No balk by this Tour rookie
The Small Unit came up big in the Canadian Open.
Chez Reavie, proudly sporting an Arizona Diamondbacks logo on his light blue shirt, won the national championship Sunday in Oakville, Ontario, for his first PGA Tour title, closing with a 1-under 70 in near-perfect conditions for a 3-stroke victory over Billy Mayfair.
"Oh, man. I'm just so excited," Reavie said. "I don't think a lot of people understand 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."
At a generously listed 5-foot-9, the 26-year-old former Arizona State player picked up the Small Unit moniker in a joking reference to Randy Johnson, the 6-foot-10 Diamondbacks pitcher known as the Big Unit.
Also in contrast to Johnson, Reavie relies on finesse rather than power. The short-hitter was on the mark in the wire-to-wire win at rain-softened Glen Abbey, hitting 44 of 56 fairways and 54 of 72 greens in regulation. The accurate play was a big factor, with the players allowed to use preferred lies in the fairways all four days.
Playing for the sixth straight week, Reavie finished at 17-under 267. He earned $900,000 and spots in the World Golf Championships-Bridgestone Invitational and PGA Championship the next two weeks along with the 2009 Masters.
After entering the week with career earnings of $746,414 in 27 PGA Tour starts and 52 Nationwide Tour events, he was amazed when told that he had made $900,000.
"How much? $900,000. That's unbelievable, really," he said. "Yeah, wow! That's all I can say is wow to that."
Anthony Kim, a two-time winner this year, began the round a stroke back, but followed his third-round 64 with a 75 to tie for eighth at 11 under.
"I played terrible," Kim said.
Senior British Open: Bruce Vaughan won the Senior British Open for his first career victory, sinking a 20-foot putt to beat John Cook on the first playoff hole in Troon, Scotland.
Cook squandered a 3-stroke lead after 10 holes at Royal Troon but still went to the 72nd leading Vaughan by 1. Cook sent his tee shot right into the rough and then played his third shot well short of the green. He decided to putt, but left it 15 feet short for a bogey to finish with an even-par 71 and a 6-under 278 total.
Vaughan made a par for a 70 that forced the Americans back to No. 18 to begin the playoff, the championship's third in four years.
Vaughan pitched to the center of the green and sank his 20-footer. When Cook missed his putt from 12 feet, the former firefighter from Hutchinson, Kansas, won his first tournament on the senior or regular PGA Tour. Vaughan also earned his biggest paycheck, $312,258.
"Money is great, but until you win, you're just another player. It's all about winning. You only get a few of these," said Vaughan, whose mother, Maxine, died in a car crash seven weeks ago after returning from watching him play a tournament in Iowa.
Eduardo Romero finished third after failing to make the playoff by missing an 8-foot putt at the last hole.
Evian Masters: Helen Alfredsson won the Evian Masters in Evian-Les-Bains, France, in a playoff, earning her first LPGA Tour title in five years by defeating rookie Na Yeon Choi at the third extra hole.
The 43-year-old Swede made a 3-foot birdie on the third playoff hole.
Annika Sorenstam shot 68 in her final round at Evian.
The 37-year-old Swede started the day 11 strokes back, but pulled to within 5 of the lead by reeling off 6 birdies in the first 12 holes. Her challenge faded with 3 straight bogeys beginning at 14.
Her farewell to Evian was marked with a ceremony immediately after her round to dedicate the grassy scoreboard area as Annika Sorenstam Square.