Invensys Classic: Winning in LV among Gamez’s highest priorities

Victoria Sun

Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2002 | 9:25 a.m.

What do the Masters, the U.S. Open, the PGA Championship, the British Open and the Invensys Classic have in common?

They're the tournaments PGA Tour professional Robert Gamez wants to win the most.

While the $5 million Invensys Classic isn't as prestigious as the four majors, Gamez holds it dear to his heart.

"This is my home," Gamez said. "I've been around this tournament since it started.

"I love Las Vegas, I love being here. It's nice to be home."

Gamez teed off this morning at the Tournament Players Club in Summerlin for the first round of the Invensys Classic.

While it's true he rents out his home at the TPC at Summerlin (he spends most of the year at the house he purchased this year in Orlando, Fla.), Gamez still considers himself a Las Vegan.

He has fond memories of being a standard bearer for the tournament when it began 20 years ago and even greater memories as a player. In 1994, he finished second to Bruce Lietzke by one shot, placed seventh in 1992 and tied for 10th in 1993.

Gamez has played the tournament 12 other times and said he would be saddened to see it end -- which is possible if the Las Vegas Founders don't find a title sponsor for the event.

In that case, next year would be the final year it is played. Current sponsor Invensys is pulling out after this year although organizers said they are committed to holding at least one more tourney.

"It's unfortunate the economy is not as good as it used to be," Gamez said. "And I think we don't get enough support from the town.

"There's not enough people coming out. We need more people. Just like we had a great thing going with the Las Vegas Thunder (minor league hockey team) and we lost that. Hopefully, we can get more people out here.

"It's hard for a sponsor to say I want to support this tournament without that many people coming out to see their name."

Gamez made a name for himself in 1990 when he won two tournaments, $461,407 and was named the PGA Tour rookie of the year.

Although he hasn't won a tournament since then, he has had his chances.

This year, Gamez has finished in the top 10 four times, including a second at the John Deere Classic and a third at the B.C. Open.

Gamez enters the Invensys Classic 81st on the PGA Tour official money list with $727,892.

"This is by far my most successful year except I haven't won a tournament yet.," he said. "I've made more than half (of the cuts) which is good for me because usually I'm right about half or underneath it.

"It's just more consistency. I'm in contention a lot more.