Kite, Janzen added to LVI party

Thursday, Oct. 16, 1997 | 9:29 a.m.

Tom Kite, who captained the United States Ryder Cup team in its surprising loss to Europe last month, and U.S. team member Lee Janzen will have a reunion of sorts in next week's Las Vegas Invitational.

Kite and Janzen, the two former U.S. Open champions, on Wednesday joined the 144-player field for the $1.8 million LVI, which begins next Wednesday at three area courses.

Also on Wednesday, former LVI champion Paul Azinger and Vijay Singh withdrew from the tournament, according to tournament manager Charlie Baron.

"Paul Azinger is a little tired and he said he needs to take some time off," Baron said. "Vijay was having transportation troubles getting here and he also had to withdraw. But Tom Kite and Lee Janzen are two real good additions to our field."

Kite, a winner of 19 PGA Tour events, won the U.S. Open in 1992 and played on seven Ryder Cup teams before being named captain of this year's squad. The heavily favored U.S. team lost to the Europeans, 14 1/2-13 1/2.

Kite enters the final two weeks of the season in 32nd place on the PGA Tour earnings list with $631,252; only the top 30 money winners qualify for the season-ending Tour Championship in Houston.

Janzen won the 1993 U.S. Open and played on his first of two Ryder Cup teams that same year. With two second-place finishes this year, Janzen is 27th on the money list with $704,382 and trying to secure a top-30 finish.

Kite and Janzen are among six members of the 1997 U.S. Ryder Cup team who have committed to play in the 15th annual Las Vegas Invitational. Defending LVI champion Tiger Woods, 1995 LVI winner Jim Furyk, 1993 LVI champion Davis Love III and Phil Mickelson already have announced their intentions to play in next week's final full-field event of the 1997 PGA Tour season.

The Las Vegas Invitational runs Wednesday through Sunday at the Tournament Players Club at Summerlin, the Desert Inn Golf Club and the Las Vegas Country Club.