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Nick Taylor showed no respect for the hostile weather or the constant interruptions and delays in the first round of the 2024 World Golf Championship Phoenix Open. Not only did he finish with a five-shot lead, but he also tied the course record for lowest 18-hole score.
The Canadian played the first round for a historic 11 under 60, which is his personal lowest score record. It also matches the lowest score record of the Stadium Course at TPC Scottsdale, set by Grant Waite in 1996 and matched before Taylor by Mark Calcavecchia in 2001 and Phil Mickelson, who did it twice (2005 and 2013).
Nick Taylor's performance included 11 birdies with no bogeys. The Canadian's game was at superstar levels, earning no less than 7.157 strokes with his putting, hitting 13 of 14 fairways with his driver and reaching 16 of 18 greens in regulation.
According to the X (formerly Twitter) account of PGA Tour Communications, Nick Taylor's first round at the 2024 WM Phoenix Open is the 55th to post a score of 60 in the history of the circuit. It is also the third of the current season, following Nick Dunlap's at La Quinta and Wyndham Clark's at Pebble Beach.
Nick Taylor at the Stadium Course at the TPC Scottsdale and more
Nick Taylor is making his 10th consecutive appearance at the Stadium Course at the TPC Scottsdale since 2015, always to play the WM Phoenix Open. His performance has included beating five cuts.
Prior to 2022, Nick Taylor had posted a T49 as his best result. However, the situation changed drastically in the 2023 edition, when he finished second and was even tied for first with Scottie Scheffler with eight holes left in the fourth round.
That tie held until Nick Taylor birdied the 13th, but Scheffler responded with an eagle on the same hole. Then came two of the Canadian's few mistakes of the round, missing an 8-foot putt for par on the 16th and missing a 15-foot putt for birdie on the 17th. That sealed the victory for Scheffler.
Nick Taylor started the 2024 PGA Tour season at The Sentry, where he finished T52. He then played the Sony Open in Hawaii, where he finished T7. His third tournament of the season was The American Express, where he was cut, and then played the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am, where he finished T71.
The 2022-2023 season was a very good one for Taylor, despite missing 10 cuts in the 30 tournaments he played. The Canadian won one tournament, finished second in two and reached the Top 10 in six others.
His victory in the 2023 Canadian Open was one of the most memorable moments of the season. Taylor was the first Canadian to win his home country open tournament in 69 years. His 72-foot six putt to win the event also holds a special place in fans' memories.
