Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: Senior Classic: 'Qualifiers' keep hopes alive

Brian Hilderbrand's golf notebook appears Wednesday. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at [email protected] or 259-4089.

The odds may be stacked against them, but the four players who earned their way into this week's Las Vegas Senior Classic through Monday's 18-hole qualifier need only look to two players in the field for inspiration.

Dana Quigley and Vicente Fernandez are two of six players who have emerged from open qualifiers to win a Senior PGA Tour event and earn exempt status.

Quigley was the most recent player to do it, winning the 1997 Northville Long Island Classic after earning a spot in the field through the Monday qualifier.

"That's why we keep coming out on Mondays," Steven Veriato, of Buda, Texas, said after clinching one of the four spots by shooting a 69 in Monday's qualifier at the Tournament Players Club at The Canyons.

The other players to advance to this week's $1.4 million Las Vegas Senior Classic through the qualifier are Jim Barker, of San Antonio, Texas, Bob Wynn of La Quinta, Calif., and Howard Broun of Alberta, Canada.

Quigley, who has played in every Senior PGA Tour event for which he has been eligible since winning in 1997, said winning a tour event is the dream of every player who tees it up on Monday in hopes of qualifying for that week's tournament.

"The hairs on my arm still stand up when I talk about that," Quigley said of his first Senior Tour win. "It's way beyond any of my dreams."

In the 20-year history of the Senior Tour, only a half-dozen players have won a tournament after gaining entry through a Monday qualifier. Joining Quigley (1997) and Fernandez (1996) on the short list are Larry Mowry (1987), John Paul Cain (1989), Rives McBee (1989) and John Bland (1995).

* THREE BOW OUT: Tommy Aaron, Mike Hill and Jim Dent all have withdrawn from this week's Las Vegas Senior Classic field for unspecified reasons.

Aaron will be replaced by David Lundstrom, who is in his second full season on the Senior PGA Tour, Hill will be replaced by Frank Conner and Tom Jenkins will play in place of Dent.

Lundstrom, Conner and Jenkins all are in search of their first Senior PGA Tour victory.

* FAST LANE: At least a dozen members of the Senior PGA Tour who are in town for the Las Vegas Senior Classic will make a side trip to the Las Vegas Motor Speedway today to take part in the Richard Petty Driving Experience.

Among the players scheduled to take laps around the 1.5-mile superspeedway in the stock cars are Bruce Fleisher, Larry Ziegler, Gibby Gilbert, Bob Eastwood, Howard Twitty and Hugh Baiocchi.

The event is not open to the public.

* ALL IN THE FAMILY: Several players who will be competing in the Las Vegas Senior Classic no doubt will have some of their attention focused on other tours this week.

Bob Duval's son, David, is tearing up the PGA Tour with four wins and more than $2.7 million in earnings.

Dave Stockton (Dave Jr.), Butch Baird (Briny) and Al Geiberger (Brent) also have sons playing on the PGA Tour while Gibby Gilbert's son, Gibby, is playing on the Nike Tour. Dan Quigley's nephew, Brett, is a member of the PGA Tour.

* CHIP SHOTS: UNLV head football coach John Robinson and Rebels basketball head coach Bill Bayno are teaming up to host the school's 17th annual fund-raising golf tournament.

The Bayno-Robinson Golf Classic will be held June 10 at Stallion Mountain Country Club. Entry fee for the 18-hole scramble is $250 per player and includes greens fee and cart, continental breakfast, post-tournament lunch and tee gifts. Call 895-UNLV for additional information. ...

The 12th annual Norwest Bank/Arthritis Foundation Golf Classic will be held June 14 at Canyon Gate Country Club. Entry fee is $225 per person for the four-person scramble. Call 367-1626 for details.

* UPCOMING EVENTS: The PGA Tour is in Irving, Texas, this week for the $3 million Byron Nelson Classic at the TPC Four Seasons Resort Las Colinas and Cottonwood Valley Golf Club. John Cook is the defending champion; The Golf Channel and Fox Sports Net will televise Thursday and Friday; CBS will cover Saturday and Sunday. ...

The Senior PGA Tour returns to Las Vegas this week for the 14th annual Las Vegas Senior Classic at the TPC at Summerlin and the TPC at The Canyons. ESPN will televise Friday from noon to 2 p.m., Saturday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. and Sunday from 2:30 to 4 p.m. Thursday's opening round will not be televised. ...

The LPGA Tour is in Old Hickory, Tenn., this week for the $750,000 Sara Lee Classic at Hermitage Golf Course. Barb Mucha won last year's tournament; there will be no live television coverage.

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