Golfers searching on eBay for used clubs might get some competition from an unlikely bidder: Mike Reid, who won the Senior PGA Championship on Sunday.
Reid admitted that all of his woods are out-of-production models and, yes, he has searched unsuccessfully on eBay for replacements. Or “I haven’t bid high enough,” he told reporters.
In claiming his first Champions Tour victory, Reid used a Titleist J- series driver that he sheepishly acknowledged “is about eight-years-old technology.” His 4- and 5-woods are TaylorMade Raylor models. And he uses a TaylorMade 200-series 3-wood that he said was among the most popular on tour – five years ago.
“That should tell me something,” he said with a grin.
Reid, 50, always has been slow to keep up with technology. He was one of the last touring pros to switch from a persimmon driver to a metal wood.
Golf fans familiar with Reid’s 1989 meltdowns in the Masters and PGA Championship had to be pulling for him Sunday.
With his victory in the Senior PGA, Reid at least has a major championship of some sort.
Always regarded as one of the nicest touring pros, Reid stood on the threshold of greatness 16 years ago and buckled under pressure.
The former Cherry Creek High School student held a one-stroke lead with four holes to play in the 1989 Masters and fell to sixth. Four months later he led the PGA Championship at Kemper Lakes (Ill.) by three strokes with three holes to play but finished in a tie for second behind Payne Stewart.
Winning two major championships in one year would have put Reid in select company. Instead, his career became mostly nondescript. His last PGA Tour victory was the 1988 World Series of Golf.
“At the time I didn’t think much about those because I thought I’d have more chances,” Reid said. “But there wasn’t a next time for me.
“Now I look back at those (near- misses) quite often. If you have lived without regrets you haven’t lived.”
Reid’s name could come up again this month during the U.S. Women’s Open at Cherry Hills Country Club. Reid holds Cherry Hills’ noncompetitive course record with a 60 in 1999.
Secret service
Former Golf Magazine editor-in- chief George Peper toured Denver’s media outlets Tuesday to help publicize his new book “The Secret of Golf” (Workman Publishing, $29.95).
The book presents 47 lessons from many of the game’s greatest players and instructors.
“The secret to golf is that there is more than one secret; that’s the good news,” Peper said. “That bad news is, you can’t have it. You can only borrow it. No matter what you’re working on, and how fervently you believe in something, it goes fallow at some point.”
Footnotes
Aurora Golf’s junior camps begin June 13. Log on to www.golfaurora.com for details. … Vista Ridge Golf Club in Erie will host the inaugural Colorado AvidGolfer Tournament Series event June 12. To register for the two-person, best-ball competition,visit www.coloradoavidgolfer.com or call 720-493-1729, ext. 15.
