Reno-Tahoe Open offers glimmer of hope for some

BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 Reno-Tahoe Open | Preview | 18 Aug 2005

While most of the world’s leading players will be some 1500 miles away at the WGC NEC Championship in Akron Ohio, a field of 156 players not qualified for that event will tee it up at Reno-Tahoe Open in Nevada.

The Jack Nicklaus designed Montreux Golf & Country Club is the home to this event. The course measures some 7480 yards, has a par of 72 and has Crenshaw Bentgrass greens. The Monteux layout is like Castle Pines in Colorado in that it is 5500 feet above sea level and has the added intrigue of the effects of altitude on the distance the golf ball travels.

The defending champion is Vaughn Taylor, who won in a playoff in 2004 over Steve Allan, Hunter Mahan and Scott McCarron. Taylor was the beneficiary of a last hole disaster by Steve Allan who was on the verge of his first win on the PGA Tour, and perhaps a career changing one at that, when he double bogeyed the last to lose.

The favourite is likely to be Jerry Kelly who played well early at the recent US PGA before fading away to finish 34th. Kelly was 14th in his previous start at the US Bank event but overall it has been a poor season for him to date. As one of the higher credentialed players here he should be perhaps considered.

Vaughn Taylor’s form has been very inconsistent this season missing a lot of cuts but at the same time doing well enough to finish 5th at the Wachovia Championship. His 28th placing last week at Baltusrol was good but he will need to rekindle some fond memories if he is to repeat the dose in 2005.

Tim Herron finished second to Kirk Triplett here in 2003 and is playing well enough to win an event such as this. He had made six consecutive cuts before his poor PGA Championship, including a 10th place at the Western Open. Herron has not won since 1999 but a player good enough to finish 6th at the Players Championship in March and one who has some form on the course, is good enough to do well here.

Scott McCarron was runner up here last year and played well recently at Castle Pines after being well in the hunt going into the last round. He has lost his way a little after a good start to the season but he seems to be playing a little better of late.

Joe Ogilvie is one player who might have been under the eye of Jack Nicklaus for Presidents Cup selection prior to last week’s PGA especially if he had done something very special. He was able to finish 17th but it was not good enough. He played very well early in the season and his solid week last week when 17th should see him in good shape coming into this week. He was 9th here last year, his second round 64 suggesting he likes the course.

Arjun Atwal has made all but one of his cuts on the PGA Tour this season, the one missed cut coming last week at the PGA. He was good enough to finish 2nd at the BellSouth and this weaker field may help him contend again.

Jeff Brehaut has been 6th and 3rd at his last two starts and seems to be getting better with age. He has not played all that well here but seems to be a better player now.

Duffy Waldorf has been neither good nor bad in 2005 and rates a chance. Hank Keuhne is playing well enough of late to be 4th at Castle Pines and runner up at the John Deere. He missed the cut at his only time here but he is a streak player who can run hot.

Ben Curtis has made a big improvement of late including his 3rd place at the Western and his good week last week at the PGA.

Of the other Australasians, Brendan Jones has played well in recent weeks including his runner up placing at the BC Open. Last year it was a rookie who won here and perhaps Jones could go close himself this week. James McLean, Aaron Baddeley, Michael Long, Bradley Hughes, Scott Hend, Paul Gow and Euan Walters are also looking to get their seasons heading in the right direction.

The tournament is worth US$3 million.