Legend born in Las Vegas

Monday, Oct. 7, 1996 | 11:59 a.m.

When Tiger Woods drops off the PGA Tour in 30 years or so to play the Senior PGA Tour, 25,000 Southern Nevada golf fans can look back and say they were there to witness the dawn of a new era in professional golf: the Tiger Woods Era.

Woods officially kicked off what promises to be a storied career Sunday by beating Davis Love III on the first hole of a sudden-death playoff and winning the $1.65 million 1996 Las Vegas Invitational in only his fifth tournament as a professional.

"It's just like (winning) the Amateur, I can't really tell you (what it means) as soon as I win," said the reigning three-time U.S. Amateur champion. "I just know it's been an unbelievable experience, especially starting off with a 70 the first round; I was so far back."

Woods may have been at a loss to explain what his first professional title meant, but the man he beat with a par on the first extra hole knew precisely the significance of Woods' victory.

"I think everybody better watch out," Love said. "Obviously, he's going to be a force, everybody's going to have to work hard to beat him.

"When I saw Tiger's name pop up (on the leaderboard), I said, 'Here we go, we'd better get used to this, he's going to be the guy to beat for a long time.' He's obviously the next great player and we're all going to have to work to try to beat him."

The most heralded player to come out of the amateur ranks since Jack Nicklaus in the 1960s, Woods shot a final-round 8-under-par 64 and took the lead into the clubhouse with eight golfers -- including Love -- still on the course at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin.

Love, who trailed the 20-year-old phenom with four holes remaining, eagled the par-4 15th hole to pull to within a shot of Woods, then birdied the par-5 16th to force a two-way playoff.

On the first extra hole, the par-4 18th at the TPC, Woods hit his approach shot to within 18 feet of the pin. Love sent his approach shot into the bunker behind the green and as the two walked to the putting surface, Woods flashed his $43 million smile, sensing he had the upper hand in this match.

Love, however, blasted out of the sand to within 6 feet of the cup and seemed assured of making par.

Woods misread the break on his birdie putt, then tapped in for par. Love ran his putt for par past the left edge of the cup, and the record throng that ringed the 18th green erupted into a deafening roar of approval.

"Something I've always strived for is to be in contention and win one down the stretch and that's exactly what happened today," said Woods, who earned $297,000 for the win.

"Going out today, I figured 28 (under par) was the number I needed to get to -- and it just happened to be that 28 was the number, but I didn't quite get to it."

Both Woods and Love finished the regulation 90 holes at 27-under-par 332. Kelly Gibson and Mark Calcavecchia tied for third at 26-under 333 and fourth-round leader Ronnie Black tied for fifth with third-round leader Rick Fehr and Dave Stockton Jr.

Woods said he applied some match-play tactics he learned while dominating the amateur ranks in the sudden-death playoff.

"I think it was a very fortunate break that I was able to hit first coming into the green where I could put some pressure on him," Woods said of the playoff hole. "I aimed it right at the (television) tower, where it would be about 15 feet and I could take a run at it and apply a little pressure on him; where he would know I was in position to make birdie.

"I didn't play match play (that) long ago. That's one of the reasons I hit 3-wood off the tee. In regulation, I hit 2-iron, just try to get the ball in play and see if I can hit somewhere around the pin where I can take a run at it. Now, in match play, you've got to try to make three and be a little more aggressive, that's why the 3-wood. I was in perfect shape ... the putt just didn't break."

Both Woods and Love, the 1993 LVI champion, noted a sense of irony in their squaring off in a playoff.

"It was kind of ironic because I was commenting to him last week at the practice round we played in Georgia," Woods said. "I said, 'Wouldn't it be nice if you and I could play head-to-head right down the stretch?' It just happened to turn out that way. It was kind of ironic that we ended up being in a playoff."

Love agreed.

"When I saw his name up there, I kept saying, 'Well, he got what he wanted, he's going to play me down the stretch even though he's in the clubhouse,'" said Love, who finished with a 67 Sunday. "I wanted to beat the guy, I didn't want to give him the satisfaction ...

"He knows who his competition is going to be and he's going to pick on the guys who are on top. He wants to beat Freddie (Couples), he wants to beat Phil Mickelson and he wants to beat me -- especially since we've gotten friendly, there's a little bit of a rivalry."

A friendly rivalry, at that.

"As disappointed as I am (in losing), I'm that much happy for him," said Love, who earned $178,200 for second place. "He's a great, great player and he's great for the sport. I'm happy for him, I just wish it had been somebody else other than me.

"That's just a step for him -- look at what he's done since his first week out; every week he has gotten better and better. I think a lot of people were knocking him, saying match play is different (and) he can't play stroke play. He has come out and proved to them in one of our lowest scoring events on tour that he can play for 90 holes, much less 72."

Make that 91 holes.