Tucson Open Update:
Van De Velde Joins the Field

By Rodney Campbell,
Staff Writer

Bruce Lietzke (1977, '79), Mike Reid ('87), Robert Gamez ('90), and Larry Mize ('93) will attempt to repeat as winner of the $3 million event. Rory Sabbatini, a former University of Arizona player, also confirmed he will play in Tucson. Sabbatini, who held the lead at last month's Bob Hope Desert Classic, has won $423,104 in five events this season.

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"Our phone was ringing off the hook, our e-mail box was full, and the fax machine was humming all day,'' Tournament Director Judy McDermott said in a news release.

Notah Begay III

Defending champion Gabriel Hjertstedt will be back to defend his title. He is 52nd on the Tour money list, a showing that includes an impressive performance at the Phoenix Open where he finished six shots behind winner Tom Lehman.

Gabriel Hjertstedt

Steve Flesch, 27th on the money list, Paul Goydos, Skip Kendall, Greg Kraft, Kenny Perry, Paul Stankowski, Dave Stockton Jr., and Tommy Tolles will also play in Tucson.

Missing from the field will be many of the world's top players since Tucson goes head-to-head with the Andersen Consulting World Match Play Championships, which takes the top 64 players in the World Golf Rankings. The top three alternates for that tournament -- Kirk Triplett, Bob May, and Bill Glasson -- will play in Tucson if they aren't included in the Match Play. That tournament will be played at La Costa Resort and Spa in Carlsbad, Calif.

"We heard (Monday) from world class players and top 100 PGA Tour players,'' McDermott said. "These are guys who really love this event. These guys said they can't wait to come to Tucson."

Tournament organizers expect to release a preliminary list of the full field Friday. A final list will be available Monday.

The tournament will be held Feb. 24-27 at Omni Tucson National resort.