Tuesday, Oct. 8, 2002 | 8:58 a.m.
The entire week of the $4.5 million Invensys Classic, Bob Estes was so focused on his golf game, he said he was too busy to even think about gambling in the casinos.
But that didn't stop him from taking an early risk on the golf course Sunday afternoon, one that rewarded him with the biggest paycheck of his career.
Estes saved par after hitting out from a bush on No. 6. That was the catalyst for a nine-birdie round at the TPC at Summerlin, and a final score of 9-under 63, good enough to win the tournament by a stroke over Tom Lehman and Rory Sabbatini.
Estes earned $810,000 for his second PGA Tour victory of the year and third in his career. Earlier, he won the FedEx St. Jude Classic.
"To win twice in one year, it doesn't happen that often," Estes said as he put his latest victory in perspective. "I've never done it before. Getting the second win was huge. And to win twice in one year, that hopefully elevates your status even more, especially in the eyes of your peers.
"Not that I have to play for the other guys out here on tour, but a lot of times, you're trying to prove it to yourself. You're trying to find out for yourself how tough you are. Can you suck it up? Gut it out? Get it done when it matters the most?"
When it mattered the most, Estes delivered.
He entered the day five strokes back of leader Scott McCarron, who wound up tying former champion Davis Love III for a share of fourth place at 27-under. Cameron Beckman finished at 26-under with former UNLV All-American Chris Riley, John Daly, Scott Verplank and Craig Parry next at 22-under 337.
Love entered the day 10 strokes behind McCarron, but shot a course record 11-under-par 61 to put him in the hunt.
"That was a great round of golf and I putted very well," Love said. "I think I maybe missed two putts all day.
"I was just too far back from the start. My goal was to see how close I could get in the top 10."
Estes played himself into contention with birdies on three of the first four holes while McCarron lost the lead with a triple-bogey on the par-4 450-yard fourth hole that Estes birdied from about three feet.
The risky business happened at No. 6, a par-4 of 430 yards.
Estes was quick with his 3-wood off the tee and his ball ricocheted off a rock and landed on top of a bush.
Once he found the ball, he conferred with his caddie, Chuck Mohr, to determine his options. If he determined the ball was unplayable and went back to the tee, the best he could hope for was a double-bogey, which would have all but ruined his chance of winning. But if he tried to hit the ball out of the bush, he risked missing it entirely, or the ball dropping to the bottom.
"My caddie and I decided (we) might as well just go ahead and try to punch it out of the bush," Estes said. "I didn't want to go back to the tee."
The bush was about waist-high, so he whipped out his driver, choked up on the shaft and whacked the ball sideways. It landed on the cart path then hopped into the rough. He then hit a 9-iron through some trees about 45 feet past the flag. After his putt rolled in for par, Estes was stunned.
'That was one of the most amazing holes I've ever played in my life," Estes said. "I don't know if there was a camera there, I don't know if they had it on tape or not, but they sure should have because that was the shot of the tournament for sure."
Estes two-putted the par-5 560-yard 16th hole to go one stroke ahead of Lehman and Sabbatini for good.
Lehman and Sabbatini each missed birdie putts on No. 18.
"I tip my hat to somebody who shoots 64, 63, whatever Estes shot,' Lehman said. "That was a great round for him."
After Estes' incredible par on No. 6, he parred the next two holes before he heated up again with a birdie on No. 9.
On the back nine, he had birdies on five of the first seven holes, but played the final two more conservatively.
"I hit a really good putt on 17, just misread it a little bit," he said. 'The putt on 18, I couldn't get too crazy with, having a one-shot lead.
"Sure I wanted to make it and seal the deal, but you can't go running it three to four feet by the hole either."
Estes' 30-under-par 329 total tied a tournament record set by Andrew Magee and D.A.Weibring, who were deadlocked after 18 holes in 1991.
After rounds of 65, 66, 67 and 68, Estes figured a 63 would be what he needed to win and joked that he was mindful of not following the numbers in succession by shooting a 69.
It was his 17th consecutive round in the 60s.
The first-place money vaulted him to ninth on the PGA Tour's money list at $2,431,610, which secures his spot in the season-ending Tour Championship.
"Finally in the last couple of months, I'm finding my game," Estes said. "I think everybody thinks that once you qualify for the tour, you've got it all figured out. That's usually just the beginning.
"I've got a new teacher, Craig Koy, and I met him at the International and that was my last missed cut."
-- Reprinted from the Oct. 15, 2001, edition of the Las Vegas Sun.
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