Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002 | 9:50 a.m.
No way Jess Daley was missing this trip.
Even if the PGA Tour rookie didn't make it as an alternate into the 144-player field of the Invensys Classic that starts Wednesday, he figured it'd be worth it just to visit Las Vegas.
So he and wife, Natalya, flew here Friday after he missed the cut at the Michelob Championship at Kingsmill in Williamsburg, Va.
"It's Vegas," he said grinning and sounding like the decision was a no-brainer. "You've got to come here.
"It's fun. I've never actually gotten to experience Las Vegas so it has been cool to walk up and down the Strip and all that. I was definitely going to come. I wanted to be here and be prepared (for the tournament)."
Daley and other PGA Tour professionals who aren't high on the tour's priority ranking system used to select tournament fields are relegated to alternate status, depending on the tournament.
There are 34 categories in the ranking system. Winners of the PGA Championship or U.S. Open prior to 1970 or in the last 10 calendar years and Winners of The Players Championship in the last 10 calendar years make up the first two.
Generally, players falling in the top 24 categories can get into any tournament of their choice.
Players such as Daley, Bo Van Pelt, Paul Claxton and Robin Freeman, who are in the 25th category for players who finished in the top 35 from last year's Q-School or were 4th-15th on the 2001 BUY.com Tour money list, can get into most tournaments. But they are alternates during weeks when a large number of guys ahead of them decide to play a particular tournament and they haven't earned enough money during the year to improve their status.
This time, Daley's decision to fly across the country paid off in hopes of getting into the Invensys Classic.
He found out Monday afternoon that he made it into the tournament when Neil Lancaster withdrew.
The moments leading up to the good news were tenuous at best.
On Friday night he was told he was the first alternate. Then on Monday morning he bumped to third alternate because two players who finished in the top 10 at Kingsmill, David Morland IV and Tom Byrum, elected to play in Las Vegas. That ousted ousted Lee Porter and Russ Cochran, who then moved to the top of the alternate list.
"Being the first alternate I felt really comfortable," Daley said. "Being the third alternate made me a little nervous.
"I've got three tournaments left the rest of the year, this being one of them. If I don't get into this tournament, it's kind of hard being in my position not to be able to play."
As it turned out, Porter and Cochran got in when two others withdrew and Daley got his break.
"It's tough because you come here as an alternate and you don't get paid if you don't play," Daley said. "So it's out of pocket expenses and you don't get to work.
"It's frustrating, but it's part of being a tour rookie I suppose. I don't have the luxury of picking which tournaments I want to play in. I basically play the ones I get into."
The Invensys Classic will be Daley's 25th tournament this year. He has made the cut 10 times for $154,675, placing him 181st on the money list.
Daley was an alternate at five other tournaments and made it into three.
His worst experience as an alternate was at the Byron Nelson Classic.
"At the Byron Nelson Classic, I thought I was going to be in for sure and I didn't," he said. "I just remember getting there playing a practice round and I was told I was going to get in.
"It was very frustrating. It was just $1,500 to $2,000 wasted because then I had to go home."
For Freeman, a 14-year tour veteran, being the third alternate wasn't enough to entice him to leave his home in Palm Desert, Calif., only a 4 1/2-hour drive from Las Vegas.
He chose to stay home with wife, K.C., and sons Chase and Kyle.
"I always wait at home," he said over the phone. "Unless I'm second alternate starting the week, I go home and wait.
"I've got a wife and kids who want me at home. I like spending time with them."
Freeman is 190th on the money list with $134,185.
Players have until before they tee off Wednesday to withdraw because of illness or injury.
Freeman said being an alternate at the Invensys Classic is tough because the tournament is played on three courses. If a player warms up and decides he can't play right before he's scheduled to go off, the alternate has a dilemma if he is waiting at a different course.
"You ask as many questions as you can and base your decision on that," Freeman said of deciding when it's worth it to make a trip as an alternate. "You ask if they've heard anyone was hurt or you find out the history of the tournament and how many guys have withdrawn before.
"The planning is hard to do becasue I'm at home and I want to be there playing, but I don't want to go up there and waste my time.""
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