Several come up short, all but Short

Monday, Oct. 17, 2005 | 7:42 a.m.

Winner: Wes Short Jr. ($720,000; 67-67-66-66--266)

In the hunt: 2. Jim Furyk ($432,000; 66-66-69-65--266)

3. Harrison Frazar ($232,000; 68-63-68-69--268)

3. Ted Purdy ($232,000; 67-65-65-71--268)

5. Charles Howell III ($160,000; 63-69-67-70--269)

Crunch time: Jim Furyk hit his tee shot into the greenside lake on the second playoff hole, handing the win to Short.

Ryan Moore, the highly decorated former UNLV star, was one of the few players with ties to Southern Nevada who played Sunday as if he had a home-course advantage in the final round of the Michelin Championship at Las Vegas.

Moore continued his march toward securing his PGA Tour card for next season by shooting a final-round 69 at the TPC at Summerlin that earned him a tie for 16th place and a $52,533 paycheck.

Moore and Bishop Gorman High School alum Tommy Armour III were the only players to shoot rounds in the 60s among the six with local ties. Chad Campbell, another former Rebel, and Las Vegas resident Dean Wilson also broke par, while Las Vegas natives Robert Gamez and Scott Piercy closed with matching 73s.

"It's a step in the right direction as far as making my way up the money list," Moore said of his four-round total of 14-under-par 273. "That puts me within about probably 25 or 30 thousand (dollars) of getting my card.

"I did everything I could; I was trying as hard as I could the whole time I was out there, so I can't ask for anything else. I was close, I was really close a lot today, so I'm excited for next week because I think I'm right on the verge (of winning)."

Moore, who turned pro earlier this summer and has earned $598,249 in nine tournaments, established both his low round (63) and low total (273) during the Michelin Championship.

"At this point in time, it's the lowest total I've had as a pro, and the last tournament was my second lowest, so I'm moving in the right direction," Moore said. "I felt good out there. I shot my lowest round as a pro, and that's never a bad thing ... I've just got to keep the good play going."

Armour III finished with a 4-under-par 68 and a four-round total of 9-under 278 and a share of 47th place, Wilson closed with a 1-under 71 and tied for 47th and Campbell shot a 2-under 70 for a four-day total of 7-under 280 and a share of 67th place.

Gamez, a Clark High product, and Piercy, a Bonanza High grad, shot matching 73s Sunday and both tied for 58th place at 8-under 279.

"I didn't play well today at all," said Gamez, who won the Texas Open three weeks ago to snap a 15-year winless streak. "I had a lot of confidence coming in here -- I still have confidence in my game -- I just didn't get it done.

"You try so hard when you come home ... with the momentum I had coming in, I was trying so hard out there, and that probably got in my way a little bit."

Piercy, who will try to earn his 2006 PGA Tour playing privileges at the upcoming PGA Tour Qualifying Tournament, also wasn't happy with the way he played in his hometown tournament.

"I expected to do better than what I did -- I play here all the time," Piercy said. "It's not the everyday Summerlin that I play. Usually, the fairways aren't rolling this fast and the greens don't usually roll this fast and they don't stick pins next to the edges like they did.

"But it's still Summerlin. I just didn't score today and I'm disappointed."

Brian Hilderbrand can be reached at 259-4089 or at bh@lasvegassun.com.