Kaye blase about record

Victoria Sun

Monday, Oct. 16, 2000 | 10:01 a.m.

Tying his career best round and tying a tournament course record weren't enough to inspire PGA Tour professional Jonathan Kaye to pump his fists in the air or do a little celebratory shuffle when he was finished

Neither was taking the lead for a couple of holes during the final round of the $4.25 million Invensys Classic at Las Vegas Sunday afternoon.

In fact, nothing short of a victory would have been enough to inspire the reserved 30-year-old to show some emotion.

"It's my job, you know," Kaye said as he shrugged off his round of eight birdies and one eagle. "If I win I'll be real excited, though, I promise you that."

Kaye's 10-under-par 62 at the TPC at Summerlin was not enough to sustain the lead he held over eventual champion Billy Andrade and runner-up Phil Mickelson. Kaye's five-day total of 26-under-par 334 tied him with Stewart Cink. Both were two strokes behind Andrade and a stroke behind Mickelson.

While Kaye was busy hitting 13 of 14 fairways and 15 of 18 greens, he was oblivious to the fact that he had made his way to the top of the leader board.

"It was a pretty solid round," Kaye said. "I was pretty relaxed and calm.

"I didn't really pay attention to anything. I just played golf and did my thing.

"I didn't know anything until on the last hole. I tried to look and every time I looked it wasn't telling me what I wanted to know. So I figured it didn't matter anyway because I had to make my putts."

On the front nine, Kaye birdied the third, fifth, seventh and ninth holes, but that was just a warmup.

"I made about a 60-footer for eagle on 13 that really got me going," he said.

Entering the final round, Kaye was eight strokes behind Tom Byrum, who led the field at 264.

Somehow, Kaye got his clubs working for him on the day he needed it most. Before the start of the Invensys Classic, Kaye got new clubs and new balls.

"I'm pretty pleased with the way everything went considering all the changes," Kaye said. "New shafts, the whole thing.

"Everything was new except for my driver, my 3-wood, my 7-wood, my sand wedge, my lob wedge and my putter. I just played. I don't know how to say that, I just adjusted."

Last year, Kaye finished second to three-time champion Jim Furyk, who was never in contention this year.

Kaye earned $246,500 for third, vaulting him to 36th on the money list.

"I like all the courses," Kaye said. "I'm just comfortable here.

"The greens are good. It's always late in the year when I usually start playing good. It's just a nice place to come.

"It does feel good. I'm excited to get on a plane and go home too. I've been on the road for 11 of the last 12 weeks, so it'll be nice to sleep in my own bed tomorrow night."