Ex-Rebel Chris Riley finishes surprising 3rd

Alan Robinson

Monday, Aug. 19, 2002 | 9:36 a.m.

CHASKA, Minn. -- Rich Beem winning the PGA Championship was remarkable enough. Chris Riley finishing third was almost as unlikely.

Riley, a four-time All-American at UNLV, is used to dueling with Tiger Woods and Justin Leonard in tournaments -- only at the amateur level, not the PGA.

Riley didn't shoot a single round in the 60s, a distinction held by just one other top-10 finisher at Hazeltine National. Riley finished five shots behind Beem and four behind runner-up Woods.

It was Riley's fourth major, and the first in which he finished in the top 20. He tied for 51st in last year's PGA Championship.

"I have had a lot of experience playing with Tiger and Justin Leonard in the finals of all those amateur tournaments, and it is a tremendous feeling," Riley said. "It's something you can't describe. People are going to ask me how it feels playing in a major ... and it was a lot of fun."

This should be, too: He's now assured of an invitation to the Masters in April.

"It's the hardest major to get into, and it would be a dream come true to play at Augusta," he said. "It is the pinnacle. It would be great, and I am a great putter, so as long as I hit the ball right, we'll see what happens."

As third-round leader Justin Leonard faded with a 77, eventually ending up tied for fourth, and Woods pushed Beem during the back nine Sunday, Riley stayed just on the periphery of the chase.

However, Riley never got closer than the three strokes he trailed by when the final round started. Despite running off three straight birdies from Nos. 11 through No. 13, he never got closer than four shots after that.

"I got really hot on the back nine," the 28-year-old Riley said. "Really, the crucial part of my round was when I came out early shooting at flags, and I hit the water on No. 8 and made a double (bogey). That kind of took the air out of me."

Still, playing steadily and consistently in the final round of a major could provide a big confidence lift to Riley, who began the week 49th on the money list. He was fifth in the Western Open and the John Deere Classic but recently went through a five-tournament stretch in which he missed the cut twice and finished no higher than 34th.

Before Sunday, he was excited just to make the cut, something he also did while finishing tied for 22nd at the British Open last month.

At Hazeltine, he withstood four days of changing weather and shifting wind to go 71-70-72-70-283.

"I have never been in an experience like this," Riley said.