Taylor Gooch has embraced the captaincy of Smash GC with a slogan that sounds made for a locker-room whiteboard: the rule of 67.
Speaking at LIV Golf's pre-season media day, the 2023 LIV Golf Individual Champion said the role fit naturally after years alongside founding team-mates Brooks Koepka and Graeme McDowell, and that his approach to leadership would lean on the most direct metric in professional sport.
"Um, first of all, it's an honor obviously uh from the get-go of Liv. Um, you know, the idea of being a captain is something that was intriguing and, uh, you know, sitting with all of these guys. It's, you know, like I said, it's just an honor and a privilege," Gooch said.
He credited his relationship with Koepka and McDowell as the foundation on which the rebuilt team will sit.
"Uh, and just excited to, you know, kind of be on the forefront of leading our team. Um, you know, I've been able to form a, you know, good relationship with Kok and GMAC over the last couple seasons. And then, you know, with our our fourth guy coming along, I get along with him decently well, too."
Then came the phrase that will likely follow him through the season.
"I call it the rule of 67. I have for a while. I probably should have said something differently after six and seven uh the last couple months and years, but um the rule of 67 for me is is simple. Go shoot 67 and everything takes care of itself. So, uh winning solves all and we go and we go play good golf and everything else" falls into place, Gooch said.
That said, he is putting effort into the off-course side too. Asked about the early steps of his captaincy, he described a deliberately low-key transition.
"No, I mean it's going to take time. Uh obviously I have some big ideas and thoughts and plans, but um obviously I have little plans as well. Like last night we had dinner and we popped a bottle of champagne to turn the chapter and move forward," he said.
"So, uh, you know, fortunately, I've through my life, I've played team sports. Um, you know, we're invested in in a few different, uh, sports leagues and, um, so I I've been around a locker room in in a lot of capacities. And so, uh, like I said, fortunately, I've had a good relationship with, you know, everyone that's on the team for a long time now."
The captaincy comes as LIV Golf enters a new four-round format with an expanded relegation system putting roughly 20 per cent of the field at risk. That adds weight to Gooch's simple formula. If 67 does not turn up regularly, a slogan will not be enough to protect the team's place.