Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Fryatt claims attitude wasn't right for Open

BRIAN HILDERBRAND is a Las Vegas SUN sportswriter. His golf column appears Tuesdays. He can be reached on the Internet at [email protected]

It wasn't the ankle-high rough, the lightning-fast greens or the distraction of playing with Casey Martin that led to Edward Fryatt's missing the cut in the U.S. Open at The Olympic Club in San Francisco.

Fryatt's biggest problem last week was Edward Fryatt.

"My attitude was not that great during the tournament," the Chaparral High and UNLV graduate said after shooting rounds of 73 and 76 and missing the 36-hole cut by two shots. "I don't know if I was worn out or what (because) I've been playing a lot lately ... but I just had a poor attitude going in there.

"The Open is about being patient and I just wasn't."

Fryatt, who had been playing almost every week in Europe leading up to the Open, was in position to make the cut (7-over-par 147) with six holes to play in Friday's second round.

"I was only two over par (for the round, five over for the tournament) after 12 holes and I had just missed a birdie putt on 12," Fryatt said.

"I parred 13, then bogeyed 14 from the middle of the fairway which was kind of a disappointment. I parred 15 and then I bogeyed 16, double bogeyed 17 and parred 18. The opportunity was there to make the cut and play decent and to finish that poorly obviously is quite disappointing."

Fryatt, who tied for 24th at last year's Open at Congressional Country Club in Maryland and tied for 11th in last fall's Las Vegas Invitational, said playing in the media glare that accompanied Martin for the first two rounds didn't prove to be a distraction.

"That was no problem at all," Fryatt said of his playing partner, who became the first player ever to ride in a cart in the 98-year history of the U.S. Open. "Playing with Casey or the whole deal surrounding that situation did not bother me.

"It was just me."

Fryatt said he already has put this year's Open experience behind him as he prepares for a hectic summer schedule that begins next Monday in Philadelphia, where he will attempt to qualify for the Nike Tour's Hershey Open.

The following week, Fryatt will jet to England in an attempt to qualify for the British Open, the second week in July. After the British Open, Fryatt either will have a week off or play in the Dutch Open before heading to Sweden for the Scandanavian Masters.

* JUNIOR EVENT: The Las Vegas International Golf Center will host the inaugural Las Vegas Junior Golf Day on Saturday at the facility on the corner of Tropicana Avenue and Paradise Road. Two clinics will be held, one for children ages 10 and younger from 9 a.m. to noon and another for ages 11 to 17 from 12:30 to 3:30 p.m. Both clinics are free but space is limited; call 798-8700 to register for the event.

* PLAY WITH PLAYER: Three-time Masters champion Gary Player will give a clinic and participate in the Gary Player Invitational beginning at 7:30 a.m. Wednesday at Sun Brook Golf Course in St. George, Utah. Proceeds from the tournament will benefit the Tuacahn Center for the Arts in Snow Canyon, Utah.

* SWING WITH GAMEZ: Local PGA Tour player Robert Gamez will host "Summer Swing '98" on Monday, Aug. 17 at Angel Park Golf Club's Mountain Course. Proceeds from the four-person scramble, which will begin with a 1 p.m. shotgun start, will benefit the Robert Gamez Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides financial assistance to several youth-related charities in Southern Nevada. The $200 per-player entry fee includes greens fees and cart, tee prizes and awards and a post-tournament dinner. For information, call 256-5183.

* AMATEUR RANKINGS: Former Cimarron-Memorial High standout Stephanie Keever, now at Stanford, is the 10th-ranked amateur woman in the country according to the latest Golfweek/Titleist Rankings. Reigning U.S. Amateur champion Matt Kuchar of Georgia Tech is ranked No. 1 among the men. UNLV senior-to-be Chris Berry fell out of the rankings after being rated 28th in the previous list. In the boys' rankings, UNLV recruit Robert Sul of Torrance, Calif., also dropped off the list after being ranked 16th.

* CHARITY TOURNAMENTS: Junior Achievement of Southern Nevada will sponsor its inaugural golf marathon Monday at Canyon Gate Country Club. Course play will be limited to 42 golfers for the entire day. Each player is asked to pledge at least $25 per hole, with all proceeds benefitting local JA activities. Call 362-8649 for additional information. ... The Desert Southwest Section of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society will hold its second annual "Tee off for MS," a four-person scramble to benefit the NMSS, on Monday, Aug. 31, at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin. Entry fee is $300 per player or $1,000 per team and includes the usual amenities. Call 736-7272 for additional information.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour resumes this week with the Motorola Western Open at Cog Hill Golf & Country Club in Lemont, Ill. Tiger Woods is the defending champion; he earned his fourth and final victory of the 1997 campaign there. The USA cable network and CBS will televise. ... The Senior PGA Tour is in Clifton, N.J., this week for the Cadillac NFL Golf Classic at Upper Montclair Country Club. Bruce Crampton won last year's tournament; ESPN will televise. ... The LPGA Tour will stage the ShopRite Classic this weekend at the Marriott Seaview Resort in Atlantic City, N.J. Michelle McGann is the defending champion.

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