods, the 13-time major championship winner who will be making his return at Torrey Pines after recovering from knee surgery.

“He’s the guy I watch for, he’s the guy I root for the most, he’s the guy I want to emulate,” Taylor said of Tiger. “I’ve never seen him (in person) before, so that would be pretty exciting. If that were to happen, it would be unbelievable.”

Given his status as a sophomore at the University of Washington, Taylor has a few extra preoccupations that the pros don’t have to deal with.

“Two of my exams are during the U.S. Open, so that’s going to make it a little more hectic,” he noted with a chuckle. “I’ve got to talk with my teachers and the athletic department to see if I can make arrangements to take them before or after, but it should be okay.”

CHIP SHOTS:
n The U.S. Open will mark Taylor’s first pro tournament, but he won’t be able to collect any cash due to his amateur status. Taylor has already qualified for a second PGA Tour event, the RBC Canadian Open in July at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ont., by virtue of the fact that he won last year’s Canadian Amateur Championship.

n Taylor will be one of five Canadians in the field at the U.S. Open. In addition to PGA Tour regulars Weir and Stephen Ames, a trio of Canucks – Jon Mills, David Hearn and Taylor – earned spots during regional qualifying tournaments.