Vaughn Taylor wins four man playoff

Rookie Vaughn Taylor claimed his first PGA Tour victory Sunday, rolling in an 11-foot birdie putt on the first extra hole to win a four-way playoff at the Reno-Tahoe Open.

Taylor made a 14-foot birdie putt on the last hole of regulation for a 3-over 75 and tied hometown favorite Scott McCarron (71), rookie Hunter Mahan (74) and Australia's Steve Allan (74) at 10-under 278.

``I can't believe it,'' said Taylor, whose previous best finish was a tie for fifth at the Fed Ex St. Jude Classic.

``I've dreamed of this probably ever since I've played golf. ... Those two putts on the last hole, I'll never forget them.''

Taylor is the seventh first-time winner on Tour this year and the third rookie to claim a title.

In the playoff, McCarron missed a 14-foot birdie putt and Mahan failed to convert from 16 feet. Allan's approach to the 429-yard, par-4 18th came up short.

Taylor had two double-bogeys and two bogeys in windy conditions at Montreux Golf and Country Club. Only 11 players broke par in the final round as winds gusted up to 45 mph, forcing tournament officials to remove individual scoreboards that standard bearers typically carry with each group.

``The first three holes -- it was howling. I had 150 yards to the hole on No. 2 and I ripped a 6-iron,'' said Taylor, who won the Nationwide Tour's Knoxville Open last year.

Allan was at 12-under and had a two-stroke lead over McCarron and Mahan heading to the final hole. But his third shot, from a greenside bunker, flew 10 yards over the green. He missed a 4-foot putt for bogey and settled for double-bogey.

Mahan had four birdies, four bogeys and a double-bogey, but made a 14-foot putt to save par at the 18th and qualify for the playoff.

McCarron made birdie putts of 3, 7 and 12 feet in regulation. His approach shot to No. 15 from 215 yards bounced off the cart path, but he managed to save par. He bogeyed the par-3 16th but got up and down from 10-yards off the 18th green to save par.

Third-round leader Roland Thatcher, who shot a 77 to finish at 9-under 279, missed a 7-foot birdie try on the last hole that would have put him in the playoff. He tied for fifth with Mark Wilson (72) and Carl Petterson, who eagled the par-5 fourth en route to a 69 -- one of only three final rounds in the 60s.

Taylor started the day at 13-under, one shot behind Thatcher. He made a 17-foot birdie putt on the second hole to move into a tie at 14-under.

But he double-bogeyed the par-4 third and the par-4 14th, then took a bogey on the par-4 15th when he hit into the water, falling back to 9-under before making birdie at the 18th and getting into the playoff.

Taylor said he glanced at a leaderboard just quick enough to see he was three strokes back after his bogey on the 15th.

``I tried not to look at the board the rest of the way,'' he said.

While walking up the 18th fairway, Taylor asked his caddie, Adam Hayes, who was leading. Hayes said he thought Allan had double-bogeyed to slip back to 10-under.

``So, the whole way from the fairway to the green I was just trying to convince myself I was going to make the putt,'' Taylor said.

``I didn't play my best today but I just tried to hang in there. I never gave up one ounce. I've battled that in the past. I'll get down on myself and put my head down ... Today, I gave it my all and I'm proud of myself for doing that.''

Taylor entered the tourney ranked 113th on the money list with $459,590. The $540,000 winner's check moves him $410 shy of the $1 million mark.

``I might try my hand at the blackjack tables,'' he said with a laugh, then added he intends to share the winnings with family.

``I want to help my parents out,'' he said. His father manages a construction company and his mother lost her job as a secretary last year in Augusta, Ga.

``When I grew up, we were just a middle-class family,'' he said. He was born in Roanoke, Va., while his father was there on a temporary job, but he was raised and now lives in Augusta, Ga., home of the Masters.

``It was just by chance that we happened to move into a neighborhood with a golf course so I started playing.'

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