Furyk shooting for 3rd straight championship

Victoria Sun

Tuesday, Oct. 10, 2000 | 10:50 a.m.

As PGA Tour professional Jim Furyk straddled a Harley Davidson parked outside the clubhouse of Southern Highlands for a photo opportunity, he had a bewildered look on his face.

Furyk remarked that he had no idea how heavy the motorcycles are because he had never been on one before.

And no, he certainly didn't have one stashed away in his garage just because he could afford it.

So just what does Furyk, 11th on the money list (at press time) with $1,845,919 in earnings this year, do with his income?

"Save it," he said as if that was the only logical answer. "I really think my lifestyle has gotten a lot nicer as I've gotten older.

"No one has really accused me of being cheap, but I've been accused of being conservative very often. I mean I eat well. I go to nice dinners, but I really don't have lavish cars or anything. I'm not a car freak or stereo equipment person."

By his own admission, Furyk, has been a freak of sorts at the $4.25 million Invensys Classic tournament by winning a remarkable three of the six times he has entered. He is be back in Las Vegas to defend his title this week at the annual event being played at Southern Highlands, the Desert Inn and TPC Summerlin.

What makes Furyk's past success here unusual is that he is known for his short game, not his long game. All three of the courses, including Southern Highlands, which is in the rotation for the first time, tend to set up better for players who hit the ball great distances off the tee.

Past winners of the Invensys Classic (formerly the Las Vegas Invitational) include long-ball strikers Tiger Woods (1996), Davis Love III (1993) and Bill Glasson (1997).

Furyk figures people get the same bewildered look he had when perched on the Harley when they try to explain his multiple wins here.

"I think the strange part about it is most guys wouldn't say this course sets up very well for me, same for Summerlin," said Furyk, own has one of golf's mot unorthodox swings.

"My game is more average length, down the middle, keeping the ball in front of me. You'd think that a guy who could hit it long and bomb it would be the favorite here. And other than me, that's kind of who has won here.

"So why it suits my game so well and why I like it so much? I don't know. But I hope to continue shooting low scores."

Furyk is a low-maintenance man who drives a 1995 Ford Bronco and a 1989 Mercedes 500 SL.

The most extravagant purchase he has ever made is the 18-foot boat he takes out for fishing excursions, though he says he's not a great fisherman. That and the engagement ring he bought for fiancee Tabitha Skartved (the couple will be married in November) are about as flashy as the West Chester, Pa., native gets.

But there is no denying that Furyk's substance as a player has kept him among golf's elite.

This year, Furyk has tied for third at the Advil Western Open, finished fourth at the Canon Greater Hartford Open and tied for fourth at the Mercedes Championship, Honda Classic and WGC NEC Invitational.

The seven-year tour veteran has won one tournament in each of the last five seasons. This year, his victory came at the Doral-Ryder Open.

"I would love to win multiple events in a year," Furyk said. "That's what we're all trying to do; it's all about winning golf tournaments.

"It's not about top 10 finishes or top 20 finishes. If I go out and finish 15th at an event, I feel like I've had a good, solid week. I'm not upset with that, but ultimately, we're all trying to show up and win a golf tournament."

Though it might be tempting to rename the Invensys Classic the Jim Furyk Open, Furyk knows he'll have to do a lot more than just show up to win it again.

"At a golf course like this, if I'm playing very poorly, it doesn't mean that I'm going to get here and all of a sudden shoot 65," Furyk said. "I have to have my game in good shape, I have to be ready to go when I get here.

"It's a quick week. It's not like you come here and you find it. You pretty much travel on Monday coming from the Michelob. I have Tuesday to prepare, then Wednesday the tournament starts. So it's a quick hit week. I don't really have too much time to work on my game or practice a lot."

Last year Furyk forged ahead of the field on Saturday when high winds knocked most of the field out of contention.

Furyk, who entered the day tied with Las Vegan Bob May and Harrison Frazar for the lead at 22-under, was one of two players to shoot below par while distancing himself from the rest of the field.

"That's one of my strengths," he said of playing in windy conditions. "I don't get up in the morning and hope it's windy. But when they come, I've had some success. And the reason is, I'm comfortable hitting the ball low. I don't hit the ball very high, I hit a medium trajectory. It favors my style."

Another thing to know about Furyk is he practices -- a lot -- at everything he does.

Recently, he purchased a pool table so he can work on beating his buddies.

"I like to play pool, but I'm a horrible pool player," he insists. "For all those friends that have whipped me for all those years, give me a couple years and I'll be there."

There are times the self-proclaimed football fanatic (Furyk spent seven straight hours in front of the TV one Saturday watching college football) escapes to the driving range to be alone.

For the first time in about 19 months, Furyk missed the cut at the Pennsylvania Classic last month. He shot a 65, then a 2-over-par 72 to miss the cut by one stroke.

"I guess eventually, it's going to happen, but it's kind of disappointing when it happens in your hometown," Furyk said. "I did have a good weekend with some friends that came out.

"After a bad round the first thing and the last thing you want to do is go talk to everyone right after, but you have to. You have to be polite and everyone is probably going to try to cheer you up.

"I like to go to the range, to be by myself. I don't want to talk to anyone, I'm just in a bad mood. If Tabitha sees me, a lot of times I might say, 'Hey you might want to stay away for a second. I'm grouchy.' "

But odds in Las Vegas are Furyk will be in a good mood on Sunday with a smile on his face.