Columnist Brian Hilderbrand: LVI sponsor exemptions tough to come by

Wednesday, Aug. 18, 1999 | 9:59 a.m.

Brian Hilderbrand's golf notebook appears Wednesday. His motor sports notebook appears Friday. Reach him at bh@lasvegassun.com or 259-4089.

The task of awarding sponsor exemptions to play in the Las Vegas Invitational never has been an easy one.

This year, despite having twice the number of exemptions the tournament has offered in the past, LVI officials figure to have their hands full.

"We doubled the number of our exemptions, from four to eight, but I think this year we've going to have a more difficult job of filling them," tournament manager Charlie Baron said.

And it won't be because of a lack of interest. The LVI will have to reserve four of those exemptions to graduates of the PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament and will have four at-large exemptions.

The LVI has had a history in recent years of awarding one exemption to a graduate of the UNLV golf program. Two players, Charlie Hoffman and Chris Berry, graduated this year and both reportedly are interested in turning pro at the LVI.

Other players, such as Las Vegas native Robert Gamez and 1994 UNLV graduate Edward Fryatt, also are reported to be interested in getting into this year's tournament via a sponsor exemption.

Gamez, who lost his tour card after finishing 195th on the PGA Tour in earnings in 1998, has played in 14 tour events via exemptions but has earned less than $60,000. Fryatt has been playing the Nike Tour this season and has one win and is in the top five in earnings.

Making the LVI's decision even more complicated is the fact that the Ryder Cup matches will be played in the United States (Brookline, Mass.) at the end of September. Baron said he has heard that several members of the European team may remain in the States and attempt to play in some PGA Tour events.

The 17th annual Las Vegas Invitational will be played Oct. 13-17 at the TPC at Summerlin, the Las Vegas Country Club and the Desert Inn Golf Club.

If, for example, 19-year-old Spaniard Sergio Garcia or France's Jean Van de Velde were to express interest in playing in Las Vegas, it would be hard for the LVI to say "no" to what could be two of the biggest draws in professional golf.

Garcia electrified the crowd at last weekend's PGA Championship while battling eventual winner Tiger Woods during the final six holes. Van de Velde gained worldwide notoriety for his 72nd-hole collapse in last month's British Open.

"It's going to be a very, very tough decision -- even tougher than it has been in past years," Baron said. "We'll just have to wait and see (who applies for exemptions) and then go from there."

Baron would not say from whom he has received letters requesting exemptions, other than to say he has not yet heard from either Garcia or Van de Velde.

Baron said he expected the tournament to award its sponsor exemptions sometime next month.

Baron also said he has received no indication whether Woods, who earned his first PGA Tour title in Las Vegas in 1996, would play in this year's tournament. Woods did not play here last year.

* EARLY COMMITMENTS: Among the players who already have committed to play in this year's Las Vegas Invitational include four past champions (Bob Tway, Andrew Magee, John Cook and Bruce Lietzke) and 1999 PGA Tour winners Rocco Mediate, Glen Day, Duffy Waldorf and J.L. Lewis.

Although defending LVI champion Jim Furyk has not formally committed to play, he indicated Monday that he will.

Other players who have committed early include major winners Mark Brooks, Mark Calcavecchia, Craig Stadler and Lanny Wadkins.

Chip Beck, who shot a 59 in the 1991 LVI, and Chris Perry, named Monday to compete for the U.S. in next month's Ryder Cup matches, also have declared their intentions to play in Las Vegas in October.

This year's LVI will offer a $2.5 million purse, with the winner collecting $450,000.

* SHOW ME THE MONEY: The Las Vegas Founder's Club, the charitable arm of the Las Vegas Invitational and Las Vegas Senior Classic, presented checks totaling more than $500,000 to several local charitable organizations during a ceremony Monday at the Desert Inn Golf Club.

The Lied Discovery Children's Museum received $250,000; the Boulder Dam Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America received $100,000; the M.A.S.H. Village was granted $60,000; the Las Vegas Natural History Museum received $48,829; the Children's Services Guild of Southern Nevada was presented a check for $25,000; and the Southern Nevada Junior Golf Association received $17,000.

In addition, donations were made to the UNLV golf program and to the Las Vegas Flood Relief effort. Also, proceeds from Monday's Champion's Day golf tournament at the Desert Inn were to be donated to Safe House in Henderson.

To date, the Las Vegas Founder's Club has donated more than $3 million to local organizations via proceeds from the LVI and the LVSC.

* FEHERTY JOINS WALTERS GOLF: CBS Sports golf commentator David Feherty has joined Las Vegas-based Walters Golf Company as its official spokesman.

Feherty is assisting Walters Golf develop a series of television commercials and videos for its golf properties, which include Desert Pines, Royal Links and Stallion Mountain.

"We couldn't be more thrilled to have David representing our properties," Walters Golf president Bill Walters said. "We see his involvement as being very valuable to both our golf courses and out guests."

* LVI VOLUNTEERS: The Las Vegas Invitational is seeking volunteers to assist in a variety of areas, including tournament scoring, with this year's event. Call Michele at 242-3008 for additional information.