Senior Classic: Las Vegas traditionally a place for close finishes

If tradition holds true to form, look for another close finish in this year's Las Vegas Senior Classic by TruGreen-ChemLawn.

The Las Vegas Senior Classic has been decided by a playoff twice in the previous 13 tournaments and five have been decided by only one stroke -- including Hale Irwin's one-shot victory over Vicente Fernandez last year.

In 1989, Charles Coody picked up his first Senior PGA Tour win by defeating Chi Chi Rodriguez and Bob Charles with a birdie on the second playoff hole.

In 1996, Las Vegas resident Jim Colbert successfully defended his LVSC title by defeating Dave Stockton and Charles in a playoff. The year before, Colbert posted a two-shot victory over Jim Dent, Raymond Floyd and Rocky Thompson to capture his first Las Vegas Senior Classic title.

In the 12-year history of the tournament, only one Las Vegas Senior Classic has been decided by more than three shots. In 1987, Al Geiberger posted a four-shot victory over Chi Chi Rodriguez in the second LVSC. Geiberger had to come from a five-shot deficit to win that year, establishing a LVSC record.

* ACES: There have been five holes in one in the 13-year history of the LVSC. Al Geiberger was the first to do it, in 1993. Larry Ziegler accomplished the feat in 1993; Tom Wargo did it in 1995; Ed Sneed turned the trick in 1996; and Don January recorded an ace in last year's final round.

Geiberger and Ziegler recorded their aces at the Desert Inn Golf Club while Wargo, Sneed and January got theirs at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin.

There have been no aces recorded in the two years the tournament has used the TPC at The Canyons.

* QUICK START: Hale Irwin's victory in the 1997 Las Vegas Senior Classic earned him the distinction of being the fastest to four wins in a season (seven starts).

Both Lee Trevino (1990) and Peter Thompson (1985) claimed their fourth victories in their eighth starts of the season.

* BACK-TO-BACK: Last year, Hale Irwin joined Jim Colbert and Chi Chi Rodriguez as the only multiple winner of the LVSC and the only players to win back-to-back titles.

Neither Irwin nor Colbert has ever finished out of the top 20 in Las Vegas as a senior.

* EXPERIENCE PAYS OFF: If you're trying to pick this year's winner of the Las Vegas Senior Classic, you might choose a player who already has won this year.

In seven of the last eight years, the LVSC champion already had at least one victory that same year before winning here. The lone exception was Gibby Gilbert in 1993.

* DUE FOR A WIN: Bob Charles never has won the Las Vegas Senior Classic, but he has come close on several occasions.

Charles, who has finished in the top five eight times in 12 appearances here, has two playoff losses among his three second-place finishes and three third-place showings in Las Vegas.

Even though the LVSC has been held at three different courses in its 13-year run, Charles' scoring average for 37 official rounds in Las Vegas is 70.40.

* GOOD START IMPORTANT: Since the tournament's inception in 1986, only one player who has led or shared the lead after the first round has failed to finish in the top 10 in Las Vegas.

Gene Littler, who held the lead following an opening-round 66 in 1989, didn't miss by much, finishing tied for 11th.

* MASTERCARD CHAMPION: The Las Vegas Senior Classic again will feature the MasterCard Champions competition this year.

The 54-hole "tournament within a tournament" for players 60 years and older will be conducted within the LVSC Thursday through Saturday. The competition will feature a $120,000 purse, with $18,000 going to the winner.

Last year, Dale Douglass claimed his first victory in the MasterCard Champions with a 54-hole total of 3-under-par 212. He finished seven shots ahead of Butch Baird.

* CHIP SHOTS: The top three money winners in Las Vegas Senior Classic history are Jim Colbert ($484,002), Hale Irwin ($420,000) and Chi Chi Rodriguez ($313,476). ... Kermit Zarley's 62 in the first round of the 1993 LVSC was the lowest 18-hole score of his career. It also is the tournament record (shared by Al Geiberger, 1987) for the lowest first-round score. ... Hale Irwin's final-round, 3-over-par 75 last year was the highest finish by a winner on the Senior PGA Tour in 1998.

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