Former Sun Devil Reavie wins Canadian Open

July 27, 2008

Former Arizona State University golfer <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/reavie_chez00.html">Chez Reavie</a> completed a wire-to-wire victory Sunday, July 27 at the RBC Canadian Open to earn his first career win on the PGA Tour.<separator></separator>"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."<separator></separator>Reavie, who played at ASU from 2000-2004, shot a 1-under-par 70 in the final round at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Ontario, Canada, to finish 17-under and win by three shots over another former Sun Devil, Billy Mayfair.<separator></separator>"He's a good kid and a hard worker," Mayfair said. "I'm really happy for him."<separator></separator>With the victory, Reavie moves up nearly 100 spots in this year's FedEx Cup standings to 29th, and he earns a spot in both next month's PGA Championship and next year's Masters.<separator></separator>One of seven co-leaders with a 6-under 65 in the first round, Reavie took control of the tournament with a second-round 64 that gave him a three-shot lead at the halfway point. He shot 68 in the third round, finishing up the round with a birdie on the par-5 18th early Sunday morning, after play had been suspended Saturday due to darkness when Reavie was on the 17th hole.<separator></separator>He entered the final round with a one-shot lead over Anthony Kim, one of only four players with multiple PGA Tour wins this season. However, after a rocky start with bogeys on two of the first three holes, Reavie rebounded with a birdie on the fourth and extended his lead to four with back-to-back birdies on the ninth and 10th holes. He dropped a shot on the 13th, but made four straight pars and a birdie on the 18th to finish the round as his lead never shrunk below two on the back nine.<separator></separator>"I didn't feel comfortable until I hit my third shot on the green on 18," said Reavie, the eighth first-time winner this year.<separator></separator>Reavie's win is the third on the PGA Tour this year by a former Sun Devil, with <a href="http://thesundevils.cstv.com/sports/m-golf/mtt/mickelson_phil00.html">P… Mickelson</a> having won the Northern Trust Open and Crowne Plaza Invitational at Colonial earlier this season.<separator></separator> In four seasons at ASU, Reavie finished with 22 top-10 finishes and a 72.05 scoring average in 43 collegiate tournaments. He was a three-time All-American, earning Second-Team honors as a senior in 2004 and honorable mention in 2001 and 2003. Reavie also won the U.S. Amateur Public Links in 2001, joining Mayfair (1986) and John Jackson Jr. (1969) as the third Sun Devil to capture that title.