Nick Taylor weighs in on sport's biggest mystery: 'Doubts don't creep in"

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CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Whatever it is, Nick Taylor has it.

It is what every athlete needs to reach the top. It is largely immeasurable but easily seen. If this is beginning to sound like a riddle, that’s because in large part that’s what it is.

If the 37-year-old Canadian golfer from Abbotsford, B.C. finds himself in contention on Sunday at this week’s PGA Championship at Quail Hollow in Charlotte, expect to hear commentators reference his guts, or his killer instinct, or any other combination of words to describe something that is largely indescribable.

Expect to see highlights of his historic tournament-winning playoff eagle bomb at the 2023 RBC Canadian Open, or his gutsy playoff birdie putts versus Charlie Hoffman at the 2024 Waste Management Phoenix Open, or his eagle chip-in on the 72nd hole and two playoff birdies to win the 2025 Sony Open.

“I get more clarity in those high-pressure situations. Maybe that’s just a gift that I’ve been given to be able to do that,” Taylor told Postmedia. “You’ll have to talk to other guys to see what they feel if it doesn’t go their way but for whatever reason my brain almost works better in those situations.”

In the past few years, Taylor has gone from more-or-less a journeyman PGA Tour player to a five-time winner with a cold-blooded reputation. This clutch gene is routinely attributed to superstar athletes such as Tiger Woods, Jack Nicklaus, Michael Jordan, Tom Brady and other greats. But Nick Taylor is far from a superstar. In many statistical aspects, he’s a slightly above average pro golfer.

But in one aspect he’s far from average.

“I’ve been fortunate to pull off the shots when I need to when I’m in those positions,” Taylor said. “The belief is there. Doing it once, twice, will give you the belief that you can do it a third time. And you have confidence going into those situations.”

It was far from an easy road to get here. After turning pro as the World No. 1 ranked amateur, his career stalled and it took four long years before he finally made the jump to the PGA Tour. After winning in just his fourth PGA Tour start in 2014, it would be six more years before he stared down Phil Mickelson in the final group the Pebble Beach to notch his second win.

These days, a season can’t seem to go by without seeing Taylor in the winner’s circle. One major change that has coincided with his recent rise in the game is the addition of caddie Dave Markle in 2022. Taylor and Markle have known each other since childhood when they used to compete against one another as juniors. Taylor credits his friend and caddie for reminding him of the player he was growing up.

“It’s been great to snag one each year over the past few years but we’re all trying to just get more consistent and get ourselves in a position to contend as much as we can,” he said.

Consistency is what every golfer yearns for in the up-and-down world of the professional game. It’s good for your wallet and it’s easier on your mind. At the Masters in April, Taylor finally broke a rather shocking streak of nine consecutive missed cuts at major championships.

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It’s tough to have a big Sunday when your week ends on Friday.

With that weight lifted, and with an early season win in his back pocket, Taylor has set his sights on contending at a major as his next career goal. And if he gets there, it’s a safe bet that he’ll be ready for his moment.

“It’s fun being in those scenarios and having a clear objective,” he said. “Doubts don’t creep in.”

Must be nice.