Each spring the Abbotsford Sports Hall of Fame unveils its Wall of Fame, which honours top local athletes between the ages of 14 and 25 for their exploits in the previous year. This is the third in our “Where are they now?” series, highlighting past Wall of Famers.
Nick Taylor was inducted into the Abbotsford Sports Wall of Fame for the first time in 2006, the year he graduated from Yale Secondary after winning the B.C. high school provincial title for the school.
Taylor attended the University of Washington on a golf scholarship and graduated in 2010 with a degree in economics. Along the way, he was a three-time PING All-American, including twice being named to the first team, and was just the second Washington Husky to be honoured three times. He also was a two-time co-Pac-10 player of the year, just the fifth conference player to win the award twice.
Taylor also won the Mark H. McCormack Medal which recognizes the top-ranked golfer in the Royal and Ancient's World Amateur Golf Ranking at the end of each amateur season. He spent 21 weeks at the top of the World Amateur Golf Rankings (June 15-Nov. 4, 2009) after ascending to the top spot after winning the U.S. Open sectional qualifying at Suncadia's Tumble Creek. At the 2009 U.S. Open, Nick was the low amateur, finishing 36th at Bethpage Black in Long Island, N.Y. Nick also won the Sahalee Players Championship.
Taylor was a member of Canada's champion Four Nations Cup team and earned the award as Canada's top amateur golfer for 2008 and 2009.
In 2010, he was selected to carry the Olympic torch in advance of the Vancouver Olympic Games.
Also in 2010, Taylor was bestowed one of his biggest honours when he earned the Ben Hogan Award, given annually to the top collegiate golfer in the United States.
Taylor turned pro in October 2010 and played on some professional mini-tours – the All American (based out of Phoenix) and the Gateway tour. His home base is now Phoenix.
Taylor qualified for PGA Tour Canada in 2011, 2012 and 2013, and in his last year on the circuit, he posted five top-10 finishes en route to seventh place on the Order of Merit and gaining an exemption into the final stage of the Web.com tour Q-School.
In December 2013, Taylor tied for 11th at the Web.Com Q-School and is now playing on the Web.com Tour in 2014.
• The Abbotsford Sports Hall of Fame is located at the Legacy Sports Centre at Exhibition Park, and hosts its annual induction banquet on April 26. More information is available at www.abbysportshalloffame.ca.