Fryatt making a name for himself

Dean Juipe

Friday, Oct. 15, 1999 | noon

On the graph that charts Edward Fryatt's career progress, the line moves along steadily in one direction: Up.

From high-school star in Las Vegas, through collegiate stops at BYU and UNLV, to playing on the Asian and Nike tours, Fryatt has continually improved his play and elevated his stature.

By virtue of his achievements this year, Fryatt will become a card-carrying member of the PGA Tour in 2000. Currently No. 6 on the Nike Tour money list for 1999, Fryatt is assured of finishing in that tour's top 15 and, therefore, will be rewarded with playing privileges on the PGA Tour next season.

He's competing in this week's Las Vegas Invitational on a sponsor's exemption.

"I've been fortunate to not have any years where I regressed," he said Thursday after completing his round at the Las Vegas Country Club. "I've done pretty good each year, or at least better than the year before. I feel I've slowly but surely gotten better."

Fryatt, 28, is a lanky, long hitter who came up through Southern Nevada's junior program to where he's a competent professional. He says he'll approach the PGA Tour just as he has every other stop in his playing career, more or less taking it one step at a time.

"You can't get ahead of yourself," he said. "What I try to do is hit the ball in the fairway and give myself as many chances as possible to make some birdies."

He made a slew of them on the back nine of his second round, five in the last 10 holes to be exact. That rally allowed him to erase the effects of a double bogey at No. 8, and it permitted him to card a 67.

He opened with a 70 at the Desert Inn, leaving him with a two-day total of seven under par.

Fryatt will play in next week's Nike Tour Championship and will spend his offseason working with swing instructor Jim Ballard and UNLV golf coach Dwaine Knight. He said he was happy with his play on the Nike Tour this year, although "the only tournament where I made a lot of putts was the only (one) I won."

Fryatt, a Chaparral High School graduate, came up through the local ranks and won events like the Las Vegas City Amateur and the Southern Nevada Amateur.