American Chez Reavie won his first PGA title on Sunday, holding off countrymen Anthony Kim and Billy Mayfair over the final holes to win the US$5 million Canadian Open.
Reavie sank a 15-foot birdie putt on the final hole, his second birdie of the day at the 18th, to complete a final-round one-under par 70 to finish 72 holes on 17-under par 197 to defeat Mayfair by three strokes.
“Oh, man. I’m just so excited,” Reavie said. “When you’re growing up and you’re practicing and you’re working so hard, this is, obviously, your goal. But there are no guarantees. So it’s an amazing feeling, it really is.”
PHOTO: AP
Reavie, who had won just over US$411,000 in career earnings, pocketed the US$900,000 top prize and an invitation to next year’s Masters as well as a two-year tour exemption.
“I was actually surprised at how calm I was out there today. Obviously, that was my goal, but I had never been in that situation, so I didn’t know what to expect,” he said. “I think definitely hitting the good tee shot off the first tee was crucial, but then I three-putted for bogey. I just managed to stay patient. I never pressed.”
“Even when I made two bogeys early, I just kept with my game plan. I kept trying to hit fairways and hit smart shots into the greens and give myself chances for birdies,” he said.
Americans Sean O’Hair and Steve Marino shared third on 271, one stroke ahead of Canada’s Mike Weir and Americans Nicholas Thompson and Scott McCarron with the US trio of Kim, Kevin Day and Glen Day sharing eighth on 273.
The day began for Reavie with an early wake-up call because he could not finish his third round on Saturday after a storm delay left him on the 17th green when darkness fell.
Reavie returned to sink his par putt and birdied the 18th to seize a one-stroke lead over Kim after 54 holes, a margin he kept entering the back nine of the final round.
Reavie birdied the ninth and 10th and Kim followed with a bogey at 11 to leave Reavie ahead by three strokes. Reavie gave back a stroke with a bogey at 13 but Kim could only match him with pars in the next few holes.
Mayfair made a charge after a bogey at 13 with birdies at 14, 16 and 17 to move within two strokes.
Reavie missed a 10-foot birdie putt at 16 and looped a five-foot birdie putt at 17 around the cup’s edge to stay two ahead as he strode to the 18th tee.
Kim finished with back-to-back bogeys to fall back while Mayfair missed a long birdie putt and Reavie put his approach onto the green to seal the victory.
Despite his runner-up finish, Mayfair was unhappy with his effort, especially a double-bogey at the third.
“I played terrible. Thought I’d give myself some better chances, and then I hit two greens on the front nine, and that’s not going to do it,” Mayfair said. “Chez did what he had to do to stay ahead and just kept plugging away. He obviously got the job done.”
McCarron managed his first top-10 finish since 2005.
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