Local PGA golfer excited about this week’s LVI

Tuesday, Oct. 13, 1998 | 10:48 a.m.

As a lifelong resident of Henderson, Craig Barlow doesn't try to downplay the significance of playing in his first Las Vegas Invitational.

This week is everything to him.

"Winning the Las Vegas Invitational would definitely be a dream come true," the 26-year-old PGA Tour rookie said.

"I went out and practiced at the TPC (at Summerlin) and it felt different than any tour event I've been to all year. It's probably no different, but it is to me. This is my tournament.

"As a kid, this is the tournament I grew up going out to and watching the pros, and I worked it for two years. It's really going to be an exciting week for me and I'm going to be playing totally off emotions."

But the former Basic High standout -- in both golf and tennis -- will try to temper those emotions by the time he tees it up in Wednesday's first round. He realizes there is a danger of putting too much pressure on himself to play well in front of his family and friends.

"I'm going to have a lot of support out there and I'm going to want to do well in front of them," Barlow said. "I'm sure I'll have some jitters at the beginning but I'll relax and settle down and just try to go back to one shot at a time and play the game I know how to play.

"To be honest with you, I feel like if I can go back to just not trying too hard and not putting too much pressure on myself, and if I can get out there feeling comfortable about my game and if things start to click, you never know what can happen."

As if playing in his hometown tournament is not enough pressure, Barlow will be under the gun this week in terms of his standing on the PGA Tour money list.

Barlow ranks 181st going into the final two full-field tournaments of the season. The top 125 in earnings retain their tour cards for the following year and those ranked 126-150 earn an exemption into the final stage of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament.

"A couple of top tens is all it takes," Barlow said. "The money is so good at the top, if I can just play well for two weeks, good things are going to happen.

"My goal is not finishing top 125 on the money list, it's to finish top 150 because that gets me exempt back to final stage. I kind of have a tournament within a tournament in that respect. The bottom line is I have to perform."

If Barlow doesn't finish in the top 125, he said the prospect of returning to Q-School doesn't bother him. Last winter, Barlow finished 28th to earn a limited exemption on this year's tour.

"If it doesn't happen, I'll go back to Tour School and try to fight my way back through like I did last year," he said.

Barlow has played in 26 tournaments, made the cut in 13, finished in the top 25 twice -- including a 14th-place tie at the Kemper Open in August -- and earned $98,111.

"I feel like I've put myself in the position to have a good year, I just haven't succeeded at it," he said. "It's a learning experience out there and I need to not so much improve my game, I just need to learn what to do under certain situations.

"For a rookie out there, I've made half my cuts, which is good, but I just haven't done well on the weekends. The only reason I can (explain) that is maybe my inexperience shows there. It's frustrating because I've put myself in pretty good position a lot of times and I haven't really come through."

The biggest lesson Barlow has taken from this year is what separates the good golfers from the great ones.

"The key out here is patience and I think the veterans have an advantage over guys who haven't been out here very long because they're very patient," Barlow said. "They have learned not to force the issue and take it as it comes and when you're on your roll, just ride with it."