UNLV’s Moore to take spot among stars

Victoria Sun

Tuesday, June 11, 2002 | 9:12 a.m.

Ryan Moore, the golf fan, will try his best not to gawk at the PGA Tour professionals he sees this week at the U.S. Open.

Though the UNLV golfer might be inclined to ask for an autograph or a handshake from some of his idols, guys such as former British Open champion Tom Lehman, the golfer in him will wittingly suppress those natural urges.

Moore won't be a spectator at one of golf's greatest championships that begins Thursday -- he'll be one of the 156 competitors at the Bethpage State Park's Black Course in Farmingdale, N.Y., sharing the stage with the likes of Lehman, defending champion Retief Goosen and 2000 champion Tiger Woods.

"It's tough to describe (what I feel)," Moore said before leaving for New York, still shocked by it all. "I'm just so excited. I can't wait to go play.

"This will be beyond anything I've ever played in. The NCAAs is a big deal, but this is one of the top four tournaments in the world for the pros. It's going to be above and beyond anything I've ever imagined."

Moore will be paired with Jeev Milkha Singh of India and Tony Soerries of Hobe Sound, Fla., for the first two rounds.

The fact he survived the 36-hole U.S. Open sectional qualifier on five hours' sleep demonstrated the same resolve he had while playing in his first NCAA Men's Golf Championship, where he finished tied for eighth on June 1.

The next day, he flew from Columbus, Ohio, site of the NCAAs, to Seattle, where he landed at 10:30 p.m. He fell into bed at midnight, then packed the car with his father and caddy, Mike, at 3:30 a.m. to make the 2 1/2-hour drive to the Reserve Vineyards and Golf Club in Aloha, Ore., for the Monday morning qualifier.

Despite having never played the course, he fired two rounds of 69 for a total 6-under-par 138 to make the Open.

"There were a lot of things going against me, but I was determined to go," Moore said. "The thought of going to the U.S. Open was keeping me awake.

"I got a little bit of sleep. It was good sleep, the three hours I got. I thought I was rested enough, but to play 36 holes was tough. I didn't want to sit down at all because as long as I was up and active, I didn't have a problem. I just got down there and said, 'Heck, I might as well win this thing.' "

Moore, 19, sounds like a student before the first day at a new school when talking about making his professional debut, albeit as an amateur.

He is excited, nervous, thrilled and anxious at the same time.

As he waited to find out whether his U.S. Open dreams would be fulfilled or dashed, his mind raced.

Moore figured he needed to shoot 8-under for the 36 holes and that 6-under still might not be enough to get him to the promised land.

"I was planning on not going so I wasn't disappointed if someone had beat me, but at the same time, I was thinking, 'Oh, my gosh, I might get to go to the U.S. Open.' "

Moore, the Mountain West Conference freshman of the year, scrambled out of what looked like impossible situations at the NCAA Championship time and time again.

Confident, but not arrogant, Moore wasn't just happy to be at the NCAAs. He wanted to win the individual title, his inexperience not withstanding.

He heads into the U.S. Open knowing that this will be the toughest test of his budding career, but he won't be satisfied with just showing up.

Since he qualified last week, Moore has already studied the Bethpage course and flew to New York on Saturday night because he planned on "practicing my butt off for the four days I'm there before.

"It looks like a great course," he said. "It's got long rough, narrow fairways, hard, fast greens.

"The harder the better for me. I don't know why. I like harder courses, I think it brings out the best in my game. I like fast greens. The faster the better."

Yet Moore's "bring it on" confidence is tempered by a normal twinge of self-doubt.

"I think my best advice probably came from my friend Chez Reavie (an Arizona State golfer)," Moore said. "He won the Publinx last year.

"He called me and said, 'Don't go in there and be in awe of them. They're great and everything like that, but if you go out there and play, you have a chance.' That was good to hear it from him because he was there at the Masters.

"I told him, 'I don't want to make myself look stupid or anything.' And he said, 'Just go out and think you belong there. You earned it just like they did.' "

Although his parents, Mike and Roxane, weren't able to watch him at the NCAAs, they will be there with him at the U.S. Open. Mike will be his son's caddy.

Moore will also have the support of his older brother, Jeremy and sister-in-law, Katy. I like harder courses, I think it brings out the best in my game. I like fast greens. The faster the better."