Vaughn Taylor - Media Guide

behind champion Vijay Singh after a closing 73...T10 finish at the Masters Tournament marked his best career finish in a major championship. Was in third at 143 after two rounds in his attempt to become the first Augustan to win the Masters since Larry Mize in 1987...Put his season earnings over the $1-million mark for the fourth straight year with a T4 finish at the Verizon Heritage. Collected 1,100 FedExCup points and moved up nine spots to number 22 on the points list...Struggled during the middle of the year but closed by making the cut in six of his last eight starts to wind up No. 70 on the money list.

second career start at the TPC Sawgrass, recorded his first top-10 at THE PLAYERS Championship with his T8 finish...A week after missing the cut in his hometown of Augusta at the Masters, held the first-round lead at the Verizon Heritage with an 8-under 63. Closed with a 66, Sunday's low round, to finish T3...Finished T6 at the Wachovia Championship with four under-par rounds. It was his fourth top-10 of the season and third in his last five starts...Collected a career-best fifth top-10 of the season with his T7 finish at the Memorial Tournament...Made a 38-foot putt for par on the 72nd hole to finish tied for fourth with Scott Verplank at the Buick Open. The putt allowed him to jump from No. 11 on the U.S. Ryder Cup team standings to No. 7. A miss would have only moved him to No. 10. Matched his career-low round with a 9-under 63 in the third round...Finished seventh on the U.S. Ryder Cup team list, where he earned one-half point for the team (0-1-1)...Ended season second in Putting Average (1.725) behind Daniel Chopra (1.712)...Placed 35th on the money list to earn a return trip to the Masters (top 40 invited). 2005: Finished No. 36 on the money list to earn invitation to Masters for the first time in 2006...In defense of 2004 Reno-Tahoe Open title, led wire-to-wire with rounds of 64-67-63-72--267, topping runner-up Jonathan Kaye by three strokes. The 267 total (21-under-par) set a tournament record by four strokes. Led by six strokes entering the final round after setting a tournament 54-hole record with a 195 total...Jumped to No. 31 on the PGA TOUR Official Money List with a third-place finish at the Deutsche Bank Championship, aided by rounds of 67-68 on the weekend. 2004: One of five rookies to win on TOUR and one of four to earn more than $1 million in his first season...Claimed his first TOUR victory by rolling in an 11-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to win a four-way playoff at the Reno-Tahoe Open. Made a 14-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation for a 3-over 75 and tied hometown favorite Scott McCarron, rookie Hunter Mahan and Australia's Steve Allan at 10-under 278. 2003: Finished 11th on Nationwide Tour money list to earn his initial TOUR card. Began season with no status, but stormed out of the gate in May by Monday qualifying at the Virginia Beach Open and finishing second. Based on his top-25 finish, made it into the field the following week at the SAS Carolina Classic, where he posted his second consecutive runner-up finish. Broke through for his first career win on the Nationwide Tour at the Knoxville Open. Shot a final-round, 8-under-par 64 and then won on the first playoff hole against Joe Ogilvie to collect $85,500. 2000: Was a member of the Nationwide Tour. Amateur: Qualified for the 1998 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco. Posted rounds of 76-76 and missed the cut...Four-time winner on the Hooters Tour...Honorable Mention All-American during his senior season at Augusta State University. Teammates with Richard Johnson, who was No. 1 on the 2007 Nationwide Tour money list.

Based on his top-25 finish, made it into the field the following week at the SAS Carolina Classic, where he posted his second consecutive runner-up finish. Broke through for his first career win on the Nationwide Tour at the Knoxville Open. Shot a final-round, 8-under-par 64 and then won on the first playoff hole against Joe Ogilvie to collect a career-best $85,500. 2000: Was also a member of the Nationwide Tour in 2000. 1998: Qualified for the 1998 U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco as an amateur. Posted rounds of 76-76 and missed the cut...Four-time winner on the Hooters Tour...Honorable Mention All-American during his senior season at Augusta State University.