Vernon golfer cashes in on his way to a date with Tiger

By Brad Ziemer, Vancouver SunJuly 28, 2009 4:14 AM

Before he could even begin to savour his top-10 finish in the RBC Canadian Open on Monday, Vernon's Chris Baryla had to change some travel plans.Baryla was scheduled to head to Columbus, Ohio for this week's Nationwide Tour stop. But a six-under 66 in Monday's rain-delayed final round at Glen Abbey Golf Club changed things.Baryla, who had started the day tied for 43rd, ended up finishing the event tied for eighth. And that top-10 finish makes him eligible to play in this week's Buick Open in Grand Blanc, Mich., where the two-time B.C. Junior champion will tee it up alongside Tiger Woods and 154 other PGA Tour pros."It's a great opportunity and I'm looking forward to it," Baryla said. "It's a tournament with Tiger in it, so it has to be a quality event."

He made $123,037 US for his finish Monday, which tied him with Calgary's Stephen Ames as the low Canadian at Glen Abbey. That is about $3,000 more than Baryla made in his best year on the Nationwide Tour in 2006. His previous biggest payday came in 2007 when he earned $33,600 after losing in a playoff at a Nationwide Tour event."Being low Canadian is a huge achievement for me, absolutely," Baryla said. "It's the difference between thinking that I have the ability and validation, and it's nice to have that validation ... It was kind of a hectic day. I had to play 30 holes today. Basically, I just had time to change my socks and underwear between rounds."Baryla's solid play this week should not come as a surprise. After finally overcoming a serious back injury that made his 2008 season a complete write-off, the 26-year-old has recorded two top-five finishes -- a tie for fourth and a tie for fifth -- in just five Nationwide Tour appearances this year. He currently stands 52nd on the Nationwide money list with earnings of $60,819.Baryla, who was followed Monday by a large gallery of family and friends that included his mom Lorraine and sister Amber, said being healthy again has made all the difference to his game."I feel fantastic," he said. "Since they cleared me to play at the end of last year, I have been trying to put in the time and get the body back in shape and it's starting to pay off. I feel good and feel healthy. I have been playing very well. The game has been progressing nicely."