The Indianapolis Star from Indianapolis, Indiana • Page 44

D4 FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 2000 THE INDIANAPOLIS STAR CIT WMtr" Tour regulars set their goals Sutherland soars as Woods gets tripped up From Wire Services UUIK, UIZ IIIUILCJ IILUMCIO) ULii OU UU jJLUJCI lUlinUld Will n.a a rr i i A few days off are of particular By Phil Richards STAFF WRITER Bruce Fleisher has played 23 Senior PGA Tour tournaments this season. He has earned $2,002,906. Golf fans lose sight of the former because of their fixation on the latter. Not Fleisher. That's a lot of airports and hotel rooms, a lot of pro-am and tournament rounds.

That's a whole lot of practice balls. "It does take a toll," he said. "My hip hurts, my arm hurts, my rear end hurts." Just not enough to stay home. If late fall is golfs "Silly Season," call early fall "Serious Season." Eight official events remain on the tour schedule, beginning this morning with the Comfort Classic at the Brickyard, and Fleisher plans to play them all. "Play, play, go (to the next I'll go.

I don't little tired of Gary McCord play. If I have to seven events), want to; I'm a the road." i i li value to McCullough. He gets very few. He is the Ironman. In an effort to climb the all-time money list another avenue to assure continuing eligibility McCullough has played every event for which he has been eligible the past four years.

That's 138 consecutively, a senior tour record. If he finishes in the top 24, he will be required to play only the Thursday pro-am next season. Not everyone is fixated on their standing in the money list. Jim Thorpe's objective is purely practical. "I told my wife I'm going to play the last six or seven tournaments for Uncle Sam," said Thorpe, who is ninth on the money list with $989,555.

"I've got to pay taxes on all the money I've already got." Larry Nelson doesn't look at the dollars as money so much as points. He sees them as a way of keeping count of a larger competition. "Winning the money title is like winning a tournament, but it's a year-long tournament," said Nelson, who is second on the money list to Fleisher but took this week off to rest for the run to the finish. "I just want to be within $200,000 going into the Tour Championship." Fleisher has bonuses written into his endorsement contracts tied to his finish on the money list. He cashed in last season by winning the money title.

He cashed in again with bonuses. He is in position to do it again this year. "I'd love to have it but I don't want it to control my life anymore. It did last year," he said. "My whole focus was, 'Do I have a job through my Now I do.

I can work through my 50s and not worry." It goes back to the all-time money list. Fleisher was No. 96 on' that list two years ago. He has earned $4.5 million since. Now he's 23rd and breathing easy.

Senior tour players love the competition. They crave those gold cups and crystal trophies. But they need the money. Contact Phil Richards at (317) 633-9408 or via e-mail at phil.richardsstamews.com Kevin Sutherland and Tiger Woods were not sure whether to come to the Canadian Open. Only one of them was glad he did Thursday.

Sutherland, whose wife gave birth to their first child 10 days ago, committed to play at the last minute and responded with his best opening round of the year, a 7-under 65 at Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario, to take a one-stroke lead over Cameron Beckman. Woods, meanwhile, was in unfamiliar territory in the trees, in the water, behind a television tower, next to a hospitality tent, and far removed from the leaders. A two-putt birdie on the 18th gave him a 72, and barely kept alive his streak of 36 rounds at par or better. "Golf is a fickle game," Woods said. There are times you struggle and still post a good score.

Other times, you play beautifully and don't shoot anything. Today was a mixture of both." Sergio Garcia, still charged by his 1-up victory over Woods in their made-for-TV exhibition last week, was tied with Sutherland at 7 under until a couple of sloppy bogeys down the stretch dropped him to 67. To be able to beat Tiger probably is the best thing that has happened to me," said Garcia, playing his final tournament in North America this year. He was joined by Canadian-born Brian Watts, J.L. Lewis and Jesper Parnevik, who made birdies on four of the last five holes.

Davis Love III and Justin Leonard were among those at 68. This is the final tournament of a fabulous summer for Woods, who shattered records at the U.S. Open, completed the Grand Slam at the British Open and then became the first player since Ben Hogan in 1953 to win three straight majors with his thrilling playoff victory at the PGA Championship. Next up is a five-week break, and Woods looked like he could hardly wait to get started. Tm going home to get some rest," he said, deciding against going to the practice range.

Sutherland, a 36-year-old who has never won on the PGA Tour, arrived on the shores of Lake Ontario in an entirely dif-; ferent frame of mind. He has played only three times the past two months, and was home in California the last two weeks for the birth of his son, Keaton. "If my wife didnt say, "Why don't you go I probably wouldn't have come," he said. "I may be a little rusty, but I felt I was ready to play. I just stayed within myself, hitting good shots and making good putts and didn't get too far ahead of myself." European Masters Argentina's Eduardo Romero shot a 7-under 64 to take a one-stroke lead over New Zealand's Michael Cambell after the first round of European Masters in Crans-sur-Sierre, Switzerland.

