Vaughn Taylor performs rare feat at Reno Tahoe
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2005 Reno-Tahoe Open | Wrap | 22 Aug 2005
It may be common place for the likes of Tiger woods and Vijay Singh to defend titles on the PGA Tour but the same does not apply to the mere mortals.
Today though, Vaughn Taylor did just that when he led from go to whoa to win the Reno Tahoe Open. His last round of 72 was hardly in keeping with his earlier rounds of 64, 67 and 64 but it didn’t need to be, such was the lead that he had built.
Taylor came off a solid week last week at the PGA but that aside there has not been a lot to get excited about in recent weeks. Back in familiar territory though and in territory which has such meaning to him, he relished the golf course which had twelve months ago brought him perhaps his greatest moment in golf. Then he won for the first time on the USPGA Tour and when he got his nose in front early in the week this week, it was almost as if he was saying ’this is my tournament’.
Although he only had one birdie today neither did he make any mistakes and he cruised his way to a three shot victory over Jonathan Kaye who gained five shots on the leader but nowhere near enough to threaten.
In just his second season on the USPGA Tour, the 29-year-old now has two USPGA Tour wins and one Nationwide Tour victory to his name. After starting his 2003 Nationwide Tour season without status, he gained early starts via Monday qualifying and did well enough to earn his way to the PGA Tour. He is one of the emerging players on the PGA Tour although perhaps emerging is understating his new status.
Aaron Baddeley looked at one stage as if he would be the one to take the challenge to Taylor when he reached the turn in 32 strokes and at 17 under was within three. His challenge came to an end when he bogeyed the 12th and 15th before a birdie at the last saw him finish 4th. It stopped a run of poor form for Baddeley who has missed seven of his last eight cuts. He has well and truly retained his status for 2006 though and appears to be back on track for whatever reason.
Steve Allan, who was looking for a repeat performance of last year when he lost a playoff to Taylor did well for 9th and Michael Long made the cut but did not help his struggling cause with a poor weekend.
The USPGA Tour now heads to Hartford for the Buick Championship.
