Moore adds another but hasn’t changed plans for senior year

Adam Candee

Monday, July 19, 2004 | 9:33 a.m.

Did you hear that Ryan Moore was going to turn pro after winning this year's NCAA championship?

Did you hear Moore just might give up his senior season at UNLV after winning his second U.S. Amateur Public Links title in three years on Saturday?

He certainly did. No matter how many times Moore states that he will play out his college eligibility, whispers to the contrary follow him like a hungry stray cat, refusing to go away until they are fed another rebuttal.

"I hear rumors about myself all the time," Moore said Sunday.

Beyond rumor is the fact that Moore is playing as well as any amateur in the country.

His 6 and 5 victory against Dayton Rose in the 36-hole final match of the Publinx gave Moore a win in each of the past three tournaments he has played, including the NCAA championship and the Sahalee Players Championship.

As impressive as Moore's streak is his speedy recovery from surgery that sidelined him right after his NCAA win in May. Doctors removed a congenital cyst from his tailbone in emergency surgery in Columbus, Ohio, the night before Moore was scheduled to play in a U.S. Open qualifier.

The cyst caused Moore pain when he sat for long periods of time, specifically when he traveled to tournaments.

The pain did not become an issue until the night before the final round of the NCAA championship and the six-hour car ride to Columbus finally did him in.

After returning home to the Seattle area, Moore was able to chip and putt just days after the surgery, though, and began taking full swings within two weeks. His game suffered no ill effects from the layoff.

"I guess not," Moore said. "Obviously, I've kind of come right back. I didn't really know what to expect."

Moore credits good swing mechanics for his ability to take breaks from the game -- as he does when he returns to the rainy cold of Washington over the winter holidays -- and come back without rust.

"I have kind of a low-maintenance swing," Moore said.

Moore cruised through the first two days of stroke play at Publinx in Maple Grove, Minn., placing second. He quickly fell behind by three holes in his opening match against Andrew Price, but in typical Moore fashion, the deficit only served to motivate him. Moore roared back to win 2 and 1 before claiming consecutive 5 and 4 victories in his next two matches.

The head-to-head combat of match play perfectly suits Moore, a steady and subdued golfer with a killer instinct.

"I love it," Moore said. "I think it's a little bit more mental. It's a battle out there."

He later said: "I was the guy people were gunning at, it seems. I love that. I think it's an advantage for me."

The Publinx win earns Moore his second Masters berth -- the first of which came as a result of his 2002 Publinx victory. Moore made the cut at Augusta National, but struggled to a 75 and a 79 in his final two rounds to finish at 13-over in 45th place.

While he enjoyed his first Masters run, Moore feels more prepared after playing Augusta in tournament conditions.

"I know what to expect now," Moore said. "I know how to handle it a little bit better."

Moore has plenty to focus on before the Masters, though, as his summer schedule allows little time to relax. He will next play in the Western Amateur before heading off to Ireland in early August for Palmer Cup play.

Moore then plays the U.S. Amateur before coming back to UNLV to begin his final collegiate season.com