Three eagles propel Reifers to Bank of America Open lead
GLENVIEW, Ill. -- Kyle Reifers moved to the top of the leaderboard at the Nationwide Tour's $750,000 Bank of America Open in spectacular fashion on Thursday, recording three eagles on his way to a 9-under 63 and a two-stroke lead over David Lutterus, Keith Nolan, Kris Blanks and Darron Stiles.Eighteen years after Tom Lehman became the first Nationwide Tour player to post three eagles in a round at the 1991 Reno Open, Reifers eagled Nos. 5, 14 and 18 at The Glen Club to become the 14th player in Tour history to perform the feat.
“I don’t know if I’ve ever had any rounds before with three eagles,” said Reifers, who hit eight of 14 fairways and 14 of 18 greens in regulation. “When you’re playing well, you aren’t thinking about that kind of stuff. It doesn’t really matter if it says par four or par five, you just add it up at the end of the day.”
A 244-yard hybrid finished 25 feet from the hole on the par-5 fifth hole, while a 5-iron from 209 yards on the par-5 14th hole rolled to within 20 feet of the cup. Another hybrid from 227 yards on the closing par-5 18th hole rested just 10 feet from the hole. Reifers drained all three putts to add his name to the record books.
“I played great all day,” said Reifers, a 24-year-old native of Columbus, OH. “I putted beautifully today and I was really excited with the way I finished the round.”
While three eagles in a round is usually the result of a go-for-broke approach, it was actually quite the opposite for Reifers during the opening round.
“I’ve been playing with a more conservative approach … aiming for the middle of the greens,” said Reifers, who along with his Mom and Dad have all earned victories at the Ohio State Amateur Championship. “I got the putter hot and made some putts today. Added it all up at the end and it was a 9-under.”
In 2006, Reifers posted wins in his first two professional events – the Tar Heel Tour’s Charlotte National Open (thanks to a course-record-tying 64 in the final round) and the Nationwide Tour’s Chattanooga Classic (earning a spot as a Monday Qualifier and then posting a course-record 61 in the final round).
“I’m not sure if it was pressure, but after you win early you start thinking it isn’t too hard,” said Reifers, who ultimately claimed the win in Chattanooga with a birdie on the first extra hole to defeat Brandt Snedeker. “But the guys are so good out here, you realize it is tougher than you may have originally thought.”
After finishing 44th on the 2006 Nationwide Tour money list, Reifers rolled in an 18-foot putt on the 108th hole of the PGA TOUR Qualifying Tournament to earn his first ticket to the PGA TOUR.
“Winning in Chattanooga was a huge stepping stone for me,” said Reifers. “It gave me a place to play … gave me job security. I went to Q-School without much pressure because I (already) had a place to play.”
Reifers’ rookie campaign in 2007 was highlighted by a 12th-place finish at the Arnold Palmer Invitational, after receiving a sponsor’s exemption from the tournament namesake and fellow Wake Forest standout. But the season ended with a disappointing 181st place finish in the FedExCup standings and the official money list.
“Out on the Tour last year, it didn’t go like I wanted but I got a lot of good experience,” said Reifers. “I got rabbit ears … and tried so many new things.”
Reifers enters the final three days of one of the Tour’s biggest events firmly focused on earning the $135,000 first-place prize – with the ultimate goal of finishing among the “The 25”at the end of the season. Should he succeed in that quest, he’ll move a step closer to teeing it up this time next year at the PGA TOUR’s Memorial Tournament – and on the same Muirfield Village Golf Club where he served as a caddie as a high school student
“Half of the battle is staying positive,” said Reifers. “I’ve been making the game tougher than it needs to be. My game is good enough. I just didn’t trust it last year. I can’t wait to get back out there.”
First Round News & Notes: Kyle Reifers’ 63 is just one off of The Glen Club course-record 62 set by D.A. Points (2004) and Jim Rutledge (2005) … The lowest previous first-round score at the Bank of America Open was a 64 by Nicholas Thompson in 2006 … David Lutterus, currently tied for second, is one of 31 players in the field with PGA TOUR status … Matt Every withdrew during the round with an illness.
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