Flesch, Verplank lead field

Adam Candee

Friday, Oct. 10, 2003 | 9:52 a.m.

There are two facts of which any spectator can be fairly certain this weekend at the $4 million Las Vegas Invitational.

First, feel safe in assuming that the guys at the top of the leaderboard are players whose drives do not go, but can putt for dough. Then, realize that the names you see atop that same leaderboard Friday and Saturday may not be there come Sunday.

Or at least, so say the statistics about most of the clubhouse leaders after Thursday's second of five rounds of the Invitational. Scott Verplank and Steve Flesch shared the two-day lead at 17-under, with Tim Herron and Charles Howell III both a stroke behind heading into the final day of pro-am play.

Verplank (TPC at Summerlin) and Herron (Southern Highlands) fired 10-under rounds of 62 to pace the field Thursday. Henderson's Craig Barlow headlines a trio of golfers at 14-under, and there is an eight-way logjam for eighth at 13-under behind them.

Everyone continues to follow the LVI script to numbing perfection, with low scores and brought on by favorable course and weather conditions. Unfortunately, those factors also have failed to bring out fans on a second consecutive day of sparse attendance.

Second verse, same as the first.

"You don't wake up in the morning and say, I have to shoot this or I have to shoot that," Verplank said. "You wake up hopeful out here that you will come out and you will hit some great shots and make some putts."

With the exception of Howell, the golfers at the top of the heap Thursday fit the LVI profile: Shorter hitters, stronger putters, and great players at the middle of the tournament who have struggled in the clutch this season. A look at the similarities in 2003 statistics:

It is a long way of revealing that good putters typically win in Las Vegas and that these putters will have to improve from their recent history to stay in the hunt for the $720,000 winner's share.

"My putting has been so good," Herron said. "That gives me the confidence."

Once again, golfers with morning tee times enjoyed better success than those starting in the afternoon. Most of the top 15 on the leaderboard fired better opening rounds than Thursday rounds.

Flesch's Thursday round at TPC at the Canyons took over an hour more than his Wednesday round, a reality of pro-am play when the course backs up.

He still managed a 7-under 64 to follow his opening 10-under 62 at Southern Highlands.

"When the pace of play is that slow, it's just hard to keep a rhythm going," Flesch said. "My amateurs struggled today. Just a lot of little things add up.

"It's frustrating when you hit it in there to 4 feet and you have to take 10 minutes to take the putt."

Verplank scorched the Summerlin course Thursday, moving his two-day total to 17 birdies and no bogeys. A 2002 Ryder Cup pick, Verplank has struggled through the second half of the Tour season and will look for his first strong finish since June over the weekend.

He built some momentum by firing seven birdies in his first eight holes Thursday.

"I was just trying to hit quality shots and quality putts, which I haven't been doing too much of," Verplank said. "I got out of the way and they started going in."

While sitting in a comfortable 33rd on the money list, Verplank is still trying to qualify for the Tour Championship by getting into the top 30. He also feel personal significance in his performance this week.

"I've been struggling enough and beat myself up enough," Verplank said. "This week, I just said, 'Hey, let's just go play."'

The cut will be made at the top 70 professionals, including ties, after today's round. The final two rounds of the tournament will be played only at the Summerlin course. The projected cut after Thursday's round was 7-under.