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(Courtesy of CP_Chris Johnston)
OAKVILLE, Ont.—Chez Reavie already knows how quickly a dream can turn into a nightmare.
The only other time he shot 64 in a PGA Tour event was the second round of the 2004 Michelin Championship at Las Vegas and that tournament didn't end so well. Reavie went on to finish last in the field by nine shots and would later have a recurring nightmare about the septuple-bogey 12 he took in the final round.
A dream Friday saw Reavie card a 64 to jump in front at the RBC Canadian Open, but he wasn't concerned about sleeping on this lead.
"I haven't had that nightmare in a long time," said the 26-year-old American. "I don't think it'll have anything to do with this week."
At least he'll have a good reason to try and get some rest.
He had to play 33 holes over nine gruelling hours at the rain-interrupted championship and emerged two shots ahead of Eric Axley when play was called due to darkness. Reavie was an amazing 13 under par on a day where he signed for rounds of 65 and 64 at Glen Abbey.
After all that golf, he was looking forward to a quiet night.
"I think today I have even more of an advantage because I played so many holes and I'm tired," said Reavie. "I'm going to go have dinner and I'm going to be ready to go to bed.
"I don't think it'll be very hard."
The hard part starts now for a guy who has never finished better than fifth at a PGA Tour event.
Axley will be among the 63 players who return early Saturday to complete their second round. The American lefty has one PGA Tour victory on his resume and is two shots back with two holes left.
"I feel like I'm playing well so hopefully it'll continue tomorrow," said Axley.
Cliff Kresge (64) is three behind along with Nathan Thompson, who has one hole left in his second round.
Overnight co-leader Mike Weir wasn't able to get much going on Friday but still has the best chance to end Canada's 54-year-old drought at the event. The native of Bright's Grove, Ont., was even par on his day and sits seven shots behind Reavie.
"There's tons of golf left," said Weir, who has two holes to finish in his second round. "He's never won before."
In fact, the popular lefty has more PGA Tour victories than any of the 13 players above him on the leaderboard.
There should be no shortage of Canadian content on display over the weekend. Jon Mills (69-71) of Oshawa, Ont., Calgary's Dustin Risdon (68-72), amateur Nick Taylor (70-70) of Abbotsford, B.C., Ian Leggatt (70-71) of Cambridge, Ont., and David Hearn (69-72) of Brantford, Ont., were also in position to make the cut.
Bryan DeCorso of Guelph, Ont., was one shot below the cut line and still had nine holes to play in his second round.
However, the top-ranked Canadian was one of the guys left making other plans. Calgary's Stephen Ames shot rounds of 72 and 71 and figured he'd be taking his kids to a nearby amusement park.
He was forced to play 27 holes on Friday but wasn't using that as an excuse for missing just the second cut of his season.
"I think everybody got the wrong half of the draw this week, unfortunately, with the way the weather has turned out," said Ames. "Hopefully it will finish on the (good) note that it is today, and we'll have a successful Canadian Open."
Reavie was one of 78 players that had to arrive early Friday to finish a rain-delayed first round before going straight back out for a second. He got on quite a roll and reeled off an eagle and 12 birdies against just one bogey over the 33 holes he played.
His 36-hole total of 129 matched the record Scott Dunlap set at the 104-year-old event in 1996.
"I got to keep my momentum and just kept playing all day," said Reavie.
Literally.
The highlight of his day came at the par-5 13th, where he holed out for eagle from 80 yards to pull clear of the field. It looked like Reavie might give back a stroke at the 18th but he got up-and-down from a greenside bunker to save par.
It was the perfect way to cap off a productive day.
"I felt fine on the last hole when I finished," said Reavie. "But when I signed my scorecard, I could kind of feel the energy just kind of leave my body. I'm definitely tired now."
Notes: Reavie is a huge baseball fan and is sponsored by the Arizona Diamondbacks...Will MacKenzie shot an opening-round 70 but withdrew because his wife, Alli, is due to have their first child in Greenville, N.C....Jay Williamson (back) and Chris Stroud also pulled out ... Dunlap finished tied for third after his great start at the 1996 Canadian Open.
Notes:
63 players did not finish when play was called at 8:44 pm. They will resume their round tomorrow at 7:30 am.
The third round will commence following the completion of second round action. Groups will go off in threesomes off the first and tenth tees.
ABOUT THE 2008 RBC CANADIAN OPEN
An exciting new era has arrived for Canada's national championship. Part of the FedEx Cup, stars of the PGA Tour will compete for $5 million (US) at the RBC Canadian Open, July 21-27 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario. Established in 1904, the tournament is the third-oldest national open golf championship worldwide next to the British Open and the U.S. Open. The RBC Canadian Open is proudly sponsored by RBC, Bell, Pengrowth and BMW Group Canada. For updated corporate hospitality, tickets, volunteer and sponsorship information please visit www.rbccanadianopen.com or call 1-800-571-OPEN.
RBC AND THE RBC CANADIAN OPEN
In partnership with the Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA), RBC is the title sponsor of the RBC Canadian Open, the third oldest national golf championship worldwide, next only to the British Open and the U.S. Open. With a history of great players and premier fields, the RBC Canadian Open provides golf fans with the opportunity to experience the excitement of a world class event on Canadian soil. RBC also sponsors all levels of amateur sport, from grassroots programs in local communities to national sport organization and elite-level athletes.
ABOUT THE ROYAL CANADIAN GOLF ASSOCIATION
The Royal Canadian Golf Association (RCGA) is the governing body of golf in Canada, representing 377,000 members at 1,600 clubs across the country. Recognized by Sport Canada as the National Sports Organization (NSO) for golf in this country, the RCGA’s mission is to grow participation in and passion for the sport while upholding the integrity and traditions of the game. The RCGA conducts programs and services to help shape the future of golf in Canada. High performance athlete development, CN Future Links, Canada’s national junior golf program, turfgrass and environmental research, the Canadian Golf Hall of Fame and Museum, Rules of Golf and amateur status, handicapping and course rating are only some of the initiatives the association leads for golf in Canada. In addition, the RCGA conducts Canada’s most prestigious golf championships. The RBC Canadian Open and CN Canadian Women’s Open attract the best professional golfers in the world, while regional junior and national amateur championships showcase the best in Canadian golf.
For further information on what the RCGA is doing to support golf in your community please visit www.rcga.org.
MEDIA CONTACTS:
Dan Pino
Director, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
t: 905-337-4755 or 416.434.5525 (cell)
w: www.rcga.org
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Terry Lenyk
Coordinator, Media and Public Relations
Royal Canadian Golf Association
t: 905-337-4755 or 416-407-3893 (cell)
w: www.rcga.org
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