The Reno Tahoe Open concludes with Scott Piercy on top
The Reno Tahoe Open at the scenic Montreux Golf & Country Club which resembles more to Links-style course came to an end with another player, Scott Piercy winning for the first time on PGA Tour in the current year.
This is the 11th time in 2011 that a player has won for the first time on PGA and beacons towards the fact that the sport on the American turf is now more evenly poised and spot on.
Piercy who has been on the tour since 2008 had the highest finish on the tour at the 2009 Honda Classic where he posted a joint fifth, and has earlier soared to number 70 on the FedExCup Rankings but was still in search for his maiden win on the tour.
“Finally,” Piercy said, panting after his long walk from the 18th, “It kind of feels like I got the monkey off the back, I've been in the final group five times I think and didn't close the deal. I always thought I could do it and it was just a matter of
doing it. Now I did it ... A big sigh of relief.”
Stepping into the final round with a three-shot lead, Piercy succumbed to the immense pressures of closing holes to lose his grasp on the slippery lead. He had leveled the course record the previous day with an eye-popping 11-under, 61 and was brilliantly
poised to clinch his first title at the $3-million event.
Piercy opened up his front nine with relative complacency and carded three birdies before making the turn. He remained birdie-less after making the turn while Fast approaching Pat Perez pulled in two consecutive birdies on the opening holes of back nine
to pull himself into contention. As the 32-year-old Piercy dropped a shot at the par-four, 14th, leveling his hard earned lead, the match was all set for a Playoff until Perez fell in for a bogey at par-four, 17th to throw away his chances.
“I missed three putts inside 10 feet the last three holes. That's not going to win,” said Perez. “No, no positive. Second, second, second. First loser.”
The tournament was played adjacent to the WGC Bridgestone Invitational at Firestone Country Club and had a reduced FedExCup Points of 250. Piercy collected a winner’s prize share of $540,000 and has now soared up to 80 on the FedExCup points table from his
previous low of 137th.
Piercy has fared better in the season with his highest finish at the RBC Canadian Open where he settled for a joint sixth and has made nine cuts in his 15 appearances in the season. He managed to win the Reno Tahoe title in his fourth appearance.
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