Lietzke bids farewell to Desert Inn course

Victoria Sun

Friday, Oct. 13, 2000 | 10:12 a.m.

PGA Tour veteran Bruce Lietzke's final hurrah at the Desert Inn Golf Club Thursday afternoon wasn't much of a party.

Playing on the course for the last time before it is removed from the three-course rotation of the $4.25 million Invensys Classic, Lietzke wanted to go out with a bang.

Instead, the course sent him off with more of a whimper.

Lietzke fired a 1-under-par 71 at the D.I. in the second round of the Invensys Classic for a two-day total 10-under-par 134. Lietzke entered the day atop the field of 144 professionals with a one-stroke lead over Olin Browne and Casey Martin, but dropped to a tie for sixth, four strokes behind Tom Byrum, after his round at the D.I.

"I didn't drive the ball very good today," Lietzke said. "And that's kind of the key on this golf course, getting it into the fairways.

"It caused me a few bogeys. It caused me making pars today as opposed to all the birdies I was making yesterday.

"I've always struggled on this golf course. It was another struggle today. I thought maybe this being the last year for this, I might get my revenge on this golf course, but I shot what I usually shoot here, 71 or 72."

Lietzke, the 1994 champion, teed off this morning at Southern Highlands. After today's round, the field will be narrowed to the 70 low scoring professionals.

Lietzke started on the back nine and opened the day with a birdie on the par-5 10th hole and another birdie on the par-4 12th hole. Then came a long string of pars before he bogeyed the par-4 18th hole after he hit a ball into the water hazard to the right.

Missed birdie opportunities on the third and fourth holes were consistent with Lietzke's day.

On the par-4 No. 3, Lietzke hit his second shot onto the green about 15 feet for birdie, but his putt was slightly short and to the right. On the par-3 fourth hole Lietzke's drive landed in good position, about 20 feet from the hole. This time his putt skimmed the lip and rolled out.

"I had nice makeable putts," Lietzke said. "The ones that were going in yesterday weren't."

Lietzke's saving grace occurred on the par-5 fifth hole.

"On that hole I drove it into the left trees and I hit a 3-Wood second shot that I had to play intentionally into another fairway," he said. "And then I had an 80-yard sand wedge shot from there about 15 feet from the hole for birdie. I made that putt, so that was probably the highlight of the round."

Lietzke, 49, will be eligible to compete on the Senior PGA Tour next year and hasn't played more than 20 events a year since 1989. The last event he played this year was the Reno-Tahoe open in late August where he didn't make the cut.

Lietzke thinks taking time off is what every tour player needs.

"I do still expect to come out and chase these younger guys because I've been on this limited schedule for a long time," he said. "I'm used to taking all this time off and not playing when I'm home.

"For some reason I do get back in the swing of things real quick. Taking those breaks makes me mentally very fresh.

"And I think that's an advantage I have over these younger guys right now. In October these guys have all played a long season. Some of these guys are struggling to move into the top 30 (of the money list) to play in the Tour Championships or they're trying to keep their cards."

For Lietzke, because the final two days of the tournament are played at the TPC, rallying for another victory here is not out of the question. Lietzke fired a 63 there in the first round to take the lead and has always enjoyed playing the course.

"I expect to contend, I sure do," he said. "Especially because it goes back to Summerlin where I am comfortable.

"I would love to shoot real low tomorrow, but I wouldn't mind just shooting a good 69 or 68 and stay in it because I think as long as I'm close Saturday or Sunday I've got a chance."