Henderson’s Barlow leaps to PGA tour

Tuesday, Dec. 9, 1997 | 11:45 a.m.

Craig Barlow had been a member of the PGA Tour for less than two hours and the longtime Henderson resident already was seeing the unseemly side of professional sports.

Shortly after firing a final-round 67 and earning his PGA Tour card at the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament at Grenelefe Resort in Haines City, Fla., Barlow's sense of self-satisfaction had been replaced by disgust.

"I can't be anymore proud of this but I'm also a little mad at it," Barlow said in a telephone interview. "You can't believe how people throw themselves at you because you've made the tour. I've got people hounding me, now, (offering me) all kinds of money. It's what I've worked for all my life but I am no different a player now than I was this year and last year and I was playing mini-tour golf for almost no money.

"I think I deserve it ... but to have my life change this much in two hours isn't really fair, I don't think. I'm not feeling sorry for myself because I'm as happy as can be and I've put in a lot of hard work and I deserve the benefits. But I've just seen the other side of professional golf."

The Basic High graduate and 1994 Nevada State Amateur champion is likely to see more of that side of the business in coming weeks as he prepares for his rookie PGA season.

While he may have received a lesson on the business side of professional golf, Barlow's most valuable learning experience came on the course Monday.

He knew he had to shoot a score well below par in order to become one of 38 players to receive their tour card. Going out and doing it allowed Barlow to prove something to himself.

"It took everything in my power today just to make it, just to complete the round, and I played flawlessly," Barlow said. "It's obviously the biggest accomplishment of my golfing career and to perform under that pressure has taught me a lot about myself. I've had a lot of success in golf but it's hard to be real positive when you're under that kind of pressure.

"You can't imagine all the stuff that goes through your mind. You think you're going to make it and then you don't think you're going to make it and then you think you're going to make it ... it's such a seesaw.

"It has been such a stressful day (but) for me to take the step that I did, from playing the Golden State Tour to the PGA Tour, it's unbelievable."

Barlow will spend the remainder of this week in Florida attending mandatory seminars for PGA Tour rookies. In less than two months, he expects to make his PGA Tour debut at the AT&T Pebble Beach Pro-Am.

The 25-year-old said surviving the grueling six-round tournament doesn't automatically guarantee success on the tour.

"I played well and I performed under pressure and that's what tour school is all about," he said. "But I know I still have a lot to learn. My golf game is good enough to play on the PGA Tour, but I know I need to improve in some areas and I need to become a little more consistent."

Barlow pointed to the qualifying tournament as an example. He opened the tournament with a 76 but then played the next five rounds in par or better and finished at 7-under-par 422.

Barlow, who had 24 birdies and an eagle during the tournament, said he gave away too many shots.

"I realize you're going to make bogeys at tour school but I made a lot of mistakes this week," Barlow said. "I had a chance, obviously, going into today but I felt like maybe I dug myself too deep of a hole.

"I'm not afraid to admit that I have a lot of hard work ahead me ... but I feel like I have as good a chance as anybody if I'm playing well. I'm not afraid to pay my dues and I know I have to raise my game to a higher level if I want to win a tournament -- and I don't see that as being out of range."

Barlow said he will start working on his game as soon as he returns to Henderson next week.

"I just want to enjoy this week because after this week I've got to start grinding again," he said. "I've got to try to make the most of it. I've fulfilled my dream but I can't be satisfied with just making it -- now I have a chance to complete my dream by winning a PGA Tour event and playing well and keeping my card."