1995 champ out, but Nevada Open’s field strong

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

Jay Don Blake, who tuned up for his successful 1996 PGA Tour season with a win in last year's Nevada Open, will not be back to defend his title in this week's tournament.

According to tournament organizers, Blake had another commitment and could not participate in the $50,000 Nevada Open, which will be contested Wednesday through Friday at the Palms Golf Club in Mesquite.

While Blake is out of the tournament, the 144-player field boasts a strong contingent of former and current touring professionals including three-time PGA Tour winner Lon Hinkle, two-time Hogan Tour winner Rick Dalpos, local professional Craig Barlow and former UNLV standouts Warren Schutte, Edward Fryatt, Bobby Elliott, Monte Montgomery and Scott Zankl.

Schutte won the 1991 NCAA national championship while playing for UNLV. Elliott, who finished 41st on the Nike Tour money list this year, also is a former Nevada Open champion. Fryatt and Barlow are former Nevada State Amateur champions, and Fryatt was a three-time Southern Nevada Golf Association Player of the Year as an amateur and a three-time All-American at UNLV.

"The popularity of the tournament has grown since we moved it (from the summer) to December and with the increase in purse due to the involvement of the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority," said SNGA executive director Eric Dutt.

"I had to turn 80 to 90 golfers away last year and probably 50 to 60 this year because we had a full field."

Last year's tournament was played at the Oasis Golf Club in Mesquite but, because of a conflict between the club's management and the SNGA, the event was moved to the 7,008-yard Palms course. Dutt has indicated that the tournament may return to Las Vegas in 1997.

"The Palms Golf Club may not have quite the dramatic scenery as the Oasis, but we feel it will present just as tough a challenge for the professionals," said Tom Carricato, director of golf for the Palms Golf Club. "It's still going to be a good test of golf and we're happy to have them playing here."

The Nevada Open will tee off Wednesday and Thursday with a 10 a.m. shotgun start. The field will be cut to the low 50 scorers and ties following Thursday's round. Friday's final round will begin at 8 a.m.

Chip shots ...

* UNLV STILL ON TOP: Despite a disappointing 13th-place finish in its final tournament of the fall season, the UNLV golf team remained ranked No. 1 in the nation in the Rolex Collegiate Team Rankings. The Rebels have been the top-ranked team in the Rolex poll since October, marking the longest stretch the program has been ranked No. 1. The Rebels garnered 209.54 points and finished ahead of No. 2 Oklahoma State (194.54). Texas Christian is third, Arizona fourth and East Tennessee State fifth in the poll. UNLV sophomore Ted Oh was ranked 13th in the Rolex Individual Rankings while teammates Gilberto Morales (tied for 35th) and Bill Lunde (79th) also were ranked. The Rebels also held onto their No. 2 ranking in the Golfweek/Taylor Made Rankings, trailing Oklahoma State by 10 points. Wake Forest is third in the Golfweek poll, followed by Texas Christian and Arizona. UNLV opens the spring portion of its schedule in February in Hawaii.

* TALE OF THE TIGER: In addition to boosting crowds for this year's Las Vegas Invitational, tournament champion Tiger Woods proved to be a boost to the event's television ratings. Saturday's fourth round on ESPN drew a 1.7 rating (compared to a 1.2 for the 1995 LVI) and Sunday's final round drew a 1.8 (compared to a 1.4 in 1995) despite going head-to-head with the NFL. LVI coordinators have estimated that 65,000 people attended the five-day tournament, representing a 15-percent increase over last year.

* AROUND THE GREEN: Speaking of ratings, this year's Skins Game scored the highest golf television rating in history for a Saturday event with a 7.1 on Nov. 30. The Sunday, Dec. 1 telecast earned a 5.8 rating, giving the Skins Game a two-day average of 6.2 -- the second-highest weekend rating of the year behind the Masters (7.5). The Masters scored a 5.8 for its Saturday telecast this year and a 9.2 on Sunday. ... Senior PGA Tour member Tom Storey and Calvada Golf and Country Club head pro Bob Betley teamed to win the inaugural Primm Valley Pro-Pro at the Primm Valley Golf Club. Storey and Betley shot matching 63s to win the 84-team event. Primm Valley Golf Club, designed by Tom Fazio, is scheduled to open in February. ... Titleist has entered into a licensing agreement with more than 40 colleges and universities for the right to stamp school logos on Titleist and Pinnacle golf balls. UNLV is one of the universities participating in the Custom Collegiate Program.