Lunde struggles in opening round

Bill Lunde could have blamed the windy conditions, his nerves or the fact that he was playing with three amateurs for his lackluster performance in his first PGA Tour event.

But that would be out of character for the UNLV graduate, who just four months ago led the Rebels' golf team to its first NCAA national championship.

Lunde struggled to a 5-over-par 77 Wednesday in the opening round of the Las Vegas Invitational at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin. The 22-year-old Henderson resident refused to blame his play on anything or anybody but himself.

"I play this course a lot in a lot of conditions ... and the nerves wore off after a while," Lunde said. "I'm kind of disappointed in the way I played today."

Lunde turned professional last month and was granted a sponsor's exemption to play in this week's LVI. He started his round with three straight pars, bogeyed the par-4 fourth hole, then made five more pars to make the turn at 1 over par.

Things went quickly downhill from there as Lunde took bogeys at Nos. 10 and 11 and, after four more pars, bogeyed his final two holes to finish at 5 over.

"I just didn't make any putts," Lunde said. "I felt like I hit some good putts but they weren't going in. I didn't make a birdie all day ... and when you don't make birdies, it's hard to score."

Faced with a 1:10 p.m. starting time, Lunde admitted to battling nerves in the morning before heading to the course.

"Here it is my first PGA event and I get a 1:10 tee time so I had the whole morning to (worry about it)," he said. "The nerves were definitely there, but it's been worse."

Lunde said that playing with the amateurs Wednesday actually may have helped steady his nerves.

"I think I probably wasn't as nervous out there as I would have been if I had looked across the first tee and saw Davis Love or Greg Norman standing there," he said.

Although he was tied for last in the 144-player field going into today's second round, Lunde said he didn't feel making the cut was out of the question. The field will be cut to the low 70 scorers and ties following Friday's third round.

* MORE LOCALS: Bishop Gorman High product Tommy Armour III had the best opening round of the eight players with local ties in this year's Las Vegas Invitational. Armour shot a 6-under-par 66 at the Las Vegas Country Club and was one shot off the lead going into today's second round. Las Vegas resident Bob May carded a 3-under 69 at the Country Club, former UNLV golfer Skip Kendall shot a 2-under 70 at LVCC and Basic High grad Craig Barlow shot a 71 at the Desert Inn. Clark High product Robert Gamez (D.I.) and Henderson resident Jeff Gallagher (LVCC) both shot 74 and Las Vegas resident Phil Tataurangi (LVCC) struggled to a 4-over-par 76.

* TPC THE EASIEST: In a departure from previous Invitationals, the TPC at Summerlin proved to be the easiest of the three courses used in the LVI rotation. The average score at the TPC was 69.854 while the Las Vegas Country Club -- which traditionally yields the lowest scores -- was second at 70.313. As usual, the Desert Inn Golf Club proved to be the toughest test, with the pros averaging 70.792 at the resort course.

* CHI CHI RECOVERING: Two-time Las Vegas Senior Classic winner Chi Chi Rodriguez is resting comfortably after undergoing a successful angioplasty procedure Tuesday in California. Rodriguez, who was in Sacramento to play in the Raley's Golf Rush Classic Senior PGA Tour event, went to a doctor to get medication for what he believed was severe indigestion. The doctor discovered that Rodriguez, 62, actually was suffering from angina due to a partially blocked artery and ordered the angioplasty.

* SEEING STARS: Among the more notable players participating in the pro-am portion of the LVI include Governor Bob Miller, Chicago Cubs catcher Tyler Houston, Montreal Expos pitcher Mike Maddux, former major leaguer Marty Barrett and Las Vegas Stars general manager Don Logan.

* STRIKING IT RICH: Three players have earned $500,000 or more in the 15-year history of the LVI. Davis Love III, who won here in 1993, leads all players in LVI earnings with $636,522 in 12 tournaments. John Cook, the 1992 winner, is second with $508,450 in 14 events and defending champion Bill Glasson is third with $507,610 in 13 tournaments. The only non-winners among the top 10 in LVI earnings are Craig Stadler, who is fourth with $400,450 in 13 events, and Billy Mayfair, who is 10th with $349,643 in eight tournaments.

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