Mikkel Reese: The pro from Maricopa is the hottest player on the Grey Goose Gateway Tour, as he has won three of his last six starts. Toss in three other top-10s during that span and no wonder Reese leads the Grey Goose Gateway Tour’s Desert Series with slightly over $106,000 in earnings.

Even though Reese’s winnings for 2006 are almost $40,000 more than the next-best player (Aaron Watkins, $67,675), he had a better season in 2004, when he earned $140,000 on the Grey Goose Gateway. And his latest win makes him the all-time GGG money-winner with $388,288, with Scottsdale’s Brian Kontak No. 2 at $364,216.

“The putts are falling, and that’s always the main thing,’’ said the easy-going Reese,

a 34-year-old who pronounces his unusual-looking first name with the more familiar-sounding Michael. “I guess you could say that everything is clicking this summer, so you try to ride the wave for as long as possible.’’

Born in the small town of Greenbush, Minn., Reese has been riding waves ever since he left Grand Canyon University in 1994. His first professional stint was on the Dakota Tour followed by the Canadian Tour, which ultimately brought him back to the East Valley and the GGG Tour a little over three and a half years ago.

“Playing on the Grey Goose Gateway has been a blessing,’’ said Reese of the Scottsdale-based developmental tour that allows players to stay home and have a normal life while playing for decent prize money. “If you miss getting through (PGA Tour) qualifying school, the Grey Goose Gateway is a wonderful ‘Plan B.’ ’’

Reese would know, as he has advanced from the first stage of Q-school on three occasions over the past five years only to come up short at second stage. Such setbacks could lead to burnout, but making six figures playing golf is better than the alternative, he said.

“I just got married last summer, so it’s crossed my mind,’’ he said of getting into another line of work in order to end the frustration of not reaching the PGA Tour. “But I’ve worked in the golf business as an assistant pro (at Desert Mountain), so playing the game for a living still is a pretty good life.’’

And who knows? Reese still could surpass that personal best in 2004, as there are six tournaments and a subsequent $500,000 tour championship remaining on the GGG schedule. After all, he is the GGG’s “ Iron Man.’’

“I never skip a Grey Goose Gateway event,’’ he said of his commitment. “Occasionally, I’ll play in something like I did a few weeks ago – the Colorado Open (34 th place) – or perhaps a few Monday qualifiers in the fall (on the Nationwide Tour). But this is a good fit for me. We’ve got a lot of great players, and that kind of competition will, ultimately, get me ready again for qualifying school.’’

NOTEWORTHY

Oh, so close: Matt Savage of Scottsdale, the 21-year-old who attends Stanford University, was the runner-up in last week’s Pacific Coast Amateur Championship. Savage made a bold move on the final day at San Francisco’s Olympic Club, as he was the only player to break par with a one-under par 69. His 286 total was one shot more than the winner, as Californian Patrick Nagle took the prestigious amateur title. Mesa’s Charlie Beljan, the recent Arizona Amateur champ, finished tied for 29 th.

On tap: The PING Phoenix Junior, an American Junior Golf Association event that had been held at the ASU Karsten Course in Tempe for the past 15 years, will take place Aug. 15-18 at Superstition Mountain Golf and Country Club in Gold Canyon. The tournament features 84 of the top juniors in the country, including 23 juniors from Arizona.

Looking ahead: The 2006-07 schedules for the Arizona State men’s and women’s teams have been announced, with the men competing in 13 events and the women playing 11 beginning in early September. The men open at the Topay Cup in Japan and close with the NCAA Championiship at Williamsburg, Va. The dates to remember are May 17-19 when the men host the NCAA West Regional at the ASU Karsten Course in Tempe. The women open in New Mexico, never leave the country, and close their season with the NCAA title showdown at LPGA headquarters in Daytona Beach, Fla.