To win Pebble title Sunday, Taylor must hold off crowd favorite

PEBBLE BEACH, Calif. – Nick Taylor has won a PGA Tour event, but he has never slept on a 54-hole lead in one.

He has also never played with Phil Mickelson.

That’s all the more daunting here on the Monterey Peninsula, where Mickelson’s family roots run deep.

“I’m sure I won’t be the crowd favorite,” Taylor said.

That’s the challenge Taylor faces Sunday at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

“Not having played with Phil, it's going to be a new experience, for that reason,” Taylor said. “Not really trying to pay attention to what he's doing. Obviously, if he makes a putt, or great shot, the crowd's going to go wild. I've just got to do my own thing, try to block all that out. Easier said than done,…