Lord of Las Vegas

Victoria Sun

Thursday, Sept. 21, 2000 | 10:08 a.m.

Although PGA Tour professional Jim Furyk is flattered at the thought of renaming the Invensys Classic of Las Vegas the Jim Furyk Invitational, he doesn't endorse the suggestion.

"I wouldn't go that far," the three-time and defending tourney champion said Wednesday with a sheepish grin. "I look forward to coming back, obviously.

"I think the strange part about it is most guys would say this course isn't set up real well for me or that Summerlin is for the stereotypical player. My game is more average length down the middle, keeping the ball in front of me. It really doesn't have that style. You'd think that a guy who can hit it long and bomb it would be the favorite here."

Furyk spent the day at Southern Highlands checking out the golf course and meeting tournament sponsors as part of Champions Day. The $4.5 million Invensys Classic (formerly the Las Vegas Invitational) will be played Oct. 11-15 at Southern Highlands, the TPC at Summerlin and the Desert Inn.

Furyk, the 1995, 1998 and 1999 winner, was right when he said the tournament courses and format favor long-ball hitters such as Tiger Woods, the 1996 champion, 1993 winner Davis Love III and 1997 champ Billy Glasson.

"Why it suits my game so well and why I like it so much, I don't know," Furyk said quizzically. "But I hope to continue shooting low scores.

"I think the best you can say about events is if you go to a golf course you don't like and haven't had success in the past, if you're playing real well, you have a chance. At a golf course like this, if I'm playing very poorly, I'm not going to have much success here."

Furyk is 10th on this year's tour money list with $1,845,919. He won the Doral-Ryder Open in March and has finished in the top 10 eight times this year.

Furyk is hoping that with some solid play, a little luck and his fiancee, Tabitha Skartved, by his side at the Invensys Classic, he may finally win two events in a year.

"This is my seventh year on tour. I've had five years where I've won an event and it would be real nice to win two in a year as an accomplishment," Furyk said.

"In order for me to play well here, my game needs to be in good shape coming in. So far it's been pretty good."