(June 5/08), from the BC Golf News, www.bcgolfnews.com

The game of golf has provided British Columbia's Nick Taylor with some memorable moments in less than four years in his brief amateur career---a winner of the 2005 Pacific Future Links; the 2006 BC and Canadian Junior titles; 2007 Canadian Amateur championship and U.S. Amateur 1/4 finalist; a tie for second in last weekend's prestigious American NCAA final and now an entrant in his first major, the 2008 United States Open.

Pretty heady stuff for a 20-year-old from Abbotsford, who is completing his second year at the University of Washington. Taylor qualified Monday as one of 84 players---including just seven amateurs---scheduled to tee off June 12 at Torrey Pines' South Course in San Diego, California.

The best professionals in the world will be playing for a purse of $7 million. For Taylor and six other amateurs it could lead to a trip to the Masters. Or a place in history. Only four amateurs have won the U.S. Open since it began in 1895---Bobby Jones won four of them---and the last to claim the title was Johnny Goodman 75 years ago.

"I've never seen Tiger Woods in person, so seeing him is going to be pretty awesome. Just being there, being inside the ropes is going to be pretty cool."

With insight into Nick Taylor's exciting new adventure BC Golf News presents two columns produced by Jeremy Sandler and Brad Ziemer of Can West Publishing

B. C.'s Taylor Will Take U. S. Open As It Comes

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By Jeremy Sandler,
THE NATIONAL POST
Published: Thursday, June 05, 2008

'A Little Nervous'; One of seven amateurs to make tournament

MISSISSAUGA - Tiger Woods may be rehabilitating from knee surgery as he prepares for the U. S. Open, but at least he does not have to worry about exams.

Not so for Nick Taylor of Abbotsford, B. C., the reigning Canadian men's amateur champion and a member of Canada's national men's amateur team.

The 20-year-old -- an economics major in his second year at the University of Washington -- has finals and a spot in the U. S. Open next week at Torrey Pines in San Diego.

Taylor made the field by winning a sectional qualifier in Oregon on Monday. He is one of six Canadians in the field.

"I'll try and figure it out," said Taylor, who also finished second in the NCAA men's championship on Saturday. "Hopefully I'll be done pretty soon with my exams so I can just get that behind me and not have to worry about it. But I'm going to have to do well in school first and then golf after that."

Taylor is one of seven amateurs among the 84 qualifiers for the event. He carded a 36-hole total of six-under par 138 at the Emerald Valley Golf Club in Creswell, Ore., on Monday.

"I hit every green basically, just had puts for birdies and if I missed those, I'd tap in for pars, so that made it not stressful at all," he said of his second 18 of the day, which he completed in four-under 68. "I didn't know what I was at, but I knew I'd be pretty close and luckily I won and ended up qualifying by four or five shots."

Toward the end of Monday, he said, keeping the excited thoughts of joining Woods, fellow Canadians Mike Weir and Stephen Ames and other top pros in one of golf's majors became almost as important as getting the ball in the hole.

"It creeps into your mind, you try to get it out of there," Taylor said with a smile. "It still hasn't really sunk in.

"I've never seen Tiger Woods in person, so seeing him is going to be pretty awesome," he said. "Just being there, being inside the ropes is going to be pretty cool.

"Obviously it makes me a little nervous, but you know, I'll take it as it comes."

That is pretty much Taylor's philosophy for how he will approach playing in a tournament famous -infamous some PGA professionals might argue -for its ball-swallowing rough and rink-slick putting greens.

Though he played at Torrey Pines once before in the 2005 World Junior Championship, Taylor knows the U. S. Open layout -- with its tight fairways and unplayable rough -- will be much tougher.

"Maybe I'll play my best and I won't even come close to making the cut, " he said. "Or maybe I will, I don't know."

What is known is Taylor's talent said RCGA director of high performance Doug Roxburgh.

"Some people have a knack for getting the ball in the hole and up and down and being able to score, he's got it," said Roxburgh.

"He's proven he can score with the best of them on the toughest golf courses, now it's just a matter of step-by-step and getting the rest of the experience," Roxburgh said.

For the short term, Taylor's focus will be on amateur events this summer and two more collegiate seasons at Washington.

He will also be able to tee it up at the Canadian Open in July because of his place on the Canadian amateur team.

jsandler@nationalpost.com