Riley treating Open like a regular event

Wednesday, June 16, 1999 | 10:26 a.m.

Chris Riley will be playing in his first U.S. Open this week in Pinehurst, N.C., but the 1996 UNLV graduate and PGA Tour rookie isn't approaching this tournament any differently than a regular tour event.

"It's kind of weird because people talk about nerves but, shoot, I used to get nervous playing in the qualifiers for UNLV," Riley said Tuesday after a practice round at Pinehurst No. 2. "I've been trying to take it the same way as normal, just prepare the way I usually do.

"I'm going to be nervous but I'm just going to have fun and just take this all in and at least learn from it."

Riley no doubt hopes his learning curve in his first major is as short as it has been in his first season on the PGA Tour. In 15 events this year, the Las Vegas resident has three top-10 finishes and is ranked 66th in earnings with more than $317,000.

"Right now, I've missed three cuts in a row ... but I'm doing all right," said Riley, who earned his PGA Tour card by finishing 28th at last fall's PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament.

Open all weekend

A look at this week's 99th U.S. Open Championship:

WHERE: Pinehurst, N.C.

WHEN: Thursday-Sunday

COURSE: Pinehurst Resort and C.C. 7,175 yards, par 70

PURSE: $3.5 million (Winner: $625,000)

TELEVISION: NBC (Thursday-Friday, Noon-2 p.m.; Saturday-Sunday, 9:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.) and ESPN (Thursday-Friday, 8 a.m.-Noon and 2-3:30 p.m.)

NOTES: Only five players have won the Open more than twice (Willie Anderson, Bobby Jones, Ben Hogan, Jack Nicklaus and Hale Irwin). ... David Duval (four wins) and Tiger Woods (two wins) are the only players to win more than one event this season.

"At least I'm seeing all the courses and getting good experience. But overall, if you would have told me I would make $320,000, I would have said, 'all right, no problem.' "

Riley is one of three players with ties to Southern Nevada to qualify for the 99th U.S. Open. Former UNLV standout Chad Campbell and Henderson resident and PGA Tour regular Kevin Gallagher also are in the field for the $3.5 million tournament.

Although he has failed to make the cut in his last three tour starts, Riley said he is confident coming into the Open. He is ranked sixth on the PGA Tour in putting average (1.737 putts per hole) and third in putts per round (27.78) -- a skill Riley said will come in handy this week at Pinehurst No. 2.

"I played practice rounds (Monday and Tuesday) and, man, it's incredible," Riley said of the Donald Ross design. "Around the greens are like ant hills in miniature golf; if you chip one, it could roll off the other side.

"I'm putting real well and that's always the strong part of my game. This week, off the greens, it's shaved down so low you can use your putter all over the place, so I'll probably use that club the most this week, which is coming toward my strength."

The rest of the course, Riley said, also sets up well for his game.

"I'm hitting the ball pretty good," he said. "The fairways aren't as tight and the rough is real spotty, which means you could catch a good lie in the rough or you could catch a poor lie.

"The course is in great shape. Pinehurst is everything they said it was going to be and I'm really looking forward to teeing it up Thursday morning. I'm pretty confident."

So confident, in fact, that the 25-year-old said he is approaching the Open as a tournament he can win.

"Absolutely. I go into every tournament trying to win," Riley said. "I haven't done that yet but I just try to play one shot at a time and try to give it my best and whatever happens, happens. This week, I'm going to use everything I've learned and I'm going to put everything I got into this tournament and see what happens."