Taylor returns for second shot at Turning Stone
Vaughn Taylor is hoping this is the year he can claim redemption when he returns to the Turning Stone Resort Championship which gets underway on Thursday.
Taylor lost the competition last year to Matt Kuchar in a six-hole sudden death playoff. Kuchar earned his first U.S. PGA Tour victory in seven years at Turning Stone but will not return this year to defend this title as he will be teeing off in the Bridgestone Invitational in Arkon Ohio the same day.
"It took me a little while to kind of get over it, but at the same time it helped me lock up my card, and you know, it was a good thing," Taylor said. "I used it as confidence. Coming into this year, when I've been in the hunt, I've felt a lot better because of last year and the playoff. So it's been a positive all in all.”
Taylor admits his loss last year to Kuchar still crosses his mind “every now and then”, and can take comfort in knowing the champ won’t be returning to defend his title. But most of all, Taylor is excited to be back on the Attenuator golf course.
"I think confidence is definitely high," said Taylor said of his attitude during practice rounds. "Any time you play well somewhere and you come back, you have good memories, good feelings.”
Taylor, 34, already has two PGA Tour victories; he won the Reno-Tahoe Open in 2004 and ’05. Taylor also came sixth at the John Deer Classic this year to add his fifth top 10 finish of the season to his resume. He is also 38th on the U.S. money list with $1.5 million.
The Turning Stone Resort Championship is part of the FedEx Cup title this year when it had previously been part of the Fall Series since its inception. The past two champions have fared well; before winning the title last year Kuchar was 101 on Official World Golf Rankings. Now Kuchar is 26th on the list and poised to qualify for this year’s U.S. Ryder cup.
The 2008 Turning Stone champion was Dustin Johnson, who was in 357th place the week before he won the title as a rookie. Johnson has earned two more PGA Tour wins since 2008, including a victory at Pebble Beach in February. Johnson is in a position to qualify for the Ryder Cup team, and is the only other golfer since Tiger Woods to win an event in his first three years on the tour.
The 2007 Turning Stone winner Steve Flesch will be returning to the field along with Rocco Mediate, and Australian John Senden. Senden is a very strong contender; having played a dozen rounds on the Atunyote course Senden was able to shoot under par on 10 of those rounds. He also has two top five finishes in three starts on the course.
Brandon de Jong is amongst the competitors, and on a course with greens that offer good chances for birdies he is the man to watch this week. De Jong is at the top of the PGA birdie list this season, having shot 384 in 84 rounds. He came in third place at last week’s Greenbrier Classic, so has a lot of good momentum behind him.
Tags: