Columnist Dean Juipe: Tournament had a nearly ideal finish

Dean Juipe

Monday, Oct. 15, 2001 | 10:49 a.m.

Dean Juipe's column appears Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. His boxing notebook appears Thursday. Reach him at juipe@lasvegassun.com or 259-4084.

The big crowd got what it wanted -- sort of.

No disrespect to Scott McCarron, but the gallery for Sunday's final round of the Invensys Classic at the TPC at Summerlin was clamoring for a tense showdown and it quickly became apparent there would be one when McCarron -- who went into the day with a three-shot lead -- faltered early.

His advantage negated by a five-putt triple bogey at No. 4 as well as a surging field, McCarron slipped into a pack that ebbed and flowed until Bob Estes eventually emerged with the championship in a tournament that featured more than enough drama to appease its sun-drenched throng.

In terms of suspense, it was, arguably, the equal of any of its 18 predecessors in Las Vegas, although Tiger Woods' fans will always recall his 1996 victory here as especially memorable in that it not only required a sudden-death playoff with Davis Love III but was also the first win of his pro career.

But one item the spectators were denied in the 2001 version of the event was something that was clearly on their collective minds, and that was seeing the championship go to a "big-name" player.

And there were a bunch of them either in contention or still attracting a following as the tournament wound down.

Jesper Parnevik, for instance, was never on the leader board and closed with a 71 to finish nine under par, yet drew plenty of attention by virtue of his exotic presence and the fact it was his first time here. If anything, it was almost a shame the zany Swede didn't figure among the contenders, because the public's reaction would have bordered on delirium.

Also drawing what can only be called tremendous support was another player with an abundance of personality, and girth, John Daly.

Egged on by those who not only know of his tumultuous past but appreciate the fact he has rebounded from No. 414 to No. 56 in the current world rankings, Daly was in the top 10 all week and even broke the course record at the TPC at the Canyons (with a 62) in the second round. He finished with a 67 and at 22 under par, bombing tee shots up to 350 yards whenever he had the chance.

He would have been an extremely popular winner.

Tom Lehman, too, for that matter.

In contention until the final hole, Lehman has a blue-collar appeal that reflects his relatively late ascension to stardom. It wasn't all that long ago that this five-time tour winner was playing low-level events like the Nevada Open, and he's generally seen in a fond light by those who follow the sport.

He played a cat-and-mouse game with the gritty Estes along the back side of the final round, matching birdies with the eventual champion until dunking his ball at the there-for-the-taking 16th and having to settle for a par that kept him a single shot out of a playoff.

Nonetheless he was a catalyst in keeping the fans stoked.

In a tournament with scoring so low that all three courses in use saw records set, the Invensys was something of a joy to behold. Cooperative weather, a decent field and a suspenseful conclusion are always key ingredients and this year Las Vegas hit the trifecta.

Only if a Parnevik or a Daly or a Fred Couples had won could things have been better.