Taylor repeats as champ at Reno-Tahoe Open

"Today was a pretty boring, uneventful round of golf, but I'm thrilled," Taylor said.

"I never felt like it was mine. You never know what's going to happen," he said. "I'm glad it's over. I'm really proud to have won here twice."

Kaye shot a 67 Sunday - his fourth round in the 60s - but missed three birdie putts from within 15 feet on the last three holes to finish at 18 under on the 7,472-yard Montreux Golf and Country Club on the edge of the Sierra Nevada. He started the day at 13-under.

"Eight shots is a lot to make up on this course, on any course when someone is playing as great as Vaughn was," Kaye said.

Todd Fischer, who lives next to the course, had a 70 to finish third at 17 under. J.J. Henry (66), J.P. Hayes (69) and Aaron Baddeley (70) followed at 15 under. Jesper Parnevik started the day seven strokes back, but shot a 74 to finish at 12 under.

Taylor, who grew up in Augusta, Ga., and whose goal is to play in the Masters, averaged 300 yards a drive this week and was sharp with his irons the first three rounds. He made eight birdie putts Saturday - all from inside 10 feet - to open up a six-stroke lead over Fischer at 21 under.

On Sunday, Taylor's biggest putts were par saves, including a 5-footer on the opening hole where he drove into a fairway bunker. He made a 4-footer to save bogey after it took him two shots to get out of a greenside bunker on the 439-yard, par-4 sixth.

"That was a clutch putt. I didn't want to make double there," Taylor said.

The bogey dropped him back to 20 under, three strokes ahead of Baddeley, who birdied four of the first six holes to get to 17 under, but bogeyed three holes on the back nine.

Taylor got back to 21 under when he drove 336 yards then hit a 280 approach to the left edge of the 616-yard, par-5 ninth and two putted from 50-feet for his only birdie in the final round after carding 24 over the first three days.

"That 3-iron I hit from the fairway was the best shot I hit all day. It was right where I aimed it. That was a big 2-putt," he said.

Kaye chipped in from 45 feet for his third birdie of the day on the par-3 seventh, but took a bogey on No. 9 when he drove left into the sage brush and missed a 21-footer to save par. He birdied Nos. 11, 12 and 14 - all from 8 feet or shorter - to get to 18-under, but missed a 12-footer on the par-3 16th. He hit his second shot 300 yards to the back fringe of the 636-yard, par-5 17th and putted within 3 feet but rolled his birdie attempt 3 feet past and came away with another par.

"If I can make an eagle there (on 17) and then birdie 18, he's going to feel some heat. You've got to make those when you're in contention," said Kaye, who also finished as the runner-up in 2002. "But I was injured (elbow inflamation) and didn't even know if I was going to play so I'm happy with my performance."

Fischer, who had four bogeys and two birdies Sunday, had mixed feelings about his play.

"I hung in there as good as I could and made a couple of birdies on the back then just fizzed out," Fischer said. "I feel I could have done better, but I did make a move on the Top 125" on the money list, which would maintain his tour card next year.

Taylor's victories at Reno are his only two on tour. He also won the Knoxville Open on the Nationwide Tour in 2003 and was a four-time winner on the Hooters Tour

Taylor arrived at Reno this year ranked 86th on the money list with $664,228. The $540,000 winner's check pushes him past the $1 million mark for the second consecutive year.

"My goal is to play in the Masters next year," said Taylor, who would have to finish in the Top 40 to make it.

"I'm sure I'm not there yet, but close. This week was huge," he said. He lives just 10 minutes from the course and has played it before, but never in the tourney.

He finished 67th on the money list with $1.1 million last year - one of four rookies to surpass $1 million - and used part of his winnings to help build his parents a new home outside Augusta.

"They're still building, so they may come and ask me for a swimming pool," he said.