There was the notion that, prior to Jackson, Taylor had been scuffling on the minor tours. His best finish on the Web.com Tour had been sixth place. His biggest payday prior to Jackson was a check for $21,718. But that notion didn’t factor in the level of talent he faced each week and the inevitable lifestyle adjustments that needed to be made.
“I think the idea that he has struggled is overplayed,” Thurmond says. “Four and a half years after he left Washington, he won on the PGA TOUR. I wouldn’t call that an epic struggle. I think when you’re No. 1 in the world (as an amateur), everyone has great expectations for you. Nick probably put great expectations on himself. But I never had a doubt he would succeed. He has such a big heart, an inner belief. He never lost sight of his confidence.”
Two years ago, just to get an up-close look at Taylor’s game and to see if the rumors of his struggles were real, Thurmond caddied for him at the Pearl Open in Honolulu, featuring players from the Asian tours as well as amateurs and pros from the mainland. Taylor played well and stayed in contention through the tournament’s three rounds.
“The real art in this game is to take the losing and retain your confidence,” Thurmond says. “The biggest skill is getting over failure. My role with Nick now is to be his friend and remind him of the times he’s played well. After the Pearl Open, I told him, ‘Man, nothing’s wrong with your game. It’s in good shape.’ I knew he was going to be fine.”
The win in Jackson was worth $720,000, but more importantly, it earned Taylor a tour exemption through the 2016-17 season.
“Going into that week, my biggest priority was to play well enough to get into as many events as I could on the West Coast Swing,” he says. “Then to go from that to knowing I can play in all these great events now, potentially for the next three years, is a huge relief off my shoulders. It’s taken me a long time to realize what’s happening. It’s pretty cool going to events that I’ve watched on TV, and have guys I’ve watched say, ‘Hi.’”
After finishing tied for 59th in the PGA TOUR Waste Management Open in Scottsdale, Taylor was ranked 18th on the Tour’s money list at $839,765. It’s a list loaded with young lions such as 24-year-old Brooks Koepka, 23-year-old Hideki Matsuyama, and 21-year-olds Justin Thomas, Daniel Berger and Jordan Spieth, players who fearlessly stalk the leaderboard week after week.
In the first 11 official events of this season, there were six winners under the age of 29. The reservoir of great golfers continues to deepen.
“It’s definitely not college anymore. It’s tough,” Taylor says. “But to be honest, I think the Web.com Tour has helped a lot of guys out here. Sure, there are the outliers like Rickie Fowler and Tiger Woods who come right out here. But in the history of the Tour, how many guys have gone right out of college and been successful? I don’t want to speak for guys like Justin Thomas, but I think if you ask them they’ll all say their year on the Web.com Tour definitely helped them feel more comfortable. It helps you get used to the lifestyle.”
It’s a lifestyle that led Taylor to the first tee at Kapalua, where the breezes off the Pacific seem to carry with them the promise of endless opportunities.
Steve Kelley spent more than three decades covering sports for The Seattle Times. He last wrote about caddy Michael Greller in the August 2014 issue of