South Africa's Hennie Otto opened with a 66. Northern Ireland's Darren Clarke shot a 68, and Englishmen Nick Faldo and Lee Westwood were five strokes back after 69s. Not worried: After winning the money title last season, Bruce Fleisher feels like he's enjoying this season more. Fleisher has bonuses in endorsement contracts tied to his money-list finish. NOTEBOOK Facts What: 54-hole Senior PGA Tour tournament.

When: Today through Sunday. Where: Brickyard Crossing Golf Club; par 72, 6,798 yards. Field: 78 players. Purse: $1,250,000 ($187,500 first place). Defending champion: Gil Morgan.

Gil Morgan Tickets: Tickets are available at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway ticket office (484-6709) or at the gate. Television schedule: Today-ESPN, 1-3 p.m.; Saturday-ESPN, 2-4 p.m.; Sunday-WRTV-6, 2-5 p.m. Schedule Today 7:20 a.m. First-round play. Saturday 7:30 am Second-round play.

3 p.m. Pepsi Youth Clinic (Indiana PGA professionals). Sunday 8 a.m. Final-round play. Pro-am results Top teams (pro listed first) 46 Doug Tewell, Kerrin Beh-rend, Gerald Petitt, Keith Stephens, Ray Alcorn.

47 Joe Inman, Wallace Martin, Mark Boutchard, Gary Den-hart, Mike McCarty. 48 Ed Dougherty, Sandy Sims, Doug Shore, Bob Phillips, Michael Gutenkunst. 50 Tom Shaw, Donnie Ca-taldo, Jim Rhoads, Larry Appleby, Chris Penn. 50 Miller Barber, Kenneth Gehring, Art Bortolini, Robert Dickinson, Charley Robertson. Professionals' payout Jim Ahem, $500 64 Howard Twitty, $400 65 Tom Kite, $325 66 J.C.

Snead, $325 66 Bruce Fleisher, $225 67 Fred Gibson, $225 67 John Mahaffey, $143 68 Jerry McGee, $143 68 Walter Hall, $43 69 Terry Dill, $43 69 Graham Marsh, $43 69 John Bland, $43 69 Gary McCord, $43 68 Pairings Today First round 7: 20 a.m. Mike Malone, Bill Brask, David Lundstrom. 7:30 Steve Veriato, Greg Edwards, Walter Hall. 7:40 Roy Vucinich, Kikuo Arai, Ed Brooks. 7:50 Jessie Patino, Jim Holt-grieve, Barney Thompson.

8 Lee Elder, Terry Dill, Bobby Nichols. 8:10 Lon Hinkle, Butch Baird, Miller Barber. 8:20 Jerry McGee, Mark Hayes, Howard Twitty. 8:30 Ed Dougherty, Bruce Summerhays, Joe Inman. 8:40 Brian Barnes, Graham Marsh, John Mahaffey.

8:50 Leonard Thompson, David Graham, Bob Eastwood. 9 Jim Ahern, Jim Dent, John Jacobs. 9:10 Simon Hobday, Gary McCord, Dana Quigley. 9:20 Fred Gibson, Rik Mas-sengale, Dave Eichelberger. 9:30 Jim Colbert, Tom Jenkins, Jay Sigel.

9:40 Vicente Fernandez, Walter Morgan, J.C. Snead. 9:50 Tom McGinnis, Tom Wargo, Larry Zeigler. 10 Hubert Green, John Bland, Bob Murphy. 10:10 Lanny Wadkins, Bruce Fleisher, Doug Tewell.

10:20 Gil Morgan, Tom Kite, Hugh Baiocchi. 10:30 Kermit Zarley, Jim Thorpe, Tom Shaw. 10:40 George Bums, Ed Sneed, Jerry Heard. 10:50 Homero Blancas, Walter Zembriski, Bob Lunn. 11 John Schroeder, Dick Lotz, Bob Lendzion.

11:10 Stewart Ginn, Dean Overturf, Clyde Hughey. 11:20 Chuck Moran, Frank Conner, Mike McCullough. 11:30 Rollie Schroeder, Bill Schumaker, Blair Lacy. Morgan plays gingerly Everyone has something for which to play. Make the top 31 and you qualify for the season-ending $2.1 million Ingersoll-Rand Senior Tour Championship.

Make the top 31 and earn fully exempt status for the 2001 season. Make the top 50 and earn a partial exemption. That's my mini goal, make the Tour Championship," said Gary McCord, the CBS golf analyst senior tourist who won the event last year. "Play, play, play. If I have to go (to the next seven events), I'll go.

I don't want to; I'm a little tired of the road." McCord ranks 36th on the money list with $396,505, nearly $100,000 out of 31st. Mike McCullough is No. 19 and solidly in the top 31. He's more than $60,000 in arrears of No. 18, Bruce Summerhays, but only a few thousand ahead of No.

20, John Bland, and a considerable pack. McCullough would be content to hold his ground. "I'd like to jockey myself into a high enough position that I'd be able to take the Wednesday pro-ams off," he said. "Then I can go home Sunday night and come back on Wednesday." Defending By Phil Richards STAFF WRITER Thursday afternoon's Comfort Classic at the Brickyard Pro-Am was an experiment for defending champion Gil Morgan. He wasn't testing new clubs or a swing change.

