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CHAMPIONSHIP
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| Despite allergies, Taylor looking forward to intense stretch  PGATOUR.com Chief of Correspondents AKRON, Ohio -- Vaughn Taylor had just spent 20 minutes signing autographs and posing for pictures with a group of 50 children from three First Tee facilities in northern Ohio. He smiled as he looked over at the diverse group of youngsters playing a four-hole miniature golf course set up on the balcony of the clubhouse at Firestone Country Club on Tuesday.  Vaughn Taylor signs autographs during a First Tee outing on Tuesday. (Condon/PGA TOUR/WireImage)
"If there had been (a First Tee) around when I was growing up, I'm sure I would have been a part of it," Taylor said. "It just gives kids a great opportunity to get introduced to the game of golf. "You know, in 20 years or so, there might be a TOUR full of former First Tee kids." Taylor and Ben Curtis had taken time from their preparations for the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational to attend the gathering where FedEx officials distributed $2,000 to each of the three First Tee chapters. There will be similar donations made at all four events in the PGA TOUR Playoffs for the FedExCup, culminating in a national grant made at THE TOUR Championship presented by Coca-Cola. Foremost in the mind of PGA TOUR players like Taylor and Curtis, though, is that deposit FedEx will be making for one of them at the end of the season. The winner of the FedExCup will receive a $10 million first prize, the largest single bonus payout in sports. Taylor comes to Akron ranked 61st in those standings. He's assured of a spot in the first Playoff event, The Barclays, with three events remaining to earn points before the seedings are set at the end of the Wyndham Championship. The soft-spoken man from Georgia, though, has only cashed checks in two of his last eight events after a hot start that saw Taylor post three top-10s in his first 10 tournaments. Hence, the sense of urgency -- and an $8 million event is a good place to start. "It's time to kind of turn it around, and this is a good time to do it," Taylor said. "We've got a good event this week and the PGA (Championship) next week, and then Greensboro and then the Playoffs start. It's time to get it back in gear. "I possibly am (going to play all seven). I haven't done much lately, so I feel like I need to kind of maybe get on a run. I hate to take a week off and kind of lose momentum. I've got to start by playing good this week, but we'll see." Taylor traces his recent struggles to a battle with severe allergies and an uncooperative swing. The allergies, which worsened during the AT&T Classic in Atlanta, were severe enough to cause dizziness. "I was getting so much pressure in my head that it was getting in my inner ear and kind of throwing my equilibrium off," he said. "I'm not dizzy anymore. I can still tell that I have some pressure in my ears and head. I kind of wish that would go away, but I don't think it is until the off season when I just get indoors." Taylor has discovered he's allergic to "just about everything" -- oak pollen, pine tree pollen, Bermudagrass, Johnson grass, house dust, dust mites, dogs and "everything I grew up around, really," he said. "I've had allergies mildly ever since probably seven or eight years ago, but never anything that bothered me that much," he said. "But this by far is way worse than it's ever been. ... No excuses, but I'd like to feel better." Taylor took a few weeks off after he tied for fourth at the Verizon Heritage, his third top-10 in four weeks. He's struggled to reclaim his swing in the interim, but he came to Firestone Country Club with positive thoughts. "I feel good," he said. "I went home last week, actually watched some old video of me back in college and just kind of tried to get back to my natural swing and not get so caught up in technique. "So far it feels good, and I feel kind of the old Vaughn I guess you could say." With the FedExCup on the horizon, Taylor is also bidding to make his first Presidents Cup team. He's currently 18th in the standings, which are based on money earned -- and doubled this year. Only the top 10 at the end of next week's PGA Championship automatically make the team, and U.S. Captain Jack Nicklaus will complete his squad with two Captain's picks. "It's definitely a team I want to make," Taylor said. "There's some things I've got to do to get there, but I'll try to take it one week at a time. I know it's money list based, so I need some high finishes and get some money to move up the points. "But playing last year's Ryder Cup team really opened my eyes to what those competitions are about, and they're so much fun. I'd like to definitely be a part of the team." He can help make The Presidents Cup team -- and a chance to go deep into the Playoffs --- reality with a strong performance this week. He's well aware of what's at stake. "I'm trying to use that a little bit to put a little bit of pressure on myself to get myself going, and hopefully it'll work," Taylor said. |
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