Gamez battles injuries, stays positive

Robert Gamez, who has battled injuries for the eighth straight year, may be in danger of losing his PGA Tour card, but the native Las Vegan isn't panicking.

"I'm not worried about it," Gamez said of his 199th ranking on the PGA Tour earnings list. Only the top 125 retain their playing privileges for the following year.

Gamez, who has never finished lower than 89th in earnings since he earned Rookie of the Year honors on the PGA Tour in 1990, needs a couple of good showings in the final two tournaments in order to keep his tour card for 1999.

Despite the fact the 30-year-old had a lengthy recovery from a June automobile accident that landed him in a hospital with a bruised spleen, lacerated liver and an injury to his right hand, Gamez shrugs at what has to be considered a daunting challenge.

And if he should fail to retain his playing privileges?

"I'll get some exemptions," Gamez said of the 1999 season. "I'm not even worried about it. I feel like I've played enough out there and made some friends in some of the tournament directors that I should be able to get some exemptions."

Gamez said he doesn't believe his performance on the tour this year is indicative of the way he is capable of playing. After missing five weeks because of the injuries he sustained in the accident, Gamez failed to make the cut in nine of the next 10 tournaments he played.

A graduate of Clark High School, Gamez burst onto the PGA Tour in 1990, winning his first official start. Gamez, who attended the University of Arizona, captured the Northern Telecom Tucson Open by four shots over Mark Calcavecchia.

Two months later, Gamez holed a 7-iron from 176 yards for an eagle-2 on the 72nd and final hole of the Nestle Invitational for a one-shot victory over Greg Norman. His two wins and more than $460,000 in earnings netted Gamez the Rookie of the Year honor that year.

Although Gamez has not won a tournament on the PGA Tour since his two victories in his rookie season, he earned his first international victory in 1994 when he won the Casio World Open in Japan.

Gamez said he he has not given up his hopes of capturing another PGA Tour title.

"It's just a matter of getting lucky enough to get into the winner's circle -- that's all it is," Gamez said. "You look at a shot like Vijay (Singh) hit on 11 (in the final round of the PGA Championship): you need breaks like that to win.

"I have played well, I have had some solid finishes, I just haven't had that one break that got me over the hump. Plus, the competition is a lot better than it was (when I was a rookie). It all comes down to that and those lucky breaks, those one or two good breaks on Sunday that keep you in there."

And Gamez hopes to be in that position for a long time to come.

"I love this game," Gamez said. "As long as I can walk, as long as they'll let me play, I want to play."

archive