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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Monday, August 24, 2009

Reid wins second Champions major


Associated Press

Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Mike Reid

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Hawaii news photo - The Honolulu Advertiser

Ryan Moore

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SUNRIVER, Ore. — Mike Reid raised his arms and let out a heavy sigh after sinking his playoff-winning birdie putt in the Jeld-Wen Tradition. Then he humbly removed his cap to shake the hand of opponent John Cook.

Only when Reid hugged his son Daniel, his caddie, did the tears start to well.

"He (Daniel) had a look on his face like, 'Well, what did you expect?' " Reid said. "I felt like I'd just climbed Mount Everest."

Reid's 12-foot birdie putt on the first playoff hole yesterday at Crosswater Golf Club gave him his second career victory, and second major, on the Champions Tour. He also won the 2005 Senior PGA Championship.

Cook's approach shot on the playoff hole, No. 18, came to rest about 15 feet away and his downhill putt for birdie missed just left.

Reid shot a final-round 70 and Cook had a 69 to finish at 16-under 272.

Cook, who was two strokes behind leader Brad Bryant going into the final round, birdied the par-3 No. 17 hole to take a one-stroke lead to the final hole. But he hit into the bunker, settling for a bogey and forcing the playoff with Reid, who made par on the hole.

"I didn't play like a champion," Cook said.

Bryant, who opened with a career-best 62, stumbled to a final-round 73 to wrap up with a 14-under 274.

Reid joins Peter Jacobsen as having two Champions Tour victories in majors. The Provo, Utah, resident won twice on the PGA Tour.

"It got to the point where it was hard for me to paint that picture of holding the trophy," he said.

But his final putt of the day put a trophy back in his hands.

"I was just hoping it had enough to get in the hole, and it looked like it went in on the last roll," he said.

PGA TOUR

Ryan Moore won for the first time on the PGA Tour with a birdie on the third hole of a sudden death playoff to beat Kevin Stadler in the Wyndham Championship at Greensboro, N.C.

Moore — who vaulted up the leaderboard with five consecutive birdies on the back nine — had two chances to seal the victory after his approach on No. 18 landed in the middle of the green and rolled to 6 feet. He sank that putt for his first victory in his 112th event.

"This felt like an uphill battle," said Moore, who turned pro in 2005. "The whole time I've been on the PGA Tour, I just haven't been healthy, and really got some good momentum (finishing tied for 10th) at the U.S. Open, really feeling like myself again, and just kind of getting some confidence back in the putter and every aspect of the game."

Stadler, Moore and Jason Bohn forced the playoff after they were tied at 16-under 264 through 72 holes. Sergio Garcia blew a three-stroke lead midway through the final round, shooting a 70 to finish at 265.

NATIONWIDE TOUR

Michael Sim played his way onto the PGA Tour.

Sim shot a 4-under 67 to win his third Nationwide Tour event this season, taking the Christmas in October Classic at Overland Park, Kansas, by two strokes.

Sim won promotion to the PGA Tour for the remainder of this season and next season, the ninth golfer on the Nationwide Tour to do so.

EUROPEAN TOUR

England's Simon Dyson came from six shots back to win the KLM Open, beating Ireland's Peter Lawrie and Sweden's Peter Hedblom in a playoff at Zandvoort, Netherlands.

After six birdies in his first 12 holes, Dyson matched a course record with a 7-under 63 and then birdied the first extra hole for his second title at the KLM Open.