He was testing his back. Morgan has chronic back problems and he aggravated the condition while working in the yard of his Edmond, home 12 days ago. "I was a little tentative with it and didn't go at it really hard all the time," Morgan said after shooting 1-under-par 71. "I'm hoping. I'll see what happens tomorrow.

If it stays like it is, I'll be OK." Morgan hadn't played since injuring his back. He had hit only a few balls at half speed and he has a UN I lit Jf fid 'if I I i Staff Photo Steve Healey running coming down the home stretch in the final round of the Comfort Classic Sunday afternoon. He already has come home. Inman is an Indianapolis native, although he was a resident for only two weeks. His father, Joe was born in Muncie and lived here.

"It was 1947, right after the war and my parents didn't have a lot of money," said Joe Jr. "Dad was gone all the time working, building big buildings, and mom came up here to be with his mom just to get some help. A couple of weeks and we were back to Greensboro (N.C.)." Inman is playing the Comfort Classic for the third time. He tied for seventh last year. Contact Phil Richards at (317) 633-9408 or via e-mail at phil.richardsstarnews.com 283.8 yards off the tee.

Barber, 69, can still play, but he averages 251.5 yards. "We play most of our courses at about 6,800 yards," said Smith. "My theory on why the scores are so low here is the conditioning. This is in the top five of all the golf courses we play." Spin the ball off those wide, plush fairways. Stop it on those ve-lour-smooth greens.

Then roll it with confidence that it will track perfectly on the carpet-like turf. Birdies abound. But the Brickyard is longer, lusher, tougher. Gary McCord made his debut here two years ago. He was amazed at how short the golf course played.

Not Thursday after shooting 69 in the Pro-Am. "It's much better," he said. "Last hole I hit driver, 5-iron in there to a front pin. This has always been a nice golf course if the fairways didn't get too fast and we weren't playing the front tees. I hope the tour staff plays it like we had it set up for the Pro-Am.

It's fine. It's great." Contact Phil Richards at (317) 633-9408 or via e-mSil at phil.richardsstamews.com champion lot at stake with an iffy back. He also hopes to defend his title next week at the Kroger Senior Classic at Mason, Ohio. "There's nothing worse than coming back this week and next and not being in good shape," he said. Dougherty breaks out Ed Dougherty not only paid his 'senior tour dues, he paid them to Gil Morgan.

Dougherty was a runner-up four times during his first 2 a seasons on the senior tour, including the 1999 Comfort Classic and the Kroger Senior Classic. Morgan won both. Dougherty took his turn last month at the Coldwell Banker Burnet Classic. He broke the tournament record with a 19-under-par 197 to beat Morgan and Hale Irwin by two strokes to earn $240,000 EASY Continued from Page 3 played it longer," he said. Irwin and Trevino both said golf course setup would be a factor in whether or not they returned.

Neither played last year. Neither is here this year. Still, seven of the top 10 players on the money list are present, and the tour has made adjustments. The course was stretched from 6,675 yards in 1998 to 6,798 last year. The official yardage this week Lynn's Lingerie Eastside (Irvington Plazmi Westsidei Secret Desire.

Save TealRd r(5) 477-mi (lufayetle) with this coupon! i Sun.jpm-Wpm 1 'X I 1 I I C0IUTS Tickets and his first senior title. "It's such a thrill to win," said Dougherty. "It's a thrill to win Hale Irwin and Gil Morgan. It was a surprise how all my friends took the victory; they were as happy and ecstatic as I was." Dougherty returned to his Chester, home to find five pages of phone messages and about 150 letters. "I sat there and read letters for 2'i hours.

It set me back," he said. "It's a feeling I wish anybody playing the tour and putting in the time and effort could experience at least one time." Dougherty's lone title in 23 years on the PGA Tour came in a secondary event, the Deposit Guaranty Golf Classic, in 1995. Homecoming Joe Inman hopes to be in the is 6,815 but, depending on wind direction and velocity, it probably will play closer to 6,850 yards. "Now my (tee) ball fits where it's supposed to," said Jim Colbert. "I quit coming here because everything was crazy to me.

My ball Just didn't fit." Colbert is not one of the tour's longer hitters, but he grew so weary of driving the ball through landing areas that he stayed away for a couple of years. On the 11th hole, where he had been hitting 9-iron and wedge approach shots from the rough, he hit 5-iron during the pro-Am on Wednesday, and liked it. "That's the way it's supposed to play," he said. "Now it fits. The course is playing longer.

I think it's terrific." Not much can be done with several par-4s. The 10th (308 yards) and 14th (311) were designed to be sporty. But for the first time, the tour has gone to back tees on all four par-5s Nos. 2 (570 yards), 6 (540), 12 (578) and 15 (515). Here's the thing: Smith must set up a golf course that is challenging for Gil Morgan yet playable for Miller Barber.

Morgan, 53, Is the defending champion. He averages All Home Games All Locations 4t KISS at Conseco Sept. 9th rfwuUM: Fl Grand Prix Sept. 24th Circle City Tickets 841-8056 or 1-800-832-9744 11 Jt 1 lJ I mn mill i iiiiiMii i.