Numbers game at Reno-Tahoe Open
BY Bruce Young | US PGA Tour | 2007 Reno-Tahoe Open | Preview | 01 Aug 2007
While the PGA Tour’s leading players are playing the Bridgestone Invitational a few hundred miles to the north east of Nevada, many others are in Reno this week for the Reno Tahoe Open.
The tournament will again take place at the Jack Nicklaus designed Montreux Golf and Country Club where it has been played since its inception in 1999.
Will McKenzie is the defending champion following his narrow one shot win over Bob Estes last year but the North Carolinian’s form has been a little too inconsistent in 2007 to be confident about his chances this week.
Lucas Glover only narrowly missed a start at the Bridgestone Invitational and that status along with some good solid finishes in recent weeks make him the favourite on paper at least. Glover recorded three top twenty finishes prior to his 27th place at the British Open and appears well placed for win for the second time in his PGA Tour career. Last year Glover finished 4th at the Bridgestone Invitational and if he was able to reproduce that sort of performance this week then he stands a great chance.
Anthony Kim is one of the leading rookies on tour in 2007 and although his form has tapered off a little in recent weeks he could still be a force to be reckoned with this week.
Another rookie in John Mallinger has found some very good form of late including when 7th last week in Canada. He has produced several good finishes in his first season including third placed finishes at Pebble Beach and New Orleans. Like Kim a first PGA Tour victory might not be out of the question this week.
Australian Steve Allan might also go close to securing his first PGA Tour win this week. Allan finished runner up in a playoff to Vaughn Taylor in 2004 and has given every indication in recent weeks, including last week in Canada when he was the third round leader, that he is close to his best.
The Australasian challenge does not stop with Allan however. Steve Elkington, Andrew Buckle, Michael Sim, Paul Gow, Gavin Coles, Jarrod Lyle, Paul Sheehan and Grant Waite will all be keen to take advantage of this slightly weaker than normal PGA Tour event field to advance their money list claims.
