Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: LVI lacks luster as schedule changes

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

Holding the Las Vegas Invitational the week before the Tour Championship always provided for some high drama as players scrambled to make either the top 30 or top 125 on the PGA Tour money list in the final regular-field tournament of the season.

The top 30 in earnings qualify for the Tour Championship while the top 125 retain their playing privileges for the following season. Those who don't are relegated to returning to the grueling PGA Tour Qualifying School.

Beginning with this year's tournament, however, that drama likely won't be seen again in Las Vegas.

The PGA Tour has informed LVI officials that, for at least the immediate future, their tournament will be held the second week of October, two weeks before the season-ending Tour Championship. This year's LVI will be played Oct. 14-18.

"The Tour didn't want to be playing a pro-am format going into the Tour Championship," LVI tournament manager Charlie Baron said. "They want a buffer between us and the Tour Championship and now that the (Walt Disney Classic) has changed their format, they will serve as that buffer.

"The date for the 1999 (LVI) will be the same week (as this year's)."

The LVI is one of only two tournaments on the PGA Tour (the Bob Hope Chrysler Classic being the other) that plays a 90-hole format, with amateurs playing four of the five days.

Although four of the top money winners on the PGA Tour this year, including 1996 LVI champion Tiger Woods, likely will skip Las Vegas and play the Disney instead, Baron said he is expecting a stellar field for the 16th version of the LVI.

"We're still waiting to hear from Lee Janzen, Fred Couples and Phil Mickelson," Baron said, adding that the trio has verbally committed to play in Las Vegas next month.

"If we get them, we'll have 10 of the top 16 (on the money list). It's unfortunate that we don't have Tiger but it will still be a very strong field."

Eight of the top 17 on the money list already have committed to play in Las Vegas, including Jim Furyk (No. 7), Justin Leonard (No. 8), Glen Day (No. 10), Billy Mayfair (No. 12), Davis Love III (No. 13), Mark Calcavecchia (No. 14), Hal Sutton (No. 15) and John Cook (No. 17).

Sutton is coming off a win in last weekend's Texas Open, which vaulted him from 31st to 15th on the money list.

This year's LVI will take on a strong local flavor as seven players with ties to Las Vegas are in the field: Southern Nevada natives Robert Gamez and Craig Barlow; UNLV products Bill Lunde and Skip Kendall; and local residents Bob May, Jeff Gallagher and Phil Tataurangi.

Late last week, Jeff Sluman -- 20th on the money list -- withdrew from the 144-player field, Baron said.

* JUNIOR DOINGS: At its recent annual awards banquet, the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association honored Joe Matyas and Laura Delucia as the boys and girls Player of the Year, respectively. ... Local celebrity Danny Gans is hosting a golf tournament Nov. 17 at Rio Secco Golf Club to benefit Boys Town of Nevada and the SNJGA. The event will include a complimentary clinic by noted teaching professional Butch Harmon, whose instruction school is located at Rio Secco. For additional information, call Jacque Ann Chapman at 451-7150.

* AROUND THE GREEN: Going into this weekend's Buick Challenge, PGA Tour rookie Craig Barlow of Henderson has out-earned tour veteran Robert Gamez by nearly $37,000. Gamez, whose season was interrupted after he sustained injuries in an automobile accident, has missed the cut in three straight starts and 14 times in 21 tournaments. ... Former UNLV All-American Ted Oh tied for 18th place at last weekend's Nike Tour Oregon Classic and earned $2,644.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour is in Pine Mountain, Ga., this week for the Buick Challenge at Callaway Gardens. Davis Love III is the defending champion; ESPN will televise. ... The Senior PGA Tour will stage the Vantage Championship this weekend at Tanglewood Park in Clemmons, N.C. Hale Irwin won last year's tournament; The Golf Channel will televise. ... The LPGA Tour is off this week.

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