Q. Nick, three birdies and an eagle. What was impressive about your round today from your perspective?
NICK TAYLOR: I drove it really, really well. The par-5s, I put myself in good positions. 15 was playing like a beast today for me so I had to lay up there and had a decent opportunity from there. But I felt like I put myself in play, which is keeping me out here not being a bomber. Had a decent amount of chances to hit a bunch of greens, and my eagle I hit it to three feet, and a lot of my under-par holes were close to the hole. I putted solid, and just overall everything was great.
Q. The guys in charge of PGA TOUR setup said this golf course is going to play differently than you would see at the Memorial. Did it seem that way out there today?
NICK TAYLOR: You know, it's gettable. The greens are very soft. The rough is probably not as high as I've seen in previous years, but you still have to hit good shots. The pins are actually pretty difficult today. I felt like there's some Sunday Memorial pins they're putting today on Thursday. You had to execute good shots. There wasn't much wind for the morning waves, so that made it a little bit easier, but you still have to hit good shots.
Q. First tournament since THE PLAYERS; how strange is it with no fans? Silence kind of weird?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, it's relaxing to be honest. This is my first time back, like you said, but I've talked to some guys, and you get used to it. I think we've all played golf for a long time before we got out here, so it's something to get used to because it's obviously a change, but I kind of like it. It's pretty quiet.
Q. Why did you wait so long to make your first start? Did you miss the game, and how did you spend the break?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, we have an eight-month-old, so I thought it's -- obviously the break was great timing for a lot of reasons but have a bit of a cushion, take some more time off, I just really enjoyed being home, so just waiting an extra few weeks, was great to be home. Yeah, I'm excited to get back out here and play, but it was nice to be home.
Q. You had a six-year victory drought at the AT&T Pebble Beach, your second TOUR win, a month later COVID shuts down the TOUR, you take an extended break. You must be pleased at the strong start out of the box. What were your expectations coming into this week?
NICK TAYLOR: Yeah, I didn't have a lot of expectations. I've played a lot of golf the last month, month and a half, so I felt ready in the sense of playing, in that playing mode. My coach has been here, so I've been able to tweak a few things, but I feel pretty good. I know competitive rust is definitely a thing I've had to struggle with in the past, but I've felt that I've played enough, so I felt good there, and I had no expectations, which is a good thing. So everything is going well.
FastScripts by ASAP Sports
FastScripts Transcript by ASAP Sports