Columnist Victoria Sun: Riley hopes Bell Canadian Open is the start of a Woods-like rally

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Sept. 6, 2000 | 10:22 a.m.

Victoria Sun's golf column appears Wednesday. Reach her at 259-4078 or victoria@lasvegassun.com

Maybe this will be the week Chris Riley emerges with his first PGA Tour victory.

At least, that's what the second-year pro hopes.

Then, he catches himself and lets out a laugh.

"Well, Tiger's playing this week," he said from his hotel room in Canada. "So maybe next week."

Riley, a four-time All-America selection at UNLV, is getting ready for the Bell Canadian Open that starts Thursday at the Glen Abbey Golf Club in Oakville, Ontario.

Coming off his week at the Air Canada Championship that concluded Sunday, Riley has reason to be cautiously optimistic. His four-day total of 13-under-par 271, including a second round 7-under-par 64, landed him in a four-way tie for fourth.

The $118,125 he collected was the second-largest paycheck of his career, but more importantly Riley put himself in a position to win.

"I had a chance to win and that was my second chance of the year to win," he said. "I like how I hung in there. I kept it together pretty good.

"I was 14-under with two holes to play. Then I three-putted 17; (eventual winner Rory Sabbatini) birdied it. On 18, he birdied it, I parred it. It was kind of a bummer, but maybe this week. I had five birdies in a row on the back nine. I just didn't complete the deal."

At only 26, Riley has plenty of time to learn.

This year, his best two finishes have come late in the summer, unlike the previous two years. In 1998, his first year on the Nike Tour, he started off fast then fizzled. Last year produced the same results.

"Last year, I made all my money early so this is a surprise to me," Riley said. "I know I'm a better player than I was last year. I hope I can get a win here shortly."

The difference for Riley has come with finding a comfort level on tour.

"I guess I'm getting better with experience," he said. "Getting more comfortable playing with these guys, getting to know everybody. ... It's starting to come together. I'm feeling good coming into this week."

Like many other professionals, he would be feeling a lot better if Tiger Woods wasn't entered. Unlike some others, however, Riley is not bitter about the fact that Woods has dominated golf the way Michael Jordan used to rule the NBA.

Instead, Riley marvels at Woods and was impressed with the way Summerlin resident Bob May pushed him to a three-hole playoff at the PGA Championship.

Riley knows, though, that with Woods in the field it's going to be an uphill battle.

"It's a totally different course," Riley said. "Plus it's Canada's open championship, like our U.S. Open, so that's why I think Tiger entered it

"You have to say that with the way he's played the last year and a half, if he is playing as good as he has been, then we are all playing for second place. That's just how good he's playing. I mean no one has ever played the way he has for such a long stretch."

Riley hopes he can put together a run of his own soon.

"Golf is funny," he said. "When you don't expect good things to happen, they happen.

"You can't control the elements and the ball. You know if you're in a groove and I feel like I'm playing pretty well right now."

The tournament, formerly called the Las Vegas Invitational, will be played Oct. 11-15 at the TPC Summerlin, the Desert Inn and Southern Highlands Golf Club. The champion will take home $765,000.

May has finished second twice this year, most recently at the PGA Championship, and took third at the Reno-Tahoe Open. Barlow, who lives in Henderson, was last year's first-round leader in the Invensys Classic, shooting an 11-under-par 61 at the Las Vegas Country Club. Las Vegas resident Fryatt tied for third at the MCI Classic, and has won more than $590,000 in prize money this year while Riley, a fellow Las Vegan, has finished tied for fourth twice this year.

"I'm looking forward to the Invensys Classic," Riley said. "I haven't played Southern Highlands yet, but I heard it's gorgeous."

Former champions Davis Love III, John Cook, Bruce Lietzke and Andrew Magee also recently committed to play.

Love, the 1993 champion, is second on the Invensys Classic career earnings list with $716,552. Cook, the 1992 champion, is fourth at $517,061. In 1991, Magee shot a tournament record 31-under 329 and has earned a total of $432,503. Lietzke, who won in 1994, has earned $366,002 in nine tournament finishes.

In addition, nine 2000 PGA Tour winners have committed to play. They are: two-time winner Robert Allenby, Jim Carter, Stewart Cink, Michael Clark II, Brad Faxon, Rocco Mediate, Tom Scherrer, Kirk Triplett and Scott Verplank.

Tickets for the Invensys Classic can be purchased by calling 242-3000.