Taylor Dickson has had to be patient for his PGA Tour breakthrough, having earned his first card nine years after turning professional.
Here are 15 things to know about the American.
Taylor Dickson Facts
1. Taylor Dickson was born on 7 October 1992 in Gastonia, North Carolina.
2. He became enamored with the game after hitting an approach to within two feet the first time he played. Even after that, it wasn’t until he turned 15 that he began playing seriously.
3. That shift was inspired by an old high school friend, Harold Varner III, who was playing collegiately at East Carolina at the time.
4. Initially, Dickson had been more focused on soccer, baseball and basketball.
5. He attended Winthrop University between 2011 and 2015, where one of the highlights was victory in the 2013 Pinetree Intercollegiate. He also qualified for that year’s US Amateur at the Country Club of Brookline.
6. Dickson turned professional in 2015 and initially played on several mini tour circuits, including the Florida Elite Tour, the Coastal Players Tour and the SwingThought TOUR.
7. A breakthrough came when he gained exemptions into eight Korn Ferry Tour events for 2023 via Q-school.
8. He came close to a PGA Tour card in 2023 after finishing 39th on the Korn Ferry Tour Points List – nine places below the cut-off.
9. That season included runner-up at the Magnit Championship, where he shot a course record 62 in the third round.
10. Over four years after his maiden Korn Ferry Tour appearance, Dickson got his first win on it in March 2024 in the Astara Chile Classic.
11. A second win followed in June in the Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas Wichita Open. A T3 at the Price Cutter Charity Championship the next month guaranteed his PGA Tour card for the 2025 season.
12. Dickson also made his PGA Tour debut in 2024, appearing on a sponsor’s exemption in the Myrtle Beach Classic, where he finished 69th.
13. He has an unusual set-up, involving setting his clubhead a little past the ball before taking his backswing. He explained to PGATour.com that he’s not sure how it started. “It’s pretty weird," he said. "Bounce it out toward the heel. To me, it just looks like… the ball is right at the heel, but I’ve seen video, gets a lot further out. I don’t really know why I do it. I just started doing it eight, nine years ago.”
14. He told CollegiateGolf.com his biggest influence in the game is coach Bruce Sudderth, who also mentored Varner III.
15. Dickson is a big fan of the Carolina Panthers NFL team.
