Monday, June 12, 2000 | 9:56 a.m.
MESQUITE -- It was hard to tell what made Brian Ricketts happier -- beating 60 other players in the season-ending Zero Golf Tour Championship to earn his first victory of the year, or taking home $7,500.
"The biggest paycheck of my life," the Alhambra, Calif., resident gushed Sunday afternoon.
Ricketts eliminated Steve Haase in a playoff at the Paiute Golf Resort after both players were tied at 5-under-par 139. Ricketts parred the 420-yard second hole while Haase bogeyed it.
Brett Bingham of Red Deer, Alberta, Canada, Rick Garboski of Newbury Park, Calif., and Todd Murphy of Rancho Mirage, Calif., were tied at three strokes back.
"I'm excited right now," Ricketts said. "It probably won't hit me until tomorrow or the next day.
"It's going to be a nice drive home."
This is Ricketts' second year as a pro and first on the inaugural Zero Golf Tour, a developmental tour on the West Coast.
He opened the tournament by breaking Las Vegan Robert Gamez's course record of 67 set three years ago on the 7,146-yard Snow Mountain course designed by Pete Dye, then followed with a 73.
He had two birdies, one bogey and a double-bogey on No. 4 at the turn, then finished the back nine with a birdie on the 17th hole and a bogey on 18.
"The conditions were about the same," Ricketts said of the two days. "The greens were a lot firmer today than yesterday."
Haase pocketed $4,250 with his scores of 67 and 72, but that was no consolation given it was his third consecutive second place finish.
The San Diego resident did manage to find humor in the situation.
"It's no good," he said lightheartedly of second place. "I've won my share too, but second place is kind of a stinger."
Haase turned pro 10 years ago when he started on the Ben Hogan Tour, now known as the Buy.com Tour. He spent six years on the Hooters Tour before joining the Zero Golf Tour.
He could have been in sole possession of first place had he not double-bogeyed the last hole to force a playoff.
"I played well," he said. "On No. 18, I hit my driver five yards into the right rough. Then I tried to play safe, the grass caught and I hit it into water.
"Three shots later I had six."